The S740 is just well put together. It's got all the requisite specs, including a 528 Mhz processor, 2.4" 320x240 screen, 3.2 megapixel camera and Wi-Fi, but it also has that ineffable build quality that causes you to say, yeah, sure, it's a bit thick, but it's sexy. I tried one for a while, and the design is definitely desirable (though the model I got had a bad ROM version, so I couldn't finish testing it.)

The downside, at least for North Americans, is that the S740 doesn't have the US 3G bands. It works with AT&T and T-Mobile, but only at 2G EDGE speeds. In 2009, that doesn't cut it.

Enter the S743. Today HTC announced the S743, which seems to be identical to the S740 except for one thing: its 3G comes on the AT&T-friendly 850/1900 Mhz bands. The S743 will also be sold officially through various unlocked-phone channels like Dell and CDW.com when it launches this quarter, so it will be easier to get than the S740. Sadly, T-Mobile users must continue to live without the 3G love. (Why, HTC, why?)

HTC hasn't announced a price for the S743, but unlocked S740s currently sell for $500, so it's got to be somewhere around there.