The rumors, they ran true, it seems. Earlier this week we had heard rumblings that the HTC Touch Diamond would finally launch in CDMA-form on Verizon Wireless on April 10. Lo and behold, Verizon has gone and launched the once-spectacular Touch Diamond! Starting April 10, Verizon customers can pick up the HTC Touch Diamond through all business and online retail channels.
The launch of the HTC Touch Diamond on Verizon finally brings HTC’s headlining touchscreen smartphone to Verizon’s reliably laggard network. The world has been playing with the Touch Diamond’s 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen, 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi, 3G data and TouchFLO 3D UI for so long that it’s barely noteworthy anymore – it’s good to see Verizon catching up to the world.
The CDMA variant of the HTC Touch Diamond will launch with RAM/ROM cut down to 128MB/256MB, but makes up for it with a microSD card slot.
Unfortunately, it seems our expected $199.99 on-contract price-tag didn’t pan out. Verizon will be asking customers to pony-up $299.99 (after $70 mail-in rebate) and sign a new 2-year contract.
Verizon Touch Diamond hopefuls can rest easy knowing that they’ll have no less than a couple weeks to enjoy the handset before HTC launches the Touch Diamond2 on the world.
Full press release after the break.
HTC Smartphone Delivers Advanced Technology with a Stylish Design to Business Professionals
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and BELLEVUE, Wash., April 9 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon Wireless and HTC Corporation today announced that the HTC Touch Diamond(TM) will be available tomorrow through business sales channels and online at www.verizonwireless.com. The ideal productivity tool for busy professionals, the HTC Touch Diamond combines a fashionable mobile design with the added benefit of the nation’s most reliable voice and data network for fast e-mail and Internet connectivity.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090409/NY96682 )
Available color: Black
Key features:
- Brilliant 2.76-inch touch screen display for navigating Web pages on the built-in Opera browser
- 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera
- microSD(TM) card slot that can support up to 16 GB of memory for extra storage of pictures, videos and music
- Customers can choose either the familiar Windows Mobile(R) home screen or the intuitive HTC TouchFLO(TM) 3D user interface
- Supports the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional platform and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Office applications
Lifestyle Features:
- Visual Voice Mail to help customers prioritize their messages
- VZ Navigator(SM)-capable to provide customers with audible turn-by-turn directions to more than 15 million points of interest and get directions to any address in the U.S. and share the directions with others
- Mobile IM to stay connected to colleagues when away from the office
Price:
- The HTC Touch Diamond will be available for $299.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
- VZ Navigator is available for $9.99 monthly access, and Visual Voice Mail is available for $2.99 monthly access. Other charges may apply when downloading or using applications.
- For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or visit www.verizonwireless.com. Business customers should call 1-800-VZW-4BIZ or contact their Verizon Wireless Business Sales Representatives.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving more than 80 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
About HTC
Founded in 1997, HTC Corporation (HTC) designs innovative, feature rich smartphones. Since its establishment, HTC has developed strong R&D capabilities, pioneered many new designs and product innovations and launched state-of-the-art PDA Phones and smartphones for mobile operators and distributors in Europe, the US, and Asia. These machines are available as HTC devices and as products individually customized for operator and device partners.
HTC is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile device market. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.
HTC Touch Diamond and TouchFLO are the trademarks of HTC Corporation in the United States and other countries. The other names of companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
SOURCE Verizon Wireless