HTC Touch Diamond Phone, Black (Sprint) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been using the CDMA Sprint Diamond for 5 months. With the stock Sprint ROM (referring to the software preloaded on the device) you'll be plagued by several problems which thankfully can all be overcome with some software mods and tweaks from great resources like ppcgeeks and xda. These forums host an enthusiastic community of windows mobile developers and "power users" and participating in the community can be one of the most rewarding aspects to owning this type of device. Just by lurking around the forums and reading the stickies you will learn a lot and be well on your way to customizing the device to suit your needs. That said, this tweaking process is not for everyone; if you're not interested in learning about technology and prefer something that just works right out of the box then get an iPhone instead. Out of the box, this phone has the following severe issues:
1. Poor battery life and significant battery drain even while the phone is not in use.
2. Slow system performance and lag while TF3D is running. TF3D (Touch Flow 3D - AKA Manila) is HTC's very slick user interface which sits on top of windows mobile looking pretty and giving you quick access to your most essential info and programs. With usage the phone will periodically become unresponsive or freeze and need to be restarted. (Think back to Windows 98)
3. The phone will wake up from an incoming call or text message or when changing cell towers. That means the screen will turn on and become active which makes the device prone to pocket dialing while it's in your pocket. On this diamond there is no way to disable that behavior. (There is a registry edit that works on the GSM Diamond) The work around is locking the phone before tucking it away but the default lock program is not great.
4. TF3D does not include a calender or task screen. That means you have to use pocket outlook to manage appointments and tasks. Like most native windows mobile 6.1 applications, pocket outlook is not finger friendly so you'll either need to be very accurate with your finger nails or use the stylus.
5. Some of the phones capabilities have been hidden.
As mentioned, the good news is that all of these issues can be overcome and I'll tell you how. First, go to the HTC Diamond forum on PPCGeeks.com and read the stickies on how to unlock your phone and flash a custom Rom. If you have a basic working knowledge of windows, zip files and things of that nature - this stuff is easy to do.
MightyRom is currently the most popular custom ROM on PPCGeeks. I'm running MightyRom version 4.7. Due to the upgrades and enhancements that mighty has "cooked" into his Rom, the phone becomes much more usable. In a nutshell, battery life is doubled, performance is faster and smoother...and stability is improved but the occasional restart is still necessary. Hidden features such as Internet connection sharing are enabled. Even the built in FM radio is working thanks to an app that was ported from the European GSM diamond. While some ROMs are packed with lots of applications, mighty keeps his light and clean which means it doesn't come with many applications pre-installed other than the essential ones. Fortunately, installing any other applications of your choice is as easy as downloading the .CAB file to the phone (or copying it to the phone) and then running it on the phone.
Beyond the ROM, there are a few applications in particular that I recommend because they address the other issues that I mentioned above.
1. S2A2 (Free) - Slide to Unlock 2 is a replacement for the default lock screen. It's essentially a knock off of the iPhone's lock screen. S2U2 works well with MightyRom, is easy to use, looks good and has lots of options.
2. ThumbCal ($19.95 USD) - This sits on top of Pocket Outlook providing you with a finger friendly calendar and task manager. The week view is especially well designed and very useful. 14 days free trial. There are also other free soft keyboard alternatives you can try.
3. TouchPal ($19.99 USD) - While the included software keyboards are good, touchPal is the best in breed. The compact QWERTY layout in TouchPal gets the most functionality out the small amount of space available on the Diamond's screen and it's actually FUN to use once you get the hang of it. Fully Free for 30 days with a nag screen after that if you don't buy.
4. G-Alarm (Free) - This is a free finger friendly alarm program with tons of options. I use it to set up alarms using an MP3 playlist which snooze when I turn the phone upside down.
The above makes up the core of my setup which really works nicely for me. Of course, there are many other directions you could go in.
Perhaps the most exciting news on the horizon is the new version of TF3D that HTC is putting in the new Diamond 2. It's being ported to the Diamond (see: "XBmod Rhodium Beta Manila"). This version of TF3D includes some extra tabs such as a working Calender tab which may alleviate the need to buy a separate calendar app like ThumbCal.
One final note: Sprint finally released an official ROM update which is an improvement over the originally shipped ROM but the best custom ROMs will still offer the best performance and features for your Diamond.

