HTC Touch Diamond Briefing With HTC Chief Innovation Officer Horace Luke

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=PDS5BKkmoTM' target='_blank'>http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=PDS5BKkmoTM</a><br /><br /></div><embed width="425" height="355" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PDS5BKkmoTM&amp;hl=en"></embed><br /><br />Horace Luke used to work for Microsoft's Windows Mobile team before moving to HTC, and I have great admiration for him - he's a man with great vision for how mobile devices should work, and every time I was in the room when he was presenting I felt inspired. After he left Microsoft and went to HTC I knew he was going to do some impressive things - and this video is proof of that. <br /><br />We've been discussing the Touch Diamond, and while I'd love to ask Horace in person why they didn't&nbsp; put a memory card slot or a 3.5mm headphone jack in it, I can't deny the cool little features like being able to ignore a call by simply flipping over the phone onto it's front when it's ringing. Sometimes innovation comes in small, subtle ways, and it seems like the Touch Diamond has some serious innovation packed under the hood. I can't imagine how crisp the screen must be having a 2.8&quot; VGA screen, but I'm also curious to see how usable the Windows Mobile UI is at that resolution. I'm heading to a Mobius event in Seattle next week, and I'll be getting some hands-on time with the HTC Diamond.

[palur]

I did not know Diamond had these cute features, remove stylus and note application starts and flip the phone, it is muted. I say that is cool! What will happen when it is in the pocket, and you bend down, the Diamond flips in the pocket (from face up to face down) a theoretical possibility?
I am happy that new features besides VGA (small screen :-<) are added.
Good progress.

[Jason Dunn]

What will happen when it is in the pocket, and you bend down, the Diamond flips in the pocket (from face up to face down) a theoretical possibility?

I guess that might be possible, if:

1) You had a phone call going on while the Diamond was in your pocket (using a Bluetooth headset perhaps)

2) You bend down past the point of 45 degrees...tying your shoe perhaps?

So...maybe it could happen. :confused:

[JonnoB]

If the device truly does come with 3D acceleration for video as well, I can see things such as the touch screen, accelerameter, vibration, etc to be a great platform for gaming. I was pessimistic about the innovation from HTC, but I see them still making strides. While this may not be the device I want (lack of memory storage expansion, keyboard, etc) having this technology within HTC will mean it will probably appear in other devices as well.

[Darius Wey]

I can't imagine how crisp the screen must be having a 2.8&quot; VGA screen, but I'm also curious to see how usable the Windows Mobile UI is at that resolution.

Insanely crisp.

I have a couple of devices with 2.8" VGA displays and they're absolutely stunning to look at. I know there's a vocal crowd out there who argue that any display less than 3" or 3.5" is hardly usable, but I do consider 2.8" VGA displays very usable and they certainly have a future.

My only rant - and this is more beef with Windows Mobile than display resolutions and sizes per se - is that Tahoma (8pt) is simply the wrong system font to use on Professional devices with VGA displays. Segoe, which is used on Standard devices, would be a far better alternative. Anyway, rant over. ;)

[Darius Wey]

If the device truly does come with 3D acceleration for video as well, I can see things such as the touch screen, accelerameter, vibration, etc to be a great platform for gaming.

Agreed, although a great gaming platform doesn't just stop at the hardware. You'd also need the support of game developers to produce compelling titles for the platform. Windows Mobile doesn't have that support, and I can't see the Diamond persuading developers anytime soon. This device is just one small fish in the big ocean that is Windows Mobile, which makes the target market for accelerometer- and touch-driven 3D games incredibly tiny.

Apple's touch platform has the edge, because it's composed of either the iPhone or the iPod touch, and both are capable of delivering a consistent gaming experience to its users. The target market is huge here, which has resulted in EA and Sega pledging to release major titles in the second half of this year and beyond.

[jgrnt1]

I guess for most people, 4GB of storage is enough. I also assume having only internal storage reduces power usage, so they can put in a smaller battery, keeping the Diamond thin and light. However, it would be great to get rid of my mp3 player (32GB Creative Zen, with a 16GB SD card). If the Diamond came with an SD slot and a real headphone jack, I would probably get it, even without a keyboard (I have an AT&T 8525). In my car, I have a powered cradle for the 8525. If the phone is in the cradle, I can't even attach the headphone adapter. :mad: It would be the same for the Diamond. I have a separate cradle for the Zen and patch it into the auxilliary input on the car stereo.

I think I'll wait for the Xperia X1. It has a headphone jack and a keyboard. I think microSDHC tops out at 8GB now, but who knows how big they will get? Seeing how this has worked in the past, they'll probably come out with a 32GB card, but the Xperia won't be capable of supporting it.

