HTC Magician

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Part II: Bluetooth, productivity tests, camera, software

Standard kit:
Smartphone
Charger
USB - cable for synchronization
Extra stylus
Case
Wire stereo headset
Manual
CD with software
Terminology issue
Right from the start we have to revise terminology issue. In our review of HTC Blue Angel we used the term
"smartphone", but some of our readers were puzzled. The criticism was mainly leveled against the term
"smartphone" applied in that case, they said that HTC Blue Angel was "the real communicator, not the
smartphone". I asked them how to tell the smartphone from the communicator and got the following
assertions:
The communicator is equipped with the integrated QWERTY-keyboard, and the smartphone - not; 1.
The communicator differs in the presence of a touch screen 2.
HTC Magician platformby the example of GSM smartphone Qtek s100,... http://www.mobile-review.com/print.php?filename=/pda/review/htc-magi...
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The communicator differs in an integrated QWERTY-keyboard and a touch screen 3.
The communicator is the phone-enabled PDA, and the smartphone is the PDA-enabled phone; 4.
Call the device the way the manufacturer calls it; 5.
Smartphones are focused on voice communication, and communicators - on data transfer 6.
The smartphone is the device based on Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone, and the communicator -
on Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC.
7.
That's not the full list, but the key approaches. Let's start from the last statement. In a year and a half with the
release of WM2005 the distinguishing line between these two operating systems will be erased, WM2005 for
Smartphone will support touch screen and a 320x240 resolution. The approaches 4 and 5 sound naive, these
are just general words that can be hardly applied in practice or formalized, there are no definite criteria.
Before we deal with the rest statements, see the table:

