Here is how you could not be impressed: no HSDPA (i.e. 3G in the US). Sure, they have WiFi and Bluetooth to counter (but many other phones of this type have those too). I agree, it is one sexy phone and maybe the first smartphone-esq device that actually tries to focus on the user rather than focus on how the user needs to compromise to use the device, but have a full featured browser and only including EDGE is a glaring mistake.

I currently have the Samsung Blackjack and when I am not in 3G coverage, website take awhile to load... and most of those sites are formatted for the WAP browser. Combine this with the full-featured browser this phone has and you will practically need to be on WiFi to get any use of it.

Granted the rest of the phone looks amazing, but if they would have just added the 3G radio and the ability to tether with it, this would truly be a must-have device. Then again, what would they release 6 months down the road, just in time for xmas?

But Mike, are you not primarily talking about usability overseas? If that's your objection, it wouldn't keep me from buying.

No, I am talking about high-speed data here in the US. There is 3G in Europe (UTMS -- which the Blackjack does have a radio for as well) but I just think it is a glaring omission to release this without it. I would bet that when the reviews of this come in, the biggest complaint will be browsing over EDGE (which will be like browsing over a 14.4-28k modem).

Now I am not saying that this won't be a sweet phone or anything like that, I just think that if there was any phone that needed to have the 3G radios in it, it would be this one. What most likely happened is they couldn't get the battery life where they wanted it with the 3G radios in it. While I don't have too much of a problem on my Blackjack, my friends and coworkers who have tons of email and the push email feature on seem to get about 12 hours or so out of a battery.

Steve said in the keynote that they plan on 3G in the future.

I'm getting one. Even if it is only 8GB for iPod. Cause you know what I'd love to do? Listen to online streams of XM and Sirius on my iPhone . I just hope it can handle it .

That brings up a big question I have. How many people are going to spend the cash on this and not use the phone?

Surely the masses agree that a "plain" touch iPod will debut someday.

Actually, if a plain widescreen iPod debuted just as an iPod w/out the phone and net capabilities, that would be really great too, and I'm sure it'll be the next gen.

But I'm getting this specifically so I can also use the phone and net. The phone function rocks.