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There are only three mobile phone companies for me: Apple, HTC and Nokia – in that order. That said, I actually start to forget about them (having an iPhone). Concentrating on the news about the upcoming version, I almost ignore news on other mobile phones such as the upcoming HTC Desire.

To find out more about this phone, watch the following video (more reviews are available on YouTube):

Owning an iPhone, other mobile phones take a back seat in comparison. Nevertheless, I like HTC and their effort to make Windows Mobile work in a nice way, as far as that is possible. Their newest release is the HD 2 and John Hermann wrote a good review on gizmodo.com.

In my opinion the article highlights well, how HTC continuously releases really good mobile phones, which – unfortunately – are mostly shipped with Windows Mobile. I’d like them to go a step further than adding Android phones to their range and offer their own operating system. Maybe that is too far fetched, but if they continue to work with Windows Mobile, I wouldn’t wonder if they would lose a lot of their hard earned market share in the future.

Reading quite a bit about the new user interface, I couldn’t resist and wrote HTC’s support center:

Dear Sir or Madam from HTC’s support center

I recently purchased the new HTC Touch Diamond 2, not knowing that an Android device, namely the HTC Hero will soon be available.

My question refers to the newly added user interface HTC Sense. Will this be available for Windows Mobile in general and if so, will I be able to make an update not only to Windows Mobile 6.5 but also to HTC Sense?

Hardware wise I doubt that this should be a problem, so I would appreciate an information regarding this issue.

Kind Regards

André

I will update this article once I got an answer. If it takes HTC too long – and that’s quite possible since I’m quite impatient – I will call them.

Update:

I got my answer but can’t say I’m happy with it. I guess at the moment that really means we have to play the waiting-game.

Dear valued HTC customer,
Thank you for contacting our Customer Support Center. We are dedicated to providing you with the best quality service and answering all of your questions and concerns.

Unfortunately, we do not have that information yet, I will recommend you keep checking in our web site, www.htc.com

If the above steps do not resolve your issue, we invite you to visit the support area on our Web site. Please go to: http://www.htc.com/www/support.aspx
Or you can go to: http://www.htc.com/select_country.htm, select your country and then click on the Support tab.
You can also call our Call Center, you can find your local number at: http://www.htc.com/europe/CA_Hotline.aspx If you have further questions.

Thank you once again for your continued patronage.

Best regards,

Patricia Diaz
Europe customer support team
HTC Corp. Global Service Division

HTC Hero is the new Android mobile phone from HTC and was shown at the press event in London in June. As prices aren’t known yet, this device certainly has an interesting style, similar to the first Android phone, the G1. It will be launched in July in Europe, continuing the release in Asia and then USA by the end of 2009. Available in 7 colours and with a lotus-effect to secure these, it will feature the newly devloped HTC Sence, which will replace HTC’s TouchFlo.

HTC Sense is a milestone for HTC and aims to distinguish between their products and those of competing companies. Watching the video (below), I’m quite sure they will achieve this. I bought a HTC Diamond 2 recently and the TouchFlow3D user interface is really snappy, which proved HTC’s capability of hiding an ugly operating system (Windows Mobile) and adding helpful features. Therefore I think that the new interface will work quite smoothly and especially Facebook and Twitter widgets look promising. HTC also announced that all upcoming devices will work with HTC Sense. While it’s unlikely that a new Windows Mobile device will be released soon, as Touch Pro 2 and Diamond 2 just joined HTC’s family, HTC promised it will implement it’s new user interface on Windows Mobile phones. If not, I’m sure new ROMs will be available anyways. The big question I find unanswered: How will Microsoft react and how will HTC implement its new interface and widgets into Windows Mobile?

Update:

The guys at Phonedog got a first look at the HTC Hero and posted a few videos well worth watching, if you’re interested in this device and/or software. The videos are also available at MobileTechAddicts, where Chris lists the videos ready to be watched.

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.