Review: HTC Magic mobile phone hits the spot

Smartphones with dedicated applications stores are nothing new – Palm did this first, years ago. But for business users, the availability of relevant programs is valuable to anyone who wants to customise their phone.

So the iPhone's 35,000+ applications in the App Store must include something you need, surely? Now, Vodafone users, sick of the fact that the Apple handset is not available on their network, may turn to the HTC Magic instead.

The Magic uses Google's excellent Android operating system. While the corresponding application range, called Android Market, only has a fraction of Apple's number, there are many options of interest to professional users. Nearly all of them are free.

These include real-time stock information, currency converters, weather forecasts, a credit card payment-taking system (for USA ePay account holders only, mind) and expenses setups like Receipt Filer Lite, which allow you to photograph your receipts to file later. As with other stores, more programs are added daily.

Thanks partly to the superbly responsive touchscreen, the Magic is a pleasure to use. Swipe a finger down the screen and you'll see any new email, messaging or other notifications. Brush upwards to reveal the program menu. And if you're not confident with touchscreens yet, there's a navigation ball you can use to guide you instead.

Email delivery is very efficient, though BlackBerry remains the gold standard. The software is neatly designed, though never quite matches Apple's hey-look-at-that cuteness. Vodafone's tariff includes unlimited email and online browsing (subject to fair usage). Like the iPhone and the BlackBerry Storm, it's a very efficient way of keeping in touch with your emails. Unlike the other two, it's a better-sized handset.