HTC Magic launches with Google Android 1.5

New Android software demonstrates the platform's potential

The HTC Magic is the first device to ship with version 1.5 of Android (although T-Mobile's G1 will also receive the software upgrade), and it is clear that the platform is maturing. Where the early versions of Android lacked features, version 1.5 is more complete, with a more polished user interface and the addition of an onscreen keyboard to enable touchscreen-only devices.

The usability of the Magic is excellent, the software is responsive and attractive, and the whole experience is intuitive and encourages use of applications and features to a degree that most other mobile software platforms have been unable to achieve. Setting the device up is simple for Google users: enter your Google account details and email, contacts and calendars sync automatically.

Overall, this version of Android is impressive from a user experience perspective, and consumers who are happy using Google's applications will be pleased with their implementation in Android 1.5. The inbuilt web browser is class-leading, rendering pages quickly and accurately and scrolling smoothly. Downloading and installing third-party applications from the Android Market is easy, and the range of applications is growing.

Standing out from the crowd - the Android differentiation problem

At this early stage in Android's adoption, operators and vendors alike can stand out simply by providing Android devices. But as more device vendors and operators deploy Android, this first-mover advantage will subside and differentiation will become more important. Samsung has announced its first Android handset will be released in Europe in June (following its launch in Korea) with several other key vendors (LG, Sony Ericsson, Acer and Motorola) to follow.

The terms of Android's open source licensing agreement allow for extensive customisation of the platform, should service providers and hardware vendors wish to do so. The challenge will be in finding a balance between offering something different and valuable to consumers (consumers may not actually want a different experience if it compromises familiarity), while maintaining compatibility and remaining a part of the Android ecosystem. The evaluation unit Vodafone provided to Ovum has very little customisation beyond a Vodafone Live portal launcher.

Any software customisation must maintain full compatibility with the Android application environment. Software customisation will therefore most likely take the form of UI skins (UI layers similar to HTC's TouchFLO 3D or Samsung's Touch Wiz for Windows Mobile devices) and custom applications or services exclusive to a particular vendor or service provider. Whether operators can provide services capable of matching the user experience provided by Google's services remains to be seen, but most operators lack the resources and scale to compete with a company as large, well-resourced and ambitious as Google.

HTC Magic hardware is a big improvement on the T-Mobile G1

Hardware vendors will also differentiate based on hardware specifications, industrial design or features such as camera resolution or multimedia support. Vodafone, SFR and TIM will be pleased with the improvements in HTC's second-generation Android handset, as the Magic has a significantly better form factor than its older brother, the T-Mobile G1, and will tempt a broader audience than the G1.

The Magic is not perfect: the lack of a standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack is frustrating (the proprietary HTC ExtUSB jack requires the included headphones or the purchase of a third-party adaptor); and the 3.2MP autofocus camera takes overly soft pictures and has no flash or dedicated shutter button. Support for enterprise applications is still limited, although the Magic is primarily a consumer offering.