Forget that $129 retail price at AT&T. The Android 2.1-powered Aria can now be had for free with a two year plan.
Usually, it takes a few weeks, or even a few months for smartphones to drop to free. AT&T (T), however is allowing one of its mobile partners, Wirefly, to offer the very capable HTC Aria for free with a new service plan. Smartphone service plans typically subsidize $350-$400 of the cost of the phone, so prospective customers should consider that the current low price of the Aria.
Dell is also offering the Aria for free, though the graphics in both group’s ads suggest that Wirefly and Dell are sharing the same back-end provider.
Amazon, usually pretty quick to match wireless sales deals, is currently offering the Aria for $50 with a new service plan.
AT&T still charges $130 and started selling the devices over the weekend.
I reviewed the Aria here and found it to be a very quick and capable little Android device. Your mileage may vary with its provider, AT&T, however.