It's a win... with restrictions. I love the Metro UI, and I enjoy using it and trying something new. As I mentioned in the video, and other people have also mentioned that Windows Phone 7 is designed for the "Think Different" set, and Apple and iOS are the "safe bet" for people purchasing a smart phone. I believe as "Windows 8" grows closer to launch, more and more people are going to want to be exposed to this interface on their phones, and I believe WP7 is poised to really take off from that point. Since I believe that iOS is the "safe choice" I believe that if Windows Phone 7 is going to take aware marketshare from anyone in this space, it will be taken away from Google and the Android platform. I'm sure that I have mentioned this already, but I do believe that the Metro Windows Phone interface will be on the next phone that I purchase and keep.
Great review. I have been using the HTC HD7 on T-Mobile since Feb. and I really like it. My wife recently picked up a 2nd gen device and she is sporting the HTC Radar 4G. Even though the processors in our phones are the same clock speed, hers is actually faster in most day to day operations because it is a newer generation of proc.
The new flagship phones actually have faster processors, 1.4GHz vs. the standard 1GHz, and larger megapixel cameras, 8MP vs 5MP. Reviews of the 2nd gen flagship phones, HTC Titan, Samsung Focus S, and Nokia Lumia 900 have all stated that they are "very" fast.
With the next update codename Tango, support for higer resolutions is expected, and with Windows Phone 8, codename Apollo, dual core CPUs are expected.
Chad, you should update your handset to Mango. I felt that my experience was enhanced with deeper integration of social networks, adding Linkedin, and it also seemed like mine performed better. There was an overhaul of the Xbox Live hub, and the ability to stream music through Skydrive was added as well.
If any of you Android or iOS users would like to try out the Metro UI, Microsoft has an interactive web demo that you can load up in the browser on your phone and try it out.
From what I understand, it does everything but launch apps.
