HTC Touch Diamond2 gets unboxed, shown off on video

We haven't heard much about the appearance of the HTC Touch Diamond2 on US shores apart from a few AT&T-related whispers, but the squared-off handset is starting to pop up overseas, and the requisite unboxings and video tours have started flooding in. Sadly, these early units are still running Windows Mobile 6.1, so beauty's only skin deep -- or at least as deep as TouchFlo2 3D. Hardware video after the break, but there's plenty more at the read links.

Read - Windows Phone Mix
Read - Tracy and Matt

[Phoenix @ Apr 15th 2009 2:12PM]

I like the home on the end key, that's a good way to save a button... it looks gorgeous. They're already on sale in the UK, BTW. Very limited stock. HTC's really done well to get them out so fast.

[Carpet @ Apr 15th 2009 2:24PM]

I haven't been following the new HTC phones as I was desperate to get a Touch HD, which I now have.

How this and the other forthcoming HTC phones stack up against the HD?

[chris @ Apr 15th 2009 2:46PM]

@Phoenix

This is smaller than the HD (but also has a smaller screen), has a newer, more deeply intergrated of the Touch Flo 3D UI, and this will be available with US 3G.

[RLBurkes @ Apr 15th 2009 2:17PM]

Who puts a brand new gadget on the rocky ground? Am I the only one who leaves the clear plastic on for about 3 months.

[Templarian @ Apr 15th 2009 2:23PM]

Your probably not the only one, I personally beat the heck out of my hardware. My phone has gashes through the medal. My iPod for instance had a screen cover on it and I somehow gouged a hole through that (screens in perfect shape though).

(although, I might be like you once I get my palm pre)

[L @ Apr 15th 2009 2:28PM]

People that leave on that plastic thingy till the edges are all curled up drive me NUTS. How can you not rip that off the second you take the thing out of the box? HOW?

[Pontro! @ Apr 15th 2009 2:32PM]

I scratched the back of my Diamond in 24 hours!
Diamond seems to be just the design.

[CoolBone @ Apr 15th 2009 2:35PM]

Looks like Diamond isn't the strongest naturally-occurring material nor man-made gadget afterall...

[Gipionocheiyort @ Apr 15th 2009 2:35PM]

It may not be rocky...it could just be one of those god awful rugs you see at Home Depot that are supposed to look like rocky ground for some reason.

[comments4cheap @ Apr 15th 2009 2:36PM]

@L

Keeps the screen clear from my keys and other stuff in my pocket. I keep it on till it comes of by itself, usually about two months, and when it comes off my screen always look like new.

[Alex @ Apr 15th 2009 5:48PM]

@comments4cheap
HTC's typically come with a half decent screen protector. The one that comes with the Diamond covers the whole front apart from the D-Pad area and has holes cut for the camera and earpiece.

Unless you take a few minutes to look at it at odd angles while it's off, or have a second "fresh" one, you can't even tell it's there.

[Pontro! @ Apr 15th 2009 2:17PM]

My Touch Diamond looks better, slimmer, shinier & lighter.
But,
Diamond 2 have bigger screen, 50% more batt, better+deeper TouchFlo,
and the most important thing is it's "upgradeable to 6.5"

[cesium @ Apr 15th 2009 2:27PM]

Or you get a custom ROM for your diamond which has 6.5 ;)

[Pontro! @ Apr 15th 2009 2:34PM]

Wow! and the new TouchFlo interface is ultimately swift! They finally put ATI3D driver in it?

[ai4281 @ Apr 15th 2009 3:58PM]

Microsoft is allowing OEMs to provide upgrade to 6.5 for older phones now... So it's up to HTC now, whether the original Touch Diamond users are allowed the upgrade. Seeing as they provided free upgrades for 6.1, maybe they will give out 6.5 updates as well!

[TheSuburbanWhiteBoy @ Apr 15th 2009 4:19PM]

It still has Windows Mobile? next

[Shinigami @ Apr 15th 2009 11:44PM]

6.5 isn't a worthy update, IMO. 7? Not out yet.
Android phones on Tegra made by HTC, where in the world are you?!

[Colin @ Apr 15th 2009 2:19PM]

Does anyone else think that this looks just like the "Zune HD"? With all the talk of zune actually just becoming a software platform for 3rd party devices, does anyone think that HTC could swap out WinMo for a Zune software variant prior to release?

[E C S Sucks @ Apr 15th 2009 2:24PM]

Why I thought the ZuneHd was fake. Looks like the touch.

[jonb4more @ Apr 15th 2009 3:02PM]

i was just thinking the same thing. good eye

[horizontaleight @ Apr 15th 2009 4:11PM]

I second this. HTC could theoretically have designed a new device for Microsoft considering their past.

[Will @ Apr 15th 2009 5:08PM]

Anything is better than Windows mobile. I have an HTC phone with WM 6.0. It was laggy and slow the day I got it.

[E C S Sucks @ Apr 15th 2009 2:22PM]

Looking similar to the zune hd.

[inteller @ Apr 15th 2009 2:48PM]

if the ZuneHD has a forward facing camera like this then I am all for it.

[Dustin @ Apr 15th 2009 2:24PM]

Maybe the Verizon CDMA version will be available sometime in Q4 2011...

[a ham sandwich @ Apr 15th 2009 2:26PM]

yeah and with half the RAM and a non-touchflo verizon-branded theme as the default...

[Pat @ Apr 15th 2009 2:25PM]

yeah really, I refreshed the page and instantly thought that someone had actual shots of the zune HD in the wild... got my hopes up quite a bit there.

