Carrier adds second Android phone

By Eric Brown
2009-06-23

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T-Mobile announced a new Android-based phone from HTC that will go on sale for its U.S. 3G network customers on July 8. The MyTouch 3G smartphone is based on the keyboard-less HTC Magic introduced recently in Europe by Vodafone, but adds customization features and accessories.

The MyTouch 3G is essentially a version of the new Vodafone-sold HTC Magic (pictured below), with a few minor modifications to the hardware and Android software, says a story in eWEEK. T-Mobile has had success with its earlier Android phone, the HTC G1, selling over a million units. However, in the smartphone business there is success, and then there is iPhone success, and T-Mobile and Taiwanese manufacturer HTC are shooting for the latter. According to a story in BusinessWeek, the company will now focus its marketing efforts on the MyTouch 3G, which boasts a sleeker design, longer battery life, and improved customization compared to the G1.

T-Mobile's HTC MyTouch 3G

T-Mobile itself has so far provided few details on the phone on its website aside from a photo, a launch date, and some broad statements about features. Many enhancements compared to the G1 appear to be based on the recent 1.5 "Cupcake" release of the Linux-based, open source Android stack. Touted features of the MyTouch 3G include:

3G network support
Touchscreen display and virtual keyboard
Personalized widget feature and numerous themes and skins
More screen customization, including customizable menus, wallpapers, and icons
More fully integrated Google Search, Google Maps, and Gmail access
3.2-megapixel camera, now with video capture support
Improved one-touch access to email and music
Search by voice

Additional details on the phone have been made available to BusinessWeek, which described hardware feature details that appear to match those of the HTC Magic. Like the Magic, the MyTouch 3G eliminates the HTC G1's slide-out keyboard, and offers a 3.2-inch, 320 x 480 screen with a QWERTY touchscreen display that can be used in portrait or landscape mode. The device is accordingly thinner and lighter than the G1. In addition, the MyTouch 3G reportedly features 512MB of flash storage, twice the amount of the G1. (For a detailed spec list for the Magic, see our previous coverage, here.)

According to BusinessWeek writer Olga Kharif, who received a hands-on demo of the MyTouch 3G, the phone is billed as offering up to six hours of talk time vs. five for the G1. Other features include white, black, and "merlot" color choices, and 40 optional accessories, says the story.

Vodafone's HTC Magic

The phone offers a special version of the Geodelic's GPS-driven "Sherpa" app, which adds a learning feature that is designed exclusively for T-Mobile by the software firm, says the story. In addition to showing location-based information about nearby attractions, the T-Mobile version of Sherpa is said to customize displays based on previous preferences. For example, it enables users to rate location listings for more or less prominent display during the user's next visit to the coordinates, says BusinessWeek.

Availability

The MyTouch 3G will be available for pre-orders on July 8, says T-Mobile, and according to BusinessWeek, shipments will begin on July 29, with general availability to non-reserved customers starting in early August. The phone will sell for $200 with a two-year contract, says the story.

T-Mobile's teaser page may be found here. The eWEEK story by Michelle Maisto may be found here, and the BusinessWeek story by Olga Kharif may be found here.

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