[dishe]

Hey, I posted this over in another forum, but I feel like its appropriate here too:

Ok, I've been using a Touch Pro 2 since just about when it came out.

I loved it, but the developers are clearly jumping ship for more popular platforms... fewer applications are coming out and less interesting hacks/tweaks (and just about zero future OS updates, as WP7 is a quantum leap in another direction entirely).

So, I've been eying Android devices to upgrade to. The Oct 1st change to buy into "everything plan" status got me all excited, but after looking at the lineup I'm loosing my enthusiasm.

Without jumping another $10 to 4G status devices, what is there comparable in hardware to the Touch Pro 2?
I mean, I don't expect all new devices to have dual mode GSM/CDMA radios or tilting screens like we do now, but it should be an upgrade in features and performance or at least be the same, right?

So far, my options are the Hero, the Moment, and the Intercept. Once upon a time I would have considered the Pre, but it appears that WebOS is falling into the same obscurity that Windows Mobile is. Remember, the only reason I'm leaving WM is because I miss the large community support that you only get with popular platforms (lots of hacks, tweaks, apps, etc).

The Hero has the same CPU I have now. However, it lacks a keyboard and has lower resolution and battery life. It also doesn't have TV out, which is actually something I use (I plug my TP2 into headrest displays and play video for my kids in the car).

The Moment has a better CPU and better display brightness (AMOLED), and I like that it has a keyboard. I'm leaning towards this one, but again- the resolution is lower than my current phone (I always love showing off videos on the WVGA display), and it lacks the video out as well. Also, it appears to have less memory.

The Intercept... well, the intercept is apparently a "poor man's Moment". It feels cheaper, has even LOWER resolution, slower EVDO (0 instead of A) and aside from being a bit smaller, has nothing to offer over the Moment.

So... I can't help but feel like for my extra $10, I'm paying for the right to DOWNGRADE my hardware or features! I want my beautiful WVGA display, my video out, my keyboard... It seems the only way I can actually upgrade and not lose any functionality is to pay $20 more monthly for the Evo or Epic. (When the EVO came out, I decided I might be able to forgo the keyboard on a screen that big)

But I'm having trouble justifying paying $240 more annually for what is more or less the features I currently have, but with a more up to date OS. The $10 a month I can handle if it really is an upgrade, but not $20. Is there something I'm overlooking?
Right now, I sort of feel like I should just leave my SERO as is and keep the superior hardware in my TP2 at $29 a month.

Maybe new options will surface, like the HTC Speedy, which won't be 4G and have more up-to-date specs that can compete with our impressive feature list.
Its funny, many of us have been waiting so long to choose another handset, and there aren't really any better options until the EVO came out. And that's even more money.