[George @ Apr 15th 2009 2:28PM]

Cooool!!

[Adil @ Apr 15th 2009 2:26PM]

htc needs to step up their game and put 3.5mm jack and camera with flash

[Spooner @ Apr 15th 2009 2:28PM]

Beautiful... But:

1) Windows Mobile 6.1 = fail
2) No 3.5 mm audio jack = fail
3) If cellular, wifi, and GPS reception is anything like the Diamond or Touch Pro ... Fail

Eagerly awaiting real world usage review...

[billobob @ Apr 15th 2009 2:52PM]

I think the touch pro still isn't a great phone to joe wannalookcoolwithasmartphone, but all the stuff you talked about can be taken care of:

1) custom ROMs already have winmo 6.5 before it's even out (and yes, with TF3D)
2) you can get a tiny adapter for literally 99c on ebay
3) custom ROMs/radios improve this dramatically... although I agree, my Fuze's performance out of the box was terrible.

The hardware is fine, TF3D is fine, HTC just needs to get its drivers right when the phone actually comes out. While it's no Android yet, TF3D (especially the newer versions from the touch diamond, which is what I'm running) does a great job of making WinMo look pretty

[Félix @ Apr 15th 2009 5:28PM]

Yeah ... why don't you get a real 3G carrier ?
Because down here in europe the diamond is doing just fine.

[FoxKenji @ Apr 15th 2009 6:46PM]

Epic win if HTC installs Android on this.

[Quikboy @ Apr 15th 2009 10:10PM]

It is upgradeable to Windows Mobile 6.5 you know...

[m3tric @ Apr 16th 2009 7:06PM]

1) This phone will run WM 6.5...
2) Stereo BT, no wires = pwned
3) Based on what? You are just full of phail today.

[m3tric @ Apr 16th 2009 7:09PM]

Beautiful... But:

1) This phone will run WM 6.5 = pwnt
2) Don't be a cheapass and use stereo BT = pwnt
3) Based on what? These were great on my TP = pwnt

Next...

[hey @ Apr 15th 2009 2:28PM]

Anyone know if what the flat hole at the top is for? I thought it was for a hot-swappable microSD card, but then he had to remove the battery cover to put one in. Also is the stylus not magnetized in this phone? I loved that about the original Diamond.

[chris @ Apr 15th 2009 2:47PM]

Its the speaker.

[Spooner @ Apr 18th 2009 1:59AM]

"1) This phone will run WM 6.5 = pwnt"

Yes... when they release it at the end of the year. WinMo 6.5 is WinMo 6 with a flashier GUI. Pass... wake me up when WinMo 7 arrives.

2) Don't be a cheapass and use stereo BT = pwnt

Got both... sucks when your stereo bluetooth headset runs out of juice in the middle of your work shift and you're stuck with a big ass adapter hanging from the mini-USB port and your 3.5mm jack connected to it at a perpendicular angle. Add to that the fact A2DP is a larger battery drain on a phone with already shitty battery life. No excuse not having a 3.5mm audio jack on a multimedia phone.

3) Based on what? These were great on my TP = pwnt

Based on experience on my HTC Fuze (TP) with custom XDA ROMs and a friends HTC Fuze (so no... I didn't have a bum unit). Funny... reception sucks compared side by side with my iPhone 3G, Cingular 8125, AT&T 8525, & Motorola L7.

The Touch Pro2 and Diamond2 both use the same Qualcomm crap used in the Touch Pro and Diamond.

You're a jackass HTC fanboy not willing to accept that HTC dropped the ball with the Diamond and Touch Pro. Fanboys like you who are willing to shell out money for the "next thing" from HTC are no better than the iDiots worshipping Jobs.

Still awaiting real world performance review...

[john @ Apr 15th 2009 2:30PM]

zune.

[JS @ Apr 15th 2009 2:31PM]

Why don't they ever show the web browser experience? So it has a contact list wow, wtf.

[Level 5 @ Apr 15th 2009 2:33PM]

The browser is Opera Mobile. It's probably not a hell of alot different than on the original Diamond. Great browser, fast, Java and Flash support; a real Winner. Not as pretty as Mobile Safari, but damn close, and it's the most capable smartphone browser on the planet. Take that as you will ;)

[giedrys @ Apr 15th 2009 2:33PM]

The guy is holding the camera with his teeth while shooting demo! Real enthusiast!

[James @ Apr 15th 2009 3:38PM]

Pretty sure its on a tripod.

[Gipionocheiyort @ Apr 15th 2009 2:33PM]

Is that a reset I see on the bottom about 40 seconds in?

It would be nice to not have to take the back off of my phone to reset it....especially because I tend to lock my Diamond up alot.

[Ollie @ Apr 15th 2009 2:47PM]

I *think* it may be the microphone. I could be wrong though...

[billobob @ Apr 15th 2009 2:57PM]

it's about the same size as the hole on the TP (which is on the bottom of the phone), so probably

[Phoenix @ Apr 15th 2009 4:24PM]

The diamond has a reset hole just inside the stylus slot. Take a look.

[Shank @ Apr 15th 2009 2:38PM]

what the winmo??FAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thats like putting a 4 cyl hyundai engine in a lambirghini murcielago frame.
htc needs to allow iphone os on just 1 handset n watch they will never look back at winmo again,guaranteed.agree?

[htowngator @ Apr 15th 2009 2:48PM]

While WinMO has it's fair share of detractors, it is still the best interface for business, exchange mail, and what not.

There are plenty of pros for it just as there are cons.