HTC intros Touch Diamond ahead of 3G iPhone
updated 07:55 am EDT, Tue May 6, 2008
HTC Touch Diamond
HTC this morning at a London press event unveiled its anticipated Touch Diamond, the company's first major update to the core Touch model since its unveiling a year ago. The phone is the first to incorporate HTC's new TouchFLO 3D interface and uses it to access messaging, media, and other features without reverting to a stylus or the directional pad; common operations such as calling should be usable with just one finger, the company claims. To support the new interface, the Diamond uses Windows Mobile 6.1 and includes a 640x480, 2.8-inch touchscreen that offers four times the crispness of the original, 320x240 Touch.
The phone is also pitched much more aggressively as a media-savvy phone and comes with 4GB of built-in flash memory for storing media in addition to a microSD card slot; an upgraded 3.2-megapixel camera is also backed by a front camera for video calls.
Data is a similarly strong focus, and the Diamond adds full HSPA support for 3G Internet access, including 7.2Mbps downloads and faster uploads than on ordinary HSDPA. Wi-Fi is also built-in, HTC says. Google Maps is preloaded to take advantage of live navigation with both real and assisted GPS.
HTC plans a worldwide launch of the Touch Diamond that starts with a widespread European launch in June, coinciding with an expected 3G update to the iPhone; similar launches are planned in Asia and the Middle East. A North American version is planned for the second half of the year and should see HTC make changes to ensure 3G support in the territory. A CDMA version isn't official but is expected for Sprint in late fall.
Okay....
05/06, 08:24am reply
Now this is just getting ridiculous.
gambit-7
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2001
it is funny
05/06, 08:45am reply
Did they take that photo from my weather widget and Photoshop it right in there?
overlytg
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2001
slick...
05/06, 11:45am reply
...too bad it runs windoze...
bobolicious
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2002
Enough "it runs Windoze!"
05/06, 12:15pm reply
Yes, we get it, you probably think writing M$ is a clever jab at the company. Some people probably don't mind Win Mobile, especially when companies like HTC try to "hide" the uglier bits of the interface as they're doing here.
It could suck, but let's wait and see how it turns out (and how Apple fares with the 3G iPhone).
Commodus
Mac Elite
Joined: Feb 2002
Re: enough
05/06, 01:35pm reply
Actually, you'd think people would start writing it as M¢.
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
First.....
05/06, 04:50pm reply
...Being the first don't make it the best. It's equipped with all the latest hardware goodies. It really does look nice and I won't say it will be a failure, but just looking at it on a website doesn't prove how well it works. I want to see a head-to-head review of this and the 3G iPhone to see how close they compare. I suppose this Diamond can run background apps, has copy and paste and an user-replaceable battery, so it already has a leg up on the iPhone for most users.
Constable Odo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2007
hmm
05/06, 05:19pm reply
It doesn't strike me as beeing a very interesting design at all.. yet another MS Mobile mobile phone with some fancy but short-lived gadgets.. and touch screen capability strapped-on..
ruperts
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Joined: Jul 2001