HTC’s Touch Diamond and Raphael don’t like the U.S.
This is a semi-rant, but can someone tell me why of all manufacturers, HTC has started to make devices that are no longer quad-band, and no longer have tri-band HSDPA? They were one of the first to finally get it right and support all bands, even back in the day with the original TyTN. From then on, almost every professional HTC device was quad-band and let us Americanos rock out with HSDPA. Can someone enlighten us? Why has the number one Windows Mobile manufacturer in the world removed such an essential feature from their new lineup? They pulled a Nokia and will start offering localized devices with local GSM bands. Oh yeah, the XPERIA, made by HTC, will be quad-band and offer tri-band UMTS/HSDPA. This, my friends, is not a step in the right direction…
UPDATE: HTC hit us up and said that size constraints with the Touch Diamond was they weren’t offering a quad-band EDGE and tri-band HSDPA device…
You call it “semi-rant”. I call it a full-on bitchfest.
I guess HTC decided that global roamers’ business just isn’t worth the cost of this “essential feature”.
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But there can’t be that much of a cost difference nowadays with current chipsets…little to none.
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Betting it’s the qualcom ban being one factor they figure. Th urotrash is abigger market an canada their loss thogh
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Well the US is cell market is currently being consumed by iPhone, where the international market isnt……HTC doesnt need to compete with the iPhone in the US when there is a bigger international market that prefers function over form
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I don’t know what you guys are complaining about. Atleast most phones support AT&T’s 3G bands. Its us T-Mobile USA customers that are getting the short end of the stick with these dumb OEMs not wanting to put AWS bands on their new phones.
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AT&T 3G FTW!
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SE mentioned that it would have AWS 1700 included, but the white papers say otherwise, even though the SE site for the Xperia mentions AWS 1700. So who is right?
BG you are lucky you can get a phone with 3G 850/1900MHz support and it will work on AT&T. T-Mobile USA is really killing themselves by not pushing the manufacturers to make more AWS phones for them.
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I think this is HTC’s way to get into the US carriers easier as HTC branded devices. I also think this is a temporary situation (i.e. 1 to 2 generations of phones max) until the US cell carriers are forced to become more of a dumb pipe and less of a dictatorship.
iPhone has unlocked and cracked the door, Android just might knock it down. And who will be the major Android player for highend devices? (hint, hint –> HTC)
If I am wrong and this is not temporary, then I think HTC is moving in the wrong direction. By regionalizing devices they are going to lose bigtime to not only Apple but also Samsung, RIM and SE.
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what’s even more enfuriating about the whole situation is that we (the U.S.) are the only ones getting screwed. Whenever a phone actually makes its way over here its at LEAST quad band. Whereas there’s only maybe half the phones overseas that even have quad band GSM much less triband 3g.
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The US dollar is worthless, the Canadian Dollar took a tumble and is still worth more. Maybe the cost of marketing and shipping in the US is higher than what they predict they would make on profit. Who wants make believe play money when you can have Euros and Pounds.
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The market that HTC is a part of is not being effected by the iPhone. The only market that the iPhone is biting into is the consumer market, which is not HTC’s best selling point.
…Besides, someday people are going to realize that the iPhone makes a good Toy, not a good Phone, I couldn’t use the iPhone for more than 6 months, because besides the integrated iPod and touch screen, it doesn’t do anything better than my Blackberry 8110.
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Its been hypothecized on other sites that this lack of support is due to carrier contracts here in the US. Whomever is getting the Diamond has specifically asked that the phone be regionalized to force consumers to get the phone through the carrier itself, not imported from another country.
Whether thats true or not remains to be seen, but I’d say its a believable answer if nothing else.
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Business 101 - more avilable customers increases chances of market share increase. With htc’s latest driver fiasco they are lucky anyone in the world is willing to pay $800 for one of their devices. If they lag on providing a 850 band hsdpa version of the diamond the iphone will completely eat away of what little respect they have left over here in the usa. You can have a year old tytn 2 with a 33 percent less powerful processor and horrible video playback for $700 or you can have a brand spanking new iphone 16gb 3g iphone with industry leading video and audio playback for $299 after subs, take your pick……this will go down as the beginning of the end for htc if they don’t get it together. they don’t make jack crap being a hardware maker for an SE branded device so even when the X1 sells like hot cakes their pockets will be seriously lacking…I just don’t get why you would make yourself spend millions more in manufacturing a device with a different radio, and also inventory control is infinitely more difficult when you have regional devices…and when you top it off with the horrible battery life of the diamond it makes you wonder what brand of sake they’re drinking over there in Taiwan…
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Maybe AT&T’s been giving HTC the cold shoulder and that’s why Sprint’s rumored to get these at the end of this year?? (total speculation on my part)
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TJ, I would agree that T-Mobile needs more AWS devices, but less me forget their 3G network is still new and in slow launch mode, I think eventually we will see quad/quad devices, its just a matter of opening up the frequency on the chips that already support the ability. Personally I think HTC offering Tri-band devices is a way for them to focus on quality over quantity of offerings, I sell HTC devices and I can tell you we get less complaints about the tri-band devices than the larger offerings.
