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The HTC Wildfire is the next inline to launch a full scale attack on the smartphone market. We’re in complete agreement with HTC that their next handset is most definitely wild and fiery. Supporting the company’s midrange portfolio, this little number packs quite a punch, especially when pitted against its main rivals, the likes of the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini, Samsung Apollo, and to a lesser extent its brother, the Tattoo. How are we so completely taken with this device you ask? Find out after the cut.

The Wildfire has banished the plasticy toy town exterior that’s currently being slapped across every midrange smartphone and replaced it with well, more plastic but, and this is a big but it’s a better quality build giving a more refined, high end appearance. Keeping this in mind, the HTC Wildfire holds a striking resemblance to its elder, the HTC Desire. It shares the same sleek build, optical trackpad and capacitive touchscreen, though a few cm’s have been shaved off during the downsize. However, we believe 3.2” is more than enough space to ravish the Android Éclair and Sense UI that is lurking within.

The Wildfire’s spec list speaks for itself, apparently that’s thanks to HTC cracking the whip on their engineers and suppliers during the build to make sure the Wildfire inherited as many features as it could handle. We’ve already mentioned screen size, but what’s worth noting is the technology running behind it. HTC have given the Wildfire a capacitive display and 384MB RAM to keep it ticking over, there’s also a 528MHz processor thrown it for good measure. This may come up short against the majority of high end smartphones, who seem to have the 1GHz Snapdragon permanently engaged, but it’s the same as HTC’s original saviour, the Hero. Furthermore, HTC are assuring everyone and anyone that’s more than enough juice for the most avid Wildfire owner.

HTC Sense is a key component for the company, helping users make the distinction between HTC’s line up and the rest of the Android pack. It’s as easy as ever to use and newcomers shouldn’t face any problems getting started, especially with informative wizard setups on hand which cover pretty much everything. One of our favourite Desire traits that the Wildfire has inherited are the homescreens, all seven of them providing plenty of room for shortcuts, widgets and bookmarks. The Leap application has also found it’s way into the mix giving users a helicopter view of all seven pages by simply pinching the screen, making getting around that little bit easier. HTC Sense is based on making things simple and accessible; something which every socialite will know is of utmost importance. Luckily, Friendstream does just this, not only does it access all your social network feeds and bring you regular updates, but it pulls them all into one single stream giving you complete access to all areas of your online communications at the touch of a button. Piggybacking on this is the rather unique delivery of caller Ids, which pulls up useful info about your contacts when they call, birthdays, events and status updates can all be seen alongside their name – something which is extremely useful to determine a friend’s mood before taking a call!

In the media department, the Wildfire has a similar inventory to its elder, the Desire. The 5megapxiel snapper is supported by an LED Flash and various options to enhance image quality, including autofocus, smile detection and that handy geotagging tool, which allows you to tag pictures based on location providing a pinpoint marker for every image, whether you can remember them or not! The standard connectivity brethren are present, quadband GSM/GPRS and EDGE sort out worldwide roaming and there’s 3G with HSDPA. WiFi, Bluetooth and MicroUSB are onboard and there’s a microSD card slot too. This full feature set is particularly useful to support the monstrous web browser – which is among the best we’ve seen with an easy to use, intuitive interface, which by the way can handle flash files too.

Comparisons will undoubtedly be made between the HTC Desire and Wildfire, after all it’s Mini Me all over again. While the HTC Wildfire may not lead the pack in terms of technology it’s a stunner in its own right and will almost definitely meet the needs of every smartphone enthusiast. Thumbs up from us!

If you thought smaller phones meant smaller specs, then the HD Mini is an exception to this rule. It’s powered by a Qualcomm 600MHz processor which works well in a handset of this size which yes, at 103.8 x 11.7 x 57.7 mm is smaller than its HD2 counterpart, and at 110 grams it’s one of the lightest HTC devices too. This is just the beginning though, as its connections haven’t been cut short either. There’s dual-banded 3G with 7.2Mbps HSDPA, Quadband GSM and 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi support. As you would expect from any decent phone, the HD Mini has Bluetooth, A-GPS and USB 2.0 via a microUSB port. While we’re on the subject, you have two options when it comes to browsing with Internet Explorer 6 or Opera 9.5. Both work pretty equally as far as we’re concerned, but unlike in the HD2, Internet Explorer has multi-touch options this time round.

Moving onto the big question of the HTC HD Mini’s operating system and this is a classic case of don’t judge a book by its cover. Indeed, it runs off the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Professional platform but before you go all negative on us, the manufacturers seem to have made it their mission to turn frowns upside down and we think it’s worked! The reason behind this is mainly due to HTC’s Sense user interface which makes using the HD Mini anything but painful. You’ve got an icon based homescreen with the standard option to personalise these tabs to start with and unlike in Android, you only need to swipe to access all your shortcuts. Sense has also thrown in some HTC apps for good measure, including GPS based photo tagging Footprints and Peep, not forgetting Leap view of course! Generally speaking, sceptics might be pleasantly surprised to know that WinMob vary rarely rears that ugly head. While you do have PocketOffice on offer in the HD Mini, it’s a rather pretty sight and allows you to create and edit documents when you’re out of the office. It might not be Android, but HTC have certainly given things a good go.

