HTC Touch Diamond2 with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional

INTRODUCTION

WHAT'S HOT

(all images link to larger versions)

The Diamond2, like the original Diamond, feels petite in hand. To accommodate the taller screen, the Diamond2 is .23" taller than the Diamond. In-hand, the high level of build quality is evident.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX

Here is the unboxing video for the Touch Diamond2.

This is the box for the Diamond2. Unlike the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro, the unboxing experience for the Diamond2 is under-whelming. The device is presented without fanfare in a boring cardboard box.

    Inside the box we have a charger and sync cable, an extra stylus, software/reading material, extUSB earphones with extra felts, and a screen protector. Missing is a case or pouch, and the extUSB converter jack that lets you use your own headphones. You can get one for super cheap from Amazon.

THE DEVICE

    The Diamond2 is undoubtedly a sweet looking device. It uses a mix of metals and plastics, which gives it a high quality look while saving on weight. You may agree that the Diamond2 lacks the stunning visual appeal that the original had. Missing is a D-Pad, but the interface on the Diamond2 is finger-friendly enough to where the D-Pad isn't missed. The 3.2" screen is larger than the original Diamond, but really, the screen is just taller.

Zooming into the top, we see the speaker grill with the light sensor and status light on either side. To the right of that is the VGA camera for video calls.

   Closer to the bottom we can see the zoom slider, which uses resistance to register taps. You can use the zoom slider in Google Maps, the photo gallery, and Opera Mobile. Below that are four hardware keys, which offer great tactile feedback. We have call start/end, plus an OK button, and the Windows flag, which will open the Start button.

Turning over to the left side, we have a predominant volume up/down rocker.

    On the bottom we have the microphone, a lanyard hook, and the extUSB port used for syncing, charging, and audio. As mentioned, the Diamond2 doesn't come with a converter jack for 3.5mm audio, but it does come with headphones that work in this port.

    On the right side, we can see the non-collapsable stylus, which is not magnetic like the Touch Pro, Touch HD, and Touch Diamond. That said, when you slide out the stylus, the phone comes out of standby and the screen turns on. To the right of that is the speaker which fires to the right so that it doesn't get easily covered when on a table. Unfortunately, the speaker distorts at 80% volume and above.

Here is another shot of the stylus. Because the screen sensitivity on the Diamond2 is so high, and because the interface is well optimized for finger-friendly operation, I seldom used the stylus.

HTC did away with the diamond faceted backing, which we really liked. Instead, the back is covered with a shiny black cheap piece of plastic that is scratch and fingerprint prone.

Zooming closer into the 5.0MP camera, we see the that the lens is surrounded by a nice brushed metal triangular piece. There is no flash on the camera.

If we slide off the back cover, we reveal the 1100mAh battery. Under the stylus is a soft reset hole.

And here is the microSD slot, under the battery cover. We wish it were more accessible.

And when you are in dark conditions, the hardware keys glow white.

COMPARISONS

Here is a comparison shot with the Apple iPhone, Touch HD, Touch Diamond2, Touch Pro, and Mobinnova ICE.

Here they are in the same order, stacked. The Diamond2 is just a bit thicker than the Touch HD and original Diamond.

Click onto the next page where we'll talk about software and the new version of TouchFLO 3D that comes on this device.