HTC Touch Diamond unboxed, packaging worthy of the phone

Nothing new to report on the Touch Diamond's tech here, but wow, look how fun the box is! Of course, we know you're all waiting to see what they stuffed in the wedge-shaped package, and the answer is a charger, headset, USB cable, a manual or two, and the software. The charger appears to be a universal job with a swappable plug for travel, and the headset a typical example of an HTC pack-in -- albeit with a dash of fun and angular design. Hit the link for the pics.

[Thanks, SlashPhone]

[mackan @ May 16th 2008 12:49PM]

Beautiful!

[Frankenstein Black @ May 16th 2008 1:04PM]

Maaaan, who you tellin!
http://www.dynamism.com/htc-touch-diamond/gallery.shtml
Wonder who's getting this state side AT&T or T-mobile?

[Ray @ May 16th 2008 1:52PM]

Sprint and Tmobile are getting it stateside, its just too bad i have to wait over 6months for my RAPHAEL!

[Flashpoint @ May 16th 2008 1:15PM]

I never thought I'd say this but,

iPhone's better

[rock99rock @ May 16th 2008 1:43PM]

Heck yes the iphone is better.

Except for the Bluetooth implementation.
And the screen resolution.
And the network speeds.
And about 80 other things mentioned in every other iphone haters' posts.

Just sayin.

[Argot @ May 16th 2008 2:13PM]

Wow, that is nice! The iPhone looks like a pathetic joke in comparison. Apple really have to polish that turd real hard now if they wanna stay in the race.

[John @ May 16th 2008 2:28PM]

I liked it until I saw the stylus in the pics. The stylus, as applied to smartphones, can go to the nearest corner and die with all other failed paradigms.

[Phoenix @ May 16th 2008 4:08PM]

The stylus ain't needed on this device aside from handwriting recognition, and 3rd party apps. HTC have made sure of that.

More people would complain if it WASN'T there, like those that like handwriting recognition. It makes sense for them to add it, and you to choose if you use it or not.

[Steffen Jobbs @ May 16th 2008 5:35PM]

The 3G iPhone will be far better than some grotty HTC Diamond. The main reason is that the HTC runs some sluggish OS called WinMobile 6.1 (the Vista of mobile OSs) and the iPhone runs OS X.

That's why this HTC is called a Diamond in the rough. The exterior looks like a Diamond. It's just rough using the touch-screen Windows Mobile 6.1 OS menus.

How come they didn't show the re-boxing just before Engadget sent it back?

[ingus @ May 16th 2008 9:48PM]

yes, for most westerners, a stylus on a touch screen phone is pointless - you can tap out words on the on-screen keyboard far faster than you can write. WM's hand writing recognition software totally blows.

but HTC isn't making this _only_ for the western market. hand writing recognition is VERY useful when inputting Chinese. last i checked, the chinese mobile market is pretty darn big :D

[slarity @ May 16th 2008 12:52PM]

It is sweet looking. Im still wondering how media friendly this is with a smaller screen

[Sotheby @ May 16th 2008 12:53PM]

Man, first the Nissan Versa and now THIS! Hiro gets ALL the cool new gadgets

[microlith @ May 16th 2008 12:58PM]

So how does one go about getting a unit like this, without paying the face-wrecking prices at places like mobileplanet?

[Johan S @ May 16th 2008 12:59PM]

When is this actually going to be available?

[Saad Rabia @ May 16th 2008 12:59PM]

What a smart box design! Not only elegant, but also usefully beautiful.

[patsy @ May 16th 2008 1:07PM]

> usefully beautiful

What a strange expression outside the realm of reproduction and its need to attract a mate.

[Saad Rabia @ May 16th 2008 1:11PM]

@patsy: My first language is Arabic, forgive me... I respectfully try my best with English.

[xenon @ May 16th 2008 1:38PM]

@patsy

Now it's your turn, try some Arabic! Let's see how well you do :)

[H.S. @ May 16th 2008 1:46PM]

English please, this is the United States of America... next thing you know we will have all sorts of official languages here.. USA #1

[JamesR @ May 16th 2008 1:59PM]

@H.S: Welcome to the Internet. Now available outside the USA.

BTW, how is your Cherokee? Oh wait...

[TareX @ May 16th 2008 2:03PM]

Yeah I guess that what he was doing, speaking ENGLISH despite it not being his 1st language (or mine for that matter).

And yes the iPhone IS better (the 3G model, that is). The 1st model has far too many shortcomings.

This HTC Diamond would have easily been the #1 touch-only device, if only the beautiful TouchFLO 3D wasnt also painfully sluggish and slow. You should touch something and see feedback immediately. At least that is what the iPhone does.

Looking forward to the WM7 model, next year.

[roflercopterer @ May 16th 2008 2:29PM]

He may have done it on accident but he actually expressed a cool idea that I haven't heard from someone who speaks english natively.

Bully for you.

[Djunior80 @ May 16th 2008 2:36PM]

@ Saad Rabia, I feel the need to apoligize for Patsy's and H.R.'s stupidity. Their ignorance is what makes the rest of us Americans look like A-holes. Your comments are always insightful.

