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FWIW: Was talking to my favorite AT&T Rep about the upcoming Fuze, and the response I got was "Probably, but don't hold your breath..."
Seems their store just received a shipment of 300 (!) Tilts with the latest version of Windows Mobile (6.1 - ?), so they are not expecting anything else in that line "soon."
And, on top of that, "We are having trouble GIVING the Tilts away. No one wants to spend $300 on any other phone once they see the iPhone" - even though it (the iPhone) is "not great for business use."
Apparently business users ARE still drawn to the Blackberrys, and he is currently carrying around a Samsung BlackJackII - which apparently works a lot better with the latest WM upgrade.
He also spoke of a number of units that were Announced as future releases - but got Canceled before ever making it to market due the decision that there would be insufficient sales to justify the attempt.
In his opinion: In America, the market is driven by the carriers - you buy what your carrier offers you, and you do so at a subsidized price. In Europe, the market is driven by the manufacturers - you buy the phone you want, and then shop around for a carrier, as they all use the same technology...
One thing I know: cannot imagine ever spending $700 - or even $400 - for a phone, no matter how fancy. Can understand the appeal - and perhaps the rationalization for someone who is using it in place of several devices - but simply do not see enough Personal Benefit to justify that kind of outlay.
Apparently - as someone has already noted - the manufacturers / carriers tend to believe that there is a Very Limited Market for high-end phones in the US.
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