Android phone number 2 coming to 3

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 21 May 2009 12:31

Your IT - Mobility

Optus may have scored the first Android-powered mobile phone in Australia (the HTC Dream) and the much-vaunted Kogan Agora may have faded into oblivion, but 3 says it'll have the second in about a month's time.

3 is now taking pre-registrations for the HTC Magic, due in stores from mid June.

Since it runs the Android operating system, you'll get the usual features including Google Maps (complete with Street View's compass mode), the application marketplace, and other Google services such as Talk, Gmail, Calendar and YouTube.

Hardware features include HSPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 3.2in 320x480 touchscreen, a 3.2 MP auto-focus camera with video recording, and a 2G MicroSD memory card.

The Magic also includes HTC custom software such as a smart dialer, an onscreen keyboard with predictive text completion, and HTC Sync for synchronisation with Windows Vista or XP.

Although HTC's web site shows the Magic in white, 3 will only be selling it in black.

There's no clues at this stage about pricing or plans, or if the Magic will also be available for outright purchase.

Despite a strong showing in the second half of 2008 (revenue up 23.1 percent, customer numbers up 29 percent) 3 announced in February that it would move its operations into a joint venture with Vodafone Australia.

According to research firm Gartner, HTC increased its share of the global smartphone market during the first quarter of 2009 .