In a nutshell: The HTC Magic is the second Googlephone using
the Android operating system. It's exclusive to Vodafone. The Magic
is a touchscreen device with a virtual keyboard plus a trackball
and buttons, making it very easy to use. The phone has a wealth
of applications, from email to mobile browsing to Google Maps and
access to the huge Android Market of third-party apps. It's weaknesses
are the camera and the lack of video calling, FM radio and headphone
jack. But it's still a very highly recommended phone.
Review:
May 2009.
The HTC Magic is the second "Google phone"
to appear, running the Android operating system (the first was the
T-Mobile G1.) The G1 had a lot of
potential, but we gave it a "could do better" rating.
So we were very keen to see if HTC had done better with the Magic.
Well, the answer is yes!
Like the G1, the HTC Magic is completely Google-flavoured,
with Google Calendar, Gmail, Google Talk, Google Search, YouTube
and Google Maps seamlessly integrated into the operating system.
If you spend your time online and don't want to be offline ever,
then the Magic is for you.
Like HTC's other smartphones, the Magic is a touchscreen
phone, but it also has conventional buttons for making and ending
calls and other commonly used functions. It also has a trackball.
The combination of input options adds flexibility and makes the
UI quicker and easier to use. Unlike the G1, there's no slide-out
keyboard - you need to use the on-screen virtual keyboard. But the
UI has been thoughtfully designed and poses no problems. The display
is a good size - 3.2 inches - and the resolution is adequate, but
at 320 x 480 pixels it certainly can't match the definition of,
for instance the HTC Touch HD at
480 x 800 pixels. But the capacitive touchscreen is easy to use
and the combination of touchscreen plus trackball plus buttons makes
it as easy to use as the iPhone. The phone has a built in accelerometer
(or G-sensor) which detects which way is up and automatically rotates
the display accordingly.
It's difficult to pin down what the core functions
of the Magic are - it does so many things! And by and large it does
them all well. Let's start with web browsing, which it excels at,
naturally. The key ingredients that you need for successful mobile
browsing are all here: a large screen, fast data connection (WiFi
or HSDPA 7.2 Mbps) and a well-designed user interface. You could
argue that the iPhone offers a more refined web browser with multi-touch
capability, but there's not much difference to be honest. We feel
that the close integration with other Google apps more than compensates
for the lack of multi-touch. One of the best features must be the
in-built GPS receiver and it's integration with Google Maps, including
Street View and search. The phone is probably worth buying just
for the way that you can use it to navigate around and find information
about your immediate surroundings.
We're pleased to see that HTC have taken on board
criticism (from us and others) about the G1's inability to synchronise
with a PC. The Magic is capable of synching with Outlook, Windows
Address Book (Outlook Express), or Windows Contacts. It also works
with Microsoft Exchange Server for push email. But the Magic still
won't talk to Macs and even the PC integration isn't seamless. Android
still has some way to go here in acknowledging the world beyond
Google. More usefully, the operating system comes with Quickoffice
for viewing PDF and Office documents.
The Android Market is one of the key benefits of
the Android OS, providing access to a wealth of third-party apps,
many of them available for free. Android Market has expanded considerably
since the launch of the G1, and you'll find all kinds of useful
apps here, some of which will fill the gaps in the basic phone features.
The camera is still a weak point however, rated
at 3.2 megapixels and without a flash or zoom. It does have autofocus
though, which is an improvement on the G1,
and it's still way ahead of the iPhone!
The video camera is average and there's no front-facing camera,
so video calling is a no-no. The music player is easy to use, but
the phone is lacking a built-in radio and there's no 3.5mm audio
jack, so you have to plug in headphones via the mini-USB socket.
Other minor irritations include the lack of voice-dialling.
Connectivity is excellent. Not only does the phone
support HSDPA at 7.2 Mbps, but it's also quadband so you can use
it around the world even if a 3G network is not available. WiFi
support provides an alternative to 3G for fast data transfer. Other
options include Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and a mini-USB
2.0 connector, which is also used to charge the phone.
The built-in RAM provides 288MB of memory, and
you can add a microSD memory card for more storage. Battery life
is excellent for a smartphone and is massively better than the G1!
We came close to giving the Magic 5 stars. In many
ways it's an outstanding device. Highlights include the user interface,
Google apps and Android Market. But it's still let down by the camera,
the lack of video calling, FM radio and headphone jack, and the
sense that it's reluctant to share data with a PC or Apple Mac.
It's definitely a big step up from the G1, and it's a very capable
smartphone with loads to offer. But we're going to give it 4 stars
to reflect the fact that it has some limitations. Nevertheless,
if the downsides that we've listed don't put you off, you should
go ahead and buy it, as it's a brilliant device in so many ways.