There’s no mistaking this is a HTC phone on the subject of design. The exterior is typical of HTC with a minimalist and sleek build. On the back, it’s a little different than you might expect as you’ll find four permanent industrial screws on each corner. These stay on when you remove the battery cover which reveals a rather exciting yellow interior! However, there’s a lot more to this phone than some unusual colouring in, starting with the 3.2 inch 320 x 480 HGVA resolution capacitive touchscreen which dominates the front of the HD Mini. It might not sound as impressive when compared to what other touchscreen smartphones can offer, but it’s an upgrade on the HD2’s WVGA display but the whole thing is responsive, accurate and looks a lot bigger thanks to the smaller handset.

The HTC HD Mini has plenty of entertainment packed into its small frame. The music player doesn’t cut corners on features and the device comes with a universal 3.5mm audio jack. If you’re partial to a good cameraphone then the HD Mini may be right up your street! It’s got 5MP on offer with autofocus and a video resolution of 30fps. You’ll have a range of features to enhance the quality of your pictures on top of that including geo-tagging and smile detection but while there’s no DivX support, you can download it from readily available apps instead. There’s no need to be concerned about memory space either as there’s 384MB RAM and a 32GB microSD slot available too.

It’s great to see how HTC have made the expected unexpected with the HTC HD Mini, and despite a spec list that might not initially do anything for you, discovering what it can do involves a much more exciting journey. If you really care about having the best of the best when it comes to smartphones, we reckon you would’ve stopped reading long ago but if you’re still here then maybe choosing the HD Mini is a risk worth taking…it worked for HTC!

Launched in the USA at the beginning of 2010, the Nexus One could be paid for and delivered to anyone in the UK too; if you were happy to cough up for the delivery, insurance and VAT as well. The thing was, if you weren’t – and let’s face it, only a few were – it didn’t really matter, because there was plenty of talk about a non-Google branded version coming out from HTC.

That phone arrived during Mobile World Congress in February. The HTC Desire is essentially a Google Nexus One with only a few differences, but that didn’t matter, as it would be available before the Nexus One hit the UK and come complete with a contract. This didn’t stop Google from forging ahead with a full UK launch though and sure enough, a Nexus One on a UK contract from Vodafone is now available.

So what’s it to be? A Nexus One, a Desire, or dare we say it; an Apple iPhone?

Style.

Let’s take a look at the phone first. The Nexus One is easily one of the most stylish and understated phones to come along since the iPhone itself. The beautiful curves, minimal hardware keys and grippy rear panel make it a pleasure to handle, and the 130 gram weight – a by-product of the metal chassis – means it feels solidly constructed. But while it’s good-looking, it’s not exactly revolutionary, with makers HTC failing to inject much individualism in its design.

The front panel is dominated by the 3.7″ AMOLED screen with an 800×480 pixel resolution, four small touch sensitive keys beneath it and a trackball for navigation. Around the back is the lens for the 5 megapixel autofocus camera and alongside it, the LED flash unit. The camera also shoots 720×480 video, but at only 20fps.

Power.

Naturally, the Nexus One uses Google Android v2.1 with all its live wallpaper, performance and graphics tweaks and voice-guided navigation goodness. Android 2.1 also has voice search onboard and has added Exchange support, quick contacts, SMS search and a combined inbox too. In the US, one of the big selling points of the Nexus One is Google Voice, however this won’t be enabled on the UK version as the service has yet to be made available here.

If we stripped the Nexus One down, we would find it’s powered by Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon chipset with 512MB RAM and 512MB of ROM. The phone is 3G with both HSDPA and HSUPA, plus GPRS and EDGE for when network coverage proves problematic.

What Else Can it Do?

Continuing our rundown of the specification, you get a microSD card slot with support for 32GB cards, a 3.5mm headphone socket, Assisted GPS and a digital compass, Wi-Fi, A2DP Bluetooth v2.1 (new for Android v2.1) and all the expected Google tools built-in to the OS.

One of the main advantages of the Nexus One over the Desire is the use of noise cancelling microphones, where a second mic listens to ambient noise and filters it out, providing excellent call clarity. Another key difference is the trackball over the Desire’s optical trackpad. Against the iPhone, on paper at least, the N1 beats it in all main specification categories from processor speed to camera megapixels. However, it would be foolish not to take into account the iPhone’s ease of use and extensive app library through the iTunes App Store; but we suspect that ultimately the buying decision between these two will be made due to personal brand allegiance, and will leave it at that.

It’s also worth mentioning while on the subject of the N1 vs. the iPhone, that the Nexus One doesn’t suffer from a lack of multi-tasking; a very desirable feature for some!

Any Downsides?

