Android and Me » htc magic

Dear T-Mobile, it’s time to put the myTouch 3G to sleep (UPDATED)

Alberto Vildosola — Tue, 24 May 2011 16:25:41 +0000

The time is June 22nd, 2009, and the T-Mobile G1 has been available for exactly eight months now. The device is currently the only Android phone available in the market, but it’s about to get some company. Today, T-Mobile will announce its second Android phone, the T-Mobile myTouch 3G.

The myTouch 3G is a huge improvement over the G1, with such enhancements as a headphone jack, better battery life and more internal memory. The phone is welcomed with open arms by the Android community, but it’ll become obsolete in just a few months when Motorola and Verizon announce the Droid.

While the myTouch 3G showed us that Google, HTC, and T-Mobile were committed to moving the Android platform forward, we were all more than glad to dump it for some Snapdragon-packing superphones.

Two years later, Android is everywhere. The platform has taken off faster than you can say “iDon’t multitask” and we’re no longer asking ourselves whether our Android phones will switch between apps smoothly — like back in the myTouch 3G days. Instead, we’re shooting and watching 3D video, outputting full-HD video to our TVs, and wondering how long it’ll be until we can run Crysis on our Android devices — hint: probably next year.

That’s how fast the mobile world has changed in two years. T-Mobile, on the other hand, hasn’t noticed this change yet. The carrier is still offering the same old, slow, and outdated myTouch 3G — for free though — that helped Android get its foot out the door. The phone is a relic by today’s standards, worthy of a statue at the Android Museum, but a relic nonetheless.

It’s not like T-Mobile doesn’t have any other cheap Android phone that it can give out for free. In fact, the carrier has four more Android phones on its lineup that it sells for free. The LG Optimus T is one of them, and it’s 10 times better than the myTouch 3G in every possible way. If you don’t feel like “Life’s Good”, you can still get the Motorola Defy, the Comet, or the Cliq XT.

So, why, T-Mobile, why are you still selling this piece of Android history? Please, just let the myTouch 3G die in peace so it can take its seat next to the G1 in Android heaven.

UPDATE: It looks like somebody at T-Mobile reads Android and Me. The myTouch 3G is no longer showing up on the carrier’s website. Thank you, T-Mobile, thank you.

Vodafone set to dish up a fresh serving of Froyo for the HTC Magic

Nick Gray — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 04:33:06 +0000

The launch of the Google Nexus S may only be a day or two away, but that doesn’t mean that you need to get rid of your old Android phone just yet. Hot on the heels of T-Mobile USA’s Android 2.2.1 update for the myTouch 3G, Vodafone UK has just unveiled that they will be releasing the same update for the HTC Magic.

Vodafone will be gradually rolling out the Android 2.2.1 update to the HTC Magic over the next few weeks. While the hardware on the HTC Magic may seem a bit dated at this point, it’s nice to see HTC is still rolling out an update to a handset that was released nearly 20 months ago. We’re hoping a few other manufacturers will take note as to how long they should be supporting their handsets with new Android updates, but we won’t be holding our breath.

Android 2.2.1 will give customers a number of improvements including: latest Gmail and Android Market clients; ability to save applications directly onto an SD card; support for USB tethering so the phone can be used as a modem; improved support for Active Sync Exchange (email, contacts and calendar sync); enhancements to Bluetooth; and enhancements to the camera. The update also includes the latest Google security patches. Vodafone

CyanogenMod 6 breaths new life into the aging T-Mobile G1

Nick Gray — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 02:39:44 +0000

CyanogenMod 6 has finally landed, giving the HTC Magic and Dream a taste of Froyo. While a few other ROM developers have been releasing some of their beta builds on Android 2.2 for the two phones, the CyanogenMod team is the first to deliver a nearly perfect build to the public. For those already running on Cyanogen’s Eclair build, the update to Froyo is pretty seamless, but you may need to wipe your phone in order for everything to install properly.

Earlier this afternoon, we gave the newest build a try and can say that it’s a great first build. We did run into a few issues with various apps not downloading properly from the Android Market and have had our G1 freeze and restart a few times as well. However, we can say that CM6 is definitely faster than CM5 thanks to the new JIT compiler from Froyo. While there are a few things that still need to be ironed out, the team behind CyanogenMod have released a great ROM which is definitely ready for day to day use for people who simply have to have the latest build of Android running on their phone.

T-Mobile ready to refresh myTouch 3G with 3.5 mm jack and RAM boost

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:02:07 +0000

It appears the rumors are true. TmoNews has received the first pictures of the refreshed myTouch 3G (aka myTouch 1.2). This device is a clone of the T-Mobile myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition minus the Fender. New additions to the phone include a 3.5 mm headset jack and 288 MB of RAM (vs 192 MB of the original MT3G).

The phone will ship with Android 1.6, but T-Mobile is planning an update to Android 2.1 this spring.