Features
of the HTC Magic include:
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
HTC Magic
Consumer Reviews
Love
your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review
this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a
forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear
words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!
Average
rating from 54 reviews:
Reviewed by les horvath from england
on 22nd Jun 2010
the new magic phone is an awesome bit of kit,its cool looks,and
sleek lines make it a joy to behold,the features are endless and
very smooth,its a hot contender for the i phone,its a great phone
and im still learning new things however the i phone,is a super
piece of hardware and still number 1 for now but the magic is going
in the right direction. Rating:
Reviewed by shen from south africa on
12th Mar 2010
i loved this fone,it is awesome and i love touch screen and writing
with stylus.there was a problem,i lost it in a theft.i went to mcel
service provider and asked them to disable the use of phone but
they couldn't do it,does someone know how can i enter the serial
number? Rating:
Reviewed by James Davies from UK on
24th Feb 2010
I took on the HTC Magic as an upgrade to my HTC TyTN-2 on a Vodafone
contract. At first I was 'wow'ed by the big screen, good web-browsing,
and fun apps like Google Sky. However, day-to-day use soon exposed
the disabling immaturities of the the Android OS. Some of my problems
with the phone may be due to poor set-up from Vodafone (which I
have attempted to resolve), but some are undoubtedly weaknesses
in the hardware or Android OS. The e-mail function is simply appalling.
If you want to keep your own ISP e-mail account you have to use
the obstructive HTC built-in application with its many bugs eg:
the Trash folder fills up and cannot be emptied except by deleting
your account! Otherwise you can use Googlemail with its confusing
interface and set up. This has (inexplicably) stopped synchronising
the contacts with my Google online account, so I have stopped using
it. Despite the article above citing excellent connectivity, my
Magic has the poorest reception of any phone I have owned, and frequently
drops to 2g (GPRS) while my TyTN-2 is still receiving 3g+. The touch
screen may be better than TyTN-2 on WM6.1 - which requires a stylus
- but it is annoyingly unreliable compared to my iPod Touch. While
using the Magic as a car satnav with CoPilot Live 8 (which I paid
£50 for) the touch screen became so slow or unreliable, when selecting
route changes, that I nearly crashed the car, and ended up throwing
the phone across the car in anger. This last application highlights
another fatal flaw in the Android concept - there is very little
support for on-board mapping and navigation when you are out of
mobile phone coverage. The last straw in my problems with the Magic
came when we went on holidays to Sweden recently, and the phone
first refused to register at all with Vodafone SE, then after finding
some obscure setting in Android it would browse across the local
3g network, but refused to send my e-mails. I have now returned
to using my TyTN-2 (which worked fully in Sweden and has an excellent
implimentation of Mobile Outlook), and thrown the Magic to the back
of a bedroom drawer. Rating:
Reviewed by Helen from Ireland on
28th Jan 2010
I love this phone. I was just out for dinner with 2 friends and
one of them has an i-Phone. My other friend was asking her about
it (she is currently in the market for a new phone) and so the i-phone
friend was showing it off. She took some paracetamol tablets out
of her bag to demonstrate the barcode finder app. But it failed.
I quickly went onto the android market, downloaded a barcode app
in 10 seconds, scanned the barcode in (without taking a pic like
you have to on the i-phone) and it came up with some google findings
in super fast time. I won our phone-off!! Rating:
Reviewed by parnaby from uk on
22nd Jan 2010
Had problems with my phone from the start with screen fade and the
phone getting hot when charging. After 4 months I returned it under
warranty as after an overnight charge the battery only lasted 2
hours. Advised it was moisture damage and not covered under warranty.
I had not had this phone anywhere near liquid and had not dropped
it. Advised by HTC it could happen when used outside on a damp day!!
I protested it was not fit for purpose and was advised keep it in
the cover. It cost me £12 to have the phone returned and I now have
19 months left on a contract £35 per month and the phone is almost
useless. It pays for have insurance but surely the phone should
be fit for purpose. It can happen I was informed by HTC if you come
back from a warm country (i.e. holiday) back home to winter weather!
what sort of excuse is that. Do yourself a favour and do not sign
for such an expensive phone and read the small print in the warranty
in the shop before you buy. It states NOT COVERED FOR WATER DAMAGE
but I thought this ment if you split liquid on it or dropped it
in liquid but this statement includes moisture damage caused by
change in weather temperatures). My phone did not go in a bathroom
or anywhere damp. I believe it is a serious fault if the phone cannot
withstand UK winter conditions - if you are outside and your phone
rings should you ignore it until you are inside away from the elements??