How quickly the mobile phone world moves these days. Five months ago, a 1GHz processor was almost a rarity but today, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, HTC and soon, Dell, all have phones using a similarly speedy chip. The same can be said of the screen, as 3.7″ is far from unusual on high end ’superphones’ and has been superceded by phones such as the X10 and the HTC EVO 4G. Even Android v2.1 is old news, with 2.2 Froyo round the corner and 2.1 already available in the UK on several other devices.

But are these downsides? Not really, as the Nexus One is still a supremely powerful phone with a rapidly growing application store and guaranteed future OS support. Plus, it really is the first of its kind – a Google phone sold by Google themselves. It’s just not as unique as it was in December 2009.

Summary.

To answer the question of the Nexus One over the Desire…we’re going to avoid it! The trouble is, both phones are brilliant and nigh-on identical, but in the same way as there were people who couldn’t wait for the Nexus One, and therefore took the Desire, there will be others who want the cache of owning the famous – and more than a little cool – Nexus One. And you know what? We can’t choose between them and recommend them both!

The initial temptation is to compare the HTC Legend with the HTC Desire, after all, they were announced side-by-side at Mobile World Congress a month back and they share a very similar set of features. However, this would be terribly unfair, as the Desire occupies a different space in HTC’s range and would undoubtedly come out on top in terms of on-paper performance.

No, when looking at the Legend, the thing to do is to compare it with the HTC Hero, the phone which it’s set to replace. The Hero is one of the best Android powered smartphones available, making it a tough act to follow, so does the Legend live up to its not-so-modest name?

Becoming a Legend.

Power.

The Hero used a 528MHz Qualcomm processor and had 512MB ROM and 288MB of RAM to help it along its way, but the Legend hits the scene with a speedier 600MHz Qualcomm chip, the same 512MB ROM but 384MB RAM onboard. When you remember that the HTC Desire uses Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon chipset, you’ll begin to see why it wouldn’t have been a straight fight!

The Legend also packs the latest v2.1 build of Google’s Android operating system, bringing with it Microsoft Exchange support, Bluetooth v2.1, those cool live wallpapers seen first on the Google Nexus One, plus a variety of performance tweaks too.

Style.

This is one area where the Legend is tough to beat, as this is one good-looking phone! The body is made from one piece of aluminium, with the addition of rubber/plastic endplates and a gorgeous 3.2″ capacitive touchscreen. It may have the same 320×480 pixel resolution as the Hero, but the Legend’s screen has been upgraded to become an AMOLED item. This returns stunning performance with bright colours, sharp detail and deep blacks.

The old trackball seen on the Hero and the Nexus One has been replaced with the same optical trackpad as on the Desire, plus there are four hardware buttons below the screen for Home, Menu, Back and Search control. On the left side is the volume rocker and on the top, the on/off/sleep key, but other than that, nothing spoils the sleek finish of the Legend.

HTC’s Sense plays a big part in the Legend’s visual impact, as the homescreens pop out at you as soon as you wake the phone up from sleeping, plus in addition to being considerable eye-candy, Sense is very practical too. This latest version adds Friend Stream, a program which collects all your social networking updates into one handy stream, and Leap, which offers an expanded overview of all your homescreens, plus all the varied widgets and homescreen additions found on previous versions.

What Else Can it Do?

• Connectivity. This is a top-end smartphone, so we have 3G with 7.2Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA, along with Wi-Fi, A2DP Bluetooth v2.1 and Assisted GPS.  The Legend uses the newly approved universal microUSB connection for charging and there is a 3.5mm headphone port on the top edge.
• Widgets. HTC have given a generous helping of standard widgets including an alternative analogue clock, a photo album, a picture frame, bookmarks for quick browser access to your favourite websites, a Facebook and Twitter widget, an RSS news widget, HTC’s own Footprints app, a handy calendar and many more.
• Scenes. These allow further customisation of your homescreens, allowing you to create different homescreen setups depending on what you’re doing i.e. a work-specific Scene may have multiple clocks, a comprehensive calendar and email close to hand, all laid over the least intrusive wallpaper, while a weekend Scene will have a small calender, Friend Stream, live wallpaper and your music player.
• Web Browser. The fast browser is really fantastic! The WebKit-based program handles Flash video as standard, with the 10.1 update coming soon too, plus speed-dial style bookmarks and details on your most visited sites. Also take a look at the text reflow, which changes the formatting of text when you zoom in to match the screen orientation, so you have to do the minimum of scrolling to read the screen.
• Social Networking. Aside from the aforementioned Friend Stream, you have widgets for Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Google-related networks.
• Messaging. SMS and MMS messages are present and correct, plus Microsoft Exchange support, Gmail and most other webmail accounts too.
• Camera. This is a 5megapixel camera with its lens found top-centre on the rear of the phone, next to an LED flash. Both autofocus and geo-tagging are supported, along with VGA video shooting.
• Application Store. Where would an operating system be without an app store!  Android users can access the Android Market, where there are many free and pay apps ready for download.
• Multimedia. The standard MP3 player handles your music, the video player is happy with MP4 and AVI videos, plus there is a YouTube application too.
• Memory and Power. Underneath the removable base panel you’ll find access to the battery, SIM card and a microSD card slot.  Anything up to 16GB is accepted by the microSD card port, while the battery is quoted as returning around 560 hours standby and 6 hours talktime in 3G mode.
• Any Other Differences with the Hero? The Legend is lighter at 126 grams and slimmer at a touch over 11mm, plus it has an FM radio.

