When you’re looking for a pocket pc, it’s difficult to walk past HTC. It’s an established company and already has more than 10 years of experience. The Touch Diamond 2, also called Topaz, is their newest flagship without a keyboard. If you write a lot, then the Touch Pro 2 might be the device you’re looking for.

I don’t intend to write an extensive review, as loads of them already exist, but my thoughts about the daily use of my mobile phone. The mentioned reviews vary from this to good and comprehensive reviews like this. Apparently, while some reviewers try to introduce a product as unbiased as possible and based on facts, others could simply title their articles/posts: ‘It has a stylus – buy an Iphone.’

Firstly, I’d like to say that I had only Nokia devices, before I bought the HTC P3600 a while ago. This was my first pocket pc and Windows Mobile device. Switching to the new HTC Diamond 2, I wouldn’t dare to compare these devices. Not that my old mobile phone was bad, the new one simply is too good.

The good

It’s a sleek design. I saw it, I loved it and still do so. It’s plain, understated but still offers an overall sophisticated look because of the metal finish. The back is a fingerprint magnet though, which is why I find myself rubbing the back of my mobile phone/pocket pc on jeans, T-shirts and other materials all the time. HTC brought a matt finished battery cover on the market and I’m sure I will get that eventually to support the overall look. The size is another advantage. It fits easily in your pocket if necessary without making you look like a tennis player before the serve.

I like the TouchFlo3D software HTC has improved again. It’s snappy, integrated deeper into the system and it looks really good on that screen. While resistive screens need pressure to work, the screen used for the Diamond 2 is as close to capacitive as it gets at the moment and improves the overall usability a lot. Because of this, and TouchFlo3D, I don’t really use my stylus a lot. Almost everything scrolls and flicks over the screen with the push or slide of my finger. Once Windows Mobile is set up, everything I need is easily available and doesn’t require the stylus. Additional software and the upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 (free update possibility comes with the device) allow the sylus to rest at its comfy place. This is a big plus for the usability. I use my mobile phone mostly for phone calls (I know – what a surprise), writing e-mails and surfing the web and haven’t found myself using the stylus for that thus far. The daily experience with my new ‘gadget’ can therefore only be described as joyful.

The bad

The choice of the materials makes the device a solid phone, but the battery cover does have its flaws. Next to the fingerprint-friendly look, it’s cracking a little where the stylus is placed. While I understand that this is a weak spot, I still don’t have to like it. Especially when turned into landscape mode to type, this sound irritates me.

TouchFlo3D is a HTC developed software and next to being rhich in features, it makes working with a Windows Mobile device a lot more attractive. Moving from one application to another is partly quite difficult as I have to slide left and right to find the one desired. While this is fun in the beginning, it sometimes gives me the feeling to be rather a show off than a useful feature. The weather application is another example for that. When it’s raining, a little windscreen wiper cleans the screen, but before this could happen, I usually switched to another application already. This isn’t a big deal to me and doesn’t influence the usage in general, it’s just something I realised in everyday use and additional software or  other opportunities to make use of the touchscreen are widely available.

No camera hardware button. What should I say to that? I would have preferred pushing a button rather than touching the display to make a picture. Trying to hold the camera steady while taking pictures isn’t impossible, but does require the undivided attention.

Last but not least I have to mention the looks of the applications available and Windows Mobile 6.1. I really appreciate the time and effort countless developer put into the development of additional software to cover the ugliness of WM6.1, but the nice and smooth looks from the Iphone’s OS (a comparison must be allowed at this point) and across all applications, seems untouchable.

Just one more thing. Why can’t I show my tasks on the Home screen? I can see the time, date, appointments and I don’t know what, but now tasks. Even moving to the calender application doesn’t change that. Adding appointments is nice and easy but not everything I want to remember is an appointment. Well, additional software changed that for me, but showing tasks on the Home screen seems a vision. Pretty bad for a pocket pc that claims to have it all. Seriously, this on really gets on my nerves.

Conclusion

It’s an impressive mobile phone/pocket pc. Whatever you desire in hardware, it’s squeezed into this little handheld device. Camera, GPS, Wlan and more features are integrated into a fast Windows Mobile device that actually responds when you ‘click’ something. Even after installing apps, games and adding countless contacts with pictures the device won’t start to slow down – not until now, so keep your fingers crossed.

TouchFlo3D is a nice piece of software and does what it’s supposed to (cover WM6.1) in a fingerfriendly and easy to use manner. Missing 3.5 headjack on this mobile phone isn’t really something I mind. Different story with hardware keys. I’m currently working my way through the various free- and trial-applications that offer fingerfriendly typing. HTC’s own is actually the one I like most so far, but no comparison to a proper keyboard. So if you don’t mind the extra bulk, I would go for the Touch Pro 2. Otherwise, the Diamond 2 is exactly what the name suggests.