RUBBISH WARRANTY AND SPECIFICATION> Rating:
Reviewed by Jamie from England on
9th Jan 2010
I got my HTC about 3 weeks ago and i figured before writing on here
i would hold out and really test the phone to its maximum and tbh
i am really impressed with it the lack of the 3.5 jack was a let
down to start with but i found that a couple of inner ear headphone
pieces attached to the headphones HTC provided made them alot more
comfortable to use as for the use of the phone itself hands down
i have to say this is probably one of the easiest and most comfortable
devices i have used in a long while and having come from using an
iphone to this is saying something granted the iphone is a brilliant
phone but the P+P functionality of this phone was awesome to have
again rather than being limited by itunes internet and streaming
is brilliant as expected from a google branded phone the only real
let down is the 3g signal as sometimes it will quite happily loose
signal causing apps like weatherbug to fault but as soon as it regains
its composure its back on top of its self and running full steam
ahead one other "niggle" is the fact you cannot close applications
after use or atleast i haven't w0rked out how without powering down
the device this can be annoying at times and if you have 2 games
running the internet the marketplace music and are trying to find
out the local weather causes the phone to lag for about 3-5 minutes
this was a bit of a let down for me but hasnt altered my thinking
of the phone it really is a easy to use phone with some excellent
features and functionality my most favorite thing about his phone
compared to my previously mentioned iphone is you can change the
battery without having to send your phone away to be repair then
charged and the sim card is alot easier to changed/remove the camera
on the phone yes i agree could have really done with a flash but
to be honest if yo download one of the photo apps ie FX Camera it
gives you alot more control over the picture taking like auto brightness
adjusting indoor outdoor mode an precision zoom ( double tap on
what you wish to zoom in on and it does so) Rating:
Reviewed by ozden from turkey on
4th Jan 2010
wasting all my time with this phone:) i m loving it!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Paul from UK on 30th
Dec 2009
This is the best phone ever, I don't care what people say. Just
one thing, how do you calibrate the screen? Or at least the keyboard?
I've tried in the Settings but there doesn't seem to be anything.
:((((( Rating:
Reviewed by Conor from England on
5th Dec 2009
Incredible phone, does everything you need. Really fast and great
to use. Only downside is the camera not such good quality and no
flash. However, if you don't care about the camera then I highly
recommend this phone! Rating:
Reviewed by Kimberley from Uk on
12th Nov 2009
This is the best phone I have ever had. It does everything! The
only problem I personally have with it is testing can be a bit fiddly
if your in a hurry as the keys are quite small. You can turn the
phone sideways however which does make them slightly easier to press.
I just had to get used to it as I've never used a touch screen before.
Also in respond to Andy's comment, there is a setting to change
the hedging functions so the phone does not try to predict what
you mean (which is useful if u use txt speak), if you go into 'settings'
then 'locale and text' and then into 'android keyboard' and turn
off the 'quick fixes' option and volia! Overall the phones positives
far out weigh the negatives! Rating:
Reviewed by Cameron from UK on
9th Nov 2009
I have had the htc magic for around 2 months now, this is my second
touch screen phone my 1st been the samsung omnia which after using
the htc magic was clearly very flawed but im not writing about the
omnia so lets get on with the review. Firstly the bad points and
there are a some. 1. The phone is very light which i am not going
to say is a bad thing but some people like their phones to feel
sturdy and heavy...ish one complaint i do have is that the white
cover can get damage quite easily. I have a few scratches and dints
in my magic but i have to say i am not very careful with my phones
so im sure if you take care of it and leave it in its cover you
will be fine. 2. They music volume is not loud enough for my liking
im not sure if there is anyway to change this or not, this is not
a major problem as the volume is acceptable. 3. Earphones provided
are the (in my opinion) silly 1 earphone longer than the other so
you have to wrap around your neck, i hope i can find another pair
which will connect to the mini usb slot. These are the ONLY 3 faults
i can find with the htc magic and that is pretty remarkably for
a phone of this capability. Good Points. 1. The phone is very attractive
looking. 2. Battery life is good offering at least 2 days without
charge usually (with use of lots of apps at once) 3. App store is
easy to use and offers good attractive apps just like the iphone
store. 4. Great graphic quality. 5. The Camera. The camera may only
be 3.2 megapixel but i have recently been to florida and i assure
you the camera is still very good unfortunately it does lack zoom
but you can zoom in on pictures after taking them. All in all a
good camera and media system. Now to sum up the last good point
really sums up the whole and why i love this phone. 6. The interface-
The user interface is unbelievably good id even say its as good
as the i-phones it is simple to use and all menus are attractive,
the music system is well thought out along with other operating
points on the phone. Now to finish this review i want to let who
ever reads this know that if you are looking for a touch screen
phone which is easy to use attractive to look at, good music and
media system and a decent camera then this is the phone for you.......
