Meet the second Android phone: HTC's Magic

Slimmer and sleeker than T-Mobile's clunky G1, the Google Android-powered Magic is set to arrive in Europe this spring, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it arrive in the States shortly thereafter.

Unveiled earlier today in Barcelona—site of the annual Mobile World Congress wireless trade show—the HTC-made, touchscreen Magic jettisons the slide-out keypad on the bulky G1, the first Android phone that debuted on T-Mobile last October (check out my full review).

Vodafone—which will carry the Magic in the U.K., Spain, Germany, France, and Italy in the spring—and HTC have only released a handful of details about the handset so far.

Here's what we do know: It'll come with a 3.2-inch touchscreen (slightly bigger than the 3.17-inch display on the G1), a 3.2-megapixel camera (still no LED flash, unfortunately), GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G data access, and a full suite of Android OS-powered Google services, including Gmail, Google Maps (along with the cool "Compass View" mode, which automatically changes the orientation of Street View images as you wave the phone in the air), YouTube, and Google Talk.

Engadget has a hands-on video, which shows a slimmer, sexier shell than on the boxy-looking G1; you'll also see the new, virtual touch keypad, which replaces the G1's slide-out physical keypad. (For those of you Android geeks out there: Yes, we're talking the long-rumored "Cupcake" update.)

So, how's the Magic shaping up compared to the likes of the iPhone, the Palm Pre, and the touchscreen BlackBerry Storm? Hard to say at this point, given that I haven't had the chance to see the Magic up close and personal yet. Based on the chatter coming out of Barcelona, it sounds like the Magic isn't a gargantuan leap over the T-Mobile G1; indeed, the virtual keypad aside, the Magic's Android interface appears to be essentially the same as on the G1 handset. So if you've tried both the G1 and the iPhone and found yourself leaning toward the iPhone, you probably won't find much to change your mind; then again, if you loved the G1's interface but hated its clunky shell, the Magic might be the ticket.

OK, but when will the G2—oops, I mean the Magic—be coming Stateside? No word from HTC for now, but I'd bet my bottom dollar that the handset will land in T-Mobile's handset lineup in the next few months. Stay tuned.

Related:
Vodafone and HTC unveil Android-powered HTC Magic [Vodafone]