It'd already been known that HTC got a little help from the boys and girls at San Fran-based One & Co in designing
its beautiful, WinMo-defying TouchFLO 3D user interface along with the
Touch Diamond on which it premiered; apparently, HTC likes the result so much that it's snapping the privately-held firm right off the market. One & Co's expertise certainly isn't limited to phones -- its clients span from Coca-Cola to Adidas, Dell, and Palm -- and interestingly, HTC has decided that the move won't spell the end of the design consultancy, so if you were hoping to get your hands on an HTC-designed K2 snowboard, you might just have a shot. We're told that the injection of fresh thought that found its way into the Diamond will ultimately filter its way through HTC's entire lineup, which we're taking to mean Android- and WinMo-based devices alike -- and sorry,
G1, but if this means that we can eventually land a Google-powered set with a giant display and some glossy facets on its rear, you know you're getting eBayed
right quick.
Update: We've just received a correction from HTC -- One & Co was actually not involved in the creation of TouchFLO 3D, just the Diamond's hardware. Our apologies!
posted Dec 3rd 2008 at 12:01AM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hush @ Dec 3rd 2008 12:28PM
Pointy cornered devices aren't a good design for cell phones... Maybe nice to look at but not nice to pocket/handle all day... I have Diamond and dislike the design over the original Touch.
NuShrike @ Dec 3rd 2008 1:52PM
It's so pretty that it's non-functional.
What were they thinking putting 8-buttons on the same surface mixed with capacitive touch that isn't even used for most of the buttons? Who does their QA now?
Might as well have vehicle makers get rid of steering wheels and change them all to joysticks. Btw, steering wheels are resistant to vibration and g-forces, and so multi-buttons are resistant to getting pressed at the same time versus that abomination known as a d-pad on the Touch Pro.
It was just super-genius to throw away their Tilt innovation (which Nokia now picked up), as well as finally falling in line with d-pad set up that's been in usage BEFORE cellphones.
HTC just signed death-warrants on future products since they still cannot grasp pretty from rock-solid usability from their high-error touch UI to their new, high-wear, surface unstable, sticky, finger-print attracting cases.
Xperia already handing Touch Pro its ass for preferred design. Stay a sleep HTC, because a steering wheel lets you.
Bakk @ Dec 3rd 2008 6:11PM
Umm, The touch diamond rocks...Its an amazing phone, other then the phone having a tiny bit of lag, but really that is more of a windows mobile complaint and its still 100% usable for "Getting things done"...Show me an iphone that can watch my slingbox, give turn by turn directions, sync my calander and contacts with google over the air, the list goes on and on.
KilgoreTrout @ Dec 14th 2008 2:30PM
Just try a Samsung Omnia.
I gave back the HTC touch pro because I could'nt stand it, and the lag is due to the bloated touch flo software not win mobile.
Samsung managed the incredible with the latest incarnation of touch wiz on the Omnia: win mobile now is fast and actually easy to use on a touch screen.
Oh I also tried HTC touch HD : it sucks too.
Same problems as the diamond and the touch pro. One of my friend who just love the touch HD screen and wants to keep on using it (even while admitting the Omnia's superiority as a smartphone) has disabled the Touch Flo software to make it more usable.
And as GPS the Omnia, that comes with route66, googlemaps + street view is even better, faster and more precise than my dedicaded garmin 670 gps device.
Try it to belive it.
DssTrainer @ Dec 4th 2008 9:24AM
After seeing the concept designed bluetooth earbuds that they made for plantronics (which i am still desperately waiting for), I really hope they make some cool new designs for HTC.
I just hope they don't prevent them for designing for other companies as well.
r2xj @ Dec 12th 2008 5:08PM
@nushrike: i believe it actually just 4 buttons (up, down, left, right) and the touch is actually what tells it what button you are trying to push.