Is the SE P990 too late to the QWERTY phone game?

Credit: All About Symbian

As a fan of QWERTY keyboard devices one device I seriously considered when it was announced a year ago was the Sony Ericsson P990, yet it took almost a full year for it to be released and IMHO other devices that were more functional were released to compete with it during that time period. I had the opportunity to sit on the train from New York to Boston and chat with Rafe Blandford from All About Symbian and see the P990 up close. For all the details on this UIQ device check out Rafe's new full review and see if this is a device you would consider. The P910 eventually came to the United States as an unlocked phone from places like Tiger Direct and Buy.com so we may see the P990 sometime in the future here as well. The UIQ interface, built on the Symbian OS, is new for the majority of people and from my personal experiences it does take a bit of getting used to. Rafe is a die-hard Symbian OS user and said that the UIQ interface is extremely powerful and functional. As QWERTY smartphones pack in more wireless radios, cameras, and features and get thinner and more pocketable I have a really tough time going to something as thick as the P990. Rafe's review points out some software issues, that will most likely be corrected with software updates, and overall he is quite pleased with the device.