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The one thing keeping the HTC Diamond from sweeping across America as the next big competitor (and a capable one at that) to the iPhone 3G is the HTC Diamond's lack of support for the 850Mhz GSM frequency band that us Yankees love to use. Sure, 850Mhz has better penetrating power than the higher frequency 900Mhz band that's used in ubiquity throughout the rest of the world, but it still means the US has to wait for European handsets to make the jump to the US.

But, the thing is, Euro handsets usually lag in hitting the US market due hardware limitations. We were under the impression that the HTC Diamond, in European trim, lacked the radio hardware to jump on the 850Mhz frequency in the US. Lo and behold, there's 850Mhz support built-in to the HTC Diamond! Who knew?

A new cellular radio ROM has surfaced at XDA developers that somehow (we're betting there's some magic involved here) enables 850Mhz support in the HTC Diamond. This basically means an HTC Diamond with this radio ROM is now a US-compatible, quad-band GSM smartphone - albeit, EDGE data is about as good as it's going to get.

So, if you just can't wait to jump on the HTC Diamond before it hits the US in official quad-band spec, grab a European HTC Diamond and give it some unofficial ROM-love. Just remember, you're messing around with critical firmware at your own risk.

HTC Diamond 850Mhz radio ROM 

[Via: xda]

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Chinese cloning industry is getting faster and faster. We've just spotted their latest product - Diamond J6. As you can see for yourself from the image above, the device in question is almost identical to the real thing, HTC Touch Diamond. It even has the same-sized 2.8-inch touchscreen and that unique Diamond-ish back. Other specs — for those who care to know — include two cameras (one on the front and one on the back), dual-band GSM radio (900/1800 MHz), media player, Bluetooth, and a microSD memory card slot. Needless to say, Windows Mobile is NOT running the show…

The price you ask? It's 1199 Chinese Yuan or about $160. Not worth it, of course.

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

Like the iPhone, HTC Touch Diamond has the built in accelerometer which is used to make the mobile phone usage more enjoyable. However, the auto-rotate function which accelerometer enables isn't available in all applications. Furthermore, for some reasons HTC has disabled the manual screen rotation in some apps (E-mail, Calendar, etc).

Folks from SKKV Software noticed this and decided to do something about it. The results is the application called GSEN, which really takes advantage of the accelerometer, providing users with auto-rotation in almost every application. You can set which apps will be affected by GSEN or define apps which shouldn't auto-rotate (i.e. Opera Mobile already does this). Finally, it has a nice add-on feature that lets you go to standby mode by turning the device to screen…

GSEN works on latest HTC smartphones like the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro, as well as the Advantage X7510 Windows Mobile UMPC. It is available as a free download from SKKV Software's website.

[Via: the::unwired]

We love a good FCC-blessing every now and again. It's always nice to know that the good folks in some non-descript government laboratory are working hard to make sure that the newest and coolest gadgets with radio transmitters don't fry our brains in to oblivion. And, to make sure CDMA users don't get zapped into half-wits, the FCC has just cleared the HTC Touch Diamond for CDMA-duty.

Following on the Sprint HTC Touch Diamond spy pics and HTC's push to get the FCC's go-ahead on the CDMA variants of their HTC Touch Pro and HTC Touch Dual, we're seeing the CDMA-toting HTC Touch Diamond getting the green-light from FCC engineers. With Telus having already announced the CDMA HTC Touch Diamond for the Canadian market, it's just a matter of time before Verizon and Sprint pick up HTC's hottest ticket.

Now, we wait…

FCC

Following on the CDMA HTC Touch Dual's appearance on the FCC's website, as the HTC NEON400, we're hearing that Sprint is lined up to offer the HTC Touch Dual on September 2nd.

A leaked Sprint document shows that the No. 3 US wireless carrier is going to offer an "HTC 6950" during the first week of September. Given that the HTC Touch was originally listed as the HTC 6900 of Sprint's inventory list, this new HTC 6950 could very well be the HTC Touch Dual in CDMA guise. Of course, take all this at face value - especially considering that the July 27th launch date listed on this leaked document for the Palm Treo 800w has been revised for July 13th.

