Well, I’ve been promising it for a while, and here it is! I’ve sat down with the newly-released HTC Magic, to try and find out if I actually like it more then the T-Mobile G1, a phone that showed definite promise, but that I can’t say I liked. Will the HTC Magic fair any better? Will I actually rate it as a decent phone? Or is it possible I might even fall in love with it?
Or will I think it’s like its predecessor, potentially a good phone, but fundamentally not as good as it should be?
Eagle-eyed regular readers should already be able to answer that, but for the rest of you…
Read on…
First Impressions
Now this is more like it. One of the big things I didn’t like about the G1 was its looks. I always thought it looked a bit plasticky, with the big chin it had making it a look a little comical. In essence, as many people said, it looked like a phone that had been designed 3 years in the past. Not so with the HTC Magic, because although it’s still got a hint of ‘plastickiness’ about it, HTC have gone out of their way to make it look vastly sexier. Even the white version (a phone colour I’m not mad keen on) has something about it, and the removal of the QWERTY keyboard definitely makes for a slimmer, more alluring handset. Oh, and with the HTC Magic, the vast chin’s been toned down, so that now, it actually looks like a decent piece of phone sculpture. In short, looks-wise, it’s a vast improvement!
Interface
The big thing with the G1 was always its Android operating system, and the same’s true with the HTC Magic. There’s a difference here, though, because the removal of the keyboard’s meant that they’ve had to build in a software keyboard, something the first build of Android lacked. So, the HTC Magic comes with the ‘Cupcake’ version of Android, and that software keyboard is the biggest addition. It’s pretty nice to use, as well, although I have the same complaints with it that I always do with virtual keyboards, being a hardware button basher. That said, if you want a device without hardware keys, this is one of the better-equipped ones on the market.
The interface itself will be immediately familiar to anyone who’s ever seen Android before, since it’s remained unchanged. You get the same widgety front end, the same flicky-scrolly motions through menus and screens, and all the other bits that made Android nice. I do have to wonder how it will compare to the Palm Pre, though, since that phone’s WebOS looks like it can’t be beaten in terms of usability and simplicity, but all in all, judged on its own merits, the HTC Magic’s interface is really rather nice.
App Store & Google Integration
Ah yes, the other thing the T-Mobile G1 was famous for… Many pundits have said that third party software is the most important battleground mobile phones will fight on this year, and the evidence so far is compelling. You’ve got the Windows Marketplace coming later in the year, there’ll be the Ovi Store for the Nokia N97, there’s always the Apple App Store of course… and in the HTC Magic’s case, there’s the Android Marketplace.
With Android being open source, theoretically it should be able to get a massive variety of apps, with the only limits being people’s imaginations. Anyone who read my post last week about StarDroid will know just how cool you can expect the software on Android to be, and that really is the tip of the iceberg. Oh, and you still get the tight integration with things like Googlemail, Googletalk, and Docs, so it really is a phone for the online lifestyle.
Internet & Web Applications
Again, there are no surprises here, to anyone who’s ever tried Android, as the HTC Magic inherits the same web browser (which is a good thing, ‘cos it’s nice). With full support for tabbed browsing, and finger friendly controls, it really is good. It’s not quite the canine’s conkers, as there’s the odd bit of lag here and there, but nothing that’s going to be hugely detrimental to your online experience.
Of course, you do get a few other rather nice web apps to go along with it. Quite apart from the intense level of Google Apps integration I already mentioned (with Googlemail being the one you’ll use every day), you get the same Youtube client that was found in the G1. Again, that’s a good thing, because Youtube were sweet as a nut on the G1, and the HTC Magic’s no different. In other words, it’s top stuff.
Hardware Features
Now we come to the bit where the HTC Magic doesn’t fair so well: the camera. With the Magic, you only get a 3.2MP cam, y’see, and nowadays, that’s nothing particularly exciting. Having said that, you do get decent pics for a 3megger, but it could have been a lot bigger, especially since the UK’s going to get a 12MP camera this year, in the shape of the Sony Ericsson Idou.
In other areas, though, the HTC Magic comes up trumps, with built-in GPS and digital compass, and about 93million accelerometers to work out what position the phone’s in, what angle you’re viewing it at, and so on. With apps like the aforementioned StarDroid that can integrate with those features perfectly, it’s rather nice to have ‘em!
Final Thoughts
I love the HTC Magic. I never thought I’d say that about an Android phone (what with my nagging feeling Google would be watching everything you do, to send you adverts), but I really genuinely like it. The interface is spot on, the third party apps are sublime, and it looks very pretty. There are a couple of things I didn’t like, though. One, it would’ve been nice to see it with a 3.5-4 inch screen, to give the web browser a bit more room to breathe, and two, it’s a Vodafone-exclusive. So, if you want one, but you can’t get Voda in your area, you’re not in luck. That’s a potential deal-breaker, but if you’re happy with going on Vodafone, the HTC Magic is a top purchase.
Conclusion? It might not be perfect, but the HTC Magic is very, very, very, very, very good!
A definite 4.5 out of 5…
Have you snagged the HTC Magic? Do you love it? Or do you disagree with this review? Leave us a comment and have your say!
