Sprint launches HTC Touch Diamond and Pro into officialdom
by Sean Cooper 
posted Sep 10th 2008 at 10:33AM
Yeah, we all knew -- or rather hoped with all digits crossed -- they were coming, and what better venue to make the announcement than at CTIA in San Francisco. We've talked about these two for what seems like ages so we won't bore you with the tech babble, the important bits are Touch Diamond on September 14th, Touch Pro on October 19th. Pricing? Touch Diamond will run you $249 on two years after $100 rebate and the Touch Pro $299 on the same term after the same $100 rebate. Job well done busting these two out Sprint, we can't wait to get hands-on.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brian @ Sep 10th 2008 10:39AM
About time, now if only Verizon would get on the stick.
Juggernaut @ Sep 10th 2008 11:54AM
Except Verizon's will be crippled. :( I'm with them now and am undecided as to which new carrier I should use to get the Pro.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Sep 10th 2008 2:44PM
yea you can almost garuntee that Verizon's version will be crippled to death. there should seriously be a law against them nickel and dimming their subscribers. if any other carrier got decent reception at my house, i would get rid of Verizon in a heartbeat.
fyreblazer @ Sep 10th 2008 10:40AM
AT&T where are you?
Achilles @ Sep 10th 2008 11:02AM
YES!!! Now my dilemma is do I get the Diamond or the Pro? I like the Pro but it's really thick and that's annoying.
Hush @ Sep 10th 2008 11:16AM
Gross! The Sprint Diamond does in fact have that NASTY maroon battery cover. That will deter me from getting it right there.
http://library.corporate-ir.net/library/22/220/220644/mediaitems/6993/TouchDiamondHTCarsilo.jpg
However it appears the Pro does not.
http://library.corporate-ir.net/library/22/220/220644/mediaitems/7015/TouchProByHTCangle.jpg
Since I don't want the bulk looks like I'm getting neither. Nice job Sprint.
Can I order a Victor black rubberized battery cover from somewhere?
DssTrainer @ Sep 10th 2008 11:23AM
Agreed with both the thickness and maroonness. They should really make batteries longer, not fatter for phones.. especially since the diamond is longer than the Touch, the "longer" lasting battery should have also been "longer".
I'm no fanboy, but the ceiling has been set. Any phone thicker than the original iphone should be thrown straight into the trash.
I await the day we can get a keyboard phone that is still only as wide as that. That will be rapture.
Sorry HTC.. the Touch Diamond was supposed to be the closest thing to an iPhone yet.. but you took a lateral step here...
We want Thin hardware, Android OS, Capacitive Touch screen, and a real Accelerometer. THATS IT! GIVE US WHAT WE WANT!
Esquire0399 @ Sep 10th 2008 2:50PM
@DssTrainer: "...Any phone thicker than the orignal iPhone should be thrown straight in the trash."
Not everyone wants a thin phone! Some people, to include myself, like to feel like they are holding something of some substance. There is this major assumption going on that because thin phones are popular right now, EVERYONE wants one. This is just not the case and I dream of the day that people realize that fact. Not everyone is the same, thus not everyone wants the same thing. Not to mention, a screen being capacitive does not guarantee better quality. Look at the Samsung Glyde: POS!!!
SouthStae019 @ Sep 10th 2008 11:50AM
i agree the maroon is ugly but. nothing that cant be fixed. i am sure with that there must be an aftermarket company to offer if not perhaps might be bought directly from HTC. a back cover shouldn't hold you back from a great phone.
MIKE @ Sep 10th 2008 11:49AM
can someone tell me what happen to the second front camera on the PRO? WILL ATT OR SPRINT have it anymore or do i need to find some place and unlock it ?
projekt84 @ Sep 10th 2008 11:52AM
The Sprint's version of the diamond is thicker because CDMA phones are usually thicker than your typical phone, plus the fact you have the bigger battery adds even more to the thickness.
One thing people fail to realize is that the iPhone is so thin because it's spread out over quite a large length and width. The Diamond is 2"x4"... which is tiny, so SOME thickness is permissible. I'd prefer a bit of thickness for a battery that would last me all day.
How sluggish the UI is though, is unforgivable and shouldn't exist. But it does, and the WSJ review says it still snails along. When your competitors have the public and the press backing you... your devices need to be better in every aspect, not just specs.
What the Frack?! @ Sep 10th 2008 12:03PM
"The Sprint's version of the diamond is thicker because CDMA phones are usually thicker than your typical phone, plus the fact you have the bigger battery adds even more to the thickness."
