The HTC Rezound can now be had for $150 from Amazon’s Wireless Store (currently in beta). Previously available for $300 with a 2-year contract, the resoundingly impressive drop in price is sure to capture any Android fan’s interest.

Customers are given the option to either sign a new 2-year contract with Verizon, or use their upgrade on the HTZ Rezound to take advantage of the discounted price.

The Rezound is packed with a 4.3 inch, 1280×720 resolution super LCD screen, a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor, a 2-megapixel camera on the front, and an 8-megapixel dual LED flash camera on the back.

The phone is connected through Verizon’s famed LTE 4G network. Reports from customers on the network so far are promising, with Armando Rodriguez from PC World clocking a download speed of 11.55 megabits per second in San Francisco.

The HTC Rezound ships with a set of Beats Audio headphones (valued at $99+). These ear buds combined with the Beats Audio software enhance the user’s experience while they enjoy their songs & videos.

Battery life has thus far been the main concern for users who take advantage of the device’s substantial media capabilities. Games & movies specifically are said to be a drain on the phone’s battery life, which at the moment appears to be the price you have to pay for enjoying handheld high-definition content, regardless of the device.

William Hook / flickr.com

On the heels of possibly losing their exclusivity deal with Apple’s popular iPhone–thus giving Verizon entry into the market—AT&T has announced that they have significantly increased their fees for smart phone holders who choose to opt out of their contracts early.

AT&T declined to suggest that this change in policy is directly related to the upcoming expiration of their deal with Apple, but the timing may raise some flags.

Smart phone early cancellation fees will jump from $175 under AT&T to a hefty maximum of $325. This change will not apply to current contract holders as their agreements have already been signed. Instead, the fee increase will go into effect for all contracts signed on or after June 1, 2010.

In an interview with The Dallas Morning News, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel quipped that “AT&T’s smart phone ETF (Early Termination Fee) is, at $325, still less expensive than Verizon’s smart phone ETF, at $350.”

Granted, the hike in fees does not apply to absolutely everyone under the AT&T sun. In fact, if you are not a smart phone user, your fees may actually decrease to $150. Of course, that is only if you re-up on your contract. For now, if you already have a contract with this provider, your fee is still $175 (individual cases may vary based on length of time remaining on customer’s contract).

As many consumers will point out, whether or not AT&T’s fees stack up well against Verizon is not what resonates most with this announcement. It’s that this is yet another example of major cell phone services’ ability to prevent you from moving freely to another carrier.

Early Termination Fees have become a particular point of interest for the Federal Communications Commission lately. Whether or not the FCC will comment on AT&T’s announcement remains to be seen.