It wasn't long after the launch of the Google G1 that rumours of a G2 started to circulate together with 'leaked' images of the phone. Up until recently, this has all been speculation but at the 2008 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Vodaphone confirmed that they were teaming up with HTC to launch the HTC Magic (a.k.a. HTC Sapphire), the second Android-compatible smartphone.
As a handset, HTC Magic is not a major departure from the G1 although it does up the ante in terms of style. The phone is thinner and lighter (owing to the exclusion of a full keyboard) and the original G1's pronounced ‘chin' has been smoothed for a much sleeker look. In terms of specifications, the HTC Magic is very similar, using the same Qualcomm MSM7201 processor, a 3.2 inch LCD touchscreen and 3.2 megapixel camera. Internal ROM has also been doubled to 512MB. Obviously the initial battery life issues of the G1 did not go unnoticed, and the Magic will ship with a 1340mAh battery meaning increased talk time.
The HTC Magic phone is a Vodafone exclusive and will be available across Europe from April 2009. At this stage there are no definite dates for availability outside of Europe.
| Processor |
Qualcomm MSM7201A, 528 MHz |
| Memory |
ROM: 512 MB RAM: 192 MB |
| Expansion Slot |
microSD memory card (SD 2.0 compatible) |
| Display |
3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320x480 HVGA resolution |
| Device Control |
Trackball with Enter button
Touch-sensitive screen
|
| Camera |
3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus |
| Multimedia |
Audio
AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC-LC, MIDI, OGG
Video
MP4, 3GP
|
| Network |
HSPA/WCDMA:
- 900/2100 MHz
- Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
(Band frequency, HSUPA availability, and data speed are operator dependent.)
|
| Connectivity |
Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g
HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
|
| GPS |
Internal GPS antenna |
| 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
(The above are subject to network and phone usage.)
|
| Dimensions (LxWxT) |
113 x 55 x 13.65 mm ( 4.45 x 2.17 x 0.54 inches)
|
| Weight |
118.5 grams ( 4.18 ounces) with battery |
| Special Features |
Digital Compass, Motion Sensor
|
Specifications are correct according manufacturer website at time of writing.