Gadget reviewers are a jaded lot, and there’s seldom a glowing appraisal on any particular device (there are no A pluses here) and the case with the T-Mobile myTouch 3G is no different. I don’t see why though, as my impressions of the smartphone aren’t too bad. Sure it feels plasticy, sure the camera is weak, sure there’s no 3.5 mm headphone jack, the spacebar is easy to miss, there’s no multi-touch zoom, and its onboard memory is paltry, but there’s a lot to like about the myTouch 3G. For one, there are a ton of accessories, such as a headset, protective covers, speakers, and specially designed battery covers. OK, so that’s nothing stellar, but it’s better than nothing – and that’s also not all the HTC Magic-based myTouch 3G has to offer. It’s also easy to use, which makes it a great option for users wishing to upgrade to the smartphone market. Also, because it’s an Android, you’ll likely find apps for anything missing on the phone (plus owning one will give you bragging rights to anyone with cell-phone envy, so long as they don’t have an iPhone or a Pre, as it’s the second Android smartphone offered in North America).
Undressing the myTouch 3G
As mentioned, the camera is weak; it’s only 3.2 megapixels, needs lots of light, has no flash, and there’s no dedicated shutter button. However, it does offer GPS geo-tagging and there’s 352x288 video capture. The 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen features an accelerometer and haptic vibration when using the virtual QWERTY. Speaking of the keyboard, myTouch 3G offers a range of messaging options, including SMS/MMS, IMAP/POP, IM Gtalk support, AIM, Yahoo!, and MSN LIVE.
As its name implies, the myTouch 3G has 3G (HSDPA to be specific) connectivity, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The browser supports full HTML and Adobe Flash, while there’s a dedicated YouTube client integrated into said browser. While the onboard memory is limited, myTouch 3G does ship with a 4GB microSD card and can accept 16GB and 32GB cards.
There are also a number of cool features, such as the Google voice search that will locate points of interest when you speak your desired location into the phone and voice dialing. myTouch also runs the Microsoft Exchange client and features a three-panel home screen. With a contract, the myTouch 3G can be had for $199.99.