at least that is if you dont want an iphone. Whilst in florida i
had a play round with a iphone 3gs and im afraid to say the iphone
will be my next phone buuuuuuuuut the htc magic does everything
the iphone does just as well. They iphone only attracts me more
by its worldwide appeal and it is the leading phone in the market
but only just and if htc carry on they will soon take over the iphone.
I have 9 months left on my contract and i will look forward to deciding
if i want the iphone which is out then or the following series of
the htc magic. So to all you consumers wishing to buy a phone get
the htc magic or the iphone. Rating:
Reviewed by Andy from UK on 31st
Oct 2009
I only had the phone for seven days,the apps,would freez,on down
load,it would choose its own words while typing a text,the battery
got very hot,the push-mail did not allow mail to be deleted!the
only colour is white!most of the free aps,would only work once!one
day battery,very frustrating phone,i am going back to nokia, Rating:
Reviewed by Me from Uk on 23rd
Oct 2009
Had the phone now for 3 weeks now and of is awsome compared to my
brothers iPhone it's much better and a complete phone. The speed,
the apps, the operating system all really kick a double s. The camera
is a let down but hey so is the one on the iphone but it's still
given 5 stars also you can download radio apps that don't buffer
half song (my bros iPhone does) can't fault it in any way and would
recomend to anyone Rating:
Reviewed by alowen from UK on
2nd Oct 2009
I have had my magic for 3 weeks now and its fantastic. Its not comparable
to the iphone (which i also have) as its not meant to be a direct
rival. The android ui is slick and the customisation options are
just great. Im still learning new tricks and finding new stuff on
it today. The app store is great too and the emphasis isnt £££ as
there are shed loads of free and very helpful apps. Long live android,
im a true convert. Rating:
Reviewed by Sally from England on
25th Sep 2009
Been a long, long time since I had a phone I liked, and I LOVE this
phone! Being a girlie I like that it isn't a solid, square 'brick'
which is hard to hold. This phone sits easily and comfortably in
my hands. The maps are great, I love the 'my location' feature because
when I'm lost, I'm SO lost that I don't know where I am!! I downloaded
the compass from the apps market for free too - which is so cool!
I can honestly say that having had it for about a month now I'd
be lost without it. The camera doesn't bother me, I have a very
nice digital camera thanks for taking pictures. Battery life is
good and it's very clear for calls. I also like being able to keep
up with my personal emails wherever I am. Great phone. Rating:
Reviewed by John L from United Kingdom
on 17th Sep 2009
I have had my Magic for about two weeks now. Initially I thought
I had made a bad mistake as the battery was losing 40% of its charge
overnight with no useage and would not last a day. However I then
installed the Poer Manager and Toggle Settings applications (both
free) and I now get at least two days out of the battery. Never
leave the wifi or bluetooth turned on when you don't need them seems
to be the best answer. As for using the phone, it is absolutely
brilliant. By far the best phone I have ever had. I get all my emails
through it, the camera is not bad(a couple of minutes on Picasa
cures all), the huge range of applications available makes this
a real tool rather than just a phone. A very easy 5 stars. Rating:
Reviewed by Ham from England on
2nd Sep 2009
Got my Magic 4 days ago ummed and arghed on which handset to get,
finally chose this well happy i did does everything i want of it,
and plenty of things to tinker with. Worried about getting my itunes
off of my mac, but simply put them onto a memory stick and transfered
them to my windows laptop and just drag and drop into magic...Simples Rating:
Reviewed by Vince Chan from England
on 11th Aug 2009
This phone really is a huge letdown. I thought it would be incredible,
but it just failed to live up to expectations. I think I'm going
to have to replace my HTC Magic, with an iPhone, which is by far
the obvious choice for anyone looking to buy a phone. Shame. Rating:
Reviewed by Paul from England on
30th Jul 2009
This phone is the bees knees, awesome applications, easy to use,lightweight.
I can't put it down you can keep your I phone this is the business!
Rating:
Reviewed by Joaquim from UK on
24th Jul 2009
Ever since I have owned a mobile phone, the HTC Magic has made me
the happiest of them all. The Android software is just incredible.