Any Downsides?

• Multi-touch. The HTC Legend supports multi-touch and uses it in several different areas, including Leap, but it doesn’t work in the mapping software yet.
• The Chin. Love it or hate it, the Legend’s chin may be smaller than the Hero’s, but it’s the one part of the design which will split opinion.

Summary.

The Desire may grab the headlines thanks to its processor and massive screen, but it’s the Legend that we can see being used as an everyday phone by every type of person.  It’s just so customisable that it won’t matter whether you want to use it for business or pleasure, as it can adapt to either in a moment. We loved the Hero, but the Legend’s aluminium body, Android 2.1 and AMOLED screen may just have won over our fickle heart.

Once upon a time, when you wanted to buy a mobile phone you did just that – it was a phone you could carry around and nothing else. Then, as technology moved on, we got the choice of flip phones, sliders and candybars, before being tempted by phones with QWERTY keyboards and smartphones, which could do almost everything your laptop could do. Now, since the launch of the Google Nexus One, we have a new category to consider, the superphone.

Does they leap tall buildings in a single bound? Or accelerate to 60mph in under 4 seconds? No, but in the world of mobile phones, they do the equivalent. Here, we’re talking about the HTC Desire, the second official superphone on the market, after the aforementioned Nexus One. As you may know, the Nexus One was also built by HTC and the Desire is essentially their version of the phone without the Google branding.

Initially known as the Bravo and the Passion, the HTC Desire was launched at Mobile World Congress and instantly become one of the hits of the show. If you’re one of the many who are excited about this new phone, then enjoy out in-depth overview, which should keep you going until its release!

Understanding Why the HTC Desire is Super.

Power.

Hidden deep inside the case is the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The QSD8250 is also found inside the Nexus One and incorporates a 1GHz processor, a 3G radio and GPS radio on the same platform, which results in a low-power, small size chipset ideal for the latest, and most powerful mobile phones. There is 512MB ROM and 576MB of RAM to keep everything super-smooth too.

The Desire’s operating system is Google Android and is the latest v2.1 build. This revision brings new features such as live wallpapers, Bluetooth v2.1, the latest version of Google Maps, changes to the user interface, Microsoft Exchange support and several other hardware specific tweaks to Android.

Style.

For such a powerful device, the HTC Desire is surprisingly compact at 119mm long, 60mm wide and just 11.9mm deep. The size of the chassis has enabled the fitment of a stunning AMOLED touchscreen measuring 3.7″. This capacitive screen has a WVGA resolution, or 480×800 pixels and is ready for multi-touch use, so you can use your thumb and forefinger to pinch the screen to zoom in. It’s not a lightweight though, at 135 grams.

We’ve already told you that it’s Android keeping the Desire up and running, but as this is an HTC phone, we have HTC Sense making it just that little more usable and a lot more attractive! Also unveiled alongside the Desire at MWC, this latest version has several performance upgrades along with some great new features, including Friend Stream, an program which collects all your social networking updates into one handy stream, and Leap, which offers an expanded overview of all your homescreens. Leap makes use of the pinch-to-zoom function for your screen selection.

Along the bottom of the front panel, there is a collection of hardware buttons, where the Nexus One has touch-sensitive keys, for Home, Menu, Back, Search and a central optical trackpad.

What Else Can it Do?

• 5 Megapixel Camera. While HTCs of old had disappointing cameras without any features, this has changed with recent models, and the Desire is no exception. The widescreen 5 megapixel lens is accompanied by autofocus and a flash, plus software for face detection and geo-tagging. Finally, the camera can shoot video at 30fps and a resolution of 720×480.
• GPS. To enable the geo-tagging via the camera, the Desire must come with GPS. Of course, this being an Android phone, Google Maps comes pre-installed and there is a digital compass to further enhance navigation and enable use of downloadable augmented reality apps. HTC Footprints is also installed, which is like an enhanced version of geo-tagging where you can add audio and text notes to be stored alongside a photo.
• Connectivity. The HTC Desire is a 3G mobile phone with support for both HSDPA, to 7.2Mbps, and HSUPA to 2Mbps. If 3G isn’t an option there is also GPRS and EDGE, plus of course, the Desire has Wi-Fi, A2DP Bluetooth v2.1 and USB tethering too.
• Social Networking. Again, as the Desire is an Android phone, you’ll find widgets for Picasa and YouTube, plus Facebook, Flickr and several others. For Twitter users, the HTC Peep application makes an appearance and all the above are organised into one place thanks to Friend Stream, part of the latest version of HTC Sense.
• Other Widgets. There are a variety of standard widgets with which you can fill up to seven homescreens. These include a photo frame, a Twitter feed, a weather app, a clock, your Friend Stream, SMS and the latest news.
• Sensors. The Desire is complimented by a G-sensor, a proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor. These enable helpful features such as the phone decreasing its ring volume when you pick it up, adjusting the backlight to compensate for natural light conditions and muting an incoming call when you turn the handset face-down. An accelerometer handles auto-rotation of the screen.
• MicroSD Card. A MicroSD card slot can be found behind the battery cover and can accept cards up to 32GB in size.
• Multimedia. You may as well make use of that massive screen! Supported video files include WMV, 3GP and MP4, while the audio side is happy with MP3, WMA, AAC, OGG and several others. The Desire has an FM radio and Dolby Mobile too.
• Internet Browsing and Email. The standard browser is very fast and has clever text-resizing software when you zoom into a webpage, so as much of the text is kept readable on the screen. Flash is installed too. With Android 2.1, Exchange support is added to the Gmail and POP3 email account system.
• Application Store. Using an Android phone gives you access to Android Market, where there is a massive range of free and paid-for applications for you to download on your phone.

