MWC 2009: HTC review – GSMArena.com examines

HTC had us rather anxious to stop by their cubicle at the MWC in Barcelona as well as obtain some touchscreen activity with WinMo as well as Android taste. 2 interested follows up despite the HTC Touch Pro2 as well as Touch Diamond2, together with the Android-based Magic appeared fascinating sufficient for a fast preview.

Unfortunately, it was just the HTC Touch Diamond2 that got on screen at HTC cubicle. The Touch Pro2 as well as the HTC Magic are still very early models as well as were protected quite very closely. Still, we had a sufficient view them also, as well as we lived to inform the tale.

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HTC Booth

HTC Touch Diamond2

Holding the Diamond2 in hand, one of the most striking uniqueness is the missing out on D-pad/scroll wheel. Incidentally that’s the TouchPro2 strategy as well. Maybe since Touch HD, HTC are dropping D-pads. A lot of individuals will not mind its lack in Number 2, though some circumstances needed its usage – choosing a thing off the reasonably little high-res present of the Ruby making use of the touch display with your finger is a genuine obstacle while on a relocating lorry as an example. So a much more specific method of making your options rated. Nonetheless, the D-pad is no place to be discovered on these items.

So, that leads us to the new attribute in the Diamond2 – the Zoom bar, which is positioned at the end of the display. Generally, it gets the job done of the old Diamond’s touch-sensitive scroll wheel. You can utilize it to focus as well as out on photos, website as well as messages, as well as also in the video camera. We believe bench does much better than the wheel as well as is less complicated to deal with.

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HTC Touch Diamond2 is virtually 2mm thicker than its precursor • concentrate on the new zoom bar

The 4 equipment tricks are likewise influenced by the gone D-pad, they’re currently embeded in line right under the Zoom bar. The Back trick exists obviously – as well as rather welcome – together with 2 telephone call tricks as well as the Residence trick.

The screen has actually expanded both in both dimension as well as resolution, however this likewise occurred to the tool’s dimension. The Diamond2 has 2 added mm around the midsection as well as we do not believe there’s anything much to warrant that.

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HTC Touch Ruby with an open internet browser • the zoom bar with backlit keys

The actually good aesthetic upgrade nevertheless is the all-metal framework that border the screen as well as covers the top component of the Diamond2 body. That’s one outstanding style.

We understand what would certainly have however no, a 3.5 mm jack is not there once more. The Ruby is not a songs driven tool, no question concerning that, however we see 3.5 mm jacks in virtually every premium phone recently. Heck, also on Sony Ericsson handsets.

And also talking rather seriously, what’s up with HTC as well as video camera tricks? The brand-new Diamond2 still does not have one aboard. We do not actually like software program shutter tricks as well as there’s barely anything that can alter our mind.

Incidentally, there’s an additional attribute that the Diamond2 does not have – it’s the magnetic stylus pen. The stylus pen is energetic as previously, it’s simply that it does not communicate on magnets anymore to aid connecting it back in. Pity, we actually suched as that attribute.

To finish the equipment adjustments, the Diamond2 is reduced rather in a different way at the back – none of the faceted natural beauty of the initial. The only point that advises of the initial Ruby is the cleaned steel plate around the video camera lens. The last incidentally is up a notch to 5 megapixels however really did not actually functioned well on the presented devices, so we will not be publishing video camera examples.

Diamond2 over Ruby equipment specs

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• 288 MEGABYTES RAM as well as 512 MEGABYTES ROM vs 192 MEGABYTES RAM as well as 256 MEGABYTES ROM .
• microSD memory growth vs. no card port however 4Gb on-board storage space .
• 1100 mAh Li-Ion vs. 900 mAh Li-Ion (virtually double the main standby time quote) .
• 5 MP AF video camera vs. 3.15 MP AF .
• 3.2″ WVGA touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels) vs. 2.8″ VGA 480 x 640 pixels) touchscreen .
• Quad-band GSM assistance vs tri-band GSM assistance .

As it appears nevertheless it’s the software program that makes the Ruby follow up so fascinating. The exclusive TouchFLO 3D for finger move navigating is updated in both functions as well as feedback. The distinction is most significant when searching photos – the onscreen picture will basically stay with your thumb as well as respond fluidly as well as virtually literally. The zoom motion of the old Ruby is not offered obviously since you have the zoom bar.

The TouchFLO 3D obviously is maintaining the underlying WinMo user interface virtually under covers. Its Residence tab as an example incorporates the Telephone call log, Time, Alarm system application, home windows schedule as well as weather similarly it finished with the HTC Touch Pro, of which we have a thorough sneak peek. Opening up a specific day in the schedule exposes not just the pending occasions however likewise the weather.

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Some of the brand-new functions in the TouchFLO 3D UI • the begin bar is likewise renovated

The Individuals tab has actually been fine-tuned up. It includes 4 faster way symbols under the call image – mobile, job, message as well as e-mail.

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The Individuals tab with 4 faster way icons

The call information are the various other crucial upgrade right here. The calls’ areas have actually expanded in number. Choosing a get in touch with will certainly expose its information as well as the design is extra thumbable, with larger tabs as well as areas. One more hassle-free enhancement is the tabs near the bottom, which consist of threaded messaging background with an alternative for straight reply, along with e-mails as well as call background.

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The Phone book with the added favourites as well as call background tabs

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Opening a get in touch with: tunned user interface as well as limited assimilation with mail, messages as well as call background for the existing call is a truly useful feature

Displaying a get in touch with is rather alright. However what we were really happily stunned is that editing and enhancing a get in touch with is likewise offered in the brand-new calls user interface so you would not need to turn to underlying WinMo for that. One of the most typically utilized areas (similar to the apple iphone 3G calls) are significantly bigger as well as rather thumbable, while the remainder comes using the initial Windows Mobile user interface.

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Editing a get in touch with is likewise offered in the brand-new calls user interface for the most typically utilized fields

Continuing with the software program upgrades we concern the a little changed in-call display along with the revamped software program key-board for much better individual kindness.

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The revamped in-call display with the “extra alternatives” section

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The keypad uses wonderful individual kindness in both regular as well as landscape modes

A wonderful possession is the updated Beginning food selection, which as opposed to a drop-down listing, currently looks like a fullscreen scrollable listing of huge symbols.

Usually, HTC are doing a terrific task with their UI plug-ins.

While the phone is formally introduced to operate on the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Specialist OS, later on this year there will certainly be a main upgrade to the advanced as well as thumb-optimized Windows Mobile 6.5, which officially debuted right here at the WMC.