HTC Magic - how does it stack up against its rivals?

Announced in February, the HTC Magic is the second phone from the Taiwanese manufacturer to use the innovative, unique Android OS. But in a world where smartphones are getting smarter, how well does it compete against its competition?

Sony Ericsson Idou - the Symbian contender

The first contender is the finest example of where the Symbian OS is at these days: the incredible Sony Ericsson Idou. Taking the newest version of Symbian, S60 Touch, it adds on its own front-end interface, which really is a thing of beauty. With sweeping gesture, and easy access to your photos, or music, not to mention your favourite contacts, the Sony Ericsson Idou raises the bar in terms of usability. However, it also has an ace up its sleeve (and it's a big ace), with its hardware, as the Sony Ericsson Idou is the first phone announced for the UK to feature a 12 megapixel camera; and as it is said to include Cyber-Shot technology as well that huge pixel count, the photos produced by this monster will really be second to none. It's a truly astonishing amalgamation of power and incredible looks, and the Sony Ericsson Idou has the chops to become phone of the year.

Palm Pre - WebOS enters the ring

Meanwhile, a new operating system is being developed by a company whose stock has fallen in recent times: Palm. Called WebOS, it's due to get its first outing in the Palm Pre... and there's every possibility that the Palm Pre may well become the most intuitive and easy to use phone ever. WebOS is the key to that, as it's unlike any operating system on the market, today. Firstly, there's the interface, which makes interactions with the Palm Pre not only smooth and sleek, but at times, the finger-friendly interface seems to do your thinking for you. With the ability to automatically integrate Facebook, Google or various other contacts, and with a universal search feature you activate by simply typing something on the keyboard, right from the home screen, the Palm Pre may well go down in history as the phone that took usability to an entirely new level.

HTC Magic - it really is a kind of magic

So, with stiff competition from the likes of the super-powered beast that is the Sony Ericsson Idou, and the incredible, sleek beauty of the Palm Pre, what does the HTC Magic bring to the party, that will allow it to compete on a level playing field, and give it an edge. The answer can be summed up in one word: Android. It's Google's Android OS that gives the HTC Magic its undeniable power. Make no mistake, Android is right on the cutting edge of interfaces, by being completely open source, letting anyone and everyone code software for it. Quite literally, if someone can dream up an app for the HTC Magic, then you can get it, whether it be a version of Pacman, or a barcode reader, that can scan products barcodes, then find you the best deal, either on the internet, or using GPS to find the nearest shop to you that sells what you're after. It's things like that which make the HTC Magic so compelling, and along with the tightest integration with Google's whole suite of apps, maps and email clients, it makes the HTC Magic a true force to be reckoned with. AT the moment, it's hard to say which one will win this battle royale, but one thing is for sure: it's going to be an interesting fight to watch!