Any Downsides?

• Size. Is the HTC Desire pocket friendly? We’re not sure, but it does depend on the size of your pockets we suppose!
• No Dual-Mics. The Google Nexus One has dual microphones for noise cancellation, but this has been dropped from the Desire. While it’s not a deal-breaker, the system does tend to work really well.
• AMOLED. It’s utterly gorgeous indoors or out of direct sunlight, but on a very bright day, you may struggle to make out the screen as well as you may want.

Summary.

So is the HTC Desire a superphone? Well, as the term ’superphone’ hasn’t really been defined it’s difficult to say. However, if we take it to mean is the phone on the cutting edge, packed with the fastest processor available, every top-end gadget including 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, a compass, a massive AMOLED screen and super stylish looks, then yes, we think the Desire fully qualifies as a superphone!

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Following O2’s and T-Mobile’s early poster shots, plus a variety of other leaks over the last few months, our patience with HTC was running out – just make the HD2 official!  Finally, as predicted, the follow-up to the Touch HD is here and if it’s possible, we’re even more in awe than before!

The reason for this lies squarely in the phone’s amazing feature list, so if you’re ready, we’ll run through it below for your reading pleasure:

• It’s powered by the Qualcomm 1Ghz ‘Snapdragon’ chipset complete with 512MB ROM and 448MB RAM.
• The operating system is Windows Mobile 6.5, but HTC have added their Sense UI too.
• The gorgeous 480×800 screen is multi-touch enabled, measures 4.3″ and is capacitive – a first for a Windows Mobile device.
• The 3G phone has HSDPA and HSUPA support, plus Wi-Fi and A2DP Bluetooth.
• A MicroSD card slot will boost the storage capacity.
• On the rear of the phone is a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and a dual-LED flash.
• Assisted GPS onboard.

Very impressive stuff!  It doesn’t end there either, as the addition of HTC Sense means the HD2 will feature the new HTC Peep Twitter client and direct access to Facebook and YouTube.  The geo-tagging postcard app HTC Footprints, first seen on the Touch Cruise last year, will also appear along with the other communication widgets seen on the premier Sense handset, the HTC Hero.  Of course, Sense is backed by all the new Windows Mobile 6.5 features including Windows Marketplace and the My Phone back-up service.

Continuing with the spec, the HD2 features a digital compass, a 3.5mm jack plug, proximity and ambient light sensor,  the Opera Mobile browser, media player, RDS radio and the GPS-friendly NaviPanel software program.  HTC have also slipped in some great connectivity features too, with tethering via Bluetooth and USB, plus a Wi-Fi Router system, where the phone provides wireless data for your PC or other wireless gadget.

All this lovely tech does come at a price, one in British Pounds and the other in grams.  At this stage, the cost is still undetermined, but the HD2 has tipped the scales at 157 grams, a figure slightly offset by the super-slim 11mm chassis thickness.  The HTC HD2 is expected to be on sale by November throughout much of Europe.

Overview of HTC Magic

The HTC Magic is the newest phone designed on the Google Android platform. Many of the features offered on this phone are the same as those offered on the G1 because of the fact that the unique Android software is such a key feature of any Android-based phone. Those people interested in Android phones because of their built-in software and the availability of great application downloads will find that those are things offered with both the HTC Magic and the G1.

However, the HTC Magic is not just another G1. Instead, it’s a new phone with a completely different handset design that could be far more appealing to people than the bulky design of the G1. The advanced design of the phone as well as updates to the firmware and increasing options for software downloads make this phone of interest to a wider market than may have initially taken interest in the G1.

It is believed that the HTC Magic could have the potential to appeal to a broader market than the G1 because of the fact that it doesn’t have the novelty of being the first of the Google phones to hit the market. The first phone was mostly of interest to cutting-edge phone users and Google-lovers but this new HTC Magic has the potential to truly reach a wider base of average touchscreen smartphone users. With an anticipated price somewhere between 99 and 199 Euros, it is designed to target the average smartphone user looking for a new phone today rather than just the Google-loving geek that was targeted for initial Android phone releases.

