My Touch 3G

The My Touch 3G, also known as HTC Magic and Google G2, is a cell phone constructed by HTC and running the Android OS created by Google. At the Google I/O conference, developers were given a special edition model called the Google Ion. It became available through T-Mobile in the US on August 5, 2009

In February of 2009, a special edition model endorsed by guitarist Eric Clapton was released. This model had a standard headphone jack, allowing the end user to listen to music on their own headphones easily, whereas the past models required the use of a My Touch 3G Headphone Adapter.

The MyTouch 3G phone uses T-Mobile's GSM and 3G networks. Pre-sales started on July 8th for existing T-Mobile customers at $199. The phone is now available for purchase from T-Mobile and Amazon.

The phone is thinner than the T Mobile G1 and smaller than Apple's iPhone, iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS. The phone contains a virtual keyboard, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera for pictures and videos, and integrated Google Search, Maps, and Gmail.

Since the release of Verizon's Droid, comparisons have been drawn between the two. The Droid is significantly thicker, has a built in keyboard, and a 5.0 megapixel camera with autofocus. The Droid also features a more modern version of the Android operating system, allowing it to multi-task. Despite these assets, however, many reviewers, including Engadget, expressed preference for the MyTouch 3G's size and weight.

Feature such as the autofocus camera and Android Marketplace add to the flexibility of the phone. It can run apps to do near anything due to the lack of censorship and open access to the core hardware in the phone. Applications that use the camera to scan bar-codes are possible, whereas they were impossible for the iPhone until the arrival of the 3GS.