The HTC Touch Diamond: a true iPhone 3G killer?

by Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Wednesday, 25 June 2008

Page 1 of 3 ! Nope, there’s no iPhone on Telstra’s Next G network yet, but from mid-August the HTC Touch Diamond will exclusively sparkle its way into Telstra stores and sprinkle a bit of magic over the lacklustre Windows Mobile OS. Surely it’ll be joined, if not preceded, by the iPhone 3G? Ah, the HTC Touch Diamond. A device that brings a touch of class to Windows Mobile smartphones, with an interface that even, to some degree, puts that of the iPhone to shame. Billed as a 7.2Mbps HSDPA device, which it certainly is, its press release also boasts a “HSUPA wireless capability” but methinks someone’s telling porkies, for the HTC Touch Diamond’s specs page clearly states that while it is 7.2Mbps HSDPA compatible, it only uploads at 3G maximum speed of 384kbps. Which ain’t HSUPA. Still, downloads are the order of the day for most handheld users, and as a 7.2Mbps class device, download speeds of around 500Kbps to at least 3Mbps are to be expected, and unlike the iPhone, the HTC Touch Diamond can be easily paired with your computer to act as a super high speed wireless modem. But what of the other gems within this iPhone-esque device? One must start with the graphical user interface which is one of the most spectacular ever seen on a smartphone, out-animating the iPhone and all accessible without once touching the ever present Windows ‘Start’ button. Although a ‘single-touch’ interface, as opposed to the iPhone’s multi-touch capabilities, it sets a new standard that HTC’s competitors should rush to copy and implement on their own devices, as you flick through contact lists, messages, emails and more. Another true standout is the Opera Mobile 9.5 browser, which is the closest to the iPhone’s Safari browser yet seen on any competing device, and should you turn the phone sideways, the page turns too, something we’ve all seen iPhone’s Safari do with ease. In addition, the Opera browser lets you zoom and pan websites with one hand and automatically view optimised content that has been especially created to fit the display, and is something many Windows Mobile users are waiting to be publicly launched by Opera so they can try it without yet succumbing to the Diamond’s shine. Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corp said: “We are marking a new era in mobile phone evolution, an era where beauty and size integrate with uncompromising innovation at broadband speeds. The HTC Touch Diamond will make browsing the web and using web-enabled applications just as practical and easy to use as making calls.” Continued on page 2. << First page <   1 2 3 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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