The phone is planned for release through Vodafone and will initially only be available in those markets serviced by that network. This means that it’s intended for select European customers only at this point. However there are rumors that there will be a HTC Magic designed for T-Mobile in the future (currently being dubbed the G2) which would be available to a U.S. market.

Understanding HTC Magic Software

The major reason that people are interested in Google Android phones is because of the software available with these handsets. This includes two types of software. First there is the software that comes pre-installed on the phone and is ready for use as soon as the phone has been activated. Second there is the software that can be downloaded for use on the HTC Magic. In addition to this, there are some notable changes to the firmware for the phone.

Pre-installed software for HTC Magic

The software that we find on the HTC Magic is that which comes pre-installed on any of the new Google Android phones released or planned for release this year. That pre-installed software includes:

• Gmail. All phones based on the Google Android platform are designed to provide easy access to almost all of Google’s many services. The key service that most HTC Magic users will use on a daily basis will be Gmail which comes pre-installed on the device. However the phone is set up so that it can also easily access other types of web-based email such as Yahoo mail.
• Google Maps. People seeking to use their HTC Magic phone to get around in an unfamiliar area will have no problem doing so since the handset comes with pre-loaded software for accessing Google Maps including full Street View on that program.
• Google Talk. Smartphones these days are designed to allow the user to have many different options for types of communication available on the phone. We aren’t just limited to voice calls and text messages these days. If you’re interested in using the HTC Magic to chat through IM systems then you’ll be happy to see that there is software that is pre-loaded on to the phone to make it easy to use Google Talk for chatting.
• YouTube. It is possible to access many different video clips through the web when using the HTC Magic but the main video site that everyone uses these days – and one which comes pre-loaded onto the phone to make it easy to use – is YouTube.

Download software for HTC Magic

People wouldn’t be interested in Google Android phones if it were just for the pre-installed software they come with since those Google programs can be easily accessed from most phones using the mobile web. Instead it is the availability of truly unique software through the Android Marketplace that makes people particularly interested in the possibilities for these phones. Someone who purchases the new HTC Magic will be able to access the Android Marketplace in order to download software for entertainment as well as productivity. There are currently over 800 application download options in this marketplace with more being created on a regular basis.

Advanced Firmware for HTC Magic

There have been some important changes made to the firmware of the HTC Magic in comparison with the G1. These changes are based on suggestions of users of the G1. The firmware is called Cupcake and includes improvements related to features such as MMS, video, Bluetooth and the on-screen keyboard.

Understanding HTC Magic Hardware

So far most of what we have seen with the HTC Magic is very similar to that which we saw with the G1 and that which we will see on all other Android-based phones. This is because the operating platform itself provides much of the user’s experience in terms of the software side of the phone. What makes each phone different from the other, then, is really the hardware that makes up the handset. Let’s take a closer look at the hardware for the HTC Magic. Features of this handset include:

• Touchscreen. The main feature of note with the HTC Magic is the touchscreen. The G1 also had a touchscreen but it is a slider phone that offers a full QWERTY keyboard as well. That’s not the case with the HTC Magic. This phone, instead, places full emphasis on the efficiency of using the touchscreen. The screen has been designed in such a way so as to stand out as a key benefit of using this phone. It is easy to navigate and up-to-date in terms of touchscreen technology.
• Wi-Fi. The HTC Magic has built-in Wi-Fi which makes it possible to access the Internet from anywhere that there is access to a wireless connection.
• GPS. The HTC Magic also has built-in GPS which means that it can be used as an advanced smartphone in conjunction with different geolocation service programs. For example, it would be possible to download applications that allow for tagging and sharing of pictures by location since the built-in GPS would know where you were when the photo was taken with the phone.
• Camera. There is a built-in camera on the HTC Magic. It is a 3.2 megapixel camera which is considered a decent camera for a camera phone that is not intended to be specifically purchased for its advanced camera capabilities. This camera is comparable to the built-in camera of the G1 although it doesn’t include a built-in flash. It does, however, have auto-focus features.
• Bluetooth. Bluetooth users can sigh with relief because the HTC Magic does have Bluetooth capabilities.

Design Of the HTC Magic

One of the key differences between the HTC Magic and the G1 is the design of the phone. There were many complaints that the G1 was too bulky and uncomfortable to handle so a primary focus in designing the HTC Magic was to make a thinner and more comfortable handset with a sleeker style suited to the European market the phone is targeted to reach. To date, the HTC Magic is the thinnest Android-based phone to be created. It weighs just over four ounces and measures 113 x 55 x 13.65 mm.

Despite its thin size, the HTC Magic has a 3.2 inch touchscreen which means that it’s great for viewing videos and pictures as well as for reading documents and websites. The screen has a resolution of 320×480. A trackball navigator makes it easy to get to where you want to be on the phone.

The HTC Magic will be available in either black or white depending on where you get yours. For UK, Spain and France customers the phone will be released in white. For Germany the phone will be black. And if you happen to be in Italy then you have your choice between the two colors.

HTC Magic vs. G1

The HTC Magic is the second Android-based HTC handset. The first was the G1. For the most part, these two phones are comparable. However, there are some differences which are notable. The major differences are the design of the phone, the advances in the phone’s firmware, the enhanced memory capabilities and the availability of the phone worldwide. Here’s a closer look at those differences.

