HTC Touch Diamond or iPhone 3g

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InsanePerson

Limp Gawd
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May 30, 2008
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Topic says it all and those are the phones I am considering so far. I did have the Instinct in that list but I think the consensus everywhere is that phone blows.

So Touch Diamond vs iPhone, anyone have any suggestions?
I'm on Sprint right now, but my contract is up so I have no problems switching to AT&T.

What are the benefits on the Touch as far as the unlocked flashes, such as Juicy that i keep hearing about?
 
jiucy is a custom rom that supposedly adds features, reliability, and battery life. How much is real and how much is placebo is up for debate but it gets generally good reviews.

For the phones. First I would look at how has better coverage in your area. 3G in particular as AT&T's 3G coverage is far inferior to Sprint. EVDO simply has a much larger coverage area but if they are both good where you will use the phone and don't travel a lot then that doesn't matter as much.

Next, how much storage do you need? The Diamond has 4GB of internal and no expanion slot. So your collection isn't going with you. iPhone has the DIamon easily covered here.

How much video do you intend to watch? The larger screen of the iPhone is easily the winner here, plus the additional storage space comes back into play,

Do you like itunes? Personally I hate itunes with a passion and will never let it be loaded onto another of my systems. Others like it, depends on where you sit on the fence.

Otherwise they are pretty equal. The custom opera mini on the Diamond is very good but Safari is still the champ.

All that said I am getting a Diamond in a couple weeks but mainly because I am stuck(willingly but still stuck) with sprint. 3G plus sero is an awesome combination.
 
Better also see if ATT will require a deposit before you can get that iPhone. Wife works for ATT customer service and she has seen as much as $750 deposit for people who have decent credit otherwise.
 
I got teh touch diamond, and i could not be happier. its friggin awesome, its incredibly responsive with a custom rom (mightys rom is the best, way better than juicys).

the screen is so much better than the iphones, due to the awesome VGA resolution.

the 4gb of space could be an issue, but i'm not using it as my main music or video player, so I couldnt care less

the 3g speed of sprints network is also amazing, and i have coverage basically everywhere.
 
Insane, I work for Sprint, so take this as you will:

The Diamond and Pro are basically the most worthless pieces of crap out there. Actually, correction: The Palm 800w is THE most worthless piece of crap out there, but the HTCs are right up there. Now, I'm not an apple fanboy (though I do like the phone), and I couldn't possibly see justifying spending $170 per month (Unlimited talk, text, data and nav) to get something you could get for $99 with Sprint. Especially since we do have a better network, at least in my area. I'm a Blackberry guy, and frankly, the Curve IS the best phone we have. The voice quality, the OS reliability, the battery life (2.5 days on the curve vs 12 hours on the HTCs with moderate usage), etc etc.

If you really want a WinMo phone, wait till January, when the Treo Pro comes out for Sprint. If you want something killer right now, go Blackberry.
 
I have a 2G iPhone on T-Mobile and I was dying to get rid of it mostly because I got tired of being locked down in terms of what I wanted to do with the phone (mostly lack of MMS... missed out on a lot of pics of chicks :( ).

Anyway, on Cyber Monday, AT&T had a deal for a free smartphone with a new account so I saw it as a good time to switch. I got the Touch Pro... or the HTC Fuze as ATT calls it. My previous experiences with Windows Mobile phones had been frustrating and I still wondered why I got the Touch Pro because my experience was exactly the same.

Out of the box, I wiped it clean by installing a vanilla ROM. I then built and added stuff from there. I got the phone working pretty good without all the stock ATT crap but at the end of the day it was still Windows Mobile. Still very sluggish and the classic random freezes and lockups I remember. The touch screen is annoying since it normally takes a few taps to get your app selected. Browsing is much better with Opera Mobile and the slide out keyboard is nice but after web surfing with the iPhone, it simply doesn't compare. Oh and the battery life isn't all that great either.

I was willing to deal with the web experience because the phone can literally do anything (watching Hulu.com with Skyfire is pretty sweet) but I just can't do Windows Mobile anymore.Maybe I'm just too picky but I'm probably taking this phone back today for a BB Bold or sadly another iPhone but with 3G.

I really wish there was a phone OS with the power of WinMo and the ease of use as the iPhone. *sigh* I've never owned a Nokia/Symbian phone or nor have I owned a Blackberry since I've primarily used WinMo phones until I got the iPhone so maybe they are the next step for me. The new N97 looks pretty good from what I've seen but it won't be out for a long while.
 
