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The first Android mobile handset to make it here before all the rest (or few to follow) is HTC’s No. 2 for the OS – The Magic. If you’re as perplexed about the name, let me know. The introduction of the Android OS into the Indian market was to be a really big deal, but sadly I don’t see it yet. Where’s the excitement? Airtel is the one who had brought us the Magic (no Pun intended I assure you) and here’s what all the fuss is all about. Form Factor I’m not crazy about the maroon strip running around the otherwise glossy black handset. It would have been better in all black is my opinion. The large 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display bears a 320 x 480 pixel resolution so it makes it easy to view and navigate the menus. Speaking of navigation, HTC has gone with a trackball to maneuver around the handset’s menus and also for selecting options. The set of keys that include a Home button, Menu, return and a quick access to Google Search along with the call take and end keys are evenly placed on either side of the trackball. The slight ‘chin’ at the bottom of the handset is neither here nor there. I’m not sure what exact purpose it serves, but it doesn’t really affect the overall look. The Magic is still a pretty slick handset that’s slim and quite light weight. As usual, in some sort of pseudo effort to stand out, HTC has designed their all-in-one USB port with a slight difference so that it seems proprietary but it nevertheless still fits a standard mini USB plug like a glove. A set of volume/zoom keys are located on the side and the 3MP camera is located at the back. Features and Performance Truth be told I was not too sure what to expect from an Android device in terms of features and performance as this is unfortunately, only my first REAL experience with the new OS. If you’re considering purchasing the HTC Magic and wanted an opinion on the handset, that’s exactly what I’m here for - so here’s mine. Interface The UI is relatively smooth and quick. There is a little bit of a lag evident but only in a few circumstances with a few applications. Like quite a few other handsets these days the OS allows for multiple desktops. Three, to be more precise. Each one can be customized to host a list of widgets and shortcuts. The main menu can be accessed by simply sliding it up and down from any of the desktops. What bothered me was the fact that the desktops are not really segregated but more like one continuous field as wallpapers would be spread across all three. There’s no option to have individual wallpapers for each desktop. It’s essentially one single image that covers all three. It becomes a little difficult making selections for the same and making your own. But it’s not a big deal. Navigation is easy using the trackball or just your fingers. The UI is extremely responsive to touch and everything is easily accessible when necessary. It’s not flashy and yet it refrains from being just plain Blah. The Magic’s UI uses HTC’s own onscreen keypad system with the option to select from three – Full QWERTY, half QWERTY and a standard mobile alphanumeric keypad. In landscape mode the QWERTY keypad is well laid out and large enough to use with speed. The other keypads are also well designed. The handset supports handwriting recognition as well although there’s no option for using it. Like the iPhone and Sony Ericsson handsets the messaging field is designed like an IM display, but not as colorful as those however. Multitasking is effortless. With the handsets Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528 MHz processor and 192MB RAM, if there happens to be a few things running in the background, you wouldn’t even know. The handset allows you to import all the contacts from your SIM card onto the phone’s memory, or you can opt to import only specific numbers (I’m not sure why). The Magic tends to take a while to access the SIM directory in order to view or make calls from the SIM’s directory before importing. This also appeared to be a one way transfer as I wasn’t unable to import new contacts I entered onto the phone’s memory to the SIM for back-up purposes. |
Tags: Google Phone , Android , 3 Megapixel , Touchscreen
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