14 DAY TRIAL // The British mobile giant Vodafone has inked after all a deal with HTC for the distribution of the next Android-Powered handset, which will come under the name of HTC Magic (previous version was G1, and the new handset was expected to come as G2). Moreover, the highly-expected device from the Taiwanese handset maker HTC will be demonstrated today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
"Delivering an unbeatable mobile internet experience for our customers is a priority for Vodafone, so we are very excited to be introducing our first Android-powered smartphone in the spring," Patrick Chomet, global director of Terminals, Vodafone Group, says.
"Following our joining of the Open Handset Alliance, we have worked very closely with HTC to bring this cool new phone to the market. Our customers want to access a wide range of the most attractive mobile devices to help them make the most of their time - the HTC Magic helps meet that need."
As many of you might already know, the first Google Android-based handset, dubbed G1, was launched on the market last year on T-Mobile. The device, which was supposed to go against Apple's iPhone, has failed to do so, although it registered great success with the public. The smartphone market remains under the Apple and Research in Motion's dominance.
"The HTC Magic embodies the compact style and sophistication for which HTC has come to be known, with the powerful and intuitive internet experience for which the Android platform was designed," Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corporation, adds. "We are proud of our partnership with Vodafone and excited about making the Android-powered HTC Magic available to Vodafone customers in Europe."
The new Android handset includes a 3.2-megapixel camera, HSPA, WiFi connectivity, as well as a built-in GPS receiver, support for Google Mail, POP3, IMAP, and Google Talk for instant messaging. The HTC Dream (G1) is the only mobile phone running under the Google platform to have made it to the market until now, although other handset manufacturers like Nokia, LG and Samsung, have also announced plans to unveil such devices.
The new device will come exclusively to Vodafone in the UK, Spain, Germany and France (SFR) and will also be available on a non-exclusive basis in Italy. Those interested in the device will have to register their interest on their local Vodafone website starting from today. The handset will become available for purchase in spring.
Vodafone will receive a great boost in its fight against Apple's dominance in the market through the addition of the upcoming Android-based HTC Magic to its lineup. The mobile phone operator has inked a similar deal with RIM last year for the distribution of BlackBerry Storm, but a great number of software issues with the handset led to rather small sales of the device.
"The announcement of the HTC Magic is an important step for Android and the Open Handset Alliance," says Andy Rubin, Senior Director of Mobile Platforms at Google. "With it, Vodafone is opening up the mobile web for consumers across Europe and giving more third-party developers a platform on which they can build the next wave of killer applications."
