HTC Launches Latest iPhone Competitor

[jinjo235]

I think HTC spent too much time on the interface. Simplicity and ease of use are key features in any mobile device. Why? Because it is a MOBILE DEVICE!! That means you are on the go and you need to be able to just look down...tap...and get into something like the internet, contacts, texting, photos, etc. Much like the iPhone does. I'm happy Apple is getting competition but, I'm still sticking with Jobs device.

uhhhggg.

 

[98707]

I Want This Phone

Damn my iphone.. Unless apple does a lot more with the software interface.. I want one of these!

 

[age234]

The UI is very impressive. The animated weather was pretty cool.

However, watching the "in use" video, the thing isn't responsive at all, for example it doesn't swipe to the next photo until after the finger action was over. I would think that'd be a nightmare to use, especially after being used to the iPhone. And having to scroll horizontally through apps at the bottom of the screen would get annoying quickly.

Still, I'm impressed. No harm in pushing Apple to keep innovating.

 

[kornyboy]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

I think this will be a little too late once the iPhone 2.0 software and the 3G iPhone is released. They seem to have really tried to add features that are missing on the current iPhone and really compete.

 

[Bad Ash]

Every time any cheesy electronics company tries to rip off an Apple product (which is generally about 4 months after the Apple product appears), they ALWAYS produce a ****ty, gaudy, plastic piece of w8nk based on Windows Mong Edition or something equally crap. Fools!

I would not go that far. Htc does make very nice phones but the only downfall, at least for me has been windows mobile. It looks like they have figured it out with this new one. We shall see.

 

[w00143881]

While I don't think i could force myself to buy any other phone than the iphone at this point, i'm glad other companies are stepping up to the plate.

Competition not only has been known to drive down prices but stimulate innovations.

If apple wants to remain in the lead in terms of touch phones, it will have to keep up. I see this as a great 'positive.'

Diamond features...
3.2mp camera and a camera in the front
3G and GPS
Higher screen resolution

The next iphone will have these features or else apple will fall behind not just in the phone market (some can argue that the N95 is a better phone) but also in the touch phone market.

 

[twoodcc]

yeah, apple is ahead. but there will be more pressure for them to come thru with the new iPhone

 

[gloss]

The UI looks absolutely beautiful, but from the videos I've seen, the touch-screen seems to be single-point only. It's more gesture-based than 'interactive', so the phone doesn't commit an action until it recognizes a gesture. It seems to be in this respect that the iPhone is so far ahead of everyone else.

Other than that and the slightly small screen (and the ridiculously small battery), this looks like a really nice piece of hardware. Albeit, a really nice $800 piece of hardware.

 

[Eraserhead]

They're bringing eye candy with them. A smaller screen on the Diamond, but a better ppi,

The iPhone PPI is good enough at the moment I can't see the pixels at all.

Apple has its ecosystem - a very nice closed garden.

Only until June when the AppStore is released. And if you think that is "closed" just wait until anyone with an "open" platform gets theirs full of malware, just like Windows.

 

[xenotaku]

competition is good. These products are all putting the pressure on Apple for this June to release another big evolution in the iPhone OS. I expect big things come June for the sole reason Apple knows every company out there will be coming out with a iPhone look alike in the next 2 to 3 years. Eventually the entire market will look like an iPhone, just as the entire music market looks like ipod rip offs with a few exceptions. Lucky for us, Apple tries to stay above the fray which pressures them into releasing awesome new products every year or so. Yay.

 

[jinjo235]

not to mention that this device caps out at a total of only 4GB!!!! Ummmm...that means if you want a movie at a decent resolution for that phone to be on there you will most likely use the entire phones memory! For one movie!

 

[happydude]

i just hope devices like this push apple to get the same features in the iphone but with apple's ability to make the not only usable but fun to use. a front mounted camera would be an amazing addition to the iphone. still hoping for picture messaging and ability to store and call up documents for editing. also, bluetooth enabled cars (i.e. the microsoft sync feature in ford, whatever system is in the prius, etc) should be able to work with the iphone. my father in law just got a prius and his iphone can't communicate with the prius. the toyota dealer even brought in an apple store genius to try to figure it out and it is within the iphone software not to talk with devices via bluetooth. on that line, i should be able to sync my iphone (at least the contact info) via bluetooth with my imac. just like every other smart phone, i just hope apple takes the next gen into the "future" with features every other smart phone hastoday (and has had for years!! hopefully phones like this touch diamond entering the market will have that effect on apple.

