Yes the Windows Mobile Enthusiasts are going to be waving their fists in the air, I get it don’t worry I get it. So anyways, I was one of those people who bought an iPhone back when it was released due to my addiction to technology and I’ve had more than enough time to get use to it (hack it) as well as compare it to the other devices that are in my lineup. So why not do a reflection on the device as compared to the HTC Mogul. Granted, the two devices hit completely different segment target markets but for the overlapping users who slide between corporate america and the all day text message marathon thumbers either device can work.

When looking for size and style clearly you can’t match the iPhone, but HTC (the makers of the Mogul and nearly every other Pocket PC/Smartphone for US consumers) has never really been about the looks (hold for HTC Touch review). The Mogul was designed for performance, features, and taking the mobile office with you wherever you go.

The iPhone on the other hand was designed for style and multimedia. The obvious dissapoinments were the lack of video recording and sub 2 megapixel camera. Of course MMS and 3G were also desired features, but Sprint has never done anything about their MMS features on their smartphones and PDAs so I can’t hold anything against Apple for not including this feature built in (yes ppcgeeks.com has a sprintmms.cab which will get you there). But beyond all of this was a fundamental problem for some: where is my keyboard? I paid 599 (now 399) for a device that has no keyboard? Yes, you did and so did I but after using this device for months I think those who stuck with it like myself have a much different taste in their mouths; it works, it actually works.

Let’s make this clear, I am not recommending the iPhone for the corporate user who relies on a Blackberry for their push email or Windows Mobile Activesync (exchange). But I am saying that for those of us who like to have email accessible 24/7 on their phone with occasional web browsing and directions the iPhone does the job. Edge is by no means comparable to Sprint or Verizon’s 3G offerings (I have yet to be impressed by AT&T 3G in my area 250kbps with full bars is not what I consider fast), but it gets the job done. I don’t think that too many users out there are doing the majority of their web browsing on their mobile phones, but primarily finding information when needed and using their bookmarks to hit their favorite web sites; for this purpose EDGE works.

So enough with the rambling, can an onscreen keyboard actually get the job done? The answer is yes it can if you are willing to dedicate yourself to making it work. If you want a quick transition to the 40wpm you pound out on your full QWERTY keyboard of your pocketpc, you better set some time aside. But if you do your due dilligence, the iPhone can get the job done. At this point the only reason I can find to completely disregard the iPhone is the pricing of plans and features from AT&T versus Sprint (www.sprint.com/sero yes 50 dollars for 1250 minutes with unlimited data/text/picture mail and 7pm nights).

But if you have money to spend on a plan, and just want an overall nice usable device that can do nearly everything the Mogul can accomplish the iPhone is a winner.