Windows Phone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"The Sprint HTC Touch Diamond is a powerhouse Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional PDA phone with a VGA touch screen, 4 gigs of storage, 528MHz processor, EVDO Rev. A, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera. The Diamond is one of the smaller touch screen Windows Mobile devices on the market, though it's not as thin as the original GSM version ( 0.6" vs. 0.45"). It weighs 4.1 ounces vs. the GSM's 3.88 ounces, but we're not complaining. The added weight and girth allow for a higher capacity 1340 mAh battery-- a definite improvement over the original's 900 mAh battery. It also feels better in the hand thanks to rounded edges, a soft touch red back, and there's just a little more to hold onto. That said, it's a very attractive and modern-looking device, but it's not the head turner that the original diamond-backed model is."

"Last year O2 announced and brought to the marketplace the Orbit 2 which featured: 3Mpixel camera, fast processor, large RAM / ROM, GPS, Quad band, phone, Touch interface, etc. This has now been superceded and replaced with the O2 Xda Ignito which serves to enhance and further the popular Xda range. Again a candy-bar design (no hardware keyboard) the Ignito sports: 3.2MPixel camera, 528Mhz processor, VGA (640 x 480 display), Quad band, large ROM / RAM, A-GPS, 3G phone / video phone, Touch FLO 3D interface, etc...When one removes the Xda Ignito from the box the first impression is of the small size of the machine. Compared to the Orbit 2 or even the Stellar the Ignito is tiny. The second impression is that of weight or density, the Ignito feels much heavier than expected, this is no doubt due to the steel housing or framework that surrounds and support the inner workings of the machine."

Twins separated at birth? In fact, the device is the same, just different branding. First up, MobileTechReview offers a video review of the just-announced Sprint HTC Touch Diamond for the USA market. Before crossing the ocean, the HTC made a stop in the UK and has been released by O2 and rebranded as the Xda Ignito; 4WinMobile has an indepth look. As of this post, the device is already available at O2's online stores with in-store availability coming while the Sprint version is not yet available for purchase, but should be available sometime during September. Though the branding may be different, take a look at both reviews to get a good understanding of what the HTC Touch Diamond has to offer.

"Combining HTC's captivating 3D touch-screen experience, the broad functionality of Windows Mobile 6.1 and the largest mobile broadband network in the United States, Sprint will soon add two devices to its robust portfolio of Windows Mobile devices - HTC Touch Diamond and HTC Touch Pro. Sprint will be the first U.S. wireless carrier to offer both devices. HTC Touch Diamond and HTC Touch Pro set a new benchmark for mobile sophistication, introducing TouchFLO(TM) 3D, an unparalleled touch experience that puts live television, weather, email, photos, contacts, music and more at your fingertips."

The HTC Touch Diamond [pdf] offers Windows Mobile 6.1, 4 GB of internal storage, a 2.8-inch VGA display, Opera browser, 3.2 MP camera/camcorder, and stereo Bluetooth. While Verizon may also be offering versions of both phones, Sprint is claiming first dibs at bringing both the Touch Diamond and the Touch Pro to the US market. Both devices will include the TouchFLO (tm) 3D interface. Sprint will also offer exclusive multimedia content, including over-the-air song downloads and live and on-demand TV channels on it's fast EV-DO Rev. A network. Sprint will offer the HTC Touch Diamond for $249.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate beginning this month.

The HTC Touch Pro [pdf] is rumored to have both GSM and CDMA versions, so it may be showing up at lots of carrier parties this fall. The Touch Pro distinguishes itself from the Touch Diamond by offering a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It adds a microSD slot for expansion, but drops the included 4GB. The phone also comes with Windows Mobile 6.1, and the built-in 3.2 MP camera/camcorder includes special Business Card Scanner software to capture and convert business card information into contacts. HTC Touch Pro will be available October 19th for $299.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. You can sign up at Sprint to be notified when these phones are available for purchase.

"The new handsets will be called the HTC Touch Diamond, HTC Touch Pro, and the HTC Touch Dual Pro. The Touch Diamond is the Diamond, the Touch Pro is the Raphael, and the Touch Dual Pro is apparently a refresh of the existing HTC Touch Dual."



Things are clearing up a bit about HTC's new Raphael and Diamond devices. They'll have WM6.1 (natch), 520MHz Qualcomm processors, 7.2MBit HSPA, FM Radio, 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM, 3.1MP cameras, WiFi, BT2.0+EDR, eGPS, and 2.8" VGA screens. In addition the Raphael will have TV out and the Diamond 4GB flash storage. Just remember, as far as we know both will be CDMA only - so far.

"We've just laid eyes on a handful of documents detailing HTC's efforts to ready the Diamond and Raphael models -- already known to be valid HTC codenames -- for Sprint later this year, and things are definitely looking up in the post-Touch world. The Diamond turns out to be the successor to that very device, lacking a physical keyboard and relying almost exclusively on a large, glossy touchscreen for user input; the Raphael meanwhile (pictured) features a full QWERTY deal and is destined to replace the Mogul."



Remember that fuzzy picture of HTC's phone lineup? Well, looks like the mystery device(s) are CDMA models destined for Sprint, with the slider out in September and the touch version in November. Both will feature WiFi, 3MP cameras and VGA displays (woot!) - I also rather suspect they'll also have HTC's new Manila interface. Now, when are we getting GSM versions for these babies?