• Differences in Design. The design of the HTC Magic is much cleaner, up-to-date and smaller than the design of the G1. This is primarily considered to be a benefit of the HTC Magic over the G1. However it should be noted that to reduce the bulkiness of the HTC Magic, the handset designers had to get rid of the cool slider keyboard as well as the camera flash that are both good features on the G1.
• Firmware Update. The phone’s firmware has been updated in comparison with the G1. These updates were based specifically on firmware complaints by G1 users so the new firmware is widely considered to be better on the HTC Magic than what a G1 user has. However it is rumored that G1 users may be able to update their phones to this new firmware in the near future.
• Reduced Memory Capabilities. Although the firmware for the phone has been improved, some things have been taken away with the new phone. One of the outstanding features of the G1 is the fact that it has a whopping 16 GB of memory. The onboard 16GB has been ditched but replaced by a MicroSD slot to expand storage along with the ever increasing size of flash cards on the market.  The HTC Magic comes with only 192 MB of RAM and 512 MB of ROM.
• Carrier / Network Differences. The final primary difference is that the HTC Magic is carried only by Vodafone and the G1 is a T-mobile phone. This means that the HTC Magic is currently not planned for release in the United States. However, there are rumors floating around that there will be a version of the HTC Magic created for T-mobile in the future.

The ”Other side” of the HTC Magic

The HTC Magic doesn’t have a lot of drawbacks that are considered significant. However, it should be noted that the Android platform is still young in the market. Those people who are disinterested in the latest software and handsets may be wary of new phones such as the HTC Magic. There is also the drawback that the phone will currently only be released in Europe to a relatively small market. Combined with new developments in Android phone technology, this could mean that the longevity of the HTC Magic in the market is at risk.

HTC Magic Release Date and Information

The HTC Magic is expected to be released to the market in April 2009. The phone will be released through Vodafone only in the markets serviced by that provider. This means that the initial release of the HTC Magic next month will only reach customers in certain parts of Europe. However, it is believed that the HTC Magic may be designed for launch through T-Mobile and will then become more widely available throughout the world (including in U.S. markets). Moreover, it is a fairly priced phone in comparison to other touchscreen phones in the market and therefore could have the potential to reach a broader customer base than existing phones have reached thus far.

Summary and Future of HTC Magic

Overall, the HTC Magic is a solid phone which offers great options for application downloads and a sleek European-style design. How it will do in the market depends on the future development of other Android-based phones as much as on the quality of the phone itself. The HTC Magic is in a unique position as one of the first Android-based phones but not the very first. On the one hand, this means that the initial users who purchased the G1 probably won’t be making the switch to a new Android phone just yet. On the other hand, it means that those smartphone users who wanted to hold out for new Android platform developments may now take an interest in an Android phone and so could seek to purchase the HTC Magic. It’s considered to be a strong phone and should do well among Vodafone customers when first released but only time will tell how it fares in the market overall.

Taiwanese phone manufacturer HTC have been a stalwart of the Windows Mobile smartphone scene since they started creating their own branded products some five years ago, however it was the introduction of the HTC Touch in 2007 which gained them the attention of the growing number of consumer smartphone purchasers thanks to its then cutting edge finger-friendly touchscreen and compact casing.

Their TouchFLO interface, which obscured Windows Mobile for basic functions, was impressive and HTC sding the Apple iPhone 3G, the forthcoming BlackBerry Storm, LG Renoir, Sony Ericsson X1 and Samsung Omnia, the HTC Touch HD is going to have to be a special phone to mix with these heavyweight brand names. Will it manage? With the HD just being released it’s too early to tell but we will soon find out.

Touch HD : Mobile Touch Telephony in High Definition

Windows Mobile may not be the pinnacle of mobile operating system excellence, but with an HTC smartphone and its Tooon added other handsets to the Touch family including the Touch Dual, Touch Cruise and more recently, the gorgeous Touch Diamond. But it’s this, the Touch HD, which will really make everyone sit up and take notice, as it boasts an incredible WVGA 480×800, 3.8” screen!

This is quite a sales point on its own, but HTC have not left the Touch HD there, as its spec sheet includes every other essential feature, making it a true top range smart phone. But with competition incluuchFLO interface, all displayed on the gorgeous screen, you can avoid getting bogged down with a stylus and fiddly menus and simply enjoy using your finger to control your phone. The HTC Touch HD’s TouchFLO 3D is the best yet, giving you easy access to the phones many features.

A Serious Screen

The HTC Touch HD takes its name from the simply fantastic resolution achieved by its screen. The WVGA (the W standing for ‘wide’) is 3.8” in size, so it’s already one of the biggest mobile screens out there and at 480×800 pixels, the image quality is outstanding. Not even the old Nokia Communicators managed an 800 pixel width, which aside from being visually impressive, makes browsing the Internet a great experience as many sites are written with this width in mind.