It has not crashed yet. Easy to use, fast, very responsive to your
finger movements. It actually makes it very easy to use any functions
or peruse the menus. Great Google intergration. Syncs with Google
contacts and calendar really well. I had to change some settings
on my home wi-fi (it only picks up the wi-fi if the WPS, wi-fi protected
setup, were disabled). The build is ok but the white glossy finish
feels really nice. The screen is big enough for all internet uses
which makes the phone not too big and not too small. Not the most
perfect phone but just right. I love it. Completely love it. Rating:
Reviewed by rachel from england on
3rd Jul 2009
it is amazing and excellant, has all of the stuff a phone needs,
fits excellant into your hand, and the internet is just great! dont
know how some people can give it a poor, it is just amazing! Rating:
Reviewed by Goose from Scotland on
12th Jun 2009
Jonathan cheers for the update, I did work out the pics in the end!
Well I am connected at home via talk talk wifi and it drops in and
out all the time so I have just given up! Rating:
Reviewed by Jonathan from Norfolk, UK
on 11th Jun 2009
Goose, 1. I've had no problem with WiFi it will 'seamlessly' switch
between WiFi and 3G depending on availability (WiFi has preference)
- though I did have just one instance of a page error during this.
2. 'Click and hold' the image then select 'copy attached to SD card'
3. I've only seen 'G' or '3G' (though I believe 'E'DGE is also indicated).
It's possible the 3G denoted HSDPA when available. Rating:
Reviewed by Goose from Scotland on
9th Jun 2009
Just got this phone yesterday but have had a solid look at it. The
camera as mentioned is pretty poor as is video, the touch screen
is really intuitive and works really well, I have had the occasional
typo on messages but there is an auto correct function so that comes
in handy. The apps store looks really good as there are plenty of
things to keep you engaged. The internet was the main selling point
for me and it is brilliant. Bluetooth does not work yet only for
headphones, and my wifi kept dropping last night which was a shame,
the 3g is very quick though. All in all a stunning looking phone!
Just a few questions! 1. Has anyone got there wi-fi working? Mine
is set up but keeps dropping! 2. How do you save pictures that are
sent via texts? I cannot for the life of me find away to do it!
3. The phone says 3g at the top for the signal I receive, I know
the phone does the HSDPA (7.2m) is this already activated or do
you have to set this up? A friend of mine has an H display on her
phone but she is on o2 with a Renoir. Rating:
Reviewed by David from Scotland on
9th Jun 2009
I'm very impressed with this phone. The camera is the only negative
for me. However, as I don't use it much, I'm not too bothered. There
are plenty of market place applications with the majority of them
being free. This means you have the ability to personalise the phone
for your requirements. As I do a fair amount of cycling I particularly
like GPS applications. The touchscreen works very well, and I can
type faster and more accurately than I ever could on proper mobile
keyboards. Well done HTC and well done Android! Rating:
Reviewed by MinMin from Newport, S.Wales
on 6th Jun 2009
Got my Magic for a few days, it is FAB!!!! I had a Samsung Tocco
before and hated it! There are so many free apps to download, it's
amazing! I still haven't figured out the Wifi connection yet, can't
seem to connect onto it without it automatically gets disconnected
again. Can't link up bluetooth either, I am sure I will somehow
figure it out somehow. Anyone else have these problems?? It is still
a great phone though. I am not too bothered about camera, it does
its job, that's all I care about! My contract with Vodafone is for
2 years, £30 monthly. With such a great phone, I really don't mind! Rating:
Reviewed by Bamboo from England on
5th Jun 2009
i got my magic 3 days ago and it's THE ONE! i never thought i would
come across a smartphone so power yet so easy to use! my mates who
have iphones do give it respect as well! it does everything, i mean
what does it not do? the only sin it has commited is not having
a 3.5mm headphone jack otherwise i agreed with everyone, ot should
be given 5 out of 5. Rating:
Reviewed by Cat from England on
2nd Jun 2009
HTC magic is a great phone, very entertaining and smart looking.
Internet is great, very fast. Apps are cool too, however i have
just sent mine back because the camera and video is terrible. In
this day and age i do not see any excuse for a new phone to have
anything less than a "good" camera. Compared to the camera's on
the sony ericsson's the magic is just awful. Everything else is
top notch though, would highly recommend if your not bothered about
the camera. Rating:
Reviewed by Adam from Oxford, United
Kingdom on 1st Jun 2009
I got my HTC Magic Friday from Phones4U on an 18month, £40 a month
contract, 600 Mins, Unlimited Texts, Unlimited Internet + £55. The
Phone is B-E-A-UTIFUL... its the perfect size for your pocket, the
touch screen is superb, email is so easy to setup and use. I have
had the iPhone, Samsung i8910 HD, N96 etc and this phone blows all
off them out of the water. I'm not looking at this phone as an "iPhone
killer" because I don't think we need to "Kill" the iPhone, its
as lovely phone and deserves to be up with the best... but the HTC
Magic for me beats the iPhone hands down, better camera, better
size, expandable memory, Battery cover... OK it doesn't have 3.5mm
headphone jack but if thats not a problem for you then I would definatly
look into buying the HTC Magic. It comes with a 2GB SD-Card, Case
and all the usual bits and bobs. Don't think about it any longer
just go out and buy this fantastic phone, you will NOT be dissapointed!
