HTC claims that its Touch Diamond phone, due this summer, is the first in the world to feature a 3D graphical interface.

The new handset, which will be available to all five UK operators from June, has a 2.8in touch screen, HSDPA access, built-in GPS, 4GB of internal storage and a 3-megapixel camera.

"For the past seven months I have been working very hard with our team to ship this device," said HTC president Peter Chou.

"2007 was all about touch, but 2008-9 will be about mobile internet. For many, the dream of mobile internet has been false. Some phones take 20 moves to get online."
HTC's TouchFLO 3D system uses the phone's VGA screen to offer a more user friendly feel. It includes 3D weather graphics that, for example, show lightning and raindrops on the screen during stormy days.

Orange has been heavily involved with the new phone, working with HTC to add downloadable music and games, new photography applications and a mobile TV service.

"We have worked with Orange since 1999," said Chou. "We screw up sometimes but we learn from that and improve."

The Touch Diamond phone will also be the first to use Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.1.

Chou said that the two companies had always enjoyed a good relationship, and that without Microsoft's support there might not have been an HTC.