In February 2009, HTC announced the release of its second Android-based smart phone, the HTC Magic, in an exclusive deal with Vodafone Europe. Set for release in the European Spring, the handset will be available in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, with other regional releases still to be announced .
All about HTC Magic
The first thing you notice about the HTC Magic is its design, with a sleek, ultra-modern looking body, vibrant, 3.2 bit size touch screen and powerful 3.2 mega pixel auto focus camera. Unlike its predecessor, the HTC Dream, the HTC Magic is fully touch screen operational, automatically sensing when you will need its QWERTY keyboard or number pad for phoning.
The screen also senses when the phone is tipped at more than a 90-degree angle, automatically changing the view, and websites look just like they do on a PC.
And the G2's not just a pretty face.
The Android system, although relatively new in the market place, is the result of years of development by Google, and is backed by the 47-company strong Open Handset Alliance, which includes Google and Vodafone. This open-source, Linux-based mobile device platform has the ambitious agenda of re-writing the way software developers can design for mobile devices, an increasingly important marketing tool for many companies.
Already, the HTC Dream, the first Android phone to be released in the world, has enabled users to access the Android Market, which contains a wide range of applications that users can browse and download optionally. MySpace, Skype, television and radio applications are among those options currently available, along with the Google applications that come pre-loaded with your phone.
The HTC Magic also allows for Android Market connectivity and Google applications, which include Google Maps with built-in GPS, IM, G-Mail (that is synched with your PC G-Mail for instant backup), Internet search and full browser capabilities.
The handset comes loaded with some other powerful features, including a 528MHz Qualcomm Processor, WLAN (802.11b/g), Bluetooth 2.0 with wireless stereo music transfer and a 1.340 mAh battery, just to keep things powered.
Australian G2 availability
It has been reported that Telstra signed a deal with HTC to become the exclusive providers of the HTC Magic handset in Australia at the Mobile World Congress, held in Barcelona in February - although some suspect this exclusivity might be for a short time only. In March, Telstra will unveil its new NextG network, which will effectively make the HTC Dream the fastest handset in the world.
Vodafone, however, is hot on Telstra’s heels. Not only have they unveiled plans to launch their own G3 network, which they claim will be faster than Telstra’s 21Mbs, but that they also have rights to provide HTC’s G2 handsets. It all makes for some interesting possibilities for consumer competition over the next few months.
What is likely is that the new HTC Magic will knock the current HTC Dream from its place, and with it Optus’ hold on the new Android handset market. Keep your eye out for possible releases after April 2009.