That's a load of crap.
Bakk @ Sep 10th 2008 12:42PM
This is what I've wanted to know too...How sluggish is the UI exactly??
tamago @ Sep 10th 2008 1:35PM
Watch any Telus HTC Diamond video on youtube and see for yourself if there is any lag present since the first gsm HTC diamond was released. It is very quick and snappy. I think the Sprint version will be no different.
projekt84 @ Sep 10th 2008 1:50PM
"That's a load of crap."
You're right, it's actually sorcery.
The battery is definitely bigger than the unlocked version, so you can attribute it to that if you absolutely must.
Esquire0399 @ Sep 10th 2008 2:50PM
@ What the Frack?!
Actually, it is a well known fact that CDMA phones tend to thicker than their GSM counterparts because of the internal hardware that has to be used. So no, it's not a load of crap, it's technology my friend.
BTW, great name! "What the frack!" I love Sci-Fi. lol
What the Frack?! @ Sep 10th 2008 12:03PM
The Touch Pro is about the same size as a Treo, but more pocket friendly.
Mr Maze @ Sep 10th 2008 12:28PM
I see that there is Picture Mail support for this phone. Hopefully, that means the rest of us Sprint Winmo users see an MMS update in the near future...
Hush @ Sep 10th 2008 1:21PM
Sprint WinMo phones don't do MMS?
Vic @ Sep 10th 2008 2:21PM
To Hush:
This phone is the first WM phone from Sprint to support Picture Mail. Hopefully, this means Sprint will roll out an update allowing other WM users and BlackBerry users to access Picture Mail.
A-lo @ Sep 10th 2008 2:33PM
I don't care if it's lime green or if it's 2mm thicker. I want to know when Verizon will be releasing their Touch Pro! The duct tape on my current phone won't last much longer...
Brian @ Sep 10th 2008 2:50PM
you realize verizon cripples it in ways worse then color and size right? they take out innards and lower the cpu processor take out memory all that so they save money
mikjawn @ Sep 10th 2008 4:55PM
at first i was pissed when i saw the sprint diamond because of how sprint fucked up the shape (hasen't anyone else noticed this? i havent seen any other complaints about it.) of the beautiful phone but i got over it and still followed its coverage. now that sprint totally fucked it up with the shitty red colored, flat, normal back cover there is no way in hell i will be getting this unless sprint offers a different color. sprint even fucked with the touch flow. GODDAMIT that really pisses me off. sprint also fucked up the shape of the touch pro... someone please tell me if you dont like how sprint fucked the shape up.
superklye @ Sep 10th 2008 10:19PM
Yes.
We noticed.
Many times.
And long before this post.
Get over it. It's a phone. Not a tattoo, not a piercing, not a suit.
Not that bad.
Ton6y @ Sep 25th 2008 10:19PM
How do you figure that sprint screwed up the shape? Because the images on HTC's website are renders meaning that they aren't the final size and are just conceptual drawings and that dimensions and shapes can be and probably will be changed as the company sees fit, plus I looked at high-res images on sprint's corporate webpage and HTC's webpage of the diamond and pro they look 95% the same except no different angles on the battery cover and sprint's version is a little rounded on the edges, I'm glad that they are rounder because it'll deflect impact when and if the phone falls on carpet, hardwood floors or tiled floors. a little scratch it always better than a broken phone, IMHO.
Arthur @ Sep 11th 2008 4:17AM
Is this not a picture of HTC Victor P3702 and not the Diamond P3700? It has the rounded edges and curved bottom on the screen....
genesic @ Sep 11th 2008 5:06PM
umm..HELLO...TMOBILE....???? you guys still alive? I know you still recive my payments every month, just wanted to know
do you see what customers want? What we are looking for..?
Trudy @ Sep 15th 2008 9:20PM
I'm with you on this one. I'm seriously considering another provider even though I really like T-mobile's service. The best thing they have right now that has the features I want is a the Wing @ $299! That's just ridiculous compared to the newer phones with other carriers. Does anyone know what's to come to T-mobile in regards to phones? I need some input before making that final leap. Thanks in advance
bduerr @ Oct 27th 2008 10:42AM
I was in Columbia Mo. this weekend at Mizzou and the Best Buy had one on display with a $299 w/ contract . . . I was surprised at the differance in the thickness between it and the Touch.It was a lot thicker than I expected.