HTC Magic
The basics
The HTC Magic is an Android smart phone with 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen and 320x480-pixel resolution. It has a range of radios, includes 3G, HSDPA, quad-band GSM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth A2DP and GPS. Plus there’s a user replaceable battery, microSD card slot, accelerometer and digital compass. It weighs 119g.
The good
In the coming global conflict between Google and Apple, iPhone users may be able to pinch harder but Magic owners will have navigational superiority, thanks to super-smooth Street View images that rotate as you turn corners and Latitude location sharing. In fact, all elements of the Google empire march into battle in good order, with Gmail now even easier to use than on the T1, a crisp dedicated YouTube player and the Talk app ready to chat. The 3.2MP camera can shoot stills or video, and a superb on-screen virtual keyboard means you’ll never miss the T1’s clunky slide-out thumb-board. Media player and phone functions work well, and even battery life (400 minutes/400 hours) is better than you might expect for such powerful wizard.
The bad
Apple still wins the finger wars, with the Magic’s resistive touchscreen (and even its mini trackball) proving slower to navigate, particularly in all-important web browsing. Don’t worry too much about the Android Market being so much smaller than the iPhone App Store: it has key applications like IM, Twitter and news clients, plenty of basic games, and is growing all the time. If anything, the lack of a standard headphone socket is more annoying.
The bottom line
HTC might not have made a true iPhone killer, but the Magic could certainly rough it up a bit and leave it bleeding in an alleyway. Well worth a look if you live your life through Google goggles.
User comments (6)
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cowgod66605 October 2009
i owned the nokia n97 for 3 days it was one of the worst phones ive ever owned, went back and demanded a htc magic it was the best thing i could have done it is so easy to use and its very sexy in white so glad i didnt pay for iphone
Report as inappropriaterobodean10 October 2009
I had a Samsung Omnia but it was stolen, my insurance enabled me to get one of these... I would like to meet my thief and thank them from the bottom of my heart.
Report as inappropriatePeter28 November 2009
I've had a Magic for a month. It lives up to it's name. I have no problem with the quality of the video, Youtube clips are really good. You have to witness Street View on the device to believe it. I call it a device as caling these things Phnedis a misnoma. The Android Market is a revalation. Apps are the future. If owners of phones from other manufactures (excluding Apple) can't get at the vast range of apps that I can they are missing out. Nokia, Samsung etc need to do a deal with Google and start selling some phones with the Android OS, they could get left behind. They must be loosing market share to new boys on the block, HTC. I had never heard of them until six months ago. I did want an iPhone but they are prohibitively expensive. Apple are being greedy so I had a look elsewhere. We have two Magics in the family now. That gave me more leverage when negotiating contracts with the network. The deals I got made it an even more attractive proposition than the iPhone. In still like the iPhone but money is money and not all of us are on TV presenter wages.
Report as inappropriatecelticvinnie02 December 2009
The name says it all. Like most i was thinking about the I phone and got one, but it would not link up with the bluetooth in my car. My contract was up and i got a call from vodafone after saying no no no to the guy he came up with a deal that was worth thinking about. He sent it out and i could not put it down and the more i was on it the better it got, everything i wanted was on the phone or free on the market not like Apples market. It,s supper fast on the net and with google voice you say it and it.s in front of you, your email is as fast as a tex the wife loves the bar code app as it saves her a few bob and the football score board is the bees and knees, its a phone that will impress even if you love the iphone or the N79 im sure this phone would get you asking yourself did i pick the right phone, all i can say is the bluetooth not connecting to my car made me stumble across a gem. The H T C Magic is the way forword and is a joy to own Vinnie
Report as inappropriatekeith williams06 December 2009
Pure magic! Switched from a blackberry, best decision ever. Only negative point is the lack of a headphone socket. The android apps are fantastic and the phone itself is far sexier thn an iphone.
Report as inappropriateSaxton15 December 2009
I just purchased a htc magic curently I own a I phone ....in my opinon iPhones get boring Im hopping that the magic will give me the thrill I need yes iPhones have many apps but once u own the phone you will rearly download apps go for the magic
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