HTC ships first batch of Touch Diamond handsets
By Darren Murph 
posted May 30th 2008 1:57PM
posted May 30th 2008 1:57PM
[Via SlashPhone]
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man....my Sprint 6700 is about to bite the dust, and i'm up for an Upgrade....how much longer till the Raphael ships :(
I'm in the exact same boat. The more they delay this coming to the US, the more of us WinMo users will end up defecting to the iPhone. By this fall this phone may be old news.
OOoh that looks really great! I love living in asia with all these great gadgets! I wonder when it'll come to my country though.
Thank God. Another phone that isn't copying the iPhone.
No sir, YOU are the caretaker. You've always been the caretaker. I ought to know: I've always been here—Delbert Grady, The Shining
You're right about that Touch Diamond not being an iPhone imitator. If they were trying to copy the iPhone, that, is what they would consider a darn piss-poor copy.
Yes it's a poor copy because it's a much better phone. They would have to dumb it down a lot to make it an accurate copy.
@ Abuzar: L O L
is the US lacking in cellphone technology or what??? all the best handsets never make it here...europe/asia get them always
The iPhone is the only headset I know of designed by an american company. But you are right, the premium phones never make their way to the US. Though in the past I think it would have been difficult for those premium phones to compete with the smart phones of lower capability; the sticker shock alone is enough to scare away the people tha tI know.
WRONG!
Only Asia gets the best phones - they had VGA screens for YEARS and you can only see the first models with VGA coming this year, and all in "smart" devices. This suxx. I want a 854x480 (or something like that) screen on my phone too!!!
Europe doesn't have that kind of phones.
I have a friend that works in product development at Sprint. He's been using the diamond lately, hopefully I'll get a few pictures of it, but he said the sprint/CDMA version is a flat back, none of the angled stuff...
flatback, eh? sir mixalot would not approve.
STNC, I find that hard to believe. Most phones sent to carriers for testing are test models that do not have the final shell, software, ect. I highly doubt it will look that different.
I beg to differ, just look at the vogue and the elf, cdma and gsm units, and they are different
Remember, sprint's getting the Raphael. The Raphael comes with a slide out Querty keyboard and does not come with the diamond designed back (it's Raphael, not a Diamond)
It's getting both of them. Remember?
Whats the MSRP? I saw them being gouged on Ebay for 800 bucks, and people were actually bidding on them.
Its an awesome phone, but I just got a Curve so no new phone for me until next year :/
Wow they're getting ripped off. I saw them for only $300 on craigslist a week ago, so I ordered 3 for my family. Hmm.. I think I was supposed to receive them a couple days ago. Oh well I can wait a little longer.
importgsm.com has them for around 780 USD
wouldn't an all touchscreen phone be useless without multitouch? how would you type on the thing effectively?
i honestly love he touch diamond, i just don't see how it's viable for typing on... unless i'm not understanding something important?
uhh, why would you need multi touch to have a keyboard on an all touch screen device? the original htc touch had an onscreen keyboard. granted, you needed to use a stylus for it, but you could download a program that created a better onscreen keyboard for you. and the iphone doesn't use multitouch capabilities for the keyboard. maybe you don't know what multitouch is?
Tell me you're joking.
First of all, never use the compound word "Multi-touch" to describe that screen or keyboard action except on an Apple product. They own that compound word. For Apple imposter products, use something like "multiple-finger-touch" or "many-finger-touch". Apple may just have to sue Microsoft and you for randomly using copyrighted terms reserved for the real items.
Secondly, if it's not on an Apple product, what difference does it makes what they call it instead. It probably works like crap.
uhh...wouldn't you be better served here by breaking his hands?
oww, winmo fanbois...
There is a terrific, albeit small, on-screen keyboard that has existed in Windows Mobile since 2003 that scuttles four keys (enter, shift, space, and backspace) in favour of equivalent gestures. I find it much faster to type with gestures than having to move my fingers to a particular part of the screen to 'enter,' 'space,' or 'backspace' and find most on-screen keyboards unusable in that respect. Multi-touch would help increase typing speed but is no prerequisite for being able to use an on-screen keyboard.
Ugh. So much fuss over such a mediocre device. I'll bet you it won't even be that popular in the UK where HTC's phones are renamed by networks... Please wake me up once HTC release a phone that has specs firmly grounded in 2008, not 2006.
word. that whole vga screen and 3d rendering is just so out of date.
So what phones are 'grounded in 2008'?
From the sweet name "Engadgetluvsappl" I'm guessing he/she has an iPhone and will be standing in line to get a new one with features "grounded in 2008"... features like, you know, 3G, GPS, mp3 ringtones, front camera... ZOMG AWESOME APPL!
