Hands0n
24th May 2009, 10:28 PM
It has been slightly over a week or so since I received my HTC Magic and so I thought that I would follow up on my initial observations and experiences now that I've had some time to get used to it.
My interest in the device has not diminished, in fact Google Android [as opposed to vanilla Android] manages to keep my focus on the device.
The HTC Magic is plainly not an iPhone, my main instrument of choice, but it is a worthy contender. I would say that it could even be a suitable substitute or alternative, particularly for those who do not like Apple product.
The HTC Magic is very un-HTC in look and feel. The sculpted case is very easy in the hand and with highly functional buttons. It takes no time at all to get used to how these buttons operate, and how they change their behaviour in relation to context. These are cleverly implemented and using them becomes completely intuitive in no time at all.
Battery life on the HTC Magic has improved beyond all recognition from its first few days. I must admit to being a bit concerned initially. I'm not sure that it matches the iPhone's on a case-by-case basis, but it certainly sees out a full working day with moderate use. You can improve battery life by switching off the various animations - but where's the fun in that?
Voice clarity, very important on a telephone, is very good on the HTC Magic. I would say that it surpasses most average handsets that I have used on the Vodafone network. The audio is crisp and clear, and the handset holds on to the audio signal very well, even in marginal areas. The HTC Magic works hard to keep the audio intelligible.
I've noticed that my lad, who has a G1, uses Google Talk to message me a lot, instead of using SMS. It works completely naturally on the Google Android series - in fact, at first I wasn't even aware that he'd done this. It raises an interesting notion of Google Talk replacing SMS for many people in this respect. All the advantages of using 'Talk are there, including permanently recorded conversations viewable on any browser should you wish. You can even continue the conversation on a PC/Mac! Now that has got to be a nice seamless use of the technology. Interestingly there is not de-facto Google Talk app for the iPhone, although there are alternatives. But the thing to bear in mind is that the 'Talk client integrates seamlessly into Android, making use of its alerts to tell you when a new 'Talk message has arrived. I am not generally an IM person, but am impressed having used it on the HTC Magic.
Android Market still impresses me with the sheer volume and quality of apps. Especially the "control" apps that hook into the OS to delivery some astonishing levels of control over the handset and its OS. Is this why Apple have opened up more of their iPhone's OS X API to developers? I suspect that would be the case, and it is delicious that Apple have some such strong OS competition. It is good for Apple and HTC, it is good for the customer.
The Google Android-based HTC Magic continues to intrigue me. At each idle moment I tend to whip it out for a play. The iPhone, by contrast, has continued to be my telecommunications rock. It is totally a tool to me, I don't "play" with it at all, no more than I would play with my Mac Pro. That is not to diminish the HTC Magic, oh no. And I accept that it may still be the comparative newness of the HTC Magic.
And so the question becomes "Would I recommend the HTC Magic to prospective buyers?" to which the answer has to be a wholehearted "Yes".
My interest in the device has not diminished, in fact Google Android [as opposed to vanilla Android] manages to keep my focus on the device.
The HTC Magic is plainly not an iPhone, my main instrument of choice, but it is a worthy contender. I would say that it could even be a suitable substitute or alternative, particularly for those who do not like Apple product.
The HTC Magic is very un-HTC in look and feel. The sculpted case is very easy in the hand and with highly functional buttons. It takes no time at all to get used to how these buttons operate, and how they change their behaviour in relation to context. These are cleverly implemented and using them becomes completely intuitive in no time at all.
Battery life on the HTC Magic has improved beyond all recognition from its first few days. I must admit to being a bit concerned initially. I'm not sure that it matches the iPhone's on a case-by-case basis, but it certainly sees out a full working day with moderate use. You can improve battery life by switching off the various animations - but where's the fun in that?
Voice clarity, very important on a telephone, is very good on the HTC Magic. I would say that it surpasses most average handsets that I have used on the Vodafone network. The audio is crisp and clear, and the handset holds on to the audio signal very well, even in marginal areas. The HTC Magic works hard to keep the audio intelligible.
I've noticed that my lad, who has a G1, uses Google Talk to message me a lot, instead of using SMS. It works completely naturally on the Google Android series - in fact, at first I wasn't even aware that he'd done this. It raises an interesting notion of Google Talk replacing SMS for many people in this respect. All the advantages of using 'Talk are there, including permanently recorded conversations viewable on any browser should you wish. You can even continue the conversation on a PC/Mac! Now that has got to be a nice seamless use of the technology. Interestingly there is not de-facto Google Talk app for the iPhone, although there are alternatives. But the thing to bear in mind is that the 'Talk client integrates seamlessly into Android, making use of its alerts to tell you when a new 'Talk message has arrived. I am not generally an IM person, but am impressed having used it on the HTC Magic.
Android Market still impresses me with the sheer volume and quality of apps. Especially the "control" apps that hook into the OS to delivery some astonishing levels of control over the handset and its OS. Is this why Apple have opened up more of their iPhone's OS X API to developers? I suspect that would be the case, and it is delicious that Apple have some such strong OS competition. It is good for Apple and HTC, it is good for the customer.
The Google Android-based HTC Magic continues to intrigue me. At each idle moment I tend to whip it out for a play. The iPhone, by contrast, has continued to be my telecommunications rock. It is totally a tool to me, I don't "play" with it at all, no more than I would play with my Mac Pro. That is not to diminish the HTC Magic, oh no. And I accept that it may still be the comparative newness of the HTC Magic.
And so the question becomes "Would I recommend the HTC Magic to prospective buyers?" to which the answer has to be a wholehearted "Yes".