But, even if the HTC 6950 doesn't turn out to be the HTC Touch Dual, Sprint's got a busy summer schedule ahead of them. We're seeing a Blue variant of the LG Rumor, the Palm Treo 800w, the Motorola RAZR/Vegas VE20, various data card refreshes, Sanyo's Katana Eclipse, Samsung's M220 and M320, Motorola Renegade V950, and Motorola i365 all slated for release in the coming months.
Granted, most of Sprint's upcoming lineup, save for the Palm Treo 800w and HTC 6950, aren't exactly high-end handsets, but there's something to be said for putting the customer's at the top of the priority-list - which is Sprint's new tack on their wireless business.

[Via: WMExperts]

One of the HTC's TouchFLO 3D user interface downsides (which is found on the HTC Touch Diamond and HTC Touch Pro) is lack of, let's say, serious customization. You can tweak only few things, and sing along HTC's design ideas. Don't get me wrong - I love the TouchFLO 3D, however why they left out additional customization is beyond me. Maybe they've wanted to follow Apple's example? Who knows…

Anyway, thanks to the free utility called Diamond TF3D Config you can completely rearrange the TouchFLO 3D tabs. Instead of the default "Home, People, Messages, Mail and Internet" order, you can make it it differently and for instance put "Programs" or "Weather" on the first screen. Additionally, if you're using some other third-party media player, you may want to hide some of the tabs (i.e. videos and music) from the home screen. Choice is yours and choice is good!

Finally, Diamond TF3D Config also allows you to change the date appearance on top of the Home screen and at the moment includes German and English presets, only.

The application is available as a free download from the German PPC-Welt Community and before installing, it is recommended that you backup your device.

[Via: the::unwired]

The CDMA market isn't exactly HTC's bread-and-butter market, what with GSM handsets being the way to go for most of the developed world, but that doesn't mean the Taiwanese smartphone maker isn't going to give the US some touchscreen Windows Mobile love. Spotted hanging out with the FCC's laboratory engineers, the HTC NEON400 hints at HTC's CDMA aspirations for the HTC Touch Dual.

Previous HTC handsets bearing the "NEON" moniker proved to be touchscreen handsets from HTC's always expanding Touch lineup of TouchFLO-adled Windows Mobile smartphones. So, it would stand to reason that the HTC NEON 400 is another HTC Touch variant.

A little snooping around the FCC's testing documents shows that this particular handset rocks a CDMA radio. Add that to the fact that the HTC Touch Dual passed through the FCC's labs in GSM guise as the HTC NEON300, and the HTC NEON400 looks to be a veritable lock for a CDMA HTC Touch Dual.

So, are we going to see HTC releasing a CDMA variant of their HTC Touch Dual to give Verizon, Alltel, and/or Sprint a handset to complement their CDMA HTC Touch offerings? We're sure we're not alone in thinking that a keypad-toting vertical slider would be a perfect fit for the US's CDMA carriers.

FCC

There's no doubt HTC Touch Diamond and Samsung i900 Omnia are among the top iPhone competitors. Both devices run the latest version of Windows Mobile (6.1) and both of them have their good and bad sides.

The HTC Diamond may have a better resolution, while Omnia is more solidly built. Likewise, the Diamond's touch-sensitive scroll wheel is arguably better than Omnia's optical joystick… I'll stop here. If you're interested to buy any of the two devices, you should read the full review. Every single aspect is compared — including user interfaces (TouchWiz vs TouchFLO 3D), design and construction, hardware and software controls, file management, multimedia, camera performance, pre-installed software, GPS, and more.

The article is ended with a draw. At the end, it's the personal preferences that will make you choose one device over the other. Here's the link to the full review.

Who woulda thunk it? Canada has just proved to be the first North American market to offer the hottest new touchscreen flavor from HTC. Our favorite Taiwanese ODM-turned global smartphone-manufacturing powerhouse has finally made good on their promise to bring their highly acclaimed HTC Touch Diamond to the North American market. Unfortunately for us Stateside, Canada will be the first North American market to show off the HTC Touch Diamond.

The full-body touchscreen, sleek design, and slim-waistline of the HTC Touch Diamond aren't going to be exclusive European treats for much longer. HTC is bringing the HTC Touch Diamond to Telus later this summer.

A $149.99 admission price (with 3-year contract, of course) gets you all the Windows Mobile 6.1-powered, 2.8-inch VGA display (complementing the new TouchFLO 3D UI), GPS, WiFi, and 3 megapixel camera goodness that you can handle. Oh, and EVDO Rev. A data connectivity rounds out the HTC Touch Diamond's massively impressive feature-set - ensuring that you're never more than a button click and a few seconds away from accessing all the web's knowledge-base.