Device Touch screen QWERTY-keyboard Digital keypad Operating system
Nokia 9500 - + + Series 80
Sierra Vog - + + WM2003FS
Qtek 2020 + - - WM2003FPPC
Nokia devices of the 9000 series and the term "communicator" have been almost synonyms for a long time;
that was how the manufacturer called the device. Well, that means, the presence of a touch screen can be a
good criterion. It's generally accepted to call the Sierra Vog with a built-in flip QWERTY-keyboard a
smartphone, not a communicator. We can provide more such examples. That's why this criterion is no longer
relevant. The manufacturer doesn't always call its products smartphones or communicators (very often it
makes up new terms, for example Wireless Any Network Digital Assistant). In all, the division of devices into
smartphones and communicators is like dividing all TV-sets into "kitchen" and "room", all magazines into
"useful" and "entertaining", powerful home PCs into "the dream of a gamer" and "the ideal computer to work
with graphics".
So, to avoid term confusion we'd use both terms "smartphone" and "communicator" as equals in our review.
A smartphone (communicator) is a mobile pocket device powered by a full-fledged operating system and
equipped with an integrated communication module. So let's put an end to the story here.
Transition difficulties
The progress runs steadily. Any technology develops and passes through the maturity stage. From the
laboratory developments and the close circle of enthusiasts to the mass distribution, when the technology
becomes a common thing. The smartphones didn't make an exception. During the development process there
appear objective obstacles that hamper it. As for the smartphones, we can single out Three Key Problems:
Large dimensions compared with ordinary cellular phones
Not long battery life
High prices against ordinary cellular phone
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The Taiwanese company HTC, the Hardware platform development partner of Microsoft corporation,
releases already the third generation of smartphones. By the way, the overwhelming majority of modern
Pocket PC handhelds was created by HTC (HP iPaq, Dell Axim, Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX). HTC
smartphones have been developing so swiftly, so we can be sure that two key problems will be solved in the
near future (battery life, large dimensions). See yourself, taking into account the latest products by the
company we can say with no stipulations: HTC Typhoon - the smallest smartphone with the longest battery
life, HTC Blue Angel - currently the most functional communicator, HTC Magician - the smallest smartphone
based on Pocket PC platform. We hope, the company won't slow down its developments in the near future.
Light magician, the third level
Today we review the platform with the code name HTC Magician [I wonder what kind of magician is it, light
or dark? Given the coloring - it is light]. Before the release of HTC Magician HTC products had two definite
directions. The devices based on MS Smartphone platform that looked like an ordinary phone, with a digital
keypad and without a touch screen (HTC Tanager, then HTC Voyager and Typhoon). And the devices based
on Pocket PC looked like a PDA with larger dimensions than for Pocket PC and a standard screen (HTC
Wallaby, then HTC Himalayas and HTC Blue Angel). The HTC Magician platform is somewhat between, a
medium version, new third direction. In essence it represents a decreased copy of Pocket PC smartphone of
the second generation (HTC Himalayas), extended with a 1.3-megapixel camera and new version of the
operating system Windows Mobile, other changes are not that important.
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Qtek or I-mate?
Like other HTC smartphones HTC Magician will appear in the market under various trademarks depending
on the local market. The Magician will have the following names: Qtek s100, I-mate JAM, MDA Compact,
Dopod 818, mini-XDA and so on. They will differ only in the set of preinstalled applications and inscriptions
on the casing, other features will be completely identical. For the test we've got the Qtek s100.
Design, control elements
One more time we highlight small dimensions of Qtek s100 compared with other Pocket PC devices. Near the
iPaq hx4700 it looks tiny:
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In width and height Qtek s100 is the smallest Pocket PC, smaller than Sony Ericsson P900 and comparable
with Nokia 7610. Though the comparison with Nokia 7610 isn't right, the Nokia model has no touch screen.
Qtek s100:108x58x18.1 mm 150 g
Nokia 7610: 108.6x53x18.7 mm 118 g
SE p900: 115x57x24 mm 150 g
Asus p505: 108x60x22.5 mm 160 g
Eten p300: 117x67x23 mm 165 g
The assembly quality is traditionally high for HTC products, when you squeeze the device, you won't feel a
backlash. You feel its 150 g weight in the pocket of your shirt, but when placed in jacket's pocket it's not
noticeable. The ribbed surface at sides is somewhat splayed, it is at the angle to the front panel, due to it the
casing doesn't slip in hands, and it provides a comfortable work with the smartphone.
The design of Qtek s100 is simple, even very simple. It can be called strict or futuristic, it has no peculiarities
- it's just "simple". The front panel and the battery's cover are made of metal, which is pleasant to touch. The
sides are covered with black ribbed plastic, and the back panel has silver plastic.
Below the screen you find a big and comfortable 5D-pad, there are two application buttons (Calendar,
Contacts), Send and End buttons around it. You can assign the application buttons to launch applications or
actions as you like. I don't understand why it's impossible to assign several functions to one button by
standard means (short click, hold), recently the function has become almost standard for Pocket PC. Above
the screen there is a LED indicator responsible for GSM-network activity, Bluetooth activity, reminders and
charging status. The indicator is combined with the dynamic hole. The sound during talks rouses no
reprimands, it's always loud enough.
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At the left side there is a volume slider, using some exterior programs you can assign it to Up and Down
actions, that is very comfortable to read e-books and browse Internet pages. Here are also a voice recorder
button and a camera button. At the right side rest Power button and IrDA window camouflaged in the ribbed
black surface.
On the top you find SD/MMC slot supporting SDIO (in addition to memory cards you can plug different
peripherals, such as Wi-Fi or GPS SDIO cards). Pay attention to the fact, a memory card goes tight into the
slot; you have to help it with the nail. Then you see a strap hole, so you can wear the smartphone on your
neck or wrist, and the silo. The stylus is comfortable to work with, its size and weight are almost optimal, and
it safely rests in the silo.
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The back panel has the camera lens and the battery compartment. At the bottom there are plenty of elements:
standard mini-USB port for synchronization (a novel feature for Pocket PC smartphones), soft rest button,
microphone and standard 2.5 mm audio jack.
Battery
Qtek s100 is equipped with a removable Li-Ion battery capacious of 1200 mAh, the same as in Qtek 2020.
The situation with the battery life brought no good or bad surprises, it complies with the level for this class
devices. Under the most extensive usage (20 minutes of talks, 2 hours of the Internet via GPRS, 3 hours of
PDA functions, an average backlight level) the device worked for 24 hours. Using it 2 hours per a day with 20
minutes of talks we enjoyed Qtek s100 for more than 48 hours. If not use the device; the battery gets drained
over 72 hours. In the e-book mode (the lowest backlight level, the phone is on) the smartphone worked for 11
hours.
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The SIM mount is standard, however you'll face some difficulties ejecting the card.
Screen
In its features and image quality the screen is typical for Pocket PC of low-end and mid-range classes - it's a
transflective TFT matrix with a 320x240 pixel resolution displaying 65K colors. Because of small dimensions
of the smartphone the screen diagonal got shorter, from standard 3.5" to 2.79". In general, there is a definite
trend for smartphones based on Pocket PC to shorten a screen diagonal from 3.5" to 2.8-3". If we compare
the screen of HTC Magician with other Pocket PC devices in quality, we find it far better than in Rover S2
and Eten p300, but on the same level with Asus p505.
Part II: Bluetooth, productivity tests, camera, software>>>
Anton Kotov (anton.kotov@mobile-review.com)
Translated by Anja Rytchkova (anja.rytchkova@mobile-review.com)
Published - 24 November 2004
Have something to add?! Write us... eldar@mobile-review.com

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