HTC Magic review: Practical magic

A cool looking touchscreen carrying a new mobile OS was enough to get the attention of even the most hardened of them techies last time we checked. Fair enough, the HTC Magic isn't groundbreaking but the Cupcake-ful of changes it brings, promise a whole new experience.
HTC Magic official photos
Well, for starters the Android sure looks more human. The formidable and weapon-like G1/ HTC Dream needed every ounce of weight to stand its ground. With an honestly lighthearted and disarming approach, the HTC Magic is willing to play by the conventional touchscreen rules. And may as well be eyeing massive sales. Compact dimensions and distinct styling, decent all round functionality and system expandability, the HTC Magic seems to have what it takes to keep both smart and feature phone touchscreens on edge. The second edition of the OS should have dealt with the issues of the forerunner and given the Magic that extra bit of pace. So, what do you call a good platform getting better and a gadget looking more mainstream but still creative enough? We call it good sense but who knows, it may be Magic.
Key features
Android OS v1.5 Cupcake
3.2" capacitive touchscreen of HVGA resolution
Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528 MHz CPU, 192/288 MB RAM
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps
3.15 megapixel autofocus camera
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
GPS
Trackball navigation
Accelerometer sensor
Digital compass
Compact and stylish body

Main disadvantages
No video-call camera
No Flash support in the web browser
No file transfers over Bluetooth
No FM radio
In the beginning there was the unforgiving vastness of G1. Come to think of it, mobile phone evolution has always moved from huge to small. Android for one is quite aware and unafraid to press the fast-forward on evolution. Anyway, Google and their HTC counterparts feel confident enough to concentrate on style. Size mattered when they were about to take their first dip in the shark pond. Size matters even more when they're gearing up to beat a legion of seasoned touchscreens at their own game.
HTC Magic live shots
Full-touch handsets have been all the rage, and every manufacturer is putting their best effort to not merely stay in the game but influence it. Google DNA and HTC craftsmanship, the Magic almost has the impact guaranteed but how it translates into actual sales is perhaps the first thing on everyone's mind.
The HTC Magic is in for a real challenge and we are keen to see what it's got. We're back after the jump and ready to judge the game plan by the kit.
Travel light but well-equipped
The retail package of the HTC Magic is pretty decently stuffed with all the essentials covered and a few bonuses to spice things up.
There's the mandatory charger and a miniUSB cable for pairing you handset with a computer. You also get a nicely looking wired stereo handsfree, which unfortunately is one-piece. That means that replacing the supplied headphones is not an option unless you purchase a miniUSB adapter separately.
There's some nice stuff in the box
A 2GB microSD card is also supplied in the retail package of the Magic, plus a microSD to SD adapter in case you don't have a compatible card-reader. A stylish white leather carrying case is our favorite item in the box. We just hope the snow-white color won't turn to grimy-gray too quickly.
The leather case is quite a treat
A quick-start guide, a warranty statement and a list of HTC care centers are also in the box. For those keen to accessorize their Magic there's a list of available original HTC accessories, which include some pretty cool stuff.
HTC Magic 360-degree spin
The HTC Magic measures 113 x 55 x 13.7mm, which makes it a decently compact device. There are of course several full-touch handsets that are even smaller but the differences aren't really make or break. You can rest assured that the HTC Magic can easily slip in most pockets, without making much of bulge.
The weight of 118.5 g is about what you'd expect in a handset with these dimensions and features. A few extra grams (and perhaps some metal on the chassis) would have given it a more solid feel, but it isn't too bad now either.
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Design and construction
We are pretty fond of the HTC Magic. Its slick curvy shapes and pearl white gloss were quite appreciated across the whole team. Of course, the HTC Magic is available in black too but if you want your gadget to get noticed you know which way to go. We've been on and on about the lack of distinction between touchscreens, so what simpler way to stand out than a fresh paintjob.
White is still rare, though not unheard of, in touchscreens and the HTC Magic makes quite a bold statement for a newbie. The plastic is nicely fingerprint-resistant and you can hardly ruin the phone's looks even if you tried very hard. Some metal on the body would've probably made the entire package near perfect.
Magic and sorcery: HTC next to Apple iPhone 3G
Most of the front panel of the phone is taken by the 3.2" 65K-color capacitive touchscreen of HVGA resolution (320 x 480 pixels).
The image quality is commendable with sharp contrast and good brightness levels on the TFT display. The 65K-color count turns a weakness on the very rare occasions when single color gradients are noticeable. In all other aspects the Magic screen performs greatly.
Not the biggest, nor the highest-res but still an excellent 3.2" display
Sunlight legibility is also remarkable with the colors retained almost perfectly even when the handset is awash in sunlight. The only thing that makes it worse than the Apple iPhone's display is the fact that it reflects more light, resulting in an occasional rainbow appearing on the screen.
The response of the touchscreen is also brilliant. A well-known advantage of capacitive touchscreens is their sensitivity, as they don't actually need a push to register a click. Even the lightest of touches does the trick which is probably a large part of the reason why would one buy a touchscreen phone in the first place.
On top of the display is the earpiece, flanked by an ambient light sensor and the status LED