HTC Touch Diamond Review
Let me start by saying that I’m a big fan of the iPhone. I know there are some minor bugs but Apple seem to be the only company that have managed to nail the touchscreen features. I know there are a number of devices out there that have the same functionality but for me the iPhone ‘just works’.
HTC have been working hard to topple the iPhone for some time now and the HTC Touch Diamond represents the fourth crack of the whip in the attempts to knock Apple off of the top spot. So, is this ‘The One’ for HTC? Let’s have a look and see what the Touch Diamond has to offer.
Design
The HTC Touch Diamond is a stunning handset. Simplicity and beauty combined. The smooth lines and slightly recessed directional pad make the Touch Diamond comfortable and easy to use. On the plus side, HTC didn’t create an out and out copy of the iPhone controls. The round directional pad shows some original thinking on HTC’s part.
Something I found slightly annoying is the screen size which, at 2.8″, is a little small. There’s plenty of room for a 3″ touchscreen which makes a huge difference when using touch activated features on the Touch Diamond. Talking of being responsive, the HTC Touch Diamond still suffers from ‘Sunday afternoon driving’ syndrome - the UI can be quite sluggish which is very surprising considering the 528Mhz CPU and 192Mb RAM!
Another nice addition to the Touch Diamond is the inclusion of AGPS which allows you to use the device with applications such as Tom Tom or Google Maps.
Depending on your view of Operating Systems the next point will make you love the HTC Touch Diamond or hate it: Windows Mobile Professional 6.1. A disappointment for the armies of Linux fans but you have to remember that HTC are aiming for general consumers as well as businesses which, in most cases, means a Microsoft Windows infrastructure. The usual features for Windows apply:
- MS Office docs support
- Internet Explorer
- Windows Media Player
In addition, there is a nice little weather forecasting application that can be set to your locale. Very helpful apart from the animated windscreen wiper that back and forth across the screen if rain is forecast!
The HTC Touch Diamond is certainly not trailing in the area of connectivity. The handset supports 3.5G, WiFi, EDGE and GPRS - the 3.5G alone is enough to make me want to buy this handset. The Touch Diamond also comes with USB and BlueTooth connections so there’s no problems transferring data back and forth.
A major issue for me is the battery. At only 900 mAh you’re only going to get about 4 hours talk time on GSM and 2.5 hours on 3G. Pretty poor for a modern handset.
The USB audio connector means you lumbered with buying proprietary cables for the Touch Diamond - this usually means greater expense.
Conclusion
I like the HTC Touch Diamond. Small, light and very attractive. I know HTC have copied the iPhone to a degree but sometimes that’s what it takes to break into a market. There are some irritations but that certainly wouldn’t stop me buying one an HTC Touch Diamond.
Specifications
Windows Mobile Professional 6.1
Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528MHz CPU
192MB RAM
2.8″ Touchscreen (480 x 640 pixels)
GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 + UMTS 900 / 2100
GPRS, EDGE, UMTS (3G), HSDPA, HSUPA and WiFi
AGPS
3.2 Mpxs camera
Downside
The HTC Touch Diamond can be a little slow to respond at times and the TouchFLO interface looks like a copy of the iPhone UI. Battery life is limited - 2.5 hours on 3G, very poor. The real kicker for this handset is the price - £400 which is not cheap.
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