We were talking about ASUS' blazingly fast new devices the other day, and I've just finished reviewing O2 UK's Zest, which is a rebadged ASUS Galaxy 7. You can see the review here:

http://www.4winmobile.com/forums/4wm-reviews-hardware/18459-o2-xda-zest-review.html

"It’s nearly 7 years now since O2 launched their pioneering XDA range and introduced the British public to the delights of Windows Mobile. Since the original XDA O2 have presented us with a plethora of HTC devices that have kept us captivated. The XDA Zest is the latest device to wear the XDA insignia but it hides a secret. This XDA is not HTC, it’s ASUS. The famed motherboard manufacturer from the Far East has jumped on to the Windows Mobile band wagon and has made its intentions clear. Is ASUS’ Zest a worthy addition to the XDA range? Read on to find out………"

Great review - thanks for posting it here. You obviously love this device and the specs look good - shame it's a bit boring to look at though.

Yeah, the looks are the worst part of the device. That said, it's not that bad in the flesh, just not as exciting as the Diamond for example. It's very fast though, as the benchmarks show and for £249.99 SIM free compared to £449 SIM free for the Diamond it's a bargain.

Yes - the price is definitely good. But surely manufacturers must realise that looks also matter - a lot. I mean look at Apple's video ipod. They are just so cute that I actually bought one , and it wasn't till I got home that I realised that I really didn't need one and came to my senses and returned it. But I was still sorry to see it go. Apple know that when they line up a colorful array of devices like that , it definitely has a great appeal. Also nowadays, it seems that most devices are very similar, so the one that stands out is the one that looks the 'coolest'.

I hear what you're saying , but it's not always the manufacturers. Look at O2's versions of HTC's Polaris, Universal and Artemis. All used custom O2 only cases, and in my opinion this isn't always a good thing. This ASUS looks VERY XDA and I don't think any other SP is shipping it at the moment so the case may well be to O2's spec (this is only my opinion by the way, I don't know either way for sure). That said the ASUS machines in general seem to be high spec, but lacking in the looks department. At least they're not as bad as the iMate's though!