Your decision should be based first on phone OS, then all things secondary.

WinMo is an example of MS screwing up - how else does an older, established OS lose 20% of the market to iPhone? That said, I chose WinMo for MS App support (word, powerpoint, outlook syncing important to me), and the fact that being Windows, apps are everywhere and plentiful, no unlcoking/stuff needed.

Also, HTC goes to great lengths to hide the stick Win UI w/ TouchFLO, but fact is, you're gonna be seeing 'ugly' stock Windows dialogs and such just a few clicks in.

Each smartphone platform has it drawbacks, and half the time I use mine, I feel that smartphone tech is nowhere close to being mature, and we are still guinea pigs - so many little, needling things wrong.

The other half though, is comprised of 'look what i can do with my phone, bitches. ;)
 
entropism said:
12 hours on the HTCs with moderate usage
Click to expand...

I got about a day on the stock ROM (used it for a week). I did about 30 minutes of web surfing, a few text messages, a few calls, a little bit of google maps, and lots of email.

Now with mightys rom, I get about a day and a half with the same usage.
 
personally i'd go with the iPhone. i've had the iPhone since the first month, but recently i dropped and broke the vibrator, dented it, etc, so i gave Sprint a chance and hopped aboard with the Touch Pro. At first i liked the Touch Pro, but personally, unlike many others, i dont think theres much customization with the Touch Pro, or im just unfamiliar with it. The iPhone is also great imo because it can be used in two different levels, normal, and then more of a power user who is more advanced with the tech, and able to take control of apps such as Terminal to fully use the iPhone.

The Touch Pro also has horrible battery life. A full charge with normal usage for me (texting, browsing, downloads, apps, etc) only lasted ≈ 4½ which to me is crap. My iPhone lasted me days under one charge with that usage. I also like have everything is more universal with the iPhone and as other people said, i use my phone also for my media, so the larger screen and built in 3.5mm jack really help. The Touch Pro adapter made me feel all tangled up when using and the screen, even though it looked beautiful, didnt seem big enough for prolonged media usage.

And the App Store and Apps you can get by jailbreaking seal the deal for me, apps easily at the touch of a button is a big plus.

It's because of this im going back to my Sprint Store today to return my Touch Pro and go pick up the new iPhone. And because AT&T coverage viewer just showed that AT&T updated coverage in my area and now has 3G! :D

And another big reason why im switching is that i think it'd be a good experience by taking part in the iPhone Developer Program which i just got accepted into, so thats another big reason why im doing in this case, an upgrade from 2G to 3G ;)
 
This is a tough choice, I had the original iPhone and took it to its ends and finally broke some of it (was able to finally restore it after much work) but it gave me a reason to upgrade to the 3G iPhone. Got the 3G iPhone and was already having problems, slow interface, iTunes, etc. Found out AT&T got some HTC Touch Pros in stock and traded in the iPhone for the HTC.

Reasons I am glad I went with the HTC:
~Works perfectly with Windows (XP and Vista)
~Can sync at home, work, anywhere
~No iTunes
~Keyboard (I loved the virtual keyboard on the Apple, but this keyboard is just a step ahead)
~Standard input, micro-usb (I have so many other devices already using this I have extra cables everywhere)
~Works even better with outlook and my office
~Opera mini
~Do not have to work hard to get "extras" (Must jailbreak phone to get things standard on HTC and other phones)
~User replaceable battery

Reasons I miss my iPhone:
~Size
~Music player was very simple/standard headphone jack
~UI was simple, but very well thought out (Touchflo helps on the HTC, but still is clunky)
~App store was a great one stop shop for applications, jailbreaking was simple
~Battery life better

I am sure I am missing things for both sides, on why I like the HTC more or the iPhone more (and less for both).
In the end though I have the best of both worlds, my EDGE iPhone is up and running and jailbroken with my music and NES emulator, plus more. While I now have my HTC Touch Pro for emailing, work, phone calls, etc. Each side can make arguments, my pluses are my own opinion and others may disagree, but in the end we are all free to pick which phone we want. :)
 
Dang you guys really hate windows mobile. I sort of like it. With a little work you can make it in to whatever you want. I dont think I could stand a 2.8inch screen though. I have a 3.2 and it still seems smallish.
 
