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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
How and why to upgrade your Diamond software, April 8, 2009
I've been using the CDMA Sprint Diamond for 5 months. With the stock Sprint ROM (referring to the software preloaded on the device) you'll be plagued by several problems which thankfully can all be overcome with some software mods and tweaks from great resources like ppcgeeks and xda. These forums host an enthusiastic community of windows mobile developers and "power users" and participating in the community can be one of the most rewarding aspects to owning this type of device. Just by lurking around the forums and reading the stickies you will learn a lot and be well on your way to customizing the device to suit your needs. That said, this tweaking process is not for everyone; if you're not interested in learning about technology and prefer something that just works right out of the box then get an iPhone instead. Out of the box, this phone has the following severe issues:
1. Poor battery life and significant battery drain even while the phone is not in use.
2. Slow system performance and lag while TF3D is running. TF3D (Touch Flow 3D - AKA Manila) is HTC's very slick user interface which sits on top of windows mobile looking pretty and giving you quick access to your most essential info and programs. With usage the phone will periodically become unresponsive or freeze and need to be restarted. (Think back to Windows 98)
3. The phone will wake up from an incoming call or text message or when changing cell towers. That means the screen will turn on and become active which makes the device prone to pocket dialing while it's in your pocket. On this diamond there is no way to disable that behavior. (There is a registry edit that works on the GSM Diamond) The work around is locking the phone before tucking it away but the default lock program is not great.
4. TF3D does not include a calender or task screen. That means you have to use pocket outlook to manage appointments and tasks. Like most native windows mobile 6.1 applications, pocket outlook is not finger friendly so you'll either need to be very accurate with your finger nails or use the stylus.
5. Some of the phones capabilities have been hidden.
As mentioned, the good news is that all of these issues can be overcome and I'll tell you how. First, go to the HTC Diamond forum on PPCGeeks.com and read the stickies on how to unlock your phone and flash a custom Rom. If you have a basic working knowledge of windows, zip files and things of that nature - this stuff is easy to do.
MightyRom is currently the most popular custom ROM on PPCGeeks. I'm running MightyRom version 4.7. Due to the upgrades and enhancements that mighty has "cooked" into his Rom, the phone becomes much more usable. In a nutshell, battery life is doubled, performance is faster and smoother...and stability is improved but the occasional restart is still necessary. Hidden features such as Internet connection sharing are enabled. Even the built in FM radio is working thanks to an app that was ported from the European GSM diamond. While some ROMs are packed with lots of applications, mighty keeps his light and clean which means it doesn't come with many applications pre-installed other than the essential ones. Fortunately, installing any other applications of your choice is as easy as downloading the .CAB file to the phone (or copying it to the phone) and then running it on the phone.
Beyond the ROM, there are a few applications in particular that I recommend because they address the other issues that I mentioned above.
1. S2A2 (Free) - Slide to Unlock 2 is a replacement for the default lock screen. It's essentially a knock off of the iPhone's lock screen. S2U2 works well with MightyRom, is easy to use, looks good and has lots of options.
2. ThumbCal ($19.95 USD) - This sits on top of Pocket Outlook providing you with a finger friendly calendar and task manager. The week view is especially well designed and very useful. 14 days free trial. There are also other free soft keyboard alternatives you can try.
3. TouchPal ($19.99 USD) - While the included software keyboards are good, touchPal is the best in breed. The compact QWERTY layout in TouchPal gets the most functionality out the small amount of space available on the Diamond's screen and it's actually FUN to use once you get the hang of it. Fully Free for 30 days with a nag screen after that if you don't buy.
4. G-Alarm (Free) - This is a free finger friendly alarm program with tons of options. I use it to set up alarms using an MP3 playlist which snooze when I turn the phone upside down.
The above makes up the core of my setup which really works nicely for me. Of course, there are many other directions you could go in.
Perhaps the most exciting news on the horizon is the new version of TF3D that HTC is putting in the new Diamond 2. It's being ported to the Diamond (see: "XBmod Rhodium Beta Manila"). This version of TF3D includes some extra tabs such as a working Calender tab which may alleviate the need to buy a separate calendar app like ThumbCal.
One final note: Sprint finally released an official ROM update which is an improvement over the originally shipped ROM but the best custom ROMs will still offer the best performance and features for your Diamond.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Thick but loaded, May 22, 2009
OK, cell phone fanatics (like myself): This is an awesome device. I really must say it's one of the best I've ever had (and I've had A LOT). I'd give it 5 stars if it wasn't for how thick and heavy it is. BUT, it's relatively narrow width when holding it in your hand somewhat makes up for it's thickness. The keyboard is great and really makes inputting text a breeze. I've had a touch screen only phone (the old HTC Touch) and I even downloaded a great keyboard for it but the Pro's keyboard is like a wave of fresh air after having a "touch screen only" for entering text.
The software is great...although I must admit I tweaked it a bit. Its running a bit faster now and I loaded the SPB launcher which is awesome. The web browser is really, really good. I love surfing the web on the phone and there's nothing like having full browser capacity on it. Opera rocks! The YouTube program is OK, but I simply access YouTube through the browser--I guess I'm just more used to it. The Office Suite works great as well. I'm not much into the whole phone GPS thing (I know my way around pretty well) but I'm sure it works well. The voice command is so cool...my phone talks to me people.
The touch flo is very good, especially with the SPB launcher. Call quality is also excellent. There is really very little bad I can say about the phone. The camera takes nice photos, especially for a phone. If you don't mind the added thickness and weight, you really have a perfect phone (considering current technology of course). I use the media player regularly and sound quality is good (could be better, but good). I've heard the HTC Touch Diamond is pretty much the same, only thinner. Of course it has no physical keyboard, no flash for the camera, and no expandable memory.
In any case, either phone is great--enjoy!
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Im in like with my new Touch diamond cell!!, March 2, 2009
I like this phone alot. Depending on what you want to do with the phone or the functions that you need to make your life easier the phone has just about everything any and all smart phones have. Sometimes mavigating all the functions can get a little frustrating if you do not take the time to learn how the phone works best. It does take some getting used to and now that I am used to it, I like it alot. Although there are some quirks i.e the occasional dropped calls. And the poor battery life- that I believe most smartphones have due to numerous apps running at once. I would definately keep a car and a wall charger handy because if you are using the phone to it's full capacity a fully charged battery will only last for about 4 hours.
I also wish my bluetooth functon will stay on the phone always but when my phone dies or is turned completely off I need to push a bluetooth button on the phone before it will sync with my Lexus ES350. I did not have to do this with my old LG fusic.
This phone syncs effortlessly with my outlook email at work and it does not even have to be hooked to my computer and I like that I can have up to 5 email accounts on the phone and setup is very easy. I like it's windows mobile platform. The sprint navigation and tv is also a nice bonus. Another major plus is the gorgeous screen.
Overall the phone is nice and gets 4 stars from me due to its modern functionality, if you like super simple then maybe this phone is not for you but it definately works for me.
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