Pffft, phones have had 3D rendering since even before 2006. VGA screens? Head out of America and then jump back a few years, you'll see them pretty often.
Yahhh trick yahhhh!
Ok, WHAT CURRENT SHIPPING PHONE has better features than this bundled into such an attractive package with an amazing GUI like the Diamond?
HSDPA, HSUPA, VGA, hardware acceleration, the most advanced finger UI available, 528MHz processor, 192MB RAM, aGPS, an amazing browser...
Yeah. This is old tech.
If that's grounded in 2006, the iPhone must be what... 2000? 1999?
i am sure apple is studying these phones before its new iphone launch...but will still have too less features to compete phones like the diamond
I don't see why VGA displays are terribly outdated when the iPhone and many of its contemporaries use low resolution displays. A higher resolution on such a small display means smaller text is more legible, allowing you to fit more of say...a web page onto the screen at once. I love using my Glofiish X500+ since it has a VGA display...though I'm considering trading mine in for the Touch Diamond.
i love winmo fanbois.
Freaking Queer. I wouldn't call edge internet access 2008 more like 2001. Shut your dam mouth you little bitch.
The country with the most copy cats in the world is getting this phone first, how nice.
Please get it clear.
It's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, not Mainland China.
Sure HKSAR belongs to Peoples' Republic of China now, but I want to make it clear that it's two different story in HONG KONG and in Mainland China.
The Hong Kong Custom has always been VERY active in fighting IP infringement.
You may not be aware that the FIRST successful prosecute case towards BitTorrent usage by Criminal law is in HONG KONG.
I live in the U.S. now but I personally felt offended by your comments.
Not to mention Hong Kong's cellular service market is one of the most open and successful in the word with the penetration rate reached 139.8% of the population in July 2007.
I don't get 2 year contract for a crappy free phone in Hong Kong.
And no activation fees. Paying for incoming messages is unheard of.
Home use 100Mbit UP/DOWN Fiber network available for less than US$30 a month, all Four 3G networks are on HSDPA (some 7.2mbps) and with FULL COVERAGE.
Plus being a shopping paradise with no import tax and sales tax, I can see no reason why can't the Touch Diamond shows up in Hong Kong first.
The U.S. currently has one of the lowest rates of mobile phone penetrations in the industrialized world at 85%.
Apple's iPhone is of course highly successful, but Motorola is weakening all the way from the old time Industry leader position all the way to today, being overtaken by Nokia, SonyEricsson, Samsung.
Oh dear god, what a ecture!! And really we don't care, and I don't think you care about the difference between Danish and Swedish vikings either? (hell yes there is a difference)
word. because danish and swedish vikings are so totally current and so totally stereotyped against by so totally many people.
Uh, you can't have more than 100% of the population having cell phones, that's all there is, so your 139% statistic is crap.
Yeah, that's okay for now. The elite Chinese in HK with any sense at all will be throwing those cheesy fakes away once they can legally get their hands on the fruity real deal.
One person can own more that one cellphone.
@Raymond
It's good to hear from someone knowledgeable on this forum for a change. However, some could still use a few more lessons in politeness.
And I agree that the iPhone is, of course, successful.
The difference between Danish and Swedish Vikings is that one group got pastries named after them and the other group got meatballs named after them. I'm sure they're enjoying their sleepytime in Valhalla or wherever they got sent to for getting gob-smacked in battles. (yeah, I agree, who cares about Vikings and I hate when the fat lady sings. Oh, those lady Vikings ate too bread and buttermilk)
There is no keeping from the embarrassment that is the US cell phone market.
as long as they start hitting asia soon...i'm ok, not gonna buy the phone, but i would like them to start ripping apps from that touch diamond rom, so i can get a few updates to my kaiser in the form of a cab or two...i would love to get the htc home, weather, music and internet on my kaiser...and i know there are a lot of chefs that could make it happen
It's not gonna happen. It's needs VGA screen and hardware acceleration to do properly
I'm in the same boat :(
trust me, i'm well aware of this. i have seen vga cabs modified to format kaiser, wizard, etc screens QVGA. the same was done not too long ago w/ a VGA release of opera 9.5 for the diamond. it was changed to support QVGA then voila
Really? provide a link to this QVGA version of the Opera 9.5
Is it free?
Hong Kong? No no no, you got it wrong, I live in Canada.
Yawn......... where is the 3g iphone.
I hope they run out of stock wherever you live.. before you get one.
Lol, the guy is joking.. I thought even apple fanboys realize the iPhone is nothing but a nice touchscreen and the function of making phone calls.
I hope someone breaks his legs while he is in line.
