HTC Diamond: (almost) cooler than iPhone
Written on 7th May 2008
6 COMMENTS 
Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, Serial Internet Entrepreneur
When the iPod was becoming popular a few years ago and other manufacturers started to realize they were missing out on a huge opportunity there were frequent (daily!) reports of the next ‘iPod Killer’. Eager to find out what innovations were being made we checked them all out. Generally it didn’t take more than a few seconds to realize that the moniker ‘iPod killer’ was born more out of wishful thinking than true product innovation. The Zune, and countless other iPod rippoffs, came and went. But as we know now, nothing could kill or replace the iPod.
Then came the iPhone. And yes, again there are several companies announcing their own ‘iPhone killer’. Research in Motion, maker of the Blackberry, is secretly (but not TOO secretly) working on something they call their iPhone Killer. The Verizon Voyager is another example of a phone branded as the iPhone killer. But one look is enough to know it isn’t. And HTC was rumored to be working on their own ‘iPhone killer’.
Yesterday HTC unveiled their HTC Diamond. And I must admit: it looks pretty cool.
You might even say that the interface looks slightly cooler and more futuristic than what the iPhone currently offers. The interface is completely dynamic and fluid. Screens blend into each other with great effects. The weather screen doesn’t just display a static image of the sun or a few clouds but actual moving images of clouds or even a thunderstorm.
I’m not claiming that this will be an iPhone killer but I can image a lot of Windows users who don’t want to switch to Apple products being very happy with this gadget. Check it out yourself:
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By Hans Allis on May 7, 2008
Sure looks nice, but it’s still nothing more than a shell on top of windows mobile. If you choose to start a program that wasn’t designed to match this shell, you’ll be back to the awkward WM looks and the fun is gone. Building a new UI on top of old logic is okay and might very well be a wise decision, but building a new UI on top of an old one often leads to disappointment with the user.
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By Hans on May 7, 2008
Just found out today that my iPod (3) doesn’t match with a brand new BMW Mini Cooper!! When I use a non-usb cable (probably invented in 1897) it works, but now I can’t use the sexy (and expensive) controls on the steering wheel. Answer BMW: “Contact your dealer”. Is this planet earth and is this 2008?
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By Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten on May 7, 2008
@Hans Allis: sounds like you are describing Windows and DOS…
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By Peter on May 7, 2008
Going to have to agree with Hans Allis, the fact that it is built on top of WM bothers me a little. It remains to be seen whether all the animation/glitz is worth it though.
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By Szaszati on Jun 15, 2008
Hi there everyone! If you’d like to read a full, in-depth review of HTC Touch Diamond, then just go and check out http://mobilearsenal.com/revie.....aging.html
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By Oddball on Jun 17, 2008
As opposed to the iPhone, on the Diamond you CAN start a third party application (although I hear the 3G iPhone will allow one single third party app to be run)
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