HTC Touch Diamond Reviews

Just by hearing it's name you can tell that the Touch Diamond is going to be a good looking phone. The front of the phone is smart and attractive but it is the back where the designers have really been let loose. The rear of the handset looks, as the name suggests, like a rough cut diamond and really does give the Diamond a look of it's own.

The HTC Touch Diamond uses the latest version of the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system (Version 6.1) and as such is a very powerful handset capable of utilising many of the programs and accessories that are available on a PC. It has 4GB of on-board memory which is more than enough to store a vast music collection or the photos and videos you will be capturing on your 3.2 megapixel camera.

For those less business bound, there are a selection of motion based games which are available for you to play with and a selection of feature that will leave you stunned(if you ever get through them all that is).

Mark

"I've owned a Diamond for 3-4 months now, after being smitten by its tiny size and numerous features. On the one hand the size has continued to be a much loved feature, along with the integrated GPS (which I use with TomTom 7 Navigator), Wifi, and 3G. HTC have tried to "

Read More

Written by Mark

I've owned a Diamond for 3-4 months now, after being smitten by its tiny size and numerous features. On the one hand the size has continued to be a much loved feature, along with the integrated GPS (which I use with TomTom 7 Navigator), Wifi, and 3G.

HTC have tried to get around the frustrations of Windows Mobile with TouchFLO 3D, which adds a new frontend to the lacklustre and difficult to use version of Windows. It half works, but also has its own irritations e.g. a display that's more about looks than practicality in terms of reading SMS/text messages and emails - a bit more user testing might have made a serious difference here.

The phone also suffers the typical problem with running Windows Mobile in that it's underpowered, meaning that Windows Mobile dialogs and even HTC's own TouchFLO interface are slow to respond. This can result in frustration for impatient users vs. a smooth responsive interface on things like the iPhone.

Battery life is likely to be the other pain point for some, at a battery that will typically only last 1-2 days with moderate use, and 1-2 hours if using all the features such as GPS, and Wifi. This is where you pay for the phone's tiny size, but if you are good with recharging, and/or always near a charger, this won't be such an issue.

I'd still recommend it to anyone who can put up with the above, but impatient users and/or those who need amazing battery life will want to steer clear. Equally if you can put up with the shortcomings for what is a tiny feature packed phone, then it's still a great phone. 4/5

Close