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In response to BOSS, maybe HTC is upset at AT&T with the whole iPhone thing. But then how would that have anything to do with HTC ignoring the existence of T-Mobile USA? I find it incredible that they’re making a custom-bodied Diamond for T-Mobile EU, and at the same time leaving T-Mobile USA out to dry. This I would think is on T-Mo themselves and not HTC. But then again, the X1 was supposed to support 1700MHz, and that was dropped. Maybe HTC doesn’t see the US market as being worth it to simply put in a damn radio that can work on U.S. frequencies.
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Its all about business gents. HTC knows that 99% of people in this country buy their phones through their service provider. Thus, in order to get in good with AT&T they will not sell US compatible phones until they give AT&T first shot. If AT&T says no, then they will sell the phones through Best Buy Mobile, like they are doing with the Touch Dual. Right now AT&T is deciding between the SE Xperia X1 and the Raphael, and the smart money is on the SE because the Sony name still has more brand-awareness than HTC. As far as the Diamond, do you really think they will sell this alongside the iPhone? Not gonna happen. Don’t worry, once AT&T officially says no to the Raphael and Diamond you will be able to plunk down your $800+ dollars to buy one from Best Buy Mobile. Unless you want to buy it from Sprint and be locked in to only using the phone in the US.
If I were HTC I would play the game the same way, they’re in business to make money, not friends. It sucks for us, but if it were your company would you do it any differently.
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why not the USA? and whats up with the ads in some magazines? HTC wants to build its identity but is not bringing its newer toys to the USA.
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Well If they set the price at 499 euros(retail), thats high, but reasonable for europe, thats $775 US. At 499 UK, thats $988. Who the hell is going to pay 988 dollars retail in the US for a cell phone. Now you’re going to say well people were shelling out $800 for the iphone, yes i know, but the iphone was just that, the iphone. hype hype. walk down the street and ask some random person if theyve heard of an iphone, then ask them if theyve heard of HTC. The cost of making and marketing a device like this one just to include bands that work for tmobiles crazy and foolish frankenetwork just outweigh the returns. the juice just isnt worth the squeeze.
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@Greg - The Touch Diamond is aimed at the consumer not enterprise and HTC has already said the Diamond is their star device for the year. It is obviously their way to counteract the iPhone, just look at TouchFlo 3D.
@BOSS - I definitely think AT&T turned down the Diamond to be released right now because of their deal with Apple. (if Randy is right and they haven’t officially said no yet, I hope that is the case but that is not what I am hearing)
@Alex - I agree with you but if TMo had rolled out their 3G network nationwide or was ready to, this would be the best device to showcase it. Maybe when they do then?
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Randy makes a damn good point on this. Our carriers basically control the actual phone market. We buy our phones (mostly) from them. Until we adopt the more liberal system that Europe has, we’re probably stuck in this “hope that your carrier picks this up” clusterfuck.
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New HTC Raphael Cell Phone Description: Successor of the Mogul, Raphael is also Windows Mobile Professional smartphone with side-sliding QWERTY keypad. It will feature VGA display,>—-> EV-DO Rev. A,<—- GPS, 3-Megapixel
att not gonna get this phone it a cdma phone ev-do rev .a last time i checked att was gsm.
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Hey Boy Genius
Ya know I love you guys! Hands down one of the best if not the best for getting exclusives. But I think your post is a little off. Most devices HTC that are not US releases are not Quad Band. Look at the HTC TyTN that device i reviewed was a triband and then released in the US as a Quad. Unfortunately if you talk with HTC their core business model is aimed at the European market that supports the higher 3G speeds and functionality i.e video conferencing.
I agree it sucks but take a look at the HTC USA infrastructure and it is very week. Not many workers in Redmond and scattered throughout the USA.
Sad but true we are the second child..
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@BG - Thank you so much for publishing what everyone has been thinking for the last few years. I appreciate you having the balls to be able to come out and say this. I don’t know what their beef is either.
@Randy - Very nice comment. I agree with a lot you are saying. If ATT doesn’t pick up either the Diamond or Raphael initially, I think Best Buy Mobile will pick it up as an unlocked phone but it is going to cost a fortune.
My own personal thoughts - I really, really want the these phones to come to the US like many of us do. However, as stated earlier, I think the reason ATT is not picking it up right now is because it is going to hurt the 3G iPhone sales in the coming weeks. I do believe that an ATT branded Raphael will come sometime this year however, and I know that I will be picking that up on release day. I do not agree with those that are comparing these phones to the iPhone because they can not be compared. They are marketed and designed for two entirely different customers. My thoughts are that the iPhones are marketed for Joe 6 pack and Trendy Tom who want a cool device to show off to their friends, where the HTC devices are marketed to people who understand the power of a what these devices are capable of and want to utilize that.
All in all, I’m excited for a stateside release of these phones and I’m confident that it will be happen this year.
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US carriers also suck compared to the internationals. Call quality, policies, cancellations, and above all, pricing.
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