Hasta La Gadget!

The spec gap between the Magic and the Hero is mighty small — other than the entirely revamped Sense UI, the Hero’s 5 megapixel camera is about the only thing the newer model has over the original, physical design notwithstanding. That gap is on the fast track to getting even smaller, too, now that HTC has issued a press release detailing a Sense upgrade for the Magic (assuming you haven’t already nabbed it off xda-developers, that is). It looks like current owners will get hooked up some time in October for NT$1,500, which works out to about $46; what we don’t know, though, is which Magics will be eligible for the upgrade. Just like HTC’s WinMo wares, we’re guessing that subsidized units are going to be at the mercy of their carriers, which means that T-Mobile, Rogers, and Vodafone customers (among others) should take a somewhat pessimistic view of this announcement until they’ve heard otherwise. Hey, we’re just looking out for your mental health here.

[Thanks, Steve G.]

Update: Depending on how you interpret the press release, HTC could be saying that the upgrade is valued at NT$1,500, but will actually be free. We’re working to get a clarification.

Update 2: Alright, we’ve gotten the skinny on this straight from HTC. The update will be free — thing is, it’s only coming to Taiwan’s Chunghwa so far. The fate of Magics on other carriers remains unknown, but we do know that so-called “with Google” versions will definitely be left out (that includes you, myTouch 3G).

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

HTC to offer Sense upgrade for Magic in October, might be free? (update: free, only coming to Taiwan so far) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Mysterious Android touchscreen MID pics surface, Charles Fort notified originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These days, the whole “I shipped a million!” claim is becoming more and more common, but it’s still worth pointing out that HTC has managed to move a whole bundle of its Android-based myTouch 3G (or Magic, as it were) since debuting in April. Or, that’s the story, anyway. According to a dangerously brief blurb over at Digitimes, the outfit’s head honcho quipped that the Magic has “surpassed one million units,” and he also noted that it would begin to focus more on the mid-range market as opposed to always dealing devices at the high-end. So, raise your glass high for this one folks, and let the countdown to a million Hero handsets begin while you’re at it.

[Via InformationWeek]

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC reportedly moves a million Magic smartphones, boogies down at midnight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android’s supposed to be all about peace, love, and openness, but that apparently doesn’t exempt it from copyright law and trigger-happy general counsels (who knew?). In a move that should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone, Palm has sicced its legal team on the makers of the aptly-named “Palm Pre Android Theme” that borrows icons, wallpapers, and mojo (not to be confused with Mojo) directly from webOS. The concerns center around the usual suspects — graphics copyrights and trademark infringement — and the company is demanding that they cease use of the Pre’s interface, name, and all that good stuff by some date that’s been redacted from the leaked letter (we’re assuming it’s soon). To be fair, Palm comes out and says that it “appreciates that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery,” but at the end of the day, they’re concerned about the potential for consumer confusion. Interestingly, to the best of our knowledge, they haven’t given the iPhone-based theme the same treatment — but hey, maybe it’s easier to confuse a Hero with a Pre than it is an iPhone… or something.

[Thanks, Justin]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Palm lays the smack down on Pre theme for Android originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alright, you know how Dell’s seemingly been going through hell and high water for years now to try to bring a smartphone or two to market? China’s been a special focus of this clandestine effort, and we’ve got some new information here — possibly. Chinese site NetEase is reporting on an email supposedly received by developers on China Mobile’s Mobile Market mailing list, discussing a handful of S60, WinMo, and Android-based Open Mobile System (OMS) devices that the carrier would really love devs to concentrate on as Mobile Market goes live and tries to gain some footing. Most of the content is mundane, but there’s a section for an OMS device called the Dell “mini 3i,” a name that would certainly fall right in line with Dell’s branding — but there are a couple issues here. First, the phone is said to operate on China Mobile’s legacy GSM network, not the homegrown TD-SCDMA 3G tech that the carrier is working diligently to deploy right now; it seems illogical at best for Dell to get into the game with a phone that’s immediately walloped by Lenovo with its 3G-capable O1 as the first volley of OMS phones comes to market over the coming weeks. Secondly there’s absolutely zero discussion about the supposed email on OMS’ official forums, which seems odd if the email’s real. To its credit, the claimed 640 x 360 — that’s a perfect 16:9, if you can’t be bothered to get out your graphing calculator — sounds about right to match the rumored shot we’ve seen floating around lately, but we’re still staying guarded on this one until we hear something official from the folks in Austin or Hong Kong.

[Via Cloned In China]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Dell’s China-bound smartphone possibly called ‘mini 3i,’ but questions abound originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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