We’ve gotten official word from HTC concerning the Touch Diamond and the Touch Pro release dates and prices for the Sprint network. We already kind of figured the launch date for the Diamond to be September 14th, although HTC just says it’ll be “available in September” while we now know that the Touch Pro (seen above) will be available on October 19th. The Touch Diamond, as you’ll recall, will cost $249 after a $100 mail-in rebate. The Touch Pro will cost $299, also after a $100 mail-in rebate. Both will require a two-year contract with Sprint. → Read More
I was never a Touch man. I loved the iPhone but the Touch never drove me to drink in quite the same way. I am pleased, however, to report that I’m getting me a 32GB Touch as soon as the Apple Store opens tomorrow. Why? A few reasons. → Read More
Cool. Looks like the HTC Touch Diamond (and presumably the HTC Touch Diamond Pro) can actually do multi-touch. Apparently it’s just around the navigation buttons that the multi-touch works – not the entire screen, which seems odd. The feature is revealed when using HTC’s Nav Debug Tool but so far doesn’t have any practical use beyond simple testing. However, HTC updates its ROMs on a fairly regular basis so maybe we’ll someday see this feature come to light for normal people like you and me. From MobileTopSoft: Here is how it works: * The area around the navi-wheel is actually a capacitive touch-area with multi-touch * it may allow using finger pinching gesture and finger spreading gesture (zooming for example) and also implement 2 finger moving for panning gesture for example too. * Not all capacitive touch-areas are multi-touch at the same time! * You can try it for yourself at XDA-Developers NavDbgTool.exe, you must have registered account there in order to download [via Gizmodo] → Read More
Cool. Looks like the HTC Touch Diamond (and presumably the HTC Touch Diamond Pro) can actually do multi-touch. Not only multi-touch on the screen itself, but all the way down around the navi-wheel and buttons. [Update – Apparently it’s just around the navigation buttons that the multi-touch works.] The feature is revealed when using HTC’s Nav Debug Tool but so far doesn’t have any practical use beyond simple testing. However, HTC updates its ROMs on a fairly regular basis so maybe we’ll someday see this feature come to light for normal people like you and me. From MobileTopSoft: Here is how it works: * The area around the navi-wheel is actually a capacitive touch-area with multi-touch * it may allow using finger pinching gesture and finger spreading gesture (zooming for example) and also implement 2 finger moving for panning gesture for example too. * Not all capacitive touch-areas are multi-touch at the same time! * You can try it for yourself at XDA-Developers NavDbgTool.exe, you must have registered account there in order to download [via Gizmodo] → Read More
This “physical ambient display” is beautiful and useless — in other words, it’s art. It senses the position of your finger in the water based on electric gradients and adjusts the display based on that. It uses a lot of horsepower to do it; I bet analog equipment with real bubbles could get much the same effect. Not that I’m ragging on this thing — it’s very cool, and part of its appeal is that it’s a digital/analog crossover. You can learn more about the project here at the creator’s page. [via Gizmodo] → Read More
This UnMouse pad being shown at the Microsoft Research Summit looks pretty freaking awesome. It’s a super-thin, pressure-sensitive little pad that can take just about as many inputs as you care to give it — and each input contains analog pressure info. Microsoft is working with NYU to put it out there; it’s apparently cheap to make and is almost certainly able to be made in many sizes. Trouble is it probably can’t be transparent, so it can’t be used in touchscreens. But something like this could be great for putting in cheaper devices that can’t include tech like that. I’m thinking tiny laptops! → Read More
HTC had the Diamond Touch Pro – the one with the keyboard – on display today and I got a bit of time with it. It’s similar in size and shape to the Diamond and quite classy looking. It wasn’t on so I couldn’t test the keyboard but it was definitely compact and usable in its own right. Let’s just drool a bit and move on, shall we? → Read More
Since the beginning of June, Marubeni is offering iPod cases made of Kiori Tennage (wood veneer sheets) for the Japanese market. Prices vary between $65 and $93. The cases are available for the iPod classic/nano/Touch. → Read More
Rumors are swirling concerning the device that HTC is getting set to launch on Tuesday in London. I’ll be at the event to report that actual facts, but here’s a leaked photo from an Italian website called NewsMobile and some supposed specs. – Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional – 2.8-inch VGA (640×480) touchscreen with HTC’s "Touch FLO" interface – 528MHz processor by Qualcomm – 4GB of storage, 128MB of RAM, microSD slot – First production units thought to be GSM/GPRS/EDGE with HSDPA (7.2Mbps down), EVDO Rev. A version to follow – Connections include WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, and GPS – 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera, FM Radio, orientation sensor I’ll report back live from the event on Tuesday. More photos after the jump. → Read More
Some new phones from HTC are apparently on their way to Sprint, previously known as Diamond and Raphael. The Diamond will be called the HTC Touch Diamond and the Raphael will be called the HTC Touch Pro, according to MoDaCo. There will also be a device called the HTC Touch Dual Pro, previously codenamed the HTC Titanium. The Touch Pro, shown above, will likely replace Sprint’s HTC Mogul and the Touch Diamond will replace Sprint’s Touch. The Touch Dual Pro is thought to replace the Touch Dual, which is basically a Touch with a slide-down numeric keypad. → Read More
Though we can’t say we’re friends with the interface (we’re looking at you, Windows Mobile), we love what HTC does. They make high-end, usually OEM smartphones for the business crowd, and lately they’ve been paying a lot more attention to design, something it’s never been known for before. HTC has a pair of new phones coming to replace the Mogul and TyTN series as well as the popular Touch. So far they’re called the Diamond and the Raphael, and they’re expected to hit the CDMA vendors this holiday season, likely with Sprint being first. Both devices offer slide-out QWERTY keyboards, 3G, GPS, and the Raphael rocks the WiFi. What’s really notable is they both also feature full VGA resolution screens, something that could maybe — maybe — make WinMo usable. → Read More
Who here likes buttons? Like, honest-to-God buttons that you push and then something happens? I do. It’s one of the reasons why I’m fairly nonplussed by the iPhone. (All the pre-launch THIS WILL CHANGE THE WORLD nonsense also bothered me, too.) I’m not trying to be all “unreasonable” or anything, but I simply prefer the feeling I get when pushing a physical button. Hence, before they go the way of the Knicks, my endorsement of buttons today. Rule Britannia. → Read More
The HTC Touch is now available through Verizon Wireless, although it’s called the XV6900 which we can all agree sounds much, much cooler. It’ll set you back $299 for the device itself and then you’ll enjoy paying at least $80 per month for data service and 450 anytime minutes, which you might find to be an absurd amount for voice and data service. I know I do. Oh, you can also use your new XV6900 as a modem for your laptop. That’s another $15 per month. Oh, and only for 5GB of data. After that you’ll pay 49 cents per megabyte in overage charges. But hey, someone’s gotta pay the hundreds and hundreds of “actors” union wages to follow the Verizon Guy around in all those commercials. Verizon Wireless XV6900 Product Page [VerizonWireless.com] → Read More
Just got a look at the forthcoming HTC Touch Dual that Matt told us all about earlier today and I have some more information for you, plus a video. 1. It’ll be sold exclusively through Best Buy sometime this quarter. 2. It’ll be unlocked and will run on GSM networks and AT&T’s HSDPA protocol. 3. Price has not yet been set. An unlocked Touch runs about $500, though, so maybe look for the Touch Dual to cost at least that — maybe even $600 or so. → Read More
