At the time it came out, the HTC Hero was, by far, the best Android phone on the block. With the HTC Legend, the manufacturer took everything good about that handset and made it even better.

Physically, it looks a lot like the Hero, down to the trademark chin. The body is cut from a single piece of aluminum (taking a bite out of Apple's aesthetic), making it both more attractive and durable at the same time. Replacing the trackball with a metal-trimmed trackpad also raises the style points up a notch, apart from working just as effectively.

Display is a gorgeous 3.2-inch AMOLED screen, with 320x480 resolution. Colors literally pop out, adding a "wow" factor that you seldom get with the mass of Android phones in the market. At 3mm thinner than the Hero, it's easily one of HTC's more pocketable devices.

As a phone, the HTC Legend manages slightly above average call quality. Voices sound natural with plenty of volume to go, although we did encounter a slight amount of distortion. Speakerphone worked just as well, perhaps lacking just a tad more volume to my liking. Battery life is quite disappointing, though, likely requiring a recharge every day and a half for most common uses.

While the Hero suffered from some form of sluggishness (which they later rectified via firmware), the Legend runs with satisfying speed out of the box. Navigation is smooth, transitions are fast and apps launch quick, putting all 600Mhz of that processor to good use. Web browsing (both over WiFi and HSDPA) is exceptional, with pages rendering almost twice as fast, compared to many Android phones we've seen. Plus, the browser's got multi-touch and some amount of Flash support.

It delivers all the usual Android 2.1 favors, from the nominal music player to the mass of Google apps to extensive messaging capabilities. HTC primps it up with their fancy Sense UI, which adds a lot of value to the device, including features such as being able to add mail to your Outlook folders, an improved mail interface, a very good onscreen keyboard and the MotoBlur-like Friend Stream. The latter, by the way, doesn't work as well as expected. Expect software updates on that end. Camera module is a 5.0 megapixel unit that manages to snap average-looking shots.

Sure, the Motorola Droid and the Nexus One have probably gotten the most press out of today's Android phones. In terms of overall value, though, I'm tempted to side with the HTC Legend, with its great looks, sleek operation and robust feature set.  Price should vary from retailer to retailer, but expect it between $550 to $600 unlocked.

Within two months of the launch of both the Palm Pre and the iPhone 3G S in the US, another smartphone is set to hit the streets to spice up the competition. Courtesy of T-Mobile, US customers will soon get a crack at a second Android phone, the MyTouch 3G.

Also known as the Google Ion and HTC Magic, the MyTouch3G ditches the physical keyboard of its predecessor (the T-Mobile G1), allowing it to sport a slimmer and lighter profile. It will come bundled with a bevy of Google services (e.g. Search By Voice, Maps with Street View, one-click uploads to YouTube and Picasa), along with offering plenty of personalization via the Sherpa app, which T-Mobile claims is "at the heart of myTouch". Sherpa is an app that bundles a recommendation engine along with behavior recognition, location-relevant suggestions and social discovery.

As we've noted in our previous coverage of the HTC Magic, the MyTouch3G will differ from other versions in the fact that it sports a 3.2 megapixel camera (compared to 2.0 megapixels for other versions). Specs of the device include a 3.2-inch haptics-enabled touchscreen display (320 x 480 resolution), a built-in GPS tuner, Wi-Fi, HSPA and a bundled 4GB SD card.

The T-Mobile MyTouch 3G will be available in three colors (white, black and merlot) to new customers beginning August. Current subscribers can pre-order it beginning July 8, with an earlier shipping date sometime in the same month. Price is $199.99 with a two-year contract agreement.

We will also be working on finding best no contract deals on unlocked MyTouch 3G handsets for you.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

T Mobile MyTouch 3G Slide Black T Mobile Smartphone as is works for parts US $61.00 --> Ends In 42m <--

T Mobile MyTouch 3G Slide Black T Mobile Smartphone US $50.00 --> Ends In 47m <--

HTC myTouch 3G White T Mobile Smartphone US $260.00 --> Ends In 49m <--

Rose Whip Cream Hard Skin Case T mobile My Touch 3G Slide HTC myTouch 3G Slide US $22.99 --> Ends In 1h 14m <--

HTC MyTouch 3G Slide White T Mobile Smartphone US $22.50 --> Ends In 1h 31m <--

Case for T Mobile MyTouch 3G Fender C Pouch Cover Belt Clip US $7.53 --> Ends In 1h 34m <--

Photo Credit: Unwired View

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

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

NEW HTC G2 MAGIC myTouch 3G Android OS 3G GPS WIFI SMART PHONE WHITE UNLOCKED US $129.50 --> Ends In 22d 17h 26m <--

HTC Magic G2 with vodafone Logo Unlocked with extra accesories FAST SHIP US $139.99 --> Ends In 3d 8h 43m <--

Unlock Code for ROGERS MOBILITY Wireless HTC LTE Raider Dream Evo 3D Magic US $3.70 --> Ends In 21d 9h 49m <--

NEW HTC G2 MAGIC myTouch 3G Android OS 3G GPS WIFI SMART PHONE RED UNLOCKED US $135.00 --> Ends In 22d 17h 34m <--

Unlocked Black Rogers HTC Magic 3G Android Smartphone US $.99 --> Ends In 4d 7h 18m <--

IMEI Unlock Code for HTC Legend Magic Maple Merge Mozzart MyTouch 3G 4G Slide US $4.99 --> Ends In 9d 17h 25m <--

IMEI Unlock Code for HTC Diamond Desire HD HD2 Hero Legend Magic Pro 2 Tattoo US $4.99 --> Ends In 26d 10h 42m <--

UNLOCK Code For Rogers Fido HTC MAGIC Diamond S621TyTN Touch US $3.95 --> Ends In 26d 14h 39m <--

IMEI Unlock Code for HTC Touch Magic Pro 2 G1 G2 US $4.99 --> Ends In 26d 11h 5m <--

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

With all the buzz about Google's Android OS nowadays, anticipation for HTC's follow up to the G1 handset is completely understandable.  At MWC 2009, all eyes were on the company as they debuted the Android G2, dubbed the HTC Magic.

Look, Ma, No Keypad

HTC went for the form factor in this one, stripping out the keypad in exchange for a noticeably slimmer device that seriously makes the G1 appear like an unappetizing slab of brick.  Rounded edges and a narrow body, coupled with what is turning out to be a trademark chin (designed to allow the trackball to protrude better), makes the HTC Magic a serious looker.  Other features of the soon-to-be-much-sought-after handset include a 3.2 inch touchscreen display, an accelerometer, 3.2 megapixel camera and a digital compass.

Users can store their wares on 192 MB of onboard storage, expandable with microSD cards up to 16 GB.  It's got built-in GPS and comes bundled with Gmail, Google Maps and Street View.  Connectivity options include a mini-USB, Bluetooth and 3G.  Media addicts, as usual, can enjoy a variety of music files but only MP4 and 3GP video get supported.

Versus The iPhone

The inevitable comparison, of course, arises.  According to first-hand accounts, the HTC Magic is thicker than Apple's much-lauded mobile phone although the narrower frame makes them feel somewhat the same size.  Much will likely be made about HTC's in-house developed virtual keyboard on the device and many of them not so good.  Typing reportedly feels cramped, with the keyboard oddly situated to the side of the screen, instead of at the bottom.  There's still time for a change, right HTC?

HTC will release the Android-powered Magic in Europe first.  Vodafone has the exclusive distribution for the UK, Germany and Spain, SFR will be the carrier in France and it will be available non-exclusively in Italy.  No word on either pricing or an exact release date.

Photo Credit: Gizmodo