[azhiker]

We all have our wish list phone. I got spoiled using a Dell Axim X50 with 3.7 inch vga screen. I'd love to see the Diamond come with a larger screen. I have been so used to havng an S.D. slot that not havng it would be a challenge. If I could turn my Axim into a phone I would keep it.

So my next phone and PPC replacement must be a convergence device that will be a media player, Pocket PC that can do the same or better from my Axim, plus being a phone.... now that is what I am lookng for. The Diamond is clearly a great product, but as I get older I'd rather not go to a smaller screen than what I already have.

But, if the phone is not good quality, then all the other benefits seem to fall short! I have not heard good things about HTC products as phones.

[ianl]

... why they didn't put a memory card slot or a 3.5mm headphone jack in it, I can't deny the cool little features like being able to ignore a call by simply flipping over the phone onto it's front when it's ringing. and I'll be getting some hands-on time with the HTC Diamond.

***long quote trimmed by mod JD***

"Phone flipping" is flimflam for GenZ. I just press the red button to stop an unwanted call ... what do you do ?

No microSD slot, no quad-band GSM, no tri-band UMTS.

These are the real issues and so far have no answers at all, not even an acknowledgement of the issues. Without the slot, flexibility is lost; the crippled GSM and UMTS bands severely limit the device geographically.

These issues need to be put directly to HTC with the expectation of direct answers.

Any answer is likely to be a marketing euphemism about competing with the iPhoney. GenZ is definitely winning the superficiality race.

[netboy]

We all have our wish list phone. I got spoiled using a Dell Axim X50 with 3.7 inch vga screen.

yes, i got spoiled with VGA on Dell Axim x50, that y i never go back to QVGA junk!

[Jason Dunn]

"Phone flipping" is flimflam for GenZ. I just press the red button to stop an unwanted call ... what do you do ?

Ah, but can you press the red button while still maintaining eye contact with the person you're talking to, or without having to look down at your device? That's the one thing I quite like about this "flip" thing, it's something you can do with less attention paid to the device.

Without the slot, flexibility is lost; the crippled GSM and UMTS bands severely limit the device geographically.

I agree with you on the microSD card slot, but on the GSM bands, I think HTC's answer is that the device isn't being released into the US market, they'll have a US version of the device that has the bands we need here in North America. Although I do know what you mean about needing all the bands if you travel...

[netboy]

Ah, but can you press the red button while still maintaining eye contact with the person you're talking to, or without having to look down at your device? That's the one thing I quite like about this "flip" thing, it's something you can do with less attention paid to the device.






if u dont want to pay attention to your pdaphone, just let it rings! after 4 rings, it automaly goes to voicemail!

[Jason Dunn]

if u dont want to pay attention to your pdaphone, just let it rings! after 4 rings, it automaly goes to voicemail!

But who wants to let their phone ring four times? If you're with someone, or in a meeting or something similar, that's just plain rude.

Look, I'm not saying the "flip" feature is somehow AMAZING and will make the Diamond an awesome phone for everyone - I just think it's neat and it's nice to see HTC innovating. :)

[ionen]

This is not the best device a mobile warrior could hope for, that's for sure. And that mainly due to its lack of a card slot and limited connectivity (regarding the GSM/UMTS area).
But it's good enough for me to crave after one :D

From the video review I've noticed that it reacts pretty sluggish when changing the orientation of the display - that's pretty unpleasant

[Jason Dunn]

From the video review I've noticed that it reacts pretty sluggish when changing the orientation of the display - that's pretty unpleasant

Yeah - the bar has been set, and unless it's as smooth and fast as the iPhone, it's not good. HTC and Microsoft need to do better.

[Twain]

Jason,

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but it is very odd that this site presents You-Tube videos which can't currently be seen on my Treo 700W. I use that phone quite a bit to view the Thoughts web sites when I am traveling or simply away from a desktop computer. It is irritating to see articles that mention videos that cannot be viewed on my device. Is there any video technology that allows the Pocket PC Thoughts/Smartphone Thoughts experience to be seamless regardless of whether the viewer is using the desktop or a smartphone? If so, these websites should be using that technology.

Twain

[Jason Dunn]

It is irritating to see articles that mention videos that cannot be viewed on my device. Is there any video technology that allows the Pocket PC Thoughts/Smartphone Thoughts experience to be seamless regardless of whether the viewer is using the desktop or a smartphone? If so, these websites should be using that technology.

I appreciate your frustration. The only solution is for you to use a browser that supports YouTube Flash videos (perhaps Opera Mobile - I'm not sure). There's nothing on my end that I can do present Flash in a format that Pocket IE can understand. You can blame Microsoft for not including a browser that allows you to access the content you want. :(

[Jason Dunn]

If we throw them down about 6 to 7 times, they are over. And the flip technology what he showed was really great.

Well, I don't know if it would survive 6 or 7 throws, but I did see it get thrown to the ground once and it survived. :D