Owners of the Vodafone HTC Magic rejoice – the dream of an Android update is still alive. Way back in early March we reported news that Vodafone was then planning to update the European Magic’s Android OS from its current 1.6 to something a bit more modern, and it looks like those plans are still underway – despite the avalanche of fancy new Android phones.
Today, a Vodafone spokesman came out with the following statement – which indicates the company is still very much actively talking to Google about the technicalities of squeezing a new version of Android onto the Magic:
“The HTC Magic will be updated to a newer platform later at some point this year. We’re discussing this with Google at the moment and will let customers know as soon as an upgrade rollout date has been set. To clarify, you may also have seen reports that HTC that it will be updating all Android handsets to version 2.1 in the near future.
“This only applies to HTC branded handsets (basically any without the word “Google” printed on the casing) in the US at the moment, although as soon as we get any information on if this will happen for UK HTC Android devices, we will let you know.”
And that’s that. The fact that the Magic update is still clearly “work in progress” also gives us hope that perhaps the holy Android 2.2 update may even be in consideration for porting to the humble Magic. At least, that’s what we’ll be fantasising about as we drift off to sleep tonight.
Here’s a very special photo of the HTC Magic we’ve been saving for a happy occasion such as this:
As ever, the important distinction here is between the Vodafone-branded HTC Magic and the generic HTC-branded phone. HTC handles the updates for the regular HTC Magic, while it’s Vodafone’s responsibility to create firmware updates for the “With Google” Magic it sells in Europe.
Which seems like a crazy way to do things, but hopefully us Magic owners will at the very least end up with Android 2.1 some time later this year. What a literally ‘magic’ result that would be.
HTC’s 4.3″ dual-core Android model, powered by Qualcomm’s all-new S4 processor. It’s smaller than the enormous One X, but is it as nice as its bigger brother? (SPOILER: Yes it is).
HTC is very much B-A-C-K at the top of the Android world with this, its quad-core flagship for 2012. Great camera, huge 4.7″ display and Android 4.0 running beautifully well.
Sony returns with an all-new mobile design for 2012, pairing a dual-core processor with a 720p display. It’s a lovely phone, but is it enough to end our Samsung and HTC obsession?
LG’s updated Prada phone comes with an absolutely crazy black & white theme, but is it just for fashionable suit wearers who want to make themselves look a bit more interesting?
Tim
/ May 27, 2010I gave up months ago, rooted and put on cyanogens version. Now on CM5, this is the full 2.1 running beautifully!
dominic
/ May 28, 2010still buying HTC? By the time they upgrade your Magic, Android 3.0 probally is out.
HTC did this on purpose so that ppl would buy new driod phones. But not NEX or Apple phones.
Brent
/ May 28, 2010Vodafone Australia are also saying this. Do you think they could be putting a Vodafone 360 UI on it or just Vanilla android and taking their sweet a** time because they say “new platform”
Gary C
/ May 28, 2010I’ve given up trying to root my Magic. I’ll wait and see what this turns out to be.