[HD2 General] mazzarin:
A couple of notes:

1) By the time WP7s comes out, we'll be tired of the phone. It'll be logical to upgrade.

This could not be further than the truth.

Look on ANY mobile roadmap through Q2 2011, NOTHING topples the hardware that we have. In the past, an upgrade a year even for a top-end phones made sense, because UIs were getting more intricate and lag was inherent in the system because the hardware just couldn't keep up. This is no longer the case.

Now, the opposite situation has arisen. The GUI has matured nicely, and the OS can't make use of all the raw hardware it has available to it (specific to the WinMo platform of course.) The Snapdragon platform is a mobile marvel that leapfrogged probably two years of the 'same old same old' upgrades we would typically see which would drive us to upgrade our phones! The QSD IS the roadmap, and what is it? a 1.3ghz processor, with some tiny power efficiencies due to a 45nm process.

I guarantee you - quote me on this, save it, whatever! - that there will not be a compelling hardware upgrade by Q4 2010. If anything, it'll be similar specs with a smaller screen - the TD3 with WP7s.

2) WP7s will be a POS the first year it'll be out because it'll lack functionality, etc.

Barring any OS bugs/issues, I am extremely confident that at least 80% of what you can do in WM6.5x commercial apps will be replicated to a WP7s environment within 90 days of launch. You think new devs don't see the opportunity for a 'gold rush'? Not on Apple scale but there is certainly money to be made. You think existing devs aren't planning to port their apps either? Funny people!

For that matter, WHAT APPS ARE YOU GUYS USING? Besides PHM RegEdit (which, IMO, should have been included in the OS in the first place) and two internet radio apps which I'm positive will be ported - I can barely think of any non-tweak apps I have on my phone! Everything I wanted was already there thanks to WM6.5x or Sense, and you can be damned sure that MS took a lot of notes from Sense when designing the concept.

3) MS demands a consistent experience and will not tolerate our non-search-button phones

Possibly, but considering we will be <1% of the WP7s market by Q3 2011, I highly doubt they'll care that much. What matters is that all NEW phones in the hands of tech plebs have that special button. Don't anyone kid yourself into expecting average users to be aware of a) the HD2 and b) the wp7s upgrade ROM for the HD2.

4) B.b.b.b.ut 4 point multitouch!!!11

Software handling, this is not a roadblock. Have you ever used a multitouch pad with a 'sensor' app showing detection? I've used it on a couple different platforms and I've always seen 5+ (using several fingers on both hands.) We've no reason to believe we have an inferior hardware solution.

5) HD3 will descend down from HTC heaven come the end of the year and we will all bask in its glorious light.

See #1. I'd be shocked if we see a new HDx this year (besides the Tmo one of course)

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I'm not saying all this as an argument as to why we WILL get wp7s, but making up reasons why it doesn't matter is complete BS. This is a complete political move and I'm STILL hoping MIX brings better results.

Side, unrelated complaint: But WP7s will be so locked down!!! iphone!! omgwtf :(

Uhh, WM5/6 has been pretty locked down by default in the years past. You realize part of this whole song and dance process we've done for years is basics like disable cert checking, bypassing security lockouts, etc? We've been jailbreaking for a LONG TIME. How will WP7s be any different?!