It would have been nice if you would have taken pics of the XV6800 you had for 24 hours. That engadget article has been out since February, and from other pictures we've seen more recently on UTStarcom's Accessory Site (
http://www.buywirelessnow.com/utstar...el/1035_287644), the XV6800 will actually have blue trim around the front edge. I personally wish they would have kept it gray or black, but I'll deal with it.
As for the specs, we have to assume they will be the same as the Mogul. Remember, you're looking at something that came out months before the Mogul was released.
Just as I would take Verizon as a carrier anyday over Sprint in my market, I will take the XV6800 over the Mogul in a heartbeat. The d-pad is one its most criticized aspects of the Mogul, and obviously that's the primary thing that has been changed on the XV6800.