14 DAY TRIAL // Taiwan-based HTC Corporation and wireless carrier Etisalat announced on Wednesday that HTC's Android-based HTC Magic mobile phone would soon become available for purchase in the UAE, becoming this way the Emirates’ first smartphone to run under Google's Android operating system, and providing a wide range of new mobile capabilities to users in the area.
The handset comes to the Etisalat offering with a sleek and compact design and with great features powered by the Android platform, offering an enhanced Internet experience, as well as great personalization features. Access to Google services like Search and Gmail, as well as other advanced mobile Internet capabilities will also come with HTC Magic towards users always on the go, the two companies stated.
The specification list of the mobile phone includes a 3.2-inch HVGA touch screen display, coupled with a navigational trackball and a 3.2 megapixel photo snapper, GPS receiver, an onscreen QWERTY keyboard, Smart Dialer, SMS and MMS messaging, support for POP3 and IMAP email options, as well as Google Talk for instant messaging, the Android-optimized Web Kit browser and more.
Starting with mid-October, pre-paid mobile phone users in UAE will be able to purchase the HTC Magic from Etisalat for a price tag of AED 2199, with one month free 5GB data package. Post paid users will also have a wide range of offers to choose from, the wireless carrier announced. The handset will come to all Etisalat Business centres as well, and it will be available only in black.
Essa Al Hadad, chief marketing officer, Etisalat, said, “Etisalat has a history of launching pioneering initiatives that provide the best value and technology experience to our customers and we are delighted to now bring the first ever Android-powered mobile device in the UAE. HTC Magic will provide unparalleled technology experience to our customers with its innovative, advanced and intuitive internet connectivity features. The launch of this new smartphone is in accordance with our goal to remain highly responsive to the emerging and evolving needs of our customers. HTC Magic perfectly complements our diverse range of connectivity solutions with its superior mobile internet capability and advanced applications.”