And, with Telus offering a $15 unlimited email and IM (instant message) data package alongside a $30 unlimited internet, email, and IM data add-on, the HTC Touch Diamond will likely be ready to throw down with Bell Mobility's Samsung Instinct. Of course, there's the iPhone 3G hitting Rogers next week, but with a cheaper data plan and that glorious VGA display on the HTC Touch Diamond, Rogers is going to have to work hard to keep customers interested in the iPhone.

We can't wait to get our hands on the HTC Touch Diamond. VGA, WiFi, GPS, and TouchFLO 3D? Yes, please.

Update: EVDO is definitely more befitting Telus' network. Edited.

Not looking to jump on the iPhone 3G bandwagon next week? AT&T is already a couple steps ahead of you. After all, not everyone is going to find Apple's handset a good fit for their needs.

AT&T has some Windows Mobile smartphones planned for release throughout the rest of 2008, and WMExperts managed to get a hold of the AT&T WinMo roadmap.

Pantech Duo II
Remember the Pantech Duo 2 that we saw pass through the FCC's testing labs? Right, well it seems we were on the ball in predicting that the keyboard/keypad hybid would be headed to AT&T.

The successor to the Pantech Duo, the Pantech Duo 2, will be sporting:

• Windows Mobile 6.1
• Tri-band (850/1900/2100Mhz) HSDPA (3.6)/Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM/EDGE
• 528 MHz Processor
• 128MB RAM / 256MB ROM
• USB
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Micro SD
• 2 MP Camera
• GPS

Pantech Duo customers can also expect a Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade in October.

Samsung Blackjack 2
While some of us have been lucky enough to already have Windows Mobile 6.1 up and running on our Samsung BlackJack 2 smartphones, the general public will have to wait just a bit longer. The Samsung BJII will be getting the WM6.1 upgrade later this month (July).

Motorola Q9h
If Motorola's answer to the slim smartphone monoblock is more your style, you'll be happy to hear that your Motorola Q9h will be getting jiggy with WinMo 6.1 later this month (July).

Samsung SGH-i788 Blackjack 3
The long-awaited, touchscreen-toting successor to the Samsung BlackJack 2 will be hitting AT&T's network later this year. The US-friendly HSDPA frequency support differentiate the Samsung SGH-i788 from the Samsung SGH-i780. The integrated GPS receiver, 3 megapixel camera, WiFi, 528Mhz CPU, and touchscreen should make the Samsung SGH-i788 BlackJack 3 one of the most anticipated Windows Mobile candybar smartphones to drop this year.

• Windows Mobile 6.1
• Tri-band (900/1900/2100Mhz) UMTS/HSDPA (3.6); Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM/EDGE
• 528 MHz processor
• 128MB RAM/ 256MB ROM
• Camera 3 MP
• AGPS
• VSC
• WiFi

AT&T Tilt:
The reigning Windows Mobile AT&T flagship will be seeing some Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade-love later this month. The HTC Kaiser (TyTn II) has already been blessed with Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrades courtesy of HTC, but AT&T Tilt users will have to wait for AT&T to roll out the upgraded ROM.

AT&T Tilt 2
What's this? Another successor to the popular HTC TyTn? That's right! AT&T will be launching the AT&T Tilt 2 (HTC TyTn III?) later this year. We're assuming that the HTC-sourced Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional smartphone will replace the AT&T Tilt as the flagship WinMo offering from AT&T. And, with HSDPA (3.6Mbps), WiFi, aGPS, 3 megapixel camera, and a speedy 528Mhz processor, the AT&T Tilt 2 will no doubt take its seat at the head of the WinMo table in AT&T's house.

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition
• Tri-band (900/1900/2100Mhz) UMTS/HSDPA (3.6); Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM/EDGE
• Qualcomm 528 MHz processor
• 256MB ROM/ 128MB RAM
• 3.0 MP camera
• WiFi
• Bluetooth 2.0
• PTT
• aGPS
• VSC

Samsung Omnia
This one is pure speculation at this point, but we're also hearing that another Samsung handset is scheduled to hit AT&T in Q4 2008. With previous rumors pointing to the Samsung Omnia coming to AT&T, we're going to take a barely educated guess and peg the Samsung Omnia as the Samsung device slated for AT&T's network later this year.

So, are you still planning to get that iPhone 3G? With all these attractive options in the pipeline for AT&T, we can definitely see a good chunk of AT&T's subscriber-base waiting it out for a Windows Mobile handset.

[Via: WMExperts]