[Mark @ May 16th 2008 3:28PM]

@HS: I know you'll be really sad to hear this but the US has NO official language. Most of the US uses English by convention but it is NOT official. Try going to Luisiana and you'll see what I mean. (and the previous guy was right, the internet is not only available in the US, contrary to popular(read: your) belief)

[thatrotierkid @ May 16th 2008 3:46PM]

"usefully beautiful"....

...more an accident, i find that is one of the most perfect ways to describe the relationship between form and function. i must applaud you on a very eloquent blunder. i just might steal your choice of words for future discussions.

[thatrotierkid @ May 16th 2008 3:48PM]

for an accident*

my apologies

[Phoenix @ May 16th 2008 4:12PM]

"
This HTC Diamond would have easily been the #1 touch-only device, if only the beautiful TouchFLO 3D wasnt also painfully sluggish and slow. You should touch something and see feedback immediately. At least that is what the iPhone does.
"

You do realise that you've been seeing prototypes with 64MB less RAM than the final model will have? and that it's possible it was meant that way to stop you accidentally activating things you don't want to?

[LiQuiD_FuSioN @ May 16th 2008 5:15PM]

@ TareX:

"And yes the iPhone IS better (the 3G model, that is). The 1st model has far too many shortcomings."

Dumbass. The 3G isn't even released, so how can you compare? Just face it. The iPhone has a serious competitor.

[marty.com.au @ May 16th 2008 7:04PM]

@Saad Rabia: You put it better than any of us...

@H.S. Yes, the language is called "English" not "American"
and can you say "al-u-mini-um" like the rest of the planet (ie English speaking) instead of "al-looom-in-um" .. probably not..
I have no issue with any nation around the world, just the individuals that have to run around saying that they are better than every one else...

@Djunior80 Noted.. :o)

[ugg.tryptophan @ May 16th 2008 7:19PM]

thanks for trying to speak English; the HTC is very boxy, but all phones are rounded bricks essentially, but still very sleek

[DP @ May 16th 2008 7:19PM]

@ Phoenix

See, alot of people don't know that, nor do they really care. They just love to bash anything that is not iPhone.

[happy_penguin @ May 17th 2008 1:08AM]

"Saad Rabia @ May 16th 2008 1:11PM
@patsy: My first language is Arabic, forgive me... I respectfully try my best with English."

You shouldn't ever feel the need to apologize for your English. It's far better than my Arabic, which is nonexistent. As long as your posts are coherent enough for me to understand, I will not question them. I save my grammar policing for humorous usage or for taking down a pompous ass. :)

[Phoenix @ May 17th 2008 7:56AM]

@DP

Agreed. If these people did a little research rather than randomly firing insults left right and centre they'd learn the iPhone isn't the best device out there

[patsy @ May 17th 2008 10:29PM]

@Saad:

I have never noticed particularly poor English in your posts, and this wasn't meant at all as a swipe at your language skills (which I would never do since English is only my fourth language also). I simply considered it an amusing choice of words for someone who appears to express himself rather well in English. Please don't take it as a put-down.

[Billy Gun @ May 16th 2008 1:02PM]

Nice, very nice. but.. how many GB is in there? What about the price?

[Saad Rabia @ May 16th 2008 1:03PM]

Price unknown. Storage: 4GB built-in + Memory Card slot.

[Rich @ May 16th 2008 1:03PM]

I didn't think there was a memory slot?

[Phoenix @ May 16th 2008 1:09PM]

No memory card slot. And it's currently sitting at £450 I think... could go up...

that's about £900 dollars pluss

[L @ May 16th 2008 1:12PM]

Nope, the lack of a memory card slot is the biggest downside of that gorgeous device. Kills it for me, unfortunately, as 4GB just don't cut it...

[Saad Rabia @ May 16th 2008 1:16PM]

My bad Phoenix, also how did you know the price? (source)

[Phoenix @ May 16th 2008 1:17PM]

Wait for the Raphael or Titanium them, sliding keyboard (Numeric or QWERTY) and a microSDHC slot. And TV-Out

[retro77 @ May 16th 2008 1:19PM]

Pricing:
http://www.htctouchdiamond.com/Default.aspx?id=207&tabid=156

This guy didnt leave a link to where he got the numbers though.

[Phoenix @ May 16th 2008 1:21PM]

*then

As to the price, from Devicewire
http://www.devicewire.co.uk/htc-touch-diamond
It's a UK seller... Currently at £463

[L @ May 16th 2008 1:25PM]

Amazon.de has it listed for 519€ (incl 16% VAT)...

http://www.amazon.de/HTC-Diamond-Touch-Screen-Smartphone-Branding/dp/B0018YYS9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=ce-de&qid=1210958554&sr=8-1

[esalesinc @ May 16th 2008 1:04PM]

Still ugly if Windows 6 mobile on it.

[anon @ May 16th 2008 1:08PM]

Good thing it has WinMo 6.1 then...
So you like your iPhone a lot then, huh?

[anon @ May 16th 2008 1:09PM]

And that was a joke, so settle down...

[retro77 @ May 16th 2008 1:17PM]

It has an application to cover up the WinMo 6.1.

[Darren @ May 16th 2008 1:29PM]

You can't polish a turd, you can just cover it up.

[Marcus @ May 16th 2008 1:07PM]

I think I've read Google Android and HTC Touch Diamond in the same sentence, could this be true!?