Ugly... No aesthetic value whatsoever... +1 for the iPhone
same thing your mother said about you, no doubt. not sure why she would add the +1 iphone part, though. these fanboys know no limits.
@Anonymoose,
u r the real fanboy
Elaborate on why its ugly.
To me its a sleek, sexy, minimalistic phone with a very attractive small form factor with big capabilities. I really dont want something with a bigger form factor. You cannot argue that this phone is a very nice piece of electronics.
There is no Apple logo on it.
That is why he called it ugly.
After years of using LeapFrog "gadgets" your sense of style degenerates.
*Looks at Sprint Touch* *Looks at Picture of Diamond* *Throws HTC Touch*
It looks like crap i hate the back end!
Glad Sprints getting a flat back, still I think Imma hold out for the Sprint Raphael. If impulse doesn't hit me 1st.
Another Nail in Palm's Coffin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Does Palm still make smartphones? I thought they shut down after their stock dropped below $8 a share and investors stormed their headquarters looking for executives to hang.
Nintendo Palm and Apple are loosers.
Windows RULEZ FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
word. that nintendo should just completely get out of the mobile handset/mobile os industry.
yeah...what is nintendo doing here...its just like the mention of apple in a gaming console forum
iPhone killer = FAIL
iPhone seller = PASS
Wow! A whole 10,000 units. They're really going beserk on production. Gee, by the end of the year they may sell.....10,000 Touch Diamonds. Okay 10,001 if anyone actually likes using it. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
BORING!... Now let's move on to something important....
Where are photos of mockups of the 3G iPhone made from the casting when it got dropped in some mashed potatoes. That'll keep the hype going for at least a day or two.
What is a fanboy....?
LOL
Are you serious? Is this guy serious? That's 10,000 units for HONG KONG... not the global market. One city, albeit a very large city. Fanboys are so ridiculously stupid I don't even know where to begin with them.
Perhaps pity? Yes, I think that's a good place to start.
I bet your mother hates you.
I'm willing to bet that those 10k units are already gone too.
fanboy??? huh...a cry-baby...alll the so called "apple fanboys" and "apple fangirls" are cry-babies. they cant stand any other company making products which are actually better than and of much more utility than apple crap.
Go buy your iShit and eat it with your iSpoon. Seriously -- Apple fanboys don't care WHAT gets released, as long as it's Apple-branded. Let's not mention that the iPhone is horrendously locked down and can't do what PDAs produced SEVERAL years ago can -- it's Apple! It looks pretty! Ooo, pretty interface! I love you iPhone! I love you Apple!
So how long before these guys are on eBay? And for how much? I copped my Dopod C730 as an import and have been enjoying hsdpa on ATT for over a year now.
I really likey HTC!
Done: http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=htc+diamond&category0=
high $700 - low $800
Hit up ImportGSM.com for pre-US release phones. Surprised not everyone knows about this retailer. I got their e-mail notification last night about the Touch Diamond...going for something like $780.
The guy at coolsmartphone.com has been posting a video hands-on on this phone daily for about a week. It's a really in depth review, cool stuff if your in the market.
yeah, do it while the coolness lasts.
I smell a fanboy...or is that chicken?
"One person can own more that one cellphone."
That was supposed to reply Shane.
Hong Kong ppl are willing to spend money on cellphones. Ppl using HTC phones is a common sight there.
Now I understand why ppl were so annoyed with this comment system... That comment should be replying to my last post high above...
The HTC Touch Diamond --
It Can't Be Detected By Radar(tm)
All my life. All my life I've been waiting for a phone that can beat radar.
And it has arrived.
beautiful phone, and i really like winmobile. this is the first phone perhaps ever i've been excited about. before this, pda phones were always too bulky, but this takes care of that.
DO WANT.
I can tell you on with absolute certainty this phone is already entered the testing lab of a stateside carrier who shall remained unamed. :) I own an HTC touch, and this phone rocks it's socks.
patience patience
dude i think you should do some research too...countries like japan and taiwan have the same kind of network as here...AT&T in US has the most advanced network here...it operates on 3.5G (HSDPA & HSUPA). Devices which are really capable of this are scarce in this country.
And please do not mention the iphone...it is not even 3G yet...there are other phones like the AT&T Tilt which completely utilize the capability of the network and work on 3.5G...iphone does have a great interface but is very low on functionality and advancement...I completely agree with you on your view-point on the network infrastructure but you know the main concern here is that people are more dependent on phones which are available with the cellular companies on contract. so, they get to choose from a limited set of handsets. the handsets which are very good and do not make it to the US markets is because they have to compete with low price(even free) handsets available with the cellcos. unlocked phones here are always costly...so people dont go for unlocked phones unless they really need to.
how much do you think would apple have priced an unlocked iphone? around $800-$1000. would they have been able to sell so many iphones unlocked...NO. they needed a carrier to pick it up to sell else they would not have even made it and AT&T was the best bet because it has the largest network...think again
@Vidit: Actually AT&T was their second choice. They could not come to an agreement with their first choice, Verizon because Apple wanted to step in between Verizon and their customers. AT&T willingly bent over to allow Apple to pound them like an inmate.