 

[sterlingindigo]

Is the Diamond Flash capable?

 

[saxamoophone]

I think trying to be a competitor for the most sought-after phone is something worthwhile. Do you know anything about business?

And being that there are A LOT more WinMobile phones out there then iPhones, it's not like the iPhone has A LOT of bragging rights.

With WinMo 7 giving Windows Users Vista-like eye candy, Android launching soon, and everything else out there, apple is really going to have to step up to all this competition and continue to WOW everyone each and every year.

 

[DMann]

One (giant) step behind

HTC phones are, in my experience, very good. And that user interface is a vast leap ahead for the WM crowd.

All the best to them, let's keep Apple on their toes.

No question, this will motivate Apple and new developers to more deeply employ Core Animation and graphic effects...... love the weather animation - Nice to watch others trying to keep up.

 

[t0mat0]

The iPhone PPI is good enough at the moment I can't see the pixels at all.



Only until June when the AppStore is released. And if you think that is "closed" just wait until anyone with an "open" platform gets theirs full of malware, just like Windows.

Diamond (280) vs iPhone's of 160.
2.8 inch screen, full VGA - 480 x 640 - (iPhone 3.5 inch 320 x 480)

 

[theheadguy]

Why would anyone rate this negatively? Competition is good people!

sheesh... emotion overwhelms logic on these boards way too often.

 

[JitteryJimmy]

HTC distortion field.

We read, with excitement:

Today, HTC launched the Touch Diamond, the latest in a number of phones that are taking aim directly at the iPhone.​

Then we read, with disappointment:

The phone will launch initially in Europe and Asia in June, with a U.S. launch later.​

In other words, it is yet another product that is under development, where the promise of a new device is the only thing offered.

It is smart of HTC to try to slow iPhone sales using the promise of a product that is not yet available. However, given the very poor track record of the industry, I doubt all claims by all manufacturers until I can actually try the phone myself in their stores.

Maybe the HTC will be a winner, but it is impossible to tell based on the very vague press release.

 

[BornAgainMac]

What happens when Microsoft introduces Vista Mobile for all these phones. Will they kill the future of these iPhone killers?

 

[Digital Skunk]

....

Not really. The HTC Touch was out in Asia for months before the iPhone was even announced. It isn't as TOUCHY as the iPhone or the Diamond it, but since it is an open system 3rd party software makes it just as easy to use....

I think HTC spent too much time on the interface. Simplicity and ease of use are key features in any mobile device. Why? Because it is a MOBILE DEVICE!! That means you are on the go and you need to be able to just look down...tap...and get into something like the internet, contacts, texting, photos, etc. Much like the iPhone does. I'm happy Apple is getting competition but, I'm still sticking with Jobs device.

If they got off of Windows Mobile and developed their own software they'd be good to go. So far the only disadvantage to the HTC devices that I see are Windows Mobile. The Touch and their PDAs are actually just as easy as you describe. And personally, the keyboard on the Touch is far easier to use.

 

[mongochops]

In other words, it is yet another product that is under development, where the promise of a new device is the only thing offered.

They're struggling to get it working with Windows : Useless Edition (with added hideous UI)

 

[Digital Skunk]

Maybe the HTC will be a winner, but it is impossible to tell based on the very vague press release.

I agree. Too bad it's the same way with the iPhone 2.0 stuff. I would like a 3G iPhone with real software, and more software/customization options. So far all we have is an SDK and a promise that the store will be up in June along with rumors of redesigned iPhones.

If the Instinct proves to be a winner then I may have to forgo getting an iPhone for another year or two.

 

[JitteryJimmy]

Why would anyone rate this negatively? Competition is good people!

sheesh... emotion overwhelms logic on these boards way too often.

Because it is a marketing press release only. They aren't actually competing yet; they're just saying they will start competing with a new product that isn't scheduled to be available until later in the year.

No one can buy one, and no one reviewed one, and no one knows the full specifications of the model that is slated to be delivered. It isn't news - it is marketing strategy.

 

[fastbite]

Htc???

 

[Digital Skunk]

Because it is a marketing press release only. They aren't actually competing yet; they're just saying they will start competing with a new product that isn't scheduled to be available until later in the year.

No one can buy one, and no one reviewed one, and no one knows the full specifications of the model that is slated to be delivered. It isn't news - it is marketing strategy.

Apple does exactly this far too often and people applaud it. Then they start talking about how such and such SDK will make this and that better, even though it's not out yet.

Apple fans are guilty of the same things.