HTC Touch-Diamond Review - Conclusion

Conclusion

Utter the words “Touch Diamond” in a public place, and they will immediately be followed by requests to see, touch, caress and adore this lovely chunk of kit. The graceful beauty of both the hard and software interface elements, contrasted by the bold but classy facets that are responsible for the device's namesake, represent a sort of culmination of form and function. The problem is that, while quite capable in its niche, the Diamond may alienate users that deem some absent tech essential per their definition of function; e.g., an SD slot.

I don't consider the lack of an SD slot insignificant. Many who use their phone as a portable media device regard storage expansion options a foregone conclusion. Like the landscape QWERTY fumble, HTC missed a few easy points here in the eyes of the shopper who's judging the Diamond against the standards of the iPhone.

Media collectors especially are rebelling against the slightest indication of an attempt to lock them into any particular audio/video system via DRM or proprietary hardware/software configurations. That is, unless they've seen a sustainable and vibrant market established for the product in question. While these specific issues don't apply to the unlocked Touch Diamond, the double-whammy lack of a standard headphone jack and SD slot may put some potential buyers on guard and turn others away – many of whom are in the same crowd that would drool over the aesthetics of the phone.

This is the dichotomy of the Touch Diamond: its appearance drives hardcore geeks wild, but its functionality is aimed squarely at the mainstream consumer. That is not to say that the mainstream phone hunter is immune to gear lust, but that appearances are a bit deceiving in this case. For the cost, and image, the phone could stand just a few more bullet points on the spec sheet. The Diamond's strongest selling point is that it brings some fairly standard, high-demand features to the masses via a drool-worthy display, handsome form factor and delicious interface. Delicious.

TouchFLO 3D makes Windows Mobile less intimidating and more navigable for the unfamiliar, and gives the OS a glossy sheen and appeal it has never known. I think this winning combination could introduce or convert a fair number of users to Windows Mobile that would have avoided it otherwise - users like me. The tiny problems I discovered regarding the way the two integrate and cooperate will likely be taken care of, as should the appropriate exploitation of the cool little cogs that make this gadget rumble.

One spin at the game “Teeter,” and you'll know you've got something special in your hands. Soon, I hope, the software will accommodate and showcase the shining achievements that live within the Diamond - one of which is a universally accessible, landscape QWERTY keyboard! As I said, hacks addressing this and other problem points are out there, ergo; demand exists. So, if HTC is listening, we will see improved implementation of haptic feedback, accelerometer orientation and landscape mode in software updates.

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