As a lifelong Verizon user, I have to say that I was a bit weary in trying out the phone. After using it for the last few weeks I came to the quick realization that I had every reason to be.

While I enjoyed having access to the Internet and the ability to check my e-mail at any moment of the day, I found that the Internet access proved to be extremely slow. There were even a few times where the phone froze in the process of navigating to another Web site. When the phone actually made it to a site, I found that the zooming option didn’t always work and so I was left with text so small I would have needed a magnifying glass to be able to read.

Additionally, my numerous attempts to connect to the Internet, navigate to different sites, or even check my e-mail, continued to suck the life out of the battery. The phone was in constant need of recharging, which was a process in itself.

I’ve owned my fair share of cell phones over the years and I have never once owned a phone whose charger required instructions to assemble. While the charger is shiny and nice to look at, I found the three separate pieces to be a bit ridiculous and unnecessary.

While the Touch Diamond is undoubtedly more aesthetically pleasing than my rusty old Chocolate, the actually quality of the phone was nothing short of disappointing. I think it’s time for Sprint to go back to the drawing board.