Rating:
Reviewed by Harvey from United Kingdom
on 31st May 2009
Great phone, ggod size, looks good, reception great, good sound
quality. touch screen keyboard easy to use however does not support
microsoft exchange, excel, word or powerpoint. All of this and pdfs
need to be viewed using 3rd party applications all costing money!
Vodafone can not or will not help and HTC do not want to know! It
looks as if I am reluctantly sending my one back to vodafone as
I can not use it as an effective business tool. Looks like it is
back to my old V1615 PDA (OMG) Rating:
Reviewed by Sam from UK on 29th
May 2009
I've had my Magic since launch day and I absolutely love it! The
screen is sublime and about a thousand times better than that on
my old Viewty. It takes a little while to set it up as you like,
with the right apps and icons on your homescreens. But when you
do, it is just so easy to do everything. I love being able to compare
apps, find shortcuts, move icons. And it's all so fast! The whole
interface flows and just sticks to your finger as you move around.
18 months is a long time to keep a phone, but I'm sure I'll get
another Android phone next time too! Rating:
Reviewed by colourclash from uk on
28th May 2009
Had to return my first handset after 3 days as kept losing signal
and no internet access. Vodafone shipped replacement handset the
following day and everything seems hunky dory now. Loving the Magic,
email etc set-up a doddle and the Android marketplace quick and
full of useful apps. Texting is a bit of a learning curve as this
is my first touch-screen handset but gets easier especially in landscape
mode (and i have big hands!). Extremely happy with my Magic!!! Rating:
Reviewed by DaveH from UK on
23rd May 2009
Sync with Outlook? NO, it WON'T! The Google version supplied by
Vodafone UK won't, to be more accurate. It's no good to me without
Outlook sync. Buyer beware. Rating:
Reviewed by john from uk on 22nd
May 2009
I'm doing the review on my htc magic...so please forgive any typos.I'm
still undecided on this phone,not sure of the build quality,the
plastic on the back of the phone is a bit weak(mine has a small
crack already after only a week!).No complaints about the UI yet
though,its as good as the iphone,I find I can type quite quickly
in landscape! The sync with my calender and e-mail are perfect,the
browser is as good as safari and pages load very quickly.Google
maps is A1 but it kills the battery.Call clarity is also very good.Yes
I like this phone a lot....so why am I going to exchange it for
the iphone???? Answers on a postcard please. Rating:
Reviewed by S Caddy from UK on
21st May 2009
I received my HTC magic today and was amazed how easy it was to
set up email accounts etc....I love it (so far)! Rating:
Reviewed by mary from LONDON on
21st May 2009
i love the fone and i n ever want to exchange it for the rest of
my life OMG THIS IS THE BEST FONE eva i love it u should all buy
the fone if i were u :-) no more rude comments about the fone its
amazing :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) Rating:
Reviewed by hamid from iran on
21st May 2009
very very good. Rating:
Reviewed by Alowen from Cornwall on
20th May 2009
Sorry Andrew but i totaly agree with Jonothan, until you've actually
used the device over a period of time theres NO WAY you can review
it. Rating:
Reviewed by Jonathan from Norfolk, UK
on 19th May 2009
Andrew, You're reviewing a phone you don't even have! If you actually
owned and used this phone on a daily basis you'd realise that the
touchscreen QWERTY keyboard is in fact extremely usable. Yes, you
do get the odd miss-type, but the 4-5 word visible suggestion means
you don't have to get it right 100% of the time! I'll post a ful
review in a few days but for the time being it's got to be 5 stars Rating:
Reviewed by Andrew from UK on
18th May 2009
Wrote a review before but have just had a thought. This phone would
hit the mark if it didn't pretend, like other touchscreen phones,
to take on the blackberry by having a qwerty keyboard. It is just
not possible to type with but I have found that for the iphone as
well. Why not just have a virtual keypad that mimicks the keys on
a normal phone i.e. you have to press them once, twice or three
times to get the letter you want. I want to buy this phone but I
can't buy a phone where I can't type letters quickly and efficiently.
