Can HTC's touchscreen Diamond outshine the iPhone?

Tue May 6, 2008 11:14AM EDT

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Just unveiled at a lavish event in London, HTC—maker of the sleek Touch for Sprint—has a new touchscreen gem on its hands, although the aptly-named Touch Diamond arrives in the rough that we call Windows Mobile.

But before I get all grumpy about Microsoft's tricky mobile OS, let's behold the Diamond's sparkling design and touch UI—and from this standpoint, there's a lot to like. 

First off, the Diamond comes in a sleek, and relatively light (according to the specs, at least) jet-black shell. Measuring 4 by 2 by 0.45 inches, the Diamond is a little shorter, narrower, and a hair thinner than the iPhone, and at 3.9 ounces, it's almost a full ounce lighter.

Then there's the touchscreen: 2.8 inches diagonally and at full VGA resolution, easily beating the iPhone's 480 by 320-pixel resolution. Whether one can appreciate VGA resolution on a 2.8-inch screen is an open question, although initial reports indicate that the Diamond's display is, indeed, dazzling.

And that brings us to the Diamond's TouchFlo interface—a sleek, easy-to-use touch UI that runs on top of Windows Mobile.

On the Touch for Sprint, TouchFlo looked like a 3D cube that you spun around with your finger. On the Diamond, TouchFlo boasts a row of icons at the bottom of the screen (for functions such as messaging, music, weather, photos, and Web browsing)—tap an icon, and the display spins and twirls to the appropriate application. Nice.

The Diamond also looks good in the spec department: HSDPA for 3.5G Web browsing and downloads, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 4GB of internal memory, a 3.2MP camera, and an accelerometer that turns the display to landscape mode when you turn the Diamond on its side.

For Web browsing, you get Opera for full HTML rendering and zooming in to Web pages, along with a separate YouTube app.

All very enticing, but lurking underneath it all is the professional version of Windows Mobile—and undeniably powerful OS, but tough to use when you're out and about. Indeed, with its intricate menus, the pro version of Windows Mobile is almost impossible to use without a stylus, so let's hope the Diamond has one.

Still, Windows Mobile Professional (the new version 6.1) means full compatibility with corporate Exchange servers, along with Microsoft's mobile Office suite (good for composing and editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents).

So, can the Diamond take on the iPhone? On paper, it certainly wins out thanks to its HSDPA and GPS abilities (although the upcoming 3G iPhone will probably draw even come June). And I like the size and weight of the Diamond, plus the sheer capabilities of Windows Mobile (the iPhone has yet to get a true office suite).

But while the TouchFlo interface looks like a pleasure to use, Windows Mobile itself is a bear without a stylus—and with all its tweakable features and options, it's a tough nut to crack for a novice.

In any event, I'll hold off on any final judgments until I see one in person—which may not be for awhile. The Diamond is set to arrive next month in Europe and Asia, but it won't land here in the U.S. until the second half of the year. No word on pricing yet.

So, what do you think? Is the Diamond looking like an iPhone killer? Fire away!

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Comments on Can HTC's touchscreen Diamond outshine the iPhone?

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  • 66 Posted by ecopro46 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have a cingular 8525 and I have played with an IPhone and I will keep mine hands down...

  • 67 Posted by elaineyu5 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    I love phones with many features, I also agree with timfrentz about the whole "iTunes" thing. I don't need iTunes to have music on my phone, you can easily just buy albums and such, insert the songs in your comp, put the songs in your phones memory card if you got one, then you can listen to music the same way you listen to it on iTunes but a less difficult process in doing so. These days it's all about having the brand new features onto a new phone. I like having a lot of features on a phone, but at a same time, having too much can be what is making it bad.

  • 68 Posted by aba2teach on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    If you are using a phone with windows OS, you are probably more concerned with viewing and editing your business docs than music to begin with. Currently I have the Treo. Yes the IPhone was really cool when it came out but I can't use it for work. I can always transfer mp3s or convert my husband's itunes

  • 69 Posted by hopeful59405 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:20PM EDT Report Abuse

    If I can't use it with Verizon, I can't use it period. I live in Montana.

  • 70 Posted by v_perez00 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    would love if Tmobile gets the Diamond., i'm not sold on the Blackberry Curve, and I'm not willing to switch carriers

  • 71 Posted by mrwynn2 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have to agree with the comment by "waynekford" which states "So the author has not seen the screen, nor the device. And he is going to write a story...." as far as looks, features, and practicality,,, People are attracted to looks and initial features of electronic devices at first, and then try to figure out all of the nifty features later. The real question is How much is the service going to be per month in order to use all of those features. --But, what do I know? this comment comes from a guy who teaches computer technology, but refuses to carry a cellular phone (electronic leash). What's next? Voting by Cell Phone? Make a phone that helps reduce Gas Prices and then I'll consider buying it.

