T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced that it is teaming up with musician Eric Clapton to help market its new T-Mobile myTouch 3G Fender phone.

T-Mobile myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition, which will be available nationwide starting January 20, costs $180 with a two-year contract.

This is not the first time that T-Mobile has used celebrities to pitch and promote its products. The company has recently brought back actress Catherine Zeta Jones for a cellphone-plan campaign and is using Whoopi Goldberg among others in its myTouch ads.

The Android-based device puts a new spin on the original T-Mobile myTouch 3G. It will be equipped with some preloaded songs including Mr. Clapton classics such “Layla,” “My Father’s Eyes,” “Rock ‘N’ Roll Heart,” and “Wonderful Tonight,”

To sweeten the deal further, T-Mobile’s Fender device comes equipped with a 16 GB microSD card, a 3.5mm headset jack for headphones and an enhanced music player, which will allow customers to create ringtones from songs that are playing.

The phone, which runs Android 1.6, Google’s mobile OS, is expected to be updated to Android 2.1 in the spring.

The device will have new accessories for further customization, including Fender-branded shells, a Fender carrying case, and a docking station with speakers. (The phone is designed in partnership with a guitar company called Fender and has a Fender guitar sunburst-finish inspired design.)

“The myTouch 3G, which runs on Android, gives us an open, highly customizable platform to create truly unique experiences that go beyond what’s possible on proprietary platforms,” said Andrew Sherrard, vice president of product development at T-Mobile, in statement.

Like the original T-Mobile myTouch, the Fender device features more than 16,000 applications and one-touch access to the Google mobile services.

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