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Delivering unmistakable style and meticulous craftsmanship the HTC Touch Diamond for Sprint is defined by its compact size, captivating 3D touch interface, and sophisticated communication tools. You'll be able to access to Sprint's EV-DO 3G network--perfect for surfing the Web as well as downloading music and video from Sprint's Music Store and TV service. And with the power of the updated Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, you'll stay easily connected to your business and personal data on the go with support for a wide variety of email accounts as well as the ability to edit Microsoft Office documents.
The Touch Diamond's TouchFLO 3D user interface responds perfectly to your finger gestures when scrolling through contacts, browsing the web, and launching media--all vividly displayed as photos and artwork on the 2.8-inch screen powered by the 3D graphics processor. The phone also features a 4 GB internal memory, Bluetooth connectivity for both communication headsets and stereo music streaming, Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), 3.2-megapixel camera, a built-in GPS receiver (for use with Google Maps and Sprint Navigation), multi-format digital audio player, and up to 4.2 hours of talk time.
Sprint Service Supporting the EV-DO Rev. A high-speed data standard, Sprint's Mobile Broadband Network provides blazing fast speeds on the nation's largest mobile broadband network (based on covered square miles), covering more than 15,000 cities and 1,400 airports. With EV-DO Rev. A, peak download data rates increase to 3.1 Mbps and peak upload data rates increase to 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds improve to 600 kbps to 1.4 mbps and average uplink speeds increase to 350 to 500 kbps.
The Sprint Music Store enables you to buy, download, and then jam out wherever you are with new songs or old favorites. Offering a growing selection of more than 1.6 million songs, the store provides you two copies of each song--one for the phone and another for the PC, as well as the ability to burn songs to a CD using Windows Media Player. Save your songs to a memory card with a capacity that's right for you. Use the Sprint Music Store to listen to music while sending text messages, browsing the Web, or playing a downloaded game. And get over 30 channels of music--Hip Hop, Top Hits, Latin Pop, music videos and shows from NPR, Sporting News and more--treamed to your phone.
With Sprint TV, you can make your cell phone your always-on source for news, weather, sports and more. This comprehensive video service combines high-quality streaming audio and video from channels including the NFL Network, ABC, The Weather Channel, Fox Sports, E!, CNN, The Discovery Channel, and more.
This GPS-enabled phone provides optional access to Sprint Navigation for driving directions on your mobile phone--by voice and onscreen. Along the way, turn-by-turn directions will be announced in a clear voice and displayed on your phone. For example, Sprint Navigation will say, "Go 1.2 miles and turn right on Elm Street." As you approach the turn, you will hear, "Turn right on Elm Street." Sprint Navigation also provides proactive traffic alerts with one click re-routing. And it's easy to find restaurants, banks, cafes, hotels and more from over 10 million points of interest across the U.S.
Phone Features HTC has taken a great leap forward in touch screen innovation with the introduction of its new 3D touch interface called TouchFLO 3D, which provides animated access to people, messaging, email, photos, music, weather and more with just a swipe of your finger. The home screen provides one-touch access to emails, text messages, calendar appointments and contacts. New text messages fly onto your screen--just swipe your finger to spin through recent messages or tap a message to reply. Your Email appears in an open envelope--just touch it to read it in full. In addition to Outlook email, you can also add personal accounts and Web-mail accounts like Google and Yahoo. The phone also includes touch-sensitive buttons at the bottom as well as a five-way navigational rocker.
The Touch Diamond is crafted with precision to fit comfortably in a user's hand without compromising on features or functionality. Blending contrasting design elements of metal and unique geometric facets, the Touch Diamond complements a your personal style. The 2.8-inch screen has a 480 x 640-pixel resolution--providing near-print quality viewing of photographs and crisp Web browsing--and support for 65K colors.
HTC provides a new customized mobile Web browser that enables easy viewing and effortless navigation of Web sites in the way they were designed. You can zoom and pan Web sites with one-hand and automatically view optimized content that has been specially created to fit the display. An integrated accelerometer senses when you change the position of the phone from portrait to landscape viewing, and it auto-rotates the screen's orientation.
This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity with EDR (enhanced data rate), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You'll also be able to access open Wi-Fi networks in offices and hotspots via the integrated 802.11b/g wireless connectivity. And with the embedded GPS receiver, you'll be able to easily locate your next appointment in unfamiliar cities. (Third-party software required for routing information.)
Other features include:
3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus on the back of the phone, additional VGA camera on the front of the phone for video conferencing (requires compatible network)
Windows Media Player compatible with MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV file formats
Use the Sprint Music Store to listen to music while sending text messages, browsing the Web, or playing a downloaded game
4 GB of internal memory for storing all your contacts, important documents, and your favorite multimedia
256 MB of RAM, 192 MB of DDR RAM
Support for polyphonic ringtones as well as real-music ringers
Speaker-Independent Voice Dialing: Say the name of any entry in your phone book and the number is dialed automatically without using the keypad. This feature is speaker-independent, so there is no need to train the phone to respond to any one person's voice. Receive an audible status report of your phone/s coverage, signal strength, and battery strength.
Hearing Aid Compatibility: M3
Bluetooth version 2.0+EDR with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), HID (support for mice or joysticks), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PAN (personal area networking), PBA (transfer contacts)

Vital Statistics The HTC Touch Diamond weighs 4.1 ounces and measures 4.0 x 2.0 x 0.6 inches. Its 1340 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4.2 hours of talk time, and up to 285 hours of standby time. This international version of the Touch Diamond runs on the 900/1800/1900 GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as the 900/2100 MHz HSDPA frequencies for 3G access.
Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.1 offers a number of handy features that make searching through email, editing Microsoft Office documents, and staying on top of your most important communications even easier. Emails can now be viewed in their original rich HTML format and now offer the ability to visit embedded links. It also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides a full set of Windows Live services, such as the Windows Live Messenger IM application, which now enables you to chat with more than one person at one time or send a file.
With Windows Mobile 6.1, your phone will finally be able to emulate the power and features of your PC's Microsoft Office suite. You'll be able to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting--without affecting tables, images or text--as well as view PowerPoint presentations.
Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
With Excel Mobile, you're not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then email comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.

All Windows Mobile 6.1 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. It also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

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