Preview: HTC Magic Android Phone

Overview:
Remember at the Mobile World Congress last month when the rumours that surfaced before the event on all the Google Android phones that were predicted to be announced? Well, it all seemed to end in a pool of disappointment as there weren’t as many announcements as predicted in the end.

However, that aside the big announcement from HTC was the speculation of a brand new Android based phone which was set to follow on in the footsteps of their previous phone, the HTC G1. Codenamed the HTC Sapphire, the Magic was unveiled by Vodafone and they will be the sole carriers of the phone in the UK, Spain, Germany and France with more countries to follow. Vodafone are set to start shipping the HTC Magic from May 5th. So that’s enough of the boring stuff, lets get down to how much of a punch the phone packs!

Preview:
Ok, so to start with I thought I would go through the hardware inside the HTC Magic as this seems to be a popular talking point of the phone. This is because it actually appears very similar to the G1, however this is because much of the phone’s operating platform plays a significant part in the user’s experience. Therefore the hardware behind the phone is it’s key point really, so lets take a look:

• Touchscreen – The main focus point of the HTC Magic is the touchscreen. It is a 3.2 inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320×480 HVGA revolution, and this is up-to date in terms of touchscreen technology. The screen has been designed in such a way that it actually stands out as a key advantage to the phone.
• Wi-Fi – The Magic has been designed to let you connect to the internet anywhere where there is a wireless network available.
• GPS – An interesting area on the Magic is the GPS, and this is because the phone is also obviously powered by Google services too, so with the GPS added as well it could be used as an advanced Smartphone.
• Bluetooth – HTC fans will like the idea that the Magic has bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
• Camera – The Magic has a 3.2MP camera with built in flash and auto-focus, which is not the best but would this really matter to the target user?

All sounds pretty good doesn’t it but the Magic’s features don’t end there, it also has pre-installed software that defends it’s corner:

• G-mail
• Google Maps
• Google talk
• YouTube

The Gaj-It Verdict:
Design: 7/10
Features: 9/10
Value: TBA

We Say:
So that is all the main features behind the HTC Magic, and it seems to pack quite a punch! Also it’s looks aren’t too bad either, could be better and could be worse, I think you’d agree, so it will be interesting to see what degree of sales HTC receive from this new venture.

As previously said, the HTC Magic is expected to be shipped in by Vodafone by May 5th, but this could obviously change as with a lot of things in the mobile phone world. If this phone tickles your fancy, I’d say go for it and enjoy!

For more information on the HTC Magic please visit HTC’s website by clicking here.

[source: HTC Magic][image source: engadget]