http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_vKsxOT3Lw
Theere is some nice stuff from the uI, a lot of flash stuff, and something like the email view - annoyingly flashy - (|(about 25 seconds in). Who wants to read a document through an angled image of an envelope? Hopefully you can change this configuration, but it's shown on a lot of the demo videos.
The problem with this thread, is that you could make 5 reasons to HOLD off on any phone. What we need is a decent review, and that's coming roughly Thursday from Mossberg for example. The iPhone 3G will have unboxen photos, tear downs, and reviews faster than you can say "there's no point waiting all my life for a phone that will get updated in a few months anyway..."
The Diamond has had a performance fix, (
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/06/htc_touch_diamond_handson_update-2.html) which has improved on the initial
laginess.
You've got to give it to HTC for the 640 x 480 on a 2.8-inches screen.
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/06/08/htc-touch-diamond-hands-on-up-close-and-personal-this-time/
As one review said:
HTC has somehow managed to take a Microsoft device and make it everything but - a good thing in our mind.
(Microsoft's prior response to the iPhone?
It's a great music phone, and I'm sure it will be fantastic and have an interesting user interface...However, it's a closed device that you cannot install applications on, and there's no support for Office documents. If you're an enterprise and want to roll out line of business applications, it's just not an option. Even using it as a heavy messaging device will be a challenge.
Microsoft's Asia-Pacific head of smartphone strategy Chris Sorenson
HTC's done a tremendous job of hiding Windows Mobile 6.1's antiquated user interface, so we can put that little concern aside; what's more, it's hard to argue with the massive library of third-party software available for the platform, and for those worried about keeping their IT department happy, it's about as enterprise-friendly as they come. Physically, it's beautiful, liable to turn as many heads as any smartphone on the market today. Tell you what, HTC, we'll make you a deal: throw in 3G for both AT&T and T-Mobile, tweak the feel of the screen, and you have yourself a customer.
Ain't no Apple iPhone though
Peter Chou's vision of TouchFLO: Trying to offer a very intuitive, simple experience, but giving a much more colourful, much more 3D animated kind of experience. The Diamond is about one hand, one touch.
Discounting
1. Shortages are unlikely
2. Chaos on Day One
3. 32GB iPhone 3G on the horizon
The current Diamond has 4 GB internal. And lacks an external memory card slot for upgradability.
4. Best new iPhone features are coming to the original iPhone
Except A-GPS, which you'll need an accessory/add-on for.
And lack of 3G which isn't really upgradable with an add-on.
And upgraded speaker/mic quality
And potentially - an upgraded front cam (This is low probability now, but it's still possible - iPhone 3G rivals will have 8Mpxels by the end of the year!)
5. The HTC Touch Diamond
To be honest, if I was going to be envious of an upcoming phone, it would be Motorola's NVIDIA tegra handset in the works. Now *that* has graphic power.
