The HTC Magic is the follow-up to the successful G1, the first mobile phone to run on Google's Android OS. It's already been released in some places in Europe with a US debut expected before the first half ends.
Check out these deals on Unlocked HTC Magic Phone
 |
Strangely enough, it looks like US customers will be getting a different version of the Magic (which will, likely, be called something else). According to yesterday's rumors, the phone is set to receive a more powerful camera module compared to the 3.2 megapixel optics the existing version has.
Physically, the Magic is a sexier beast than its predecessor, losing much of the bulkiness of the original while sporting sleek lines and curves. Build, unfortunately, doesn't feel very sturdy, making me suspect its ability to withstand a couple of hard knocks. It continues to sport the trademark "chin", albeit, in a less-defined fashion.
Navigation is a tremendous strength of the Magic, with a good selection of front panel buttons, coupled with a very good trackball control (which responds in a similar way to the Blackberry Storm). The Android OS works like a charm, "floating" through the hardware with relative ease. Anyone who's been through both WinMo, Symbian and Blackberry smart phones will suddenly realize how badly their old OS performs when they breeze through apps and menus on this device.
Calls work fine enough with little problems as with SMS. Typing takes a little (or a lot, in my case) getting used to, with the virtual keyboards provided being a bit less easier to master than I had hoped for. The 3.2-inch haptics-enabled touchscreen works fine - it's just the keys are so damn small. Sadly, I still prefer the old G1 with its physical QWERTY for churning out longer emails.
Our test unit had the original 3.2 megapixel camera, which worked fine the way most phone cameras do. Interface and button use is decent, but it's a long way off from being a substitute for a digital camera. The lack of a flash even makes matters worse.
Onboard memory is a respectable 512 MB, a far cry from the built-in storage of some of its direct competitors. It's expandable via a card slot, however, which can handle up to an additional 16GB. Media playback is great but the lack of a 3.5 mm jack is a serious disappointment. Hopefully, American consumers can get at least a 3.5mm adapter as part of their bundle unlike their poor UK counterparts. Badger your carrier about it now!
Browser operation is fast and intuitive (both over Wi-Fi and HSDPA), likely to get even better with the new Cupcake update. Given how much attention Google is giving Android, there are plenty of great things to expect that can make working on this handset all the more valuable. There's also a built-in GPS and Bluetooth to round out the feature set.
The HTC Magic is a terrific phone that power users will find a lot of good things about. With the impending influx of Android handsets later in the year, though, it feels a tad too premature to invest in it. Personally, I'd wait six months or so before deciding on an Android phone - you just never know what the market will roll out by then.
Photo Credit: Gizmodo
[...] known as the Google Ion and HTC Magic, the MyTouch3G ditches the physical keyboard of its predecessor (the T-Mobile G1), allowing it to [...]
[...] of the update (largely because HTC just went ahead and used the same 528MHz processor from the Magic / MyTouch 3G). This sluggish behavior is even more notable because many of the widgets don’t even try to update [...]
[...] to launch with the MyTouch 3G (HTC Magic) next week, Geodelic’s location-based Sherpa just received an early release in the Android [...]
[...] official plans to release the HTC Hero in the US market, not too long after T-Mobile launched the MyTouch 3G (aka HTC Magic). While both handsets sport several similarities, the Hero offers enough advantages to make [...]