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Web Reviews:
- TechRadar:But it's all very well to say that you're going to get the best phone just because it's fixed a few bugs and shed a few pounds... what we want to know is whether the HTC Magic is the phone that's going to thrust Android into the psyche of the phone buying public as successfully as Apple has with its iPhone.
[...] The touchscreen is to die for, Android's 1.5 firmware upgrade has really done the business in terms of adding new functionality, and Google's presence throughout the phone really adds a number of applications that are genuinely useful and ultimately cool. And that's before we even get to the Market app store.
[...] We'd even go as far as saying it's a genuine iThrone contender as it offers something very different but equally as compelling as the iPhone, and for all the people that simply don't want Apple's device they would find a lot to love here, especially with all the applications on show. - SlashGear (Android Community):For a long time now, Android and the T-Mobile G1 have been pretty much synonymous, defining not only form-factor but functionality of what makes a Google Phone. Gatecrashing that arrangement comes the HTC Magic, second Android smartphone to reach the market and the slimmer, prettier sibling to the G1, bringing with it the latest iteration of the Google OS, version 1.5 Cupcake. Expectations for both hardware and software have been huge; read on for the Android Community opinion.
[...] Sharing media is also made quicker, thanks to integration with YouTube and Picasa. Enter your login details for an account with either service, and the Share option in the gallery allows one-touch uploads in addition to sending image/video attachments via email or MMS. Other apps can also add their own media sharing options to that list; Twitter client Twidroid, for instance, lets you instantly create a new photo tweet from a shot youve just taken.
[...] In all, the browser is less impressive than Mobile Safari on the iPhone; we particularly miss the way you can double tap on a block of text, and have the page perfectly render to fit it on-screen. The Magic almost achieves that, but theres still scrolling to be done. Where it steps ahead of the iPhone, though, is in handling bookmarks: as well as instantly bookmarking the current page, you can scroll through your most-viewed pages and instantly add them to your bookmark list. Finally theres a history tab, which again allows you to bookmark individual entries. Everything is straightforward and finger-friendly: other platforms could learn a lot from Googles bookmarking system.
[...] What all that means is that the HTC Magic crosses the important boundary from geeks phone to mainstream phone. Build quality is decent, with the handset looking slick in either gloss white or black, and Android has already matured into a usable, straightforward OS with plenty of flexibility. The Magic still offers the openness that Apples iPhone lacks, but now thats an optional ethos rather than a necessity to get the same functionality that feature-phones offer from the get-go. With the Samsung I7500 around the corner, and Android handsets from other manufacturers tipped as imminent, 2009 looks to be the year that Googles mobile platform really builds its momentum. Those new entrants will find a strong contender in the shape of the HTC Magic, though, and for now its the Android smartphone to beat. - Telegraph.co.uk:Vodafone Magic: Apple should be frightened to the core
Three aspects are particularly impressive: the first is the touchscreen, which works as effectively as the iPhones, and consequently is among the best on the market. This is crucial because the phones second, fine feature is the Android interface sweeping motions move from one screen to another and the menu system is intuitive enough to make users comfortable with trying new things.
The third impressive feature is the range of applications. Googles Streetview allows users to tilt the phone to pan around a photograph of streets as well as using maps, and so theres no reason to ever be lost again. - Gizmodo: Not only does the T-Mobile G2/HTC Magic/Google Ion phone improve on original T-Mobile G1 in just about every way, it manages to do it while cutting down significantly on the size. The only thing it doesn't have going for it is a hardware keyboard.
[...] The generously curved shell is thicker than the iPhone, but less wide, which actually makes it feel better in the hand. It weighs 4.09 ounces compared to the G1's 5.60 ounces, but somehow manages to feel even lighter, like half as heavy. That curved chin that caused such a nuisance when typing on the G1 is no longer a problem, due to the fact that there's no actual slide-out hardware keyboard. Face buttons are now smaller and shiny and raised, which makes them easier to locate and press.
[...] What you'll feel most often is the increased ROM and RAM: 512MB and 288MB, respectively. The beefed up hardware makes a noticeable difference in speed when launching and using apps.
