Vodafone has announced that it will release the Google Android HTC Magic Android-powered smartphone in the UK in April.

The HTC Magic (also known as the G2 and HTC Pioneer) is the second to offer the Android operating system, after T-Mobile launched the G1 in December 2008.

“Everything you love about the internet, exactly how you want it. The HTC Magic will keep you entertained and up to date wherever you are,” stated Vodafone, who boasts network exclusivity for the phone in the UK, France, Germany and Spain.

“Sleek, stylish and exclusive to Vodafone, the Magic is powered by cutting edge technology. So web essentials like Google Maps and Google Search work brilliantly. You can create shortcuts to your favourite sites and download fun games, news feeds and widgets. Then decide where everything goes – so you can get to it all easily.”

The HTC Magic will ship in white in the UK, Spain and France, black in Germany and in both colours in Italy.

The HTC Magic boasts a 3.2in QVGA touch screen and trackball, but no keyboard. It offers HSDPA 7.2Mbps, GPRS and Wi-Fi connectivity, Digital Compass, GPS, a 4-megapixel camera with autofocus but no flash, and native support for applications such as Google Maps and Google search. The handset includes 512Mb of ROM, 192Mb of RAM and a microSD card slot.