At <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/CTIA">CTIA Fall 2008</a>, <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phones/sprint-nextel/4505-6454_7-32137729.html">Sprint</a> made a number of cell phone and smartphone announcements, including the HTC Touch Diamond. Check out our hands-on gallery of this hot Windows Mobile smartphone, and then read our full review to see if it delivers on more than just good looks.
For text entry, you can use the onscreen keyboard, which you can switch from full QWERTY to compact QWERTY to phone keyboard or other formats, depending on your preference. Most of the time we used the full QWERTY, which we found pretty cramped. We had a number of mispresses and we weren't able to fire off text messages or e-mails with as much confidence or as fast as we could with a tactile keyboard.
Here you can see some of the differences between the Sprint (left) and unlocked GSM version of the HTC Touch Diamond. One design feature we missed was the cool prism effect on the back of the GSM model.
While much of the smartphone's operations is handled by the touch screen, there are some tactile controls below the display, including Talk and End buttons, a Home shortcut, a back key, and a directional keypad with a center select button.
On back, you'll find 3.2-megapixel camera, which features a 4x zoom and video-recording capabilities. Unfortunately, we were disappointed by the image quality, as photos looked gray and a bit dull.
Of course, the big allure of the HTC Touch Diamond is the 3D TouchFlo interface. In general, it works the same way as the unlocked Touch Diamond, but the Today screen and overall look has been tweaked and customized for Sprint.
By name, the HTC Touch Diamond for Sprint is the same as the unlocked GSM version. However, a number of design changes inside and out make the Sprint model almost like a new device. The smartphone has more rounded edges and a burgundy back cover that features a smooth, soft-touch finish.
While design is one thing, we were more concerned about whether Sprint's version would be a better performer than the unbearably slow unlocked Touch Diamond. Thankfully, the answer is yes, as the Sprint Touch Diamond is noticeably snappier.
The Sprint Touch Diamond is slightly thicker and heavier than the current GSM Touch Diamond, but overall it's still a very compact smartphone, measuring 4 inches tall by 2 inches wide by 0.6 inch deep and weighing 4.1 ounces.
It feels solid and comfortable to use, and you should have no problem slipping the handset into a pants pocket or purse. Just take care to protect the gorgeous 2.8-inch VGA touch screen.