[...] Although the T-Mobile G2/Google Ion/HTC Magic has still has its flaws, it's essentially better than the G1 in every way. It's lighter, faster, better and supposedly lasts longer on a charge. Unless you absolutely need to have a hardware keyboard for massive text entry, there's no real reason why Android seekers shouldn't get the G2 when it debuts on T-Mobile soon. - CNET Reviews: The Google Ion is the Android device for which we've been waiting. A few complaints remain, but its eye-catching design and interface, improved features, and satisfying performance make us excited about Android's full potential.
[...] The user interface is similar to the G1's, which means it is fun, clean, and intuitive. [...] The home screen is made of three panels side by side, which you can move between by swiping your finger across the display. In a bold degree of customization, you can populate the screen with any number of shortcut icons that give instant access to the related applications. The Ion comes with a selection of default icons, but you can remove them or add more as you wish. Such customization and ease-of-use makes for one of the best cell phone UI's around.
[...] Below the display are the Ion's only physical controls. They offer improvements over the G1 not only because there are more of them, but also because they have a sturdier feel. You'll find Talk and End/power keys, a Home button, the aforementioned Menu control, a Google Search shortcut key, and a back button. The keys are crammed into a relatively small area, but they didn't feel too cramped. We also like that the navigation trackball is larger and has more space around its perimeter.
[...] On the upside, the T-Mobile 3G connection was lightning fast under most circumstances. Particularly when using the browser, we noticed a positive change from the iPhone. T-Mobile 3G connection doesn't seem to penetrate as far into buildings as AT&T's does, but once you have it, you should be quite satisfied.
[...] Like with the G1, the Ion's processor performed beautifully. The phone responded quickly to our commands when opening and closing applications and there was no lag time when navigating the menus. More importantly, we didn't experience any system freezes or crashes.
More coming soon maybe! Most likely when it launches in the US.
Video Reviews:
- SlashGear (Android Community):The G1 was criticized for being an enthusiasts phone, demanding patience with a fledgling OS and accused of missing features that even basic handsets included without a second thought. Does the Magic fall into the same trap? The only way to find out is to head over to the Android Community HTC Magic review.
- MobileBurn Part 1, Part 2, Part 3:MobileBurn takes an in-depth look at the HTC Magic in three HD-enabled YouTube videos.
Please post other reviews if you got 'em.
Specifications:
- Official Manufacturer Website
- Names:
- HTC Magic: Manufacturer, Vodafone, Rogers, Others
- Google Ion: Special Google I/O Edition
- T-Mobile myTouch 3G: T-Mobile USA
- Colors:
- White: United States, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy
- Black: United States, Germany, Italy
- Merlot: United States
- Processor: Qualcomm® MSM7200A, 528 MHz
- Operating System: Android (Version 1.5 "Cupcake")
- Memory:
- ROM: 512 MB
- RAM: 192MB (T-Mobile USA, Vodafone) / 288 MB (All Others)
- Dimensions: 113 x 55.56 x 13.65 mm ( 4.45 x 2.19 x 0.54 inches)
- Weight: 116 grams ( 4.09 ounces) with battery
- Display: 3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320x480 HVGA resolution
- Network:
- HSDPA/WCDMA:
- 900/2100 MHz
- Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds
- Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
- 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
- HSDPA/WCDMA:
- Device Control: Trackball with Enter button
- GPS: Internal GPS antenna
- Connectivity:
- Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
- Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g
- HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
- Camera: 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus
- Audio supported formats: AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC-LC, MIDI, OGG
- Video supported formats: MP4, 3GP
- HTC Sync system requirements:
- Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or higher or Microsoft Windows Vista®
- Microsoft® Office Outlook® 2000/2002/2003/2007, Windows Address Book (Outlook Express), or Windows Contacts
- Microsoft® Exchange Server synchronization requirements: Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Microsoft Exchange Server 2007
- Battery:
- Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
- Capacity: 1340 mAh
- Talk time:
- Up to 400 minutes for WCDMA
- Up to 450 minutes for GSM
- Standby time:
- Up to 660 hours for WCDMA
- Up to 420 hours for GSM
- Expansion Slot: microSD memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
- AC Adapter: Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 47/63 Hz
- DC output: 5V and 1A
- Special Features:
- G-sensor
- Digital Compass
Note: Specifications are subject to change without prior notice.