Jakalwarrior said:
Dang you guys really hate windows mobile. I sort of like it. With a little work you can make it in to whatever you want. I dont think I could stand a 2.8inch screen though. I have a 3.2 and it still seems smallish.
Click to expand...

I was worried about this when I went from the iPhone to the Touch Pro, but then I realized I never watched videos on the iPhone and most my work was just text. The Touch Pro has a solid resolution for the screen size and WinMo allows us the change the text size, mine is one notch above the smallest. :D
 
theDreamer said:
I was worried about this when I went from the iPhone to the Touch Pro, but then I realized I never watched videos on the iPhone and most my work was just text. The Touch Pro has a solid resolution for the screen size and WinMo allows us the change the text size, mine is one notch above the smallest. :D
Click to expand...

i also felt the same way when i switched, but after some time with the Touch Pro i actually couldn't stand it since my iPhone was also my iPod haha And for me, i loved iTunes, which seems uncommon, but i liked how i had one universal spot for all media

As for me, i just did the opposite you did, i returned my Touch Pro, cancelled with Sprint, and just joined AT&T with the new iPhone, hope there isnt a lot of problems... :)
 
I'm returning my Touch Pro/Fuze for a Blackberry Bold. I played with one for a while in the AT&T store and the usability floored me. I was initially concerned about the small screen but I got a better first impression than I did when I first got the Fuze. I won't be losing too much usability from what it seems either. My iPhone will be my new alarm clock as soon as I can find a decent landscape dock for it. :D
 
For those saying the Touch Diamond/Pro has terrible battery life, did any of you have the regular Touch? Is it that much worse than the Touch? Before 6.1, I got about 24 hours (with wireless data on).

After upgrading to 6.1, I get around 48 hours. I can't say I spend tons of time on my phone, and it's certainly not as good as the non-smart phones I've owned, but I can't complain...and if I turn of data, it'd last much longer.

Regardless, I woudln't switch to AT&T. I pay less than $30.00/month (after tax) for Sero 500 with free sms. AT&T would have to provide free sex to justify paying an additional grand over the life of the contract.

With that said, I think you make the decision based on the network first and then you pick a phone. A great phone with lousy coverage isn't as good as a so-so phone with great coverage.

If AT&T is best, and you like the iPHone, go for it. It's not like you can get a similar plan on sprint for much less than the basic iPhone plan
 
Well, if you want ALL touch, go with the iPhone. But the Touch Pro, which I currently own is very fabulous. Its not 100% touch, which is nice IMO, has a vibrant screen, and has many features similar to the iPhone. However I do believe you can get a better price for a plan with the iPhone.
 
A Cheese Danish said:
Well, if you want ALL touch, go with the iPhone. But the Touch Pro, which I currently own is very fabulous. Its not 100% touch, which is nice IMO, has a vibrant screen, and has many features similar to the iPhone. However I do believe you can get a better price for a plan with the iPhone.
Click to expand...

i would love if you got a better price for a plan with the iPhone :)

AT&T is a lot more expensive haha

On my iPhone 2G with T-Mobile, i had the 5 MyFaves, around 600 minutes, unlimited texting, and unlimited data for around $55-60 a month i believe

On Sprint with a Touch Pro, i had 450 minutes, unlimited texting, unlimited data, and full TEP warranty protection for a little less than $75 a month

Now on AT&T with the new iPhone 3G, i have 450 minutes, unlimited text, and unlimited data for around $105 a month

So overall AT&T does have a heftier price, but i personally can live with it since personally i think they have the best phones of all carriers, and i like having a SIM Card since i can switch between phones much quicker, and without much hassle.

But like everyone has said, its mostly based on personal preference on what kind of phone you want and what you will be using it for.
 
I got the touch diamond a couple of days ago and just flashed it to juicy.

So far the battery life is adequate but not great. Leaving the phone on overnight (~12-14 hours) with wifi on drained about a third of the battery. I use the phone pretty regularly throughout the day (an hour of calls, 30 texts, 15 minutes of google maps, browsing) and at night I have about a fourth of battery remaining. Charging at night is a must.

The interface is a bit more smooth with juicy, but it nowhere close to as elegant or intuitive as the iphone UI. The accelerometer is surprisingly good, the phone comes with a game called Teeter, which is exactly like Labyrinth, and its just as easy to control.