Rumors suggest the phone could launch as early as February 10, but no pricing information is available. The Fender myTouch retails for $179 (with 2yr contract) which is $30 more than the original, but it includes a 16 GB microSD card. We expect the refreshed myTouch will include a 4 GB microSD card and hopefully retail for $149 or less.

It’s Magic: Rogers Wireless offers free Android phones for Dream owners

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:29:37 +0000

Early this week we reported that Rogers Wireless would be upgrading the phones of customers who purchased a HTC Dream. Rogers made this decision after they revealed that they would not be providing an update to Android 2.1 for the HTC Dream because it did “not have the required on-board memory for an upgrade”.

The details of the upgrade process are as follows:

Current Rogers customers who activated a new Rogers HTC Dream through Dec. 31, 2009 – either through upgrade or a new activation – may upgrade that device to an HTC Magic for a limited time.
Upgrades must be done through Customer Care (1-888-Rogers1) or through Rogers.com (existing 3yr data plan required for online upgrades, instructions below). This special upgrade offer does not apply at retail.
This limited-time upgrade is available between January 12 and January 26 only.
The $79 upgrade cost of the device, plus the $35 administration fee are being waived. Customers who choose to take advantage of this offer get a $599 phone for $0 with the renewal of a three-year term from the date of the upgrade (For most customers, this will represent a contract extension of seven months or less).
The upgrade is completely optional. Customers who choose to can stick with their HTC Dreams and remain in their current contracts.

If you run into any problems with this upgrade, please contact the @RogersHelps team.

Why is Rogers doing this upgrade? Simply put, we’re committed to our Android phones and Android customers. Although we pushed HTC to provide a 2.1 OS upgrade for the Magic, they could not do so for the Dream device due to memory limitations. We knew we had to help our customers with this one-time limited-time offer.Mary PretottoRogers Wireless

We are still waiting to find out the fate of T-Mobile G1 owners. The G1 is the same phone as the Rogers HTC Dream and contains the same memory limitations. The G1 and myTouch 3G were both ‘Google Experience’ devices and we have been told that Google is responsible for their updates.

If you purchased a G1 from T-Mobile, would you be interested in upgrading to a myTouch 3G? What do you think of the offer Rogers has made their customers.

Rogers Wireless to upgrade Dream owners to Magic

Taylor Wimberly — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 02:47:14 +0000

Rogers Wireless recently told us they would be upgrading the HTC Magic to Android 2.1, but the HTC Dream would not receive the update due to certain limitations. This meant that customers who purchased the Dream would be stuck with the outdated Android 1.5 (and not able to experience all benefits of Google’s latest update).

In a surprise move, Rogers will allow customers who purchased a Dream to upgrade to a new phone, the HTC Magic.

“It’s great to hear that everyone is pleased by HTC’s agreement to upgrade Magic to 2.1. We pushed hard on your behalf and are pleased with that part. When it comes to Dream, we share in your frustration that the device does not have the required on-board memory for an upgrade. We’ve reviewed this internally and believe that Dream users should be able to have the same HTC Android experience as those who purchased the Magic. So, we are offering our HTC Dream customers a limited time opportunity to upgrade from their current HTC Dream device to the HTC Magic.

We’re working on finalizing the details of that promotion now but wanted to let you know the great news as soon as possible. Please be patient as this is not yet available in-store, online or through customer care. I will be back next week to provide you with more information.”Mary PretottoRogers Wireles

As you can see from the quote, the Dream will not be upgraded due to its limited on-board memory. We have been speculating since August that this would happen and it looks like we were right.

The HTC Dream is the same phone as the T-Mobile G1 and we are still awaiting a response from T-Mobile on their upgrade path. I recently asked HTC about the G1 receiving Android 2.x and they pointed the finger at Google since it is a ‘Google experience’ device.

I doubt I will ever move to Canada (quite happy with Texas), but you have to commend Rogers Wireless for how they handled this situation. They have personally reached out to this site several times since we first brought attention to the upgrade issue. If you are looking to sign a contract with a wireless carrier, it is nice to know they will listen to feedback and respond in a timely manner.

Rogers has demonstrated they pay attention to the Android community and they take care of their customers.

P.S. Hey T-Mobile, I know you read this site too. How much longer will G1 owners be kept in the dark?

Android revolution is short lived in Canada, eh?

Taylor Wimberly — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:31:51 +0000

Rogers Wireless promised a revolution this past June when they launched their first two Android phones, the HTC Dream and Magic. After hyping the launch and promoting their own app contest, it appears the Canadian carrier has lost its desire to support the phones.

For starters, Rogers never allowed customers to purchase paid applications from the Android Market and now we learn they are not planning any future updates for their first Android phones.

Android 1.5 is stable, reliable, and outdated.

HTC has updated their support page for the Rogers Dream and Magic to inform users that Android 1.6 will not be available. They state that the update was only made available for “Google” branded phones and that their Android 1.5 is a stable and reliable release.

