Most of the negative reviews for this phone are a result of the faulty original software. Taking a phone to a Verizon store and presenting it to the tech support desk will get you a free software upgrade, which took 35 minutes for me.

The new software addresses many touch screen issues and improves some features of the user interface.

Cons: Not many ring tones are included. Sometimes the touch interface can be confusing, but I got the hang of it in about a day. It cannot load some pages, but I have a computer for that. The built in speaker is OK for conversations, but is tinny and distorts music or dialogue in videos. The headphone jack is the smaller 2.5mm that cell headsets use, so headphones with this size jack or an (relatively bulky, available at Radio Shack) adapter is needed. Sometimes it can be hard to tap a link without zooming or use of arrow keys. Keyboard has small keys. I found that I am fast enough at typing, but using the keys as directional arrows or "ok" and other functions in games is a bit cumbersome and requires some practice. Does not seem very durable. Accessing the battery/memory card compartment can be tricky (use light pressure in the middle and slide the cover down). The automatic screen lock can be frustrating, and it takes a few touches to access commonly used features, but with practice it becomes second nature. It takes some practice to search through contacts.

Pros: Played 45 minutes of video without stopping and with minimal artifacting, with audio understandable in a quiet room. Plays YouTube mobile problem free saving time-outs (Verizon network lag). Played all of my mp3s without fail in a Verizon app which is nearly the same on all phones. tWorked with my 1gb microSD card without problems (place mp3s in the media folder). Built in "smart view" of web pages, adjustable zoom modes, arrow key link navigation, switchable java, clearable cache, user/pass saving, cookies, adjustable time-out delays and more made web browsing nice between classes and on break at work. Most (all I have found) games do not use the touch screen but all of them work better than on other handsets. The screen is bright and readable in your own shadow in bright sun. Battery life is better than expected. Looking forward to testing the GPS function, which is integrated and even advertised in the menu. The touch screen stopped working for about 45 seconds while a complex page was loading, but the browser recovered and it let me use the page without issue once it was done loading. A shortcut menu puts 9 features, including downloaded content, two taps away.

There have been many poor reviews of this handset. I think many of these revolve around failures from moderate abuse, or from dissatisfaction with the original software. I am happy with my purchase and would recommend this device for people who are technically inclined and careful with their phones who do not want to pay for a Touch or Blackberry, or for heavy texters who want some tech to show off.

The only things I would improve are sound clarity, durability and qwerty key size. Get some earbuds, be careful with it and get used to the keyboard and you're going to like this phone.