No official confirmation as yet, but according to PhoneNews Sprint is internally testing a CDMA version of the HTC Hero with a release planned for the end of 2009.  HTC themselves have only confirmed that the Hero will reach the US “later in 2009″, after its European and Asian debut.

The Sprint Hero would also be accompanied, their sources suggest, by a multi-mode CDMA and WiMAX Android phone, made by Samsung.  This would take advantage of the WiMAX network Sprint have developed in partnership with Clear.

Sprint have already confirmed that they intend to launch a tri-mode CDMA/WiMAX handset sometime in 2009 or 2010; however they’ve not publicly suggested which OS the smartphone might use.  Samsung have previously created a small number of WiMAX handsets, usually for use in Asia; it’s unclear whether this new Android model would be a version of one of those, or a completely new device.