Complete Touch Experience

HTC’s TouchFLO interface has been evolving ever since its introduction on the original Touch and although this 3D version is similar to that found on the Touch Diamond, the glass screen has changed the experience for the better. Gone is the need to press the screen and in comes an iPhone like sensitivity, where a caress is all that’s needed.

A Choice of Input Methods

As great as TouchFLO 3D is, it’s still Windows Mobile hidden underneath and for that reason, HTC have included a stylus which is magnetically held in place at the bottom right hand corner of the handset. The Touch HD has done away with a traditional d-pad and the phone has only four LG Secret style touch sensitive buttons under that enormous screen.

Glorious Video Reproduction

Of course, just looking at the operating system on that superb screen would be to do it an injustice, as with that resolution, video is going to come alive! Not only is a YouTube client included (just like that found on the iPhone 3G), but this being Windows Mobile, the majority of video formats can be played by the built-in Windows Media Player too.

Brilliant Internet on the Move.

As we have mentioned, having an 800 pixel width will do wonders for your mobile Internet experience and HTC have thoughtfully incorporated the excellent Opera Mini browser straight out of the box, so you won’t have to make do with the clunky old Internet Explorer bundled with WinMo 6.

Every Feature You’ll Need

Previous Touch family handsets have often been made with a certain feature as the standout – the Cruise with GPS, the Dual with its slide-out keyboard for example – but the Touch HD follows in the Diamond’s footsteps and incorporates all the features you’ll need when using the phone on a daily basis, no matter whether it’s for business or pleasure.

A 5 Megapixel HTC!

This is one area where the Touch HD trounces the Apple iPhone 3G, as it comes with a 5 megapixel camera! Although there is no flash, it does have an interesting autofocus system, where you touch the screen on the spot you wish to focus on, ensuring what you want, not what the camera wants, is in focus. Press a bit harder and your picture is taken. Remember, stored pictures will look great on the hi-res screen too! A video mode with a possible 30fps is also featured.

Built-in GPS

The HTC Touch HD features GPS, Assisted GPS support and comes complete with Google Maps pre-loaded from the factory. This being a Windows Mobile device means that in the future you should be able to install third-party mapping software from other companies too.

Enjoy Your Music, Your Way

With the music player easily accessed via the TouchFLO 3D interface and a great browsing option not unlike Apple’s CoverFlow system, listening to your MP3 files is easy and enjoyable on the Touch HD. There’s also an FM RDS radio if you run out of your own files.

Read, Edit and Write Documents

This is a Windows Mobile phone, so it’s easy to write, read, edit, send and receive all types of Microsoft Office documents with the pocket versions of Word and Excel along with PDF files too. This is a major advantage over the Apple iPhone, as dealing with Office documents is not as simple as it is here. Oh, and copy and paste is present and correct too.

Email and Messaging.

Outlook Express handles the email as well as it does on your home computer and the integration with the TouchFLO system means you can see new messages and access them directly from your Home screen. For those who love MMS, you can find support for that on the Touch HD too.

Smart Phone Power by the Experts

A smartphone needs plenty of power, especially when it contains each and every important feature you can think of. HTC have learnt from the first Touch’s lack of memory and processor punch and have endowed the Touch HD with plenty of both, making the user experience a smooth and satisfying one.

Processor Power

Deep inside the Touch HD’s case you’ll find a Qualcomm 528Mhz processor, just like the one used in the Touch Diamond, to keep things moving along. However, the Touch HD improves on the Diamond’s spec by boasting 288MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM, both essential to keep things running quickly and smoothly.

Windows Mobile Operating System.

We may say it’s not the best out there, but there’s no denying the majority of the planet is familiar with the way it operates, giving new smartphone users a head start when it comes to learning the in’s and out’s of their new handset. It’s also very well supported in terms of third-party software available on the Internet and the amount of options available for customising your phone is almost endless The Touch HD has the latest Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional software, which is a distinct improvement over the Mobile 6 platform found on the original Touch.

Super Fast Data Speeds.

This is a 3G handset with HSDPA support, so expect the quickest available Internet connection while out and about. If you’re at home, the office or near a Hotspot, then the Touch HD has Wi-Fi to take over instead. It also has full A2DP Bluetooth, again improving on the Apple iPhone 3G.

Another HTC Touch First.

It may seem like a little thing, but these days having a standard 3.5mm jack plug connection can be make-or-break and HTC have included one on the Touch HD instead of relying on an adaptor or their own set of headphones plugged into the Mini-USB. This addition also sets it ahead of the LG KC910, another touchscreen competitor, however it trumps the Touch HD’s 5 megapixel camera with its 8 megapixel smapper.

Impressive Battery Life and Compact Size.

HTC are quoting 450 hours standby and more than 6 hours talktime for the Touch HD, impressive numbers from the Li-Ion 1350mah battery. The Touch HD, while slightly larger all round than the Diamond and the i900, is the same size as the iPhone 3G at 115×62x12mm but weighs slightly more than all these at 146 grams.

With Christmas just a month away we will see if HTC’s late Q4 release will be just in time to hit the shopping hype, come early December.