• Preserves the size & sync attributes.
• The UI actually feels responsive, as opposed to the "let us pass your keypress off to this battalion of time-traveling slugs for processing on a 1970s minicomputer" feel of the T68.
• Better/bigger screen, nicer UI.
• Built-in camera phone.

OK, OK, but what's the real reason? The old phone ring [warning: plays a sound].

I can't get enough of that shit.

I'm also weirdly compelled by the fact that this phone can play little Java games that you can download using WAP. So I spent $5 last night on the Solitaire game that really should have come with the phone in the first place. Buying and downloading the game was totally painless; I assume the charge will show up on my phone bill, because I didn't have to key in a credit card number. I'll probably freak out and get the Jeopardy game, too.

I think I can see the point of this crazy downloadable phone content thing, now: the one-click purchasing combined with the download just going to the right place in the phone (the phone even offers to take you to the game, and I'm assuming -- but haven't verified -- that if you bought a ring tone it'd offer to make it your default ring) makes for compulsive shopping. After all -- it's only three to five bucks. Is what you'll keep telling yourself after dozens of impulse purchases. Welcome to Japan, circa last century. I'm trying to catch up to the future, I promise! Please wait for me!

Also: upgrading a GSM phone is SOOO painless it's awesome. I walked into the AT&T store, said "gimme that one," they popped out the smart card out of my old phone, popped it into the new one, and I was good to go. It's so smart that GSM stores your phone # identity on these interchangeable smart cards. It makes it painfully tempting to also have a second, bigger, dorkier phone, except for the part where I know I'd never carry it, and wouldn't really have a need for it. Hell, I didn't even carry the itty bitty separate camera for the T68i.  1:46:15 PM  (comments [])