HTC Merge Hitting US Cellular 5/31, Official Press Renders

Alltel is selling the HTC Merge since April and we were wondering when Verizon will get the smartphone on its shelves after some press renders of the Verizon HTC Merge appeared online. If they don't hurry, US Cellular will be the second carrier to get the Merge ahead of Verizon, if the rumors are true.

According to an internal document leaked, US Cellular will have the HTC Merge ready on May 31, after passing an initial testing phase. It will go for $249.99 with a two-year agreement before a $100 mail in rebate. With its 800MHz processor, 3.8-inch screen and slide-out QWERTY, the CDMA version of the HTC Desire Z could be a great option for Android enthusiasts who love hardware keyboards. This price might be a turn-down though for many!

Update: And to support all the above we're showing you the official press renders of the US Cellular variant for the HTC Merge. A little more minimalist than the Verizon ones.