How I plan to use my HTC Magic Android phone

Vodafone HTC Magic running on zero SIM on three

Vodafone HTC Magic running on a SIM Zero contract on 3

As my obsession with mobile continues – the new frontier – I’ve made the decision to take out a second mobile phone contract. But with a twist. I don’t plan to make (or receive) a single call on handset number two. Instead, it will be used for data only (Web browsing, third-party Internet-connected apps and email).

Handset and contract number one will remain my trusty Nokia E71, with its fantastic physical QWERTY keyboard, superb voice call quality and reception, and huge battery life (3-4 days at a stretch). This will be my all rounder: voice, sms, email, BBC iPlayer, live radio streaming and occasional web.

Contract number two will power my shiny new HTC Magic, which runs Google’s Android OS. The phone is a Vodafone exclusive here in the UK but I picked one up on eBay – somebody’s unwanted upgrade – and the great thing about most Vodafone contract phones, as I’ve discovered, is that they come unlocked so that you can use them on any compatible network. In this case, I’ve signed up to a second contract with UK carrier 3.

See also: 10 best apps currently running on my Android phone (HTC Magic)

Why choose 3?

The answer lies in their new “SIM Zero”, SIM-only 30 day rolling contract. Basically, it costs nothing per-month with no inclusive calls or texts – these are charged separately at fixed rates – but does allow you to pick from any of the available add-ons, in this case 1GB of mobile Internet (data) for just £5 per month. It will also be the SIM card that I’ll use most often when I’m sent a new phone to review.

The end result is that my all rounder, the Nokia E71 is costing me about £20 per month to run with an inclusive bundle of voice minutes, texts, free skype-to-skype, and 1GB of data. And my second handset – let’s call it my touch screen mini Internet tablet, the Android-powered HTC Magic – is costing me £5 per month to keep the lights on.

See also: More hands-on impressions of the Nokia N97 [full review]

I know what you’re thinking, why not just carry one handset and save some money in the process. It comes down, in part, to the compromises of both devices. The Nokia E71 is super reliable – battery wise and reception – and has a keyboard I much prefer. The HTC Magic on the other hand has a superior web browser and much better over-the-air syncing with Google’s apps. And there’s the growing library of really cool third-party Internet-enabled applications and my general interest in Android as an up and coming mobile OS.

Besides, two or more mobile devices is just how I like to roll.

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last100 is edited by Steve O'Hear. Aside from founding last100, Steve is co-founder and CEO of Beepl and a freelance journalist who has written for numerous publications, including TechCrunch, The Guardian, ZDNet, ReadWriteWeb and Macworld, and also wrote and directed the Silicon Valley documentary, In Search of the Valley. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.

6 Responses to “How I plan to use my HTC Magic Android phone”

  1. Dave Zatz says:

    “I know what you’re thinking, why not just carry one handset and save some money in the process.”

    That is NOT what I'm thinking. I'm thinking ~$8 to run a second phone is a bargain. I'm moving the the UK!

  2. Dave Zatz says:

    “I know what you’re thinking, why not just carry one handset and save some money in the process.”

    That is NOT what I'm thinking. I'm thinking ~$8 to run a second phone is a bargain. I'm moving the the UK!

  3. Steve O'Hear says:

    Yep, I think it's a bargain. When I saw the potential of a zero SIM only contract that eradicated the inclusive minutes and text but still gave you access to the very competitively priced ad-ons, including data, I jumped on it. That and iPlayer, when are you moving?

  4. Steve O'Hear says:

    Yep, I think it's a bargain. When I saw the potential of a zero SIM only contract that eradicated the inclusive minutes and text but still gave you access to the very competitively priced ad-ons, including data, I jumped on it. That and iPlayer, when are you moving?

  5. Dave Zatz says:

    And Hulu (NBC, Fox, etc) here in the US hates customers, making the BBC tax and content even more desirable. But it's probably cheaper to pay for a full second phone plan then move across an ocean. 😉 Besides every time I ivist London and I spend a lot of money. It was like $40 for a few slices of pizza for lunch for Melissa and I. Crazy!

    Someone around here mentioned a data-only plan/SIM. Maybe it was for the first gen iPhone? Hmm. It probably cost much more than yours, but comes with more data.

  6. Dave Zatz says:

    And Hulu (NBC, Fox, etc) here in the US hates customers, making the BBC tax and content even more desirable. But it's probably cheaper to pay for a full second phone plan then move across an ocean. 😉 Besides every time I ivist London and I spend a lot of money. It was like $40 for a few slices of pizza for lunch for Melissa and I. Crazy!

    Someone around here mentioned a data-only plan/SIM. Maybe it was for the first gen iPhone? Hmm. It probably cost much more than yours, but comes with more data.

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