Todays & Tomorrows Technology

T-Mobile have thrown open the doors to pre-orders for their second Android device, the upcoming myTouch 3G. Priced at $199.99 with a new two-year contract, and set to hit shelves on August 5th, existing T-Mobile USA customers are able to preorder the device – also known as the HTC Magic - from today, with deliveries expected to arrive prior to the official launch.

T-Mobile are concentrating heavily on customization of the myTouch 3G, and will be offering a variety of pre-designed shell patterns. Buyers will also be able to create their own shell from a photo, graphic or text, send off the design and have it made into a unique custom-printed shell.

Otherwise, the myTouch 3G has the same 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, virtual keyboard, Google Maps and Street View, and all the other usual Google Android software as the HTC Magic available through Vodafone Europe. Pre-orders will be accepted between today and July 28th; however not everybody will be eligible for the $199.99 price.

T-Mobile USA have officially announced the myTouch 3G, the carriers second Android-based smartphone and the follow-up to the T-Mobile G1. Based on the HTC Magic, the T-Mobile myTouch 3G features a 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen, UMTS/HSPA and WiFi b/g, as well as a 3.2-megapixel camera.

All of the usual Android applications are present, including Google Maps with Latitude and Street View, a messaging app supporting POP, IMAP and Exchange accounts, a media player supporting MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, OGG and RM files, and stereo Bluetooth A2DP. T-Mobile will also load the Sherpa app, featuring GENIE (Geodelic ENgine for Interest Evaluation), onto the myTouch 3G, which promises to recognize patterns of use and offer suggestions based on past behaviours.

The T-Mobile myTouch 3G is expected to go up for pre-order on July 8th, though initially only for existing subscribers to the carrier. National availability is expected in early August, with the handset priced at $199.99 with a new two-year agreement. Three color options will be release: black, white and merlot.

It’s not just the Dash 3G that T-Mobile USA are talking about today. The carrier’s usual PR preamble to the HTC Snap-rebrand announcement included confirmation that T-Mobile would “share more details about its next Android-powered phone” next week. That device is expected to be the myTouch 3G, also known as the HTC Magic.

“Next week, T-Mobile will share more details about its next Android-powered phone, the follow-on device to the T-Mobile G1 with Google. More details on additional T-Mobile smartphones for this summer will follow.”

The myTouch 3G is set to be just the first of T-Mobile’s new smartphone range, seemingly, with more models promised after its announcement. According to the PR-speak, while we may only be seeing a debut, not a launch, of the next Android smartphone next week, it’s set to arrive sometime over the summer.

The phone is expected to be little different from the HTC Magic already on sale in Europe, though obviously with the necessary T-Mobile USA 3G band support.

T-Mobile have officially announced the Dash 3G, the HTC-made Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone, with a full QWERTY keyboard and WiFi b/g. The Dash – which is also known as the HTC Snap - has a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 non-touchscreen display and trackball for navigation.

There’s also Bluetooth and WiFi b/g, together with GPS and support for T-Mobile USA’s MyFaves service. Around the back there’s a 2-megapixel camera that supports video recording, and assuming T-Mobile have requested no changes, inside 256MB ROM and 192MB RAM plus a microSDHC card slot.

The standard battery is a 1,500mAh pack, which HTC have previously rated for up to 8.5hrs GSM talktime (5hrs WCDMA) or up to 15.8 days GSM standby (20 days WCDMA). No word on pricing, but the T-Mobile Dash 3G will arrive sometime in June.