Even before my Nokia died due to multiple fracture injuries a few months back, I had decided my next phone would be a windows mobile.
Reasons:
Intuitive user interface.
Same/Similar set of applications.
Seamless connectivity with Exchange server.
Availibility of an SDK and documentation so I could program it.
Windows mobile 6.0 was already out and most phones I checked out already had upgraded their ROMs to 6.0. The contenders were HTC touch/HTC Pro/HTC Diamond/HTC Herald/Asus series.
It turned out to be a very difficult choice. HTC Diamond was the latest and the greatest but it was too expensive for me(>27K). Same for HTC Pro. Also, the diamond, even at that price point, did not have 3G capabilities or a hardware keypad.
HTC touch was a good and reliable phone but I could not forsee myself relying completely on the touch keypad.
HTC Herald(P4350) has both touch as well as a hardware keypad that slides out on the side which turned the tide in its favour.
I got the phone for 21K(in july 2008) with a 2GB microSD card that the dealer threw in as an extra.
Features:
GSM 850 / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
Display: TFT 65K Colors
Connectivity: WLAN, Bluetooth, GPRS/EDGE, USB1.1
Camera: 2MP
Software: Windows mobile 6.0, Microsoft Office and a whole lot of other stuff(Solitaire!)
Best feature: A hardware keypad!
What rocks: Its been a little more than 5 months since I bought the phone and I’m a very happy user. The touch screen just works. More often than not, it is possible to use your fingers instead of having to pull out the stylus everytime.
Exchange connectivity is awesome. I use this to stay connected all the time.
Ever tried typing out a message with a stylus in a moving car? The hardware keypad lets you type messages with one hand or while you’re in motion. I would say thats the single most important feature that persuaded me to buy the 4350. The hardware keypad simply rocks:).
What sucks: if you let many apps run in the background, you will get a’low memory’ warning.:(
Once in a while(maybe once in 15 days or so), the phone will hang for some reason and you will have to reboot it.
The battery lasts only 1 day of typical usage even with WLAN/Bluetooth off(but activesync turned on).
Overall: Great phone for corporate users who need to stay connected on the move.