If they just had that keypad it would all be ok. I think the Blackberry
Storm does take this approach so that you can summon a virtual keypad
where there are three or two letters for each button. Thus the buttons
are bigger and with our fat thumbs we can actually type on it. I
think I will just have to wait for the next Android which has a
real keypad (G1 was a bit low quality for me). Unless the above
comes to pass. Perhaps it could be a free a pp??? Remember Android
and Iphone - a virtual keypad will never be as good as Blackberry
so don't have a virtual qwerty keypad as it is very hard to type
with using fat thumbs. Rating:
Reviewed by saki from UK on 18th
May 2009
Having just received my Magic, it certainly does what it says on
the tin (as far as I have checked). In answer to HPS post, I have
a 16gb MicroSD card which shows up as 15,186 MB, so I assume that
it's good for at least that! Rating:
Reviewed by Adam from UK on 17th
May 2009
Well I have had to send my Magic back to Vodafone. I tried the phone
for just over a week and at first I really liked it. But using it
on a daily basis it has become annoying. Texting in portrait mode
is almost impossible to do quickly with many wrong key-presses.
The battery has not lasted much more than 24 hours, where on one
day I only made a couple of calls and sent 4 sms. The lack of voice
dialling became a problem when driving (which HTC say should be
there). Therefore having to press the screen when driving (not recommended)
was almost impossible. It's a shame. I really wanted to like this
phone as I love the Google email/calendar integration. Rating:
Reviewed by HPS from London on
15th May 2009
Hi, Further to my review on this website, I have couple of questions
that I need help answering. Magic comes with built in GPS antenna.
Does anyone know how to use the GPS functionality i.e. can one get
a voice guidance on HTC magic (using google maps or install another
program to get this functionality working) Also, I spoke to HTC
support and according to them Magic can only support a max of 2gb
MircoSD card. Has anyone tried a higher spec card? Thanks for your
help. (Not sure if I will be allowed to post this here but I'll
get it a try anyway) [Editor's reply: We don't normally post "forum"
kind of stuff, but we like you HPS because you were the first person
to review this phone!] Rating:
Reviewed by Andrew from UK on
14th May 2009
This is a well-engineered functional phone which does stand out.
However, despite viewing it in a number of stores I have been unable
to make the plunge and have deducted one star from this review.
It is a great phone but I just felt it is lacking in some crucial
areas and will get superseded by better android phones in the coming
months. What it does do this phone does well. Google maps is great,
the operating system is brilliant and youtube is excellent. The
negative points for me are as follows. 1) Lack of flash on the camera.
most people will use their camera phones at night when they go out
as they don't have the inclination to carry a proper camera. Thus
not having a flash makes having a camera of little use. 2) Lack
of standard earphone jack is a big waste. Apart from texting and
phone calls the key application is music really. That is the point
of a smartphone. 3) Lack of FM radio is another major loss. This
is supposed to be a smart phone. If I want to listen to the radio
somewhere I don't want to have to carry around another device. 4)
I personally found texting with a touchscreen hard. For this phone
that remained the case when I moved it around into landscape. In
my view then this phone will suit someone who doesn't want a lot
of the applications that a smart phone is meant to offer but really
wants a phone as their main priority and then some extra features
just added on. I may yet take the plunge with this phone as it is
well engineered. However, I think it could become dated soon so
I will have to wait a few months to see what else comes out. Rating:
Reviewed by Martin from UK on
14th May 2009
I've had this phone for a couple of weeks now and I'm not as convinced
as everyone else. There are so many features that I love about this
phone, but unfortunately there are too many that I find annoying.
