Voda lifts curtain on Android Magic May 5

The world’s second Android-based handset, the HTC Magic, will be pulled out of the hat on May 5, when it will be available from Vodafone in the UK.

According to a posting on the UK carrier’s website, the Magic, which is available for pre-order now, is expected to be available early next month, marking the debut of HTC’s second Android device.

The Magic smartphone will also be Big Red’s first Android-powered handset, and will also be available in Spain, Germany, Italy and France (via SFR).

The device is available for free on tariffs of £35 and up over 18 months. The Magic boasts 3G HSDPA, wifi, a 3.2″ QVGA touch screen display, trackball, and the usual suite of Google applications.

Despite the fact that only one device – HTC’s G1, available on T-Mobile – has made it to market so far, Google claims that the platform’s open source strategy is working and the company is aware of many device vendors which are using the operating system.

Last week, the web giant promised that 2009 is going to be the year Android comes into its own, which may cheer up industry watchers disappointed by a weak showing from the platform so far.

Speaking as the company announced its financial results on Friday, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, said Android, which is backed by Google and developed by the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) is “going to have a very strong year” this year.