IDG News Service - HTC Corp. said today that its answer to the 3G iPhone, the Touch Diamond handset, will debut in Taiwan tomorrow, the first day of a series of promotional events leading up to the day the phone goes on sale to the public at the end of the month.
The suggested retail price of the handset is $23,900 (New Taiwan) ($786 U.S.). The price is only for Taiwan and does not reflect possible subsidies by service providers that want to bundle the handset with a contract for third-generation service. Still, it's nearly quadruple the price of Apple's new iPhone, which now sells for $199 (U.S.).
HTC may have lowered its price a bit in response to the iPhone launch, however. A few weeks ago, people familiar with the situation said the Touch Diamond would cost $26,000 (New Taiwan).
The Touch Diamond is a Windows Mobile-based 3G handset with a 2.8-inch touch screen, a GPS receiver and a 3.2-megapixel camera. The iPhone boasts a 3.5-inch touch screen and many of the same wireless technologies, but it only has a 2.0-megapixel camera.
Taiwan isn't the first place the Touch Diamond will go on sale. HTC shipped some handsets to mobile service provider Hong Kong CSL late last month, and people in Hong Kong could buy it on May 31.
Apple's announcement of the $199 price tag for its 3G iPhone shook up the smart-phone market. HTC's stock, which is listed in Taiwan, plunged after Apple's announcement over fears that the iPhone's price would undercut HTC's smart phone prices.
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