08/06/2008, 9:40am, EDT
Wednesday, August 6thTelus sets HTC Touch Diamond launch date
Telus today confirmed its position as the first in Norht America to launch the HTC Touch Diamond and gave the Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone an official launch date of August 14th as well as extra pricing info. The touchscreen device is positioned as one of Telus' main rivals against the iPhone and will normally be priced at $150 with a three-year contract; a two year contract immediately boosts the price to $350, while a contract-free purchase sells for $450.
The Telus version is close to HTC's reference version, including EVDO Revision A-based 3G data, 4GB of built-in storage and Wi-Fi, but adds support for using its native GPS with Telus Navigator and includes a portal to the company's app store.
The company is also stepping up its competition against iPhone provider Rogers by offering a temporary discount on its data plans that supplies unlimited browsing, e-mail, and instant messaging for $15 per month versus the normal $30 rate. Rogers and its sister carrier Fido are offering their own special plan with 6GB of data per month for $30, but unlike Telus are allowing the data to be used with any application.
Telus' announcement may come weeks ahead of one rumored for Sprint, which may not launch its own version of the Touch Diamond until September 2nd.
Filed under: iPhone, gadgets, mobile phones
Other story tags: Windows Mobile, htc, Telus
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Correction
The $30.00 6 GB data plan can be added to any device where the customer believes they will go over the normal data plans with high usage or are using third party apps. Example the Vision plans are intended for Vision phones as they don't cover apps, just browsing WAP enabled websites. The 6 GB data plan also allows tethering unlike Telus Smartphone data plans. To keep it in perspective to Tether on a Smartphone in the USA AT&T charges $60.00 for 5 GB of data. Also Telus EVDO does not allow streaming the amount of data that's available to GSM customers that are using HSPA on Rogers network. For example HSPA allows streaming both voice and data to allow features such as video calling where as EVDO currently does not and reason why Telus doesn't offer any video calling phones.
re: ^
Actually, lots of people tether on Sprint on 3g network for the standard $30/ month. Just because you don't know how doesn't mean it's not possible.
re. Launch Date
Well Telus lied. No HTC Touch Diamond yet, maybe on Aug 20th but maybe not. I might give up waiting and go with Rogers.