HTC Magic - android phone in India total let down
UPDATE 18th Aug 2009:
Finally fastboot problem of perfected SPL is taken care of. We were able to flash new ROM on our android. Google Maps, Android Market, Gmail, Quickoffice, youtube etc are available.
We also tested our application Aw’ Shugs, need some tweaking.
Following links were extremely useful.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=548218
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=4335330#post4335330
How to create GoldCard
All credit goes to xda-developers guys.
————————————————————————————
We bought HTC Magic India’s first and only android phone hoping to test our applications but it has been a total let down. Complete waste of money.
- Cannot root it. SAPPHIRE PVT 32A SHIP S-ON H, HBOOT-1.33.0010 (SAPP10000) CPLD-12 which cannot be rooted.
- There is no android market
- There are no applications by default for eg google maps.
All you get is an expensive touch phone with normal features and no useful app.
We called at least 30 dealers before purchasing and none of us any idea what is android market and whether handsets will have it or not. Only response was buy it to find it. I contacted HTC support asking them how to install google maps, they gave me long instructions on how to use android market to install google maps 
Anyway, it took 3-4 emails and then they realized this handset does not have android market with no immediate plans to release it.
If you are planning to buy HTC magic (India) for development, don’t.
Images after upgrade:
| 
July 17th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I also became a victim of HTC/AIRTEL and bought this phone. It is such a crap. I cannot believe that they had closed all options to install Market and google apps.
Though there are some other markets like Slide Me, OpenMarket which can be accesses with this phone but the total number of apps are far less then Android Market.
Without google apps, this phone is not at all worth 29900.
July 17th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
I too bought the HTC Magic at the steep rate, still no sign of google maps or rooting the devices . HTC better upgrade or will loose out developer community .
July 24th, 2009 at 8:18 am
I am not sure anyone would care. HTC as a company does not seem to have any presence in the country - only dealers and some out sourced customer care arm that really does not care!
i think i wasted my 30k on a phone to make calls and message - was better off with my motorola zn5 - atleast the cam was better.
waiting for some smarty pants to crack this SPL.
August 1st, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Have to agree with you guys. Was waiting for the phone for a long time.But I guess we need to blame google as well for not extending the google apps to all countries. unlike apple.
August 5th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I also have HTC Magic Indian version. I also agree that it is a total letdown. but you can still install applications. The applications available not equal to market but can do for now. Until the XDA people find a way out.
August 15th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Agreed, Google is to be blamed and also HTC, they should make this very clear on their web site.
August 19th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Hi..
I just bought the HTC Magic. And it doesnt have Android Market in it.
I read the isntructions written at the xda-forums and didnt understand a word of it.
Can you please please help me out in installing the android market platform.
Manish
August 19th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Hello Manish,
I would be happy to help. You can visit our office this saturday with your laptop, phone (with the MicroSD card and adapter) and cable and I can guide you on the steps.
Please note as all the disclaimers say doing this will void your warranty and can brick your phone too. So do it at your own risk, I can advice you what steps to talk.
Regards,
Amit.
August 25th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Amazinggggggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally HTC G2 got a life.
I just got this phone one day before i could discover it was such a phone without any help.
I was quite fortunate to get a phone which is getting a life the day am buying.
Wooow Am so exited to
root my Magic the next day after i bought it
Am planning to wait for a month or so and then plan to root so that i personally experience the changes after rooting.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:24 am
Hi Amit,
I have bought the HTC magic from Airtel and want to root the same. I have gone though the XDA forum to root the indian version and still have so many grey areas to understand. It would be greatly appreciated if you could help me to root this phone. I am also staying in Bangalore rt now.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
hey can anyone please post a link which works or can someone get it done for me in delhi i just got the magic & it just wont bloody work with ne google apps im so pissed off at htc & airtel……..i just dont wanna risk gettin a bricked magic at ne cost since i really saved up to buy one
September 9th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Hello Suresh,
I will be able to help only after 19th, we are shifting to new office on 19th so pretty tight till then. Also please note I have not rooted our device so far, I just flashed a different ROM which gave what we wanted.
@Sujoy, all the links in the post above are working.
September 11th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Hi Amit,
Could you please let me know your office address?
I would like to come over and get the valuable help from you/your team to get the outlook active synch working on my Airtel locked HTC Magic android phone.
Regards
Vinod
September 16th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Amit, Which ROM did you install?
I have bought this just yesterday only to read this post later when I found no Android Market in the phone.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Vinod,
Please refer to our website www.techjini.com for address. Please check it after 10 days as address will change.
James,
ROM and SPL I used are
Rom-RAv1.1.0H-signed
update.Engineering-SPL-HBOOT-1.33.2010-signed
October 24th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Hi Amit,
Did you do anything else to create the gold disc? I am having trouble creating that. Every time after overwriting the hex data the sdcard is detected as unformatted. Any suggestions?
Thanks and Regards,
Nishith
October 27th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Hello Nishith,
No I didnt do anything else just followed all the instruction word by word. I am sorry cannot make any suggestion without knowing the full process that you are following.
While searching I did read that some of the sdcards are not supported so may be you can try with a different one. I used the same sdcard which comes with the device.
All the best.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:41 am
I bought with lot of hope and my bills went through the roof, especially GPRS - adding almost Rs.100/day, even if I do not go to internet or sync with office emails! Did anyone face this problem?
March 6th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Hi Nishith,
Let me know if u were successful in rooting ur device.
Ram,
Yes, i had the same problem, u need to disable background data usage, as well as install a task manager to keep killing apps u dont use, else u’ll get a bill of 5 grand for data u didnt even use..
March 6th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Amit,
Visiting Bombay anytime soon or know anybody who can help me with the gold card.. tried all the usual methods.. and then realized that have a perfected SPL.. dumb of me should have checked before buying the phone..using the Sense update, which does make the phone better.. but would like to have a custom ROM.