Cell phone maker HTC understands that software design is important. Many of its smart devices run Windows Mobile, a full featured, flexible OS that's usually let down by a combination of inadequate hardware and balky control schemes. That's why the company developed TouchFLO, a shell that provides one touch controls, finger swipes, and a nicely organized home screen. The company's latest TouchFLO phone, the unlocked Touch Diamond, is a striking affair with a full VGA screen and robust feature set.
Despite plenty of high end features, however, it's difficult to recommend. In person, the Touch Diamond feels like a jewel at least compared with the company's earlier chunkier Touch models. It's a slim slab that measures just 4.0 by 2.0 by 0.4 inches (HWD).Combined with its 3.9 ounce weight, you'll barely notice it in your pocket. The front panel is almost all screen, aside from four big hardware buttons and a circular five way control pad.
The back of the handset features staggered cuts in the black gloss plastic that give the edgy design character.
The sides of the unit are mostly clean, save for two volume buttons on the left, a power button on the top, and a mini USB jack on the bottom. The Touch Diamond's 2.8 inch, 480 by 640 pixel touch screen beats even the iPhone's sharp 320 by 480 display, although the HTC's is smaller by 0.7 inch. The home screen is one of the Touch Diamond's best features. It includes a large clock with flipping, Rolodex style numbers, along with quick access buttons to the Web browser, address book, text messaging, and email.
The screen responds to finger gestures for browsing the Web and launching programs, but it's not as smooth as the iPhone it often had to repeat the gestures several times. Interface graphics fade in and out smoothly, and there's lots of slick animation. Even the fonts are sharp and crisp due to the increased screen resolution.
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