After months of rumors about its Windows Phone 7 plans, Verizon announced officially on May 19 that the carrier will begin selling the HTC Trophy 7 on May 26.
Verizon plans to charge $150 for the phones — after a $50 mail-in rebate — and a new two-year customer agreement. The Verizon Trophys will be available on www.verizonwireless.com on May 26, but not until June 2 in Verizon Wireless Communication stores. Nationwide talk plans for the phones start at $39.99 per month, and an “unlimited” data package is $29.99 per month.
As my readers know, I’m a long-suffering Verizon user who has been waiting since last fall for Verizon to start selling its first Windows Phone 7. So am I going to be shelling out my $150 on May 26? I’m not sure. Here’s why.
Microsoft launched Windows Phone 7 seven months ago. The company is poised to deliver its major “Mango” Windows Phone release later this year. Yes, first-generation WP7 devices will get the Mango update. But there will be a number of new phones coming to market with Mango preloaded in a few more months. As is true with new Windows releases, I’d much rather buy an operating system preloaded on a new device than to upgrade my older device with a new operating system. Lots less hassle and usually a better experience, in my experience.
Verizon waited too long to get generation-one WP7 devices out. The HTC Trophy 7s are going to be 3G phones, no physical keyboard (a feature I really love), with 3.8-inch touchscreens and 1 GHz Snapdraggon processors. The Trophys are nice enough, but nothing too special.
I’m thinking, after all my whining and complaining about Verizon’s tardiness, that I just might wait to see what else Verizon offers in the way of Windows Phone devices later this year.
Verizon has made it known that iPhones, Android phones and BlackBerry devices are higher priority than anything from Microsoft and its partners. And given Gartner’s latest estimates that only 1.6 million WP7 phones were sold worldwide in the first quarter of this year, Verizon’s loyalties may not be misplaced.
The unfortunate part is here in the U.S. — and especially, here in New York City — Verizon has the best coverage. I’ve been using a loaner WP7 device on AT&T and there are a LOT of places where I have spotty AT&T coverage, but where my other Verizon phone works just fine.
I’m curious what others of you who’ve been waiting for a WP7 device on Verizon are going to do? Wait until later this year or jump on those Trophys? Will you throw in the towel and switch carriers? Or even go so far as to get an iPhone or another non-WP7?
. Anyway, I will have time to take the droid charge back, if I do not like it. 
I, personally, am going to check out the Trophy, then wait until the day before VZW goes Tiered data to make my decision. If Trophy is good enough for me, and no more WP7s come out on VZW to check out, I'll probably get it. But if something like the Droid Bionic or other awesome Droidphone hits the market that I like better, I'll go that route.
