EE has confirmed that it will exclusively stock the HTC First, the new Facebook-friendly phone, from this summer in the UK.

The UK release date comes some time after the US launch on 12 April, although HTC, Facebook and EE have not detailed why. "The HTC First will be exclusively available this summer on EE’s superfast 4GEE service, with details on pricing and availability to be announced in due course," says the network.

Users who sign up for the HTC First on EE will be able to benefit from the carriers 4G network (the First is 4G ready) and get a pretty comprehensive deal of extras.

Those extras include EE Film, a discount of £5 a month if you sign up to the company's Fibre Broadband service and fast-track customer service. Users will also get the Clone Phone Lite service to back up their phone.

The company hasn't said how much the new HTC First will cost, however given that it is selling in the US for $99 (£65), you can expect it to be free with a fairly low-priced contract in the UK. 

EE as said that by the time the HTC First does launch in the UK, it should have 4G coverage in around 80 towns and cities.

Users who fancy getting the new phone can sign up to be kept up todate with the latest from the mobile operator and an exact UK release date.