Maybe I'm just not used to having a touchscreen phone, but I am
struggling with the qwerty keyboard. It feels as though Google have
decided to let the Android app community come up with impressive
apps rather than including them as standard, but the app market
is very much in its infancy - a lot of the apps don't work because
they were designed for the G1. The web browsing is great if not
a bit fiddly, I haven't found a way of browsing my contacts when
messaging (you have to type the first couple of letters then select
the contact), and although it can apparently sync with a PC I couldn't
figure it out. Overall I like the phone but I don't think it's quite
there yet and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't tech savvy. Rating:
Reviewed by David from London, UK on
14th May 2009
I sent a review on 6th May - perhaps a little hasty, as I'd not
long had the phone. I've now had it a week, have been using it constantly,
and can give a more considered review. In this regard, I'd have
to up my rating to 5 stars. The internet browsing is excellent,
and usually pretty quick. Twitter, Facebook, loads of free applications,
including an unofficial iPlayer, and the actual phone works just
fine. I've gotten used to the keyboard; and the predictive text
works just great - often if you muck up the spelling, the correct
word is just there to choose from anyway. Despite my initial concerns
about the signal in my house, I haven't had any connection problems
at all. Rating:
Reviewed by Peter from UK on
13th May 2009
Had this phone a few days now and also cannot understand why it
has not received 5 stars.i have not put the device down since i
bought it. It is so easy to use with like a wide screen 3 interfaced
desktop in one with your wall paper stretched across them. You can
place you icons on any of the 3 screens & slide across to each interface
with your finger. The android operating system is so easy to use
& the screen is very bright (can easily be seen in full sun!)Web
browsing must be one of its best assets,browsing is a dream,effectively
its like having a computer in the palm of you hand. I have checked
everything it does & cannot fault it so far. Camera produces good
snaps even indoors. With thousands of free apps & games available
from the android market this makes this phone even more appealing.
Rating:
Reviewed by Nic from UK on 11th
May 2009
I have no idea why this phone has not received 5 stars. My brother
has it and it is amazing - the UI is simply brilliant and it does
everything you could want from a phone. Lack of FM radio doesn't
matter because all the packages come with unlimited internet so
people are going to be either listening to radio online or using
last fm or some variant. 3.5m jack is annoying but plenty of other
phones fail in this too - not a massive issue. And many of us simply
don't care about the quality of camera on a phone because we have
our own dedicated (full-size) cameras to take photos with. Rating:
Reviewed by Andrew from UK on
7th May 2009
Simply wonderful - goodbye Sony - it's been a rollercoaster. Hello
Google Phone. At last I can have my calendar and contacts the same
on my laptop and mobile easily. So many apps available to download,
this phone does everything. Touch screen was a worry and keyboard
looks too small for my sausage fingers but it know which letter
i'm after each time -GREAT! This phone is well built, works perfectly,
and I have absolutely nothing to moan about - FANTASTIC :-) Rating:
Reviewed by David from London, UK on
6th May 2009
My phone arrived early this morning. I've been playing around with
it a fair bit since then. It's my first smartphone, so I don't have
much to compare it with, other than having toyed around with a few
models in the shops. My first impression was that it looks and feels
much nicer than I'd expected on the basis of the photos. It's fairly
solid, and I'd been expecting something a bit plasticky, rather
like the G1. The keyboard doesn't take too much getting used to
- though maybe a bit longer if you've been using something like
a Blackberry Bold. I found that I made more mistakes when I was
trying to be careful with finger placement - I was much more accurate
when I just stuck the flat of my finger right on the key. It's easier
in landscape mode, although the phone is a bit slow to switch into
this mode. There seem to be loads of apps. I use Google a lot on
my computer, so for me this phone is great - as soon as you've signed
in, your desktop applications are synched with the phone. My one
slight apprehension is that the Vodaphone signal doesn't seem very
strong in my house - mostly just one bar, although occasionally
it gets better. I'll have to see how that goes over the next few
days, whilst I'm still in the 14-day cooling-off period. But overall,
a very nice phone. Rating:
Reviewed by Matthew from United Kingdom
on 3rd May 2009
I got mine on a few days before it was due to be delivered but was
unable to use my vodafone sim due to it not being ported until a
week later... GOOD news is that it WORKS with a 3-sim straight out
of the blocks and with a little configuration accepts 3 data and
MMS too so that will keep me happy in the mean time. The phone is
fantastic; no complaints whatsoever although it does take some time
getting used to typing on a touch-screen device. (thankfully the
Magic rotates the screen with the phone to make the keyboard larger
:D ) A must have -- definitely as good as an iPhone. Rating:
Reviewed by Holly from Leeds, UK on
3rd May 2009
I got my phone 2/5/09. I have never had a touch screen phone before,
or one that is like a mini computer, so to me this is something
new. I am starting to think that i will never need a PC again, most
of the day to day things i do can now be done through this mobile
phone. The screen resolution is great, the touch screen sensitivity
is just right. The whole thing is really customisable and i love
the white casing. i would recomend this phone to anyone, especially
when buying an iphone costs you £100 this is free. the only let
down is that there is no flash on the camera! Rating:
Reviewed by HPS from United Kingdom
on 30th Apr 2009
Got my HTC Magic earlier today. Really surprised to get it a day
ahead of offical launch date. Brilliant phone and easy to use interface.
Touch Screen is very sensitive, just like iphone. Loads of free
applications that can be downloaded from the market (Android). This
phone will definitely eat into iphone market share Rating:
