There was nothing unique, compelling, or, well, anything about these phones. Most were even exceptionally crappy with the exception of the Samsung. It's clear that none of the OEMs were willing to invest the resources to design and build a piece of hardware that was compelling.
I don't blame Microsoft for shopping around for an "official" manufacturer after that little debacle.
And I say: Finally! One of the weaknesses of Android has always been this clearly demarcated line between hardware and software, as necessitated by its licensing terms and mission statement. iPhones don't suffer from the effects of this - the software plays closely with the hardware, and it shows. With beautiful industrial design (honestly, I'm a fan of this new phone) and tight hardware-software integration, Microsoft can stand a real chance. I say, about time.
That thing looks like a lazy ripoff of the Nokia N9. But oh well. They're both beautiful :-)
Disclaimer: I used to work for Nokia.
Doesn't that apply to iPhone4S as well?