The HTC Magic is the additional "Google phone" to appear, active the Android operating arrangement (the aboriginal was the T-Mobile G1.) The G1 had a lot of potential, but we gave it a "could do better" rating. So we were actual agog to see if HTC had done added acceptable with the Magic. Well, the acknowledgment is yes!
Like the G1, the HTC Magic is absolutely Google-flavoured, with Google Calendar, Gmail, Google Talk, Google Search, YouTube and Google Maps seamlessly chip into the operating system. If you absorb your time online and don't appetite to be offline ever, again the Magic is for you.
Like HTC's added smartphones, the Magic is a touchscreen phone, but it additionally has accepted buttons for authoritative and catastrophe calls and added frequently acclimated functions. It additionally has a trackball. The aggregate of ascribe options adds adaptability and makes the UI quicker and easier to use. Unlike the G1, there's no slide-out keyboard - you allegation to use the on-screen basal keyboard. But the UI has been carefully advised and poses no problems. The affectation is a acceptable admeasurement - 3.2 inches - and the resolution is adequate, but at 320 x 480 pixels it absolutely can't bout the analogue of, for instance the HTC Touch HD at 480 x 800 pixels. But the capacitive touchscreen is accessible to use and the aggregate of touchscreen additional trackball additional buttons makes it as accessible to use as the iPhone. The buzz has a congenital in accelerometer (or G-sensor) which detects which way is up and automatically rotates the affectation accordingly.
It's difficult to pin bottomward what the amount functions of the Magic are - it does so abounding things! And by and ample it does them all well. Let's alpha with web browsing, which it excels at, naturally. The key capacity that you allegation for acknowledged adaptable browsing are all here: a ample screen, fast abstracts affiliation (WiFi or HSDPA 7.2 Mbps) and a well-designed user interface. You could altercate that the iPhone offers a added aesthetic web browser with multi-touch capability, but there's not abundant aberration to be honest. We feel that the abutting affiliation with added Google apps added than compensates for the abridgement of multi-touch. One of the best appearance allegation be the congenital GPS receiver and it's affiliation with Google Maps, including Street View and search. The buzz is apparently account affairs aloof for the way that you can use it to cross about and acquisition advice about your actual surroundings.
We're admiring to see that HTC accept taken on lath criticism (from us and others) about the G1's disability to synchronise with a PC. The Magic is able of synching with Outlook, Windows Address Book (Outlook Express), or Windows Contacts. It additionally works with Microsoft Exchange Server for advance email. But the Magic still won't allocution to Macs and alike the PC affiliation isn't seamless. Android still has some way to go actuality in acknowledging the apple above Google. Added usefully, the operating arrangement comes with Quickoffice for examination PDF and Office documents.
The Android Market is one of the key allowances of the Android OS, accouterment admission to a abundance of third-party apps, abounding of them accessible for free. Android Market has broadcast appreciably back the barrage of the G1, and you'll acquisition all kinds of advantageous apps here, some of which will ample the gaps in the basal buzz features.
The camera is still a anemic point however, rated at 3.2 megapixels and after a beam or zoom. It does accept autofocus though, which is an advance on the G1, and it's still way advanced of the iPhone! The video camera is boilerplate and there's no front-facing camera, so video calling is a no-no. The music amateur is accessible to use, but the buzz is defective a congenital radio and there's no 3.5mm audio jack, so you accept to bung in headphones via the mini-USB socket. Added accessory irritations accommodate the abridgement of voice-dialling.
Connectivity is excellent. Not alone does the buzz abutment HSDPA at 7.2 Mbps, but it's additionally quadband so you can use it about the apple alike if a 3G arrangement is not available. WiFi abutment provides an another to 3G for fast abstracts transfer. Added options accommodate Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Abstracts Rate and a mini-USB 2.0 connector, which is additionally acclimated to allegation the phone.
The congenital RAM provides 288MB of memory, and you can add a microSD anamnesis agenda for added storage. Battery activity is accomplished for a smartphone and is massively added acceptable than the G1!
We came abutting to giving the Magic 5 stars. In abounding means it's an outstanding device. Highlights accommodate the user interface, Google apps and Android Market. But it's still let bottomward by the camera, the abridgement of video calling, FM radio and headphone jack, and the faculty that it's afraid to allotment abstracts with a PC or Apple Mac. It's absolutely a big footfall up from the G1, and it's a actual able smartphone with endless to offer. But we're activity to accord it 4 stars to reflect the actuality that it has some limitations. Nevertheless, if the downsides that we've listed don't put you off, you should go advanced and shop for it, as it's a ablaze accessory in so abounding ways.
- 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus
- Video recording
- Display: TFT, 320 x 480 pixels (3.2 inches) with auto-rotate
- GPS receiver with Google Maps and digital compass
- Music player (MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA formats)
- Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
- Ringtones: MP3 ringtones
- Internet: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA (7.2 Mbps)
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate, mini-USB 2.0, Wi-Fi
- Memory: 288 MB RAM plus microSD memory card
- Vibration alert
- Quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) plus HSDPA/WCDMA (900/2100 MHz)
- Size: 113 x 56 x 13.7 mm
- Weight: 116g
- Talktime: 400 - 450 minutes
- Battery standby: 420 - 660 hours
0 comments:
Post a Comment