We know both phones can be easily hacked to run Android 1.6 so it is confusing why the carrier would not request an update from HTC. My guess is it has something to do with money and lawyers. This means that Rogers customers who purchased the Dream and Magic will be unable to enjoy recent Google releases like Maps Navigation, Goggles, and the new Android Market because they all require Android 1.6.

As much as this decision disappoints us, at least they were willing to go on record and state that no updates are planned. T-Mobile customers with the same HTC Dream and Magic phones are happy they got Android 1.6, but all are left wondering if their handsets will be updated to Android 2.x.

If you are a Rogers customer, how do you feel about purchasing a smartphone that now has no planned upgrades?

Fender myTouch 3G is a 32A HTC Magic

Taylor Wimberly — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:33:29 +0000

We just spotted some new information on the upcoming T-Mobile myTouch 3G Fender limited edition. TmoNews posted a comparison chart (directly from HTC) which confirms the Fender phone is the 32A HTC Magic.

Why should customers care about the 32A version of the HTC Magic?

HTC produced two different versions of the Magic phone: PVT32A and PVT32B. The major difference between the two variations is that the 32A features 288 MB of RAM compared to the the 32B which only has 192 MB of RAM. The original T-Mobile myTouch 3G is a 32B version and only includes 192 MB of RAM.

In addition to the increase in RAM, we reported the Fender limited edition phone also has a 3.5 mm headset jack and ships with a 16 GB microSD card.

Even with all the extras, I don’t think anyone with a T-Mobile Android phone needs to update just yet. Look to early 2010 for T-Mobile to release some 2nd generation Android 2.0 phones.

T-Mobile USA has yet to announce a release date for the myTouch 3G Fender limited edition phone.

The 32A HTC Magic features 288 MB of RAM.

T-Mobile myTouch 3G Coming August 5th

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:03:22 +0000

The T-Mobile myTouch 3G goes on presale July 8th-28th, but when does it actually hit stores? I had been looking for this information and could not find it publicly released. Rumors I have read placed the launch sometime in August.

While browsing my Feedburner stats today, I noticed a new uncommon use from a domain I did not recognize. I typed in the URL and discovered the dev server for the official myTouch 3G website. To my surprise, they had a countdown widget in the lower corner that said “myTouch 3G in stores”.

After doing the math, I discovered the launch date to be August 5th, 2009. I needed to see how the widget was calculating the date, so I viewed the page source. A quick search revealed what I was looking for:

var launchTime = new Date(2009, 7, 5, 12, 0);

If you don’t know javascript, you might think the date was 7/5, but we know that is incorrect because the phone does not go on presale till 7/8. When calculating dates, January is the 0 month. So the actual launch date that is coded into the myTouch 3G launch site is August 5th.

I’m not going to share the dev server URL, but I took screen shots of the countdown widget and javascript. I really doubt anyone would go through the trouble to fake this, so I would assume it is real. You be the judge.

Update: August 5th is the same date in the leaked T-Mobile roadmap so I think this confirms the launch.

The myTouch 3G will be T-Mobile's 2nd Android phone.

T-Mobile Lowers G1 to $149. MyTouch 3G Coming Next Week?

Taylor Wimberly — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:05:50 +0000

We know the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G is coming soon, but could it launch this month? The phone, HTC Sapphire, has been released overseas and in Canada, but has yet to hit the US. Recent details reveal the phone will be officially announced next week and possibly launch in June.

The T-Mobile MyTouch 3G is set to debut at $179.99 with a 2yr contract, while the G1 is planned to be reduced in price. Starting today, you can purchase a G1 from T-Mobile.com for $149.99. Also today, a Wall Street Journal Blog revealed a T-Mobile MyTouch announcement next week.

With the new low price of the G1 from T-Mobile, it would appear the time has come for their second Android phone. I have been using the Sapphire for several weeks and promise you this phone will easily outsell the G1. As for the rest of 2009, get ready for the wave of new Android devices. Samsung looks like they will have the next Android phone, but 4-20 are still up in the air.

Expect a detailed comparison of T-Mobile’s first two Android phones next week. I plan to compare battery life, picture/video quality, speakerphone, and anything else you guys want. Leave a comment if you have questions for a guy who has used both phones extensively.

Fathers Day

It should be noted that the new G1 price from T-Mobile.com is still $50 more expensive than Amazon.com. We were the first to report back in March, that Amazon is selling the T-Mobile G1 Phone for $97.77. If you are looking for a last minute gift for Dad, I would highly suggest the G1. Purchase the phone in the next 2-3 days and Amazon will deliver it on time. Amazon is also doing free activation for T-Mobile phones purchased through 11:59 p.m. PDT, June 17, 2009.

Visit Amazon and purchase dad an Android phone for $97..

I'm really glad they didn't call it the G2.

[via TmoToday]