Release Details:
- United States:
- Price: $200 w/ 2-year contract
- Date: Late July (Existing Customers), August (Public)
- Carrier: T-Mobile
- Exclusive? Yes
- Canada:
- Price: $200
- Date: 2 June 2009
- Carrier: Rogers Wireless
- Exclusive? Yes
- Spain:
- Price: 189 w/ contract
- Date: 27 April 2009
- Carrier: Vodafone
- Exclusive? Yes
- United Kingdom:
- Price: Free w/ contract
- Date: 1 May 2009
- Carrier: Vodafone
- Exclusive? Yes
- Germany:
- Price: 1 w/ 44.95 monthly contract, 59.90 w/ 24.95 monthly contract
- Date: 28 April 2009
- Carrier: Vodafone
- Exclusive? Yes
- France:
- Price: 99 after 50 rebate w/ contract
- Date: 6 May 2009
- Carrier: SFR
- Exclusive? Yes
- Sweden:
- Price: 3Pott 499 w/ 2-year contract
- Date: "Soon"
- Carrier: Tre
- Exclusive? Unknown
- Italy:
- Price: Unknown
- Date: Unknown
- Carrier: Vodafone
- Exclusive? No
- Taiwan:
- Price: NT$20,900
- Date: May
- Carrier: Chunghwa Telecom
- Exclusive? Unknown
- Japan:
- Price: Unknown
- Date: Unknown
- Carrier: NTT DoCoMo
- Exclusive? Unknown
Notes: The Asian version of the HTC Magic is the only one to offer out-of-the-box Exchange Support; this version also replaces the Vodafone/carrier logo and "With Google" with two HTC logos, as seen in the above image, and replaces the standard Android dialer with a "Smart Dialer" app (see here). Also, the US version is rumored to have an increased 5.0 megapixel camera.
HTC Magic Images:
Google Ion Images:
T-Mobile myTouch 3G Images:
Comparison Images:
* The two above images reflect the non-final button configuration, but still have the same size as the final hardware.
NeoGAF Android Threads
- NeoGAF Android Trilogy:
- Android Development Thread - Open Development Ftw
The official thread of programming apps and games for Android using Java and the free, open-source Android SDK.
- Android Hardware Thread - 2009 Edition
The single, all-encompassing thread for Android hardware announcements and speculation, for all devices and all carriers.
- Android Software Thread - Tasty Desserts, Tastier Apps
Apps, updates, rooting and more are covered and discussed in-depth in this thread for the Android operating system.
- Individual Device Threads
- Meet The T-Mobile G1 (Reviews are in!)
The official thread for the unveiling and subsequent launch of the T-Mobile G1/HTC Dream, the first handset ever released to run Android.
- Meet the HTC Magic (Reviews are in!)
The official thread of the second released Android handset, the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G/HTC Magic, which is the first such to have no hard keyboard.
- Meet the HTC Hero
The official thread for the unveiling of HTC's third Android device, the HTC Hero which debuts HTC's custom Android interface, "Sense" - including multitouch, Adobe Flash, and a slick customized user interface.
- Meet the Motorola Cliq
The official thread of the first US Android device not made by HTC, the Motorola Cliq, which includes the company's custom Android interface, "Motoblur" - streaming all your social networking lives into a single device.
- Meet the Motorola Droid
The official thread of the first Android device to include Android 2.0, free Google Maps Navigation, and a gorgeous WVGA screen, the Motorola Droid.
- Sony Ericssons XPERIA X10
The official thread for Sony-Ericsson's stunning first Android device, the XPERIA X10, which includes a sleek profile, ridiculously high-end specs, and their custom interface "Nexus UX" - transforming Android into an elegant work of art as only Sony-Ericsson can do.
- Meet the Google Nexus One
The official thread for the real, actual, in-the-flesh Google Phone: the Nexus One, boasting an AMOLED WVGA screen, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and the beautiful Android 2.1. Sold by Google itself, with no other branding, this handset can be bought either unlocked or with contract from a US GSM provider.
- Other Threads:
- The cool and fresh Android Market Thread
Ludi's Android Market-focused thread for app recommendations.
