HTC unveils new 3G Touch 'Diamond'

By Ed Oswald | Published May 6, 2008, 4:10 PM

The new flagship phone takes some design cues from the Apple iPhone while at the same time beating the Cupertino company to the punch on high speed data.

HTC's newest phone was shown off at a press event in London on Tuesday, where the company also displayed its new TouchFLO 3D interface. Like Apple, the company is also focusing on making the mobile Internet more useful.

There, a full Web browser much like Apple has with mobile Safari will be employed, allowing users to surf the Web as it was intended. Like the iPhone, users can tilt the device to view Web sites in either portrait or landscape view.

In addition, the HTC also gives users the option of watching YouTube videos through its own custom designed application, as well as the use of Google Maps. The device is HSDPA/HSUPA capable, meaning theoretically the device can handle 7.2Mbps of data.

Other features include a 2.8-inch display, built in camera, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, GPS capabilities, a on-screen keyboard that can be used vertically or horizontally, and a mini-USB headphone jack.

All major European markets will see the Diamond by the end of June, expanding later to Asia in the Middle East. HTC said the North- and Latin American versions of the Diamond are expected to debut during the second half of the year.

Prices for the phones have not been announced, although HTC said that carriers should start announcing prices within the next two to three weeks.

Comments

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Now that is a one smart looking phone. In fact it's smart enough for me to consider one over a 3G iPhone. It looks like there's some real competition to the iPhone at long last!

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yeah, the cloners are finally catching up to what Apple was doing last year. Can't wait to see what Apple releases in June.

My guess is Apple will run further ahead and give the cloners a new target to aim for. The cycle repeats...

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By arq_carlos1 posted May 6, 2008 - 5:21 PM

Clone? iPhone is not 3G, nor FM radio, nor Office documents compatibility, nor GPS, nor proprietary software. Even TouchFLO tech debuted earlier than iPhone.

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Can't we just have a normal headphone jack? Please? :p

It's interesting it has a longer standby time on 3G than on 2G networks. It's usually the other way around. Good standby time from a 900maH battery too.

EDIT: according to the specs it doesn't do HSUPA speeds - only 384k up. Where did you get HSUPA from, Ed?

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I wonder about that too, why cant they just make a regular headphone jack?!

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Notice it has 4GB internal storage. Many HTC fans are already complaining about the lack of any slot for flash memory cards

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Why can't they just make a bigger screen? Their edges are too wide. They can utilize those to make a bigger screen.

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That is very cool. It looks like another Windows phone so my corp IT & Security groups should bless it.

I wonder if that HTC touch app will run on other Windows phones.

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another day, another iPhone clone... At least they are not calling it the: "iPhone Killer". How many of those have there been now? lol.

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Another post by a moron.. sign...

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Clone? iPhone is not 3G, nor FM radio, nor Office documents compatibility, nor GPS, nor proprietary software. Even TouchFLO tech debuted earlier than iPhone.

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You have to admit that his post confirms the power of marketing. Is Apple becoming the Microsoft of the 1990s? On the edge Marketing > New Sales > Uncomfortable Growth > Software Problems > Production Delays > Polarizing Company

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errr... that'd be sigH.......

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