  • 72 Posted by zeisig@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 11:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    I like those older phones ( Like NOKIA ) at least they worked pretty well for me. Never a dropped call and the soundquality was excelent. They had big bottons and a big display so I could read it. The newer the phone the more useless the become. I guess if some body would sell a 5 gal. buckett of manuer for 5.00 People would line up to buye it. Thanks.

  • 74 Posted by tjoelwms on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    OK none of this means anything to me because i use t-mobile( U.S.). When will we get cool phones? I have a dash and all it does is break and use up my warranty.

  • 75 Posted by bwesternagm on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    Personally I love my iphone, i had an 8125 prior to the iphone and boy is there a difference in capablities in windows os and apple os. I have not had my phone freeze up stick or even pause while surfing the internet via edge, listening to music and even swapping to take a picture all at the same time. The new diamond may be smaller but i agree that if it performs like my 8125 did i would rather go back to an original nokia phone.

  • 76 Posted by he.walks on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:17PM EDT Report Abuse

    It passed walmart because people don't want to buy a cd for 1 or 2 songs. I ony use Itunes to put music on my ipod. I rip my cd's that I buy or I download them off of a peer to peer program and transfer the files. I don't know of a single person who actually buys songs from iTunes. Personally I think Samsung has made the best phone yet, but I agree with Magpagbst, I wich Palm would make a phone. I love my PDA and use it constantly.

  • 77 Posted by i8ababy42 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    How many touchscreen phones were there before the iPhone? And how many are there now? Apple does all the innovating and then everyone else spends the next years catching up. The difference between the touch on the iPhone and on the rest of these copy cats is it actually serves a purpose. Its a user friendly addition to the OS not just a catch up trendy move like the rest of these bricks. Also who do you think can write a better OS? Apple? or Samsung? or HTC? The iPhone is killing these guys and all they can do is copy. just wait. iPhone 2.0 (the software not the hardware) will once again make these fools like like they are making clunky pagers.

  • 78 Posted by youngcreepa_b on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have an iPhone and I just learned how to use all of the features...this better be easier to use!!! www.myspace.com/youngcreepgrindin

  • 79 Posted by tmeyer_2000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    Although it seems an obvious fix to add touch/gestures to Winmo, one has to go much deeper to create an integrated UI experience. I doubt this has an accelerrometer or a proximity sensor for starters. Striking the right balance of features is a hard thing and Apple does an exceptional job. Not so say that the feature laden Nokia N95 is doing poorly (it is their biggest success), but many others just load it on. Winmo is a good example of poor UI and way too many menus.

  • 80 Posted by li_poetsoul on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    There is no such thing as an IPhone killer. Anyone who is anyone today has SOMETHING from Apple -- not because it's the best overall product out there, not because it looks sleeker or does more, but because it's from Apple. Apple is the IT company today and will remain that way for a while. 10 years ago Apples were pieces of crap -- they were slow, they broke often and they were ugly. Jobs hired someone to fix that -- and came up with the best marketed walkman out there. It's not the product -- it's the marketing of the product and until someone can out-market Apple, Apple will always be #1 in every single category in enters.

  • 81 Posted by antwan_wiley on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    if u are going to creat a phone that would knock off the iphone, make it to were the iphone looks limited to its look, its flow of its features, the way it adjust to the economy, take account of all things...we are in a new generation were technology is big....at least look into 3D pop-ups or something..stop coping or following behind the iphone like everybody wants one...do something big and better than the iphone...

  • 82 Posted by bigtomuw on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    Bottom line is this - Most smartphone users are business people, and most of them need to link their phone to the exchange server. Until iPhone gets compatible with that, good luck... it'll stick with it's current market: hipsters trying to have the newest coolest toy.

  • 83 Posted by dm2000t on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just give me a phone that works. Poor Reception & Dropped calls make all the gadgets useless.

  • 85 Posted by scarlett_fear on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    Windows? Heck no. I've had enough trouble with windows, particularly Vista which has taken MONTHS off my life with its stupidity. Also I think it's a rather useless phone if it's to complicated to even use. Quite simply, if I can't generally find my way around it within the first time of using it I simply won't use it again. I want something easy to use and quickly understandable and accessible. If this phone calls for stylus then I have to use the stylus every single time I use the phone, iPhone you don't. Also iTunes is something very, very important. You could ask almost anyone if they've seen, been on, or have downloaded something from iTunes and most will say yes. iTunes is an essential part of many an Americans life these days, particularly the youth. Also everyone now knows Apple, and Apple has been VERY reliable thus far. Windows has failed me to many a time, I would choose something from Apple over Windows any day. Particularly if it comes to how I'm going to communicate, this phone sounds more like a hindrance in the end than an asset. I'm going to stick to what I KNOW is reliable, Apple.

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