[General Topics] meanvulcan:
I guess it's all a matter of preference. I've always been a WinMo guy, and while I think iPhone is a sexy device, it's had too many stupid limitations. The 3GS has resolved many of them, so I've been considering it... but I still find the openness of the WinMo platform a lot more appealing. And it seems that Exchange integration is still by far the best in WinMo.

Now to the meat. I've had a few HTC devices (Tytn II/Kaiser was the last), before going with Samsung Epix (SGH-i907). Now the new device jitters are here again. I want a new WinMo device that's functional in all respects -- good screen, enough so to easily read the news, solid onscreen keyboard so I can use it one-handed, finger-friendly UI, great battery life... in other words, I am dreaming :rolleyes:

I remember seeing Touch HD on the net and how upset I was that there was no version with US UMTS bands... What a great device it was (is). But alas, not for the US. Now I've been waiting for the TD2 (Topaz) and TP2 (Rhodium) to come out on AT&T's network in the US with bated breath. But little things bug me about these devices. TP2 seems phenomenal, but it's bulk, a 3.2MP camera, no 3.5mm audio jack, and battery life not significantly better than past devices take the excitement away. The TD2... no bulk issue, but why 3.2" instead of 3.6"? It would make sense since the on-screen keyboard is more important, and a bigger screen would make it more functional. Oh, and a smaller battery again, and no proximity sensor. Why??? That said, both devices are very appealing, and one of the main reasons is that I can always come to xda-developers and customize the heck out of them.

What about the others? There is a Pharos unit that seems similar, but I wouldn't trust it. The Toshiba TG01 has stellar specs, but from a few reviews I read: 1) the UI is nowhere near TouchFlow or Samsung's TouchWiz, 2) the battery life is not great, 3) the 4.1 screen makes it too large to be pocketable. And here's the kicker: in one hands-on review, they show poor (2-3 sec) time to rotate screen between portrait and landscape. Huh? 1Ghz CPU and you still can't get this right? Shame, Toshiba.

And in the last few days I came across Samsung Omnia II/i8000. The specs are phenomenal. I think Samsung got it right -- better than HTC here. Bigger screen and much better battery life (probably thanks to AMOLED screen) are the key points. TouchWiz UI has deep hooks into WinMo. Jackpot, Samsung. Or is it? Hmm, the only carrier that expects this phone in the US is Verizon, so no unit for us GSM-minded folks that like our 3G. And if my experience with the Epix is any indication, don't count on cooked ROMs or much customization ability, and don't expect a WinMo 6.5 update from Samsung any time soon... they take their time.

So many choices, yet no perfect one. And of course none of these are available in the US yet (Omnia II, TD2, TP2, TG01). When they do come, I am going to play with all of them before deciding. The Firestone... too far away, and may not come to the US. Superstar? Vaporware at present. But as of now, Omnia II just seems to be the closest thing to perfect, seems really ahead of the TD2 -- I might just jump to Verizon's CDMA for it. Drum roll, please :)

Anyone's got thoughts on the topic? Any news on when these devices are coming to the US? Would love to hear them. Let's stick to WinMo though, or the discussion will get unwieldy. Oh, and admin, this is about HTC devices (sort of), so I'd appreciate you not killing this thread :)