You just need to know where to ook for. i'm getting mine from New York on Tuesday. If you're willing to pay $800.. Anything is possible...
I've traded my 16GB iPhone for it basically. It is nice and all but Apple has to work on application support and interfaces to keep up with Windows Mobile. I'm sure it'll surpass at one point but lockign you down to stupid iTunes is a real drag. Why would I want to use MP4 when I can use DivX on Windows Mobile???
Speak for yourself, please! WM is the only operating system that fully meets my needs.
And North America is a different market because the carriers have too much control over what we can use! Every time you get a carrier branded phone, once the carrier locks down and removes features, you have a watered down version of a once good phone. We don't get good phones because the carriers will not allow us. Look at what AT&T did, cancelled some good phones and butchered others. T-Mobile USA is a disaster period, in terms of phone selection!
But since most US customers want subsidized phones, this is what happens when the carriers get to dictate to the consumer. If we bought more of our phones outright, like in other places, the carriers couldn't have this much control.
I'm totally an HTC Touch Diamond fanboy now....if only it would be released on Verizon!!!
I like. I like very much.
Do I like it as much as the Nokia E71 though?
No, I don't believe I do.
Sprint doesn't want this thing to compete with the Instinct, so they will hold off on launching until the October/November.
I agree...but that is so f-ing beyond stupid. I want one of these NOW!..not the friggin instinct. (which isn't even in the same ballpark)
Is the back flat or actually rough to give it that look? Not my taste, but if its flat and has that look, very cool. I must say. My heart is set on the 3G iPhone, but competition is what brought us the iPhone and is what will bring us many incredible phones in the future.
@Vidit Bhargava: I've done tons of research, I work in the industry. I'm not talking about the capabilities of the networks, I'm talking about the fact that the US has more networks, and they are in competition with each other, and they don't receive the kind of government assistance that carriers do in smaller, insular markets in Asia and Europe.
I'm arguing that because of the above, the demand for handsets with advanced capabilities like those in Asia & Europe has been lower, comparatively. THAT is why the US has seen less advanced handsets - until now.
I DO mention the iPhone here because it is truly an industry-changing device for the US market. It is the advanced device that carriers & consumers have been waiting for, and it drives data usage more than any other handset. A study by Rubicon Consulting at the end of March confirms these points:
- Mobile browsing - 75% of iPhone users say it has led them to do more mobile browsing.
- Phone bills - The iPhone has increased its users' monthly mobile phone bills by an average of 24%, or $228 extra per year.
- AT&T revenue - The iPhone has probably increased AT&T's gross service
revenue by about $2 billion per year.
Finally, mobile Safari has the biggest marketshare of all mobile browsers in the US. What does that tell you?
Read the study online here:
http://rubiconconsulting.com/insight/whitepapers/2008/04/the-apple-iphone-is-easily.html
True, the iPhone isn't yet 3G. It's a first-gen product, and it's massive success shows that it is what people want. When the 3G iPhone is released next month, it will render that point null, and every other handset manufacturer (and carrier) will be even further behind.
I still don't think it's competition, but too tight of control by the US carriers. There are several UK carriers and they all have WAY better phones than we see over here(unless you buy unlocked). The demand for handsets with advanced capabilities like those in Asia & Europe has been lower because the general public doesn't know about them, thanks to the controlling carriers who stifle everything. When you have carriers crippling bluetooth, disabling wifi and GPS, etc. etc., do you really think we can get phones with advanced features over here?
Sure, when the carriers say we can and ONLY if they can tie everything back to them for maximum profit. Such as AT&T constantly adding it's media services on most of it's phones while disabling even basic features of the original phone.
I must say though, that one thing the iPhone can be credited for is getting US customers into the habit of actually paying more than $100 for a crappy carrier phone, and/or to stop wanting free crappy phones from carriers; and actually start demanding to buy quality phones for a change! Then maybe we can start to get what Europe and Asia gets. We need to start telling the carriers what we want instead of carriers telling us what they're going to sell us, whether we like it or not.
Cti-miami based in florida have already starting shipping the Diamond, so head over to http://cti-miami.com/products/htc-touch-diamond.html if you dont want to wait for a carrier branded version