Sprint plans to start the HTC Diamond and the HTC Touch Pro, both using the new Windows Mobile 6.1 OS, according to news reports.The date of shipping and other details about cost and specifications were not discussed by Sprint, although news reports indicated the cost of the Diamond at US$250 after a $100 rebate under condition of a two-year contract.
Some people mention the Diamond as a competitor to iPhone, mostly for its touch-screen capability. The screen is 2.8 inches, smaller than the 3.5 inch iPhone, and the Diamond has haptics technology to give the user tactile feedback (a slight buzz) when a touch is made. It measures 4 x 2 x .6 inches and weights 4.1 ounces. But one early review by Katherine Boerhret from The Wall Street Journal notes that the real success of the iPhone is the software, and not the touch screen. But she said the Diamond suffers from the "frustrating interface of Windows Mobile" and said even its touch capabilities "didn't work as well as they should. "The Diamond's browser is based on the Opera browsing engine, and Web sites opened with the Diamond don't appear the same as they would on a PC, a feature allowed with the iPhone, Boerhret noted.
It’ll be very interesting to see how this phone is received. With the HTC Touch Pro soon expected to appear, as well, it may very well be a fight of the preferences. Would you prefer to have a QWERTY keyboard or a touch QWERTY?
