subject: Htc Magic Or Apple Iphone? [print this page] Do you remember the first time you saw an iPod in its pristine white, looking as if it was untouched by impurity? It just seemed so inviting that you had to go and buy one. That is exactly the kind of response that the HTC Magic incites.
This is the Korean company's second phone based on the Google Android OS; and not only have they fixed a lot of issues with their first foray, the fact that they are partnering with Vodaphone vo market it worldwide giver me hope of its launch here in the near feature.
The phone itself looks fantastic and seems like a great entry for those who do not want vo opt for the Apple iPhone 3G. The magic sports a 3.2 inch touchscreen TFT that displays 65k colours at a resolution of 320x480 pixel. Equipped with an accelerometer, there is no keypad on this one - unlike its predecessor, the T-Mobile G1 - and relies, instead, on a virtual keyboard.
Unlike the iPhone, however, it is not operated by a single button. HTC's offering has a great little trackball, like the Blackberry phones, which act as your cursor. The trackball is flanked by three buttons on each side: the left has buttons to answer a call, open the menu, or go to the homescreen; the right offers the option to end calls, zoom in or go back.
Flipping the phone around, you will meet a 3.15 megapixel camera with autofocus, that offers a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 pixels. While it can record video, the disappointment of the lack of an LED flash is quite difficult to get over.
The device is powered by a Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528MHz processor, backed up by 192 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM. For additional disk space requirements, you can always throw in a microSD card to boost your memory.
The Android Operating System has received an upgrade on the Magic, with Android v1.5 - also known as Cupcake - that is sleeker and faster, and fixes a lot of bugs from the first release. Of course, the entire suit of Google products comes pre-installed on the phone, offering easy access to Gmail, Gtalk, Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube, etc.
One of the major flaws of the HTC Magic, though, is the lack of a 3.5-mm port for headphones. If the device is being touted as a fun, entertainment phone, the least of the requirements is the ability to connect your own headphones to it. Instead of a 3.5-mm port, the packaged earphones connect to a USB port; although reports state that the phone is now coming with a USB to 3.5-mm convertor cable. The Magic's 1340 mAh battery claims to offer seven and half hours of talk-time, while lasting over 17 days in standby mode, which is longer than the iPhone.