As I see it the advantages of the HTC are:
-faster internet
-better camera (though also has no flash)
-slightly better call quality
-higher res screen

iPhone advantages:
-more storage
-better browser
-better (virtual) keyboard
-better UI

I use my phone for browsing and texting, so it was a toss up for me. In the end, the decision was based on price. My Sprint plan costs under $50 and includes 1,000 minutes, unlimited internet, unlimited text, 7pm nights and weekends, pick 3 (which is like tmobile favs), and free roaming. A similar plan from ATT would be well over $100.
 
+1 for the 3G.

The best thing about the iPhone is the app store.

There are some quality programmers writing for this phone.
 
I'd get the iphone if you want something that just works out of the box. But if you're willing to tinker around with it, the Diamond or Touch Pro are much more capable smartphones.

I've got a Diamond through Sprint. Stock rom was crap, and battery life was terrible. I switched to Mike's Mightyrom and got a new battery and love the phone now.
 
B_Naughty said:
I'd get the iphone if you want something that just works out of the box. But if you're willing to tinker around with it, the Diamond or Touch Pro are much more capable smartphones.
Click to expand...


This.


I love tinkering with shit so if my phone just "worked" i'd be bored :p
 
I think what fulfills some tinkering interest for me is the app store. There are some very cool programs to get.
 
timberdoodle said:
I think what fulfills some tinkering interest for me is the app store. There are some very cool programs to get.
Click to expand...

I must admit, the extensive app store is a pretty cool feature to have with the iphone. However, I'd rather not have to pay for everything I download and try on my phone. Which kinda brings me back to why I like my Diamond so much. There's a fairly large development community in place. With a ton of free apps available I'm able to download something, try it out, and donate to the developer if the app is good or I just want to support the development process.
 
B_Naughty said:
I must admit, the extensive app store is a pretty cool feature to have with the iphone. However, I'd rather not have to pay for everything I download and try on my phone. Which kinda brings me back to why I like my Diamond so much. There's a fairly large development community in place. With a ton of free apps available I'm able to download something, try it out, and donate to the developer if the app is good or I just want to support the development process.
Click to expand...

I know what you're saying, but I have a bunch of apps that are quite useful and I have yet to pay a dime on apps. I'm very new to smartphones so I'm sure there are tons more for winmo online.
 
I have a HTC Touch Diamond with Juicy_4.4 on the Sprint SERO $30.00 month plan. I also have TEP, so my total package is around $39.00 per month.
Before writing off the HTC Touch Diamond, you should try it with a custom .ROM. If you base your opinion off of the default Sprint .ROM, you are guaranteed to be disappointed. The Sprint .ROM is chucked full of outdated system files, drivers and bloatware. Also, they disable/cripple useful features like FM radio and Internet Sharing (tethering). The custom .ROMs are slim, fast and functional.
Windows Mobile is the tweaker’s OS of mobile phones. If you want a simple to use smart phone, buy an iPhone. If you want a smart phone that you can tweak, customize and download free software for, you’re better off with a Windows Mobile phone.
 
I have the touch.. which i don't recommend over the pro or diamond (looking to upgrade). Windows mobile is clunky and ugly but its beauty is in the ability to download programs for free.. and that there's lots out there. Plus you have the ppcgeeks.com forums where people upload custom roms and stuff and its pretty damn cool. Also you should start looking at total cost of ownership because my guess is the iphone will run you more with higher monthly plans once you add in everything you need vs other carriers. Sprint, even though its got alot of shit in the past... is pretty good and worth checking out... they've come a long way.

If cost isn't an issue, and you want something that just works.. iphone for sure. If you're good AND comfortable with tinkering.. windows mobile. I have no clue on the blackberry's except to say that i was really not happy for the 2 days i had a blackberry pearl when they first came out. Not a fan of the OS... but maybe it's improved with latest offerings by them.
 
Beware of Sprint. They love dropping calls and static. Also, customer support is dead. When you need help, call the sales line, wait on hold, then find out customer support is dead, unless you want to upgrade.
 
I was thinking about getting the Touch Pro (sprint user here). I don't have a data plan, but can I use the wifi built into it to do all of those tasks instead - assuming, of course, I'm near a hotspot.
 
I went with the iPhone because AT&T has the best coverage in my area.

It has its issues and I'm no Apple fan, but its the best phone ever made IMHO.
 
It's a shame I came too late into this party. I prefer the Nokia E71 and iPod Touch combo to any other mobile solution out there. Oh well.
 
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