I am sitting, as I have done the last few days, with three phones in front of me: a BlackBerry Bold 9700, a HTC Nexus One, and a HTC Legend.

Each have their own shortfalls and virtues; each is attractive in its own way; and certainly, each appeals to a different type of consumer. To have all three is to show the current breadth of choice in the consumer smartphone market. Certainly, to understand that the HTC Legend and Nexus One run Android is to miss the point. I purchased the Nexus One using Google’s short-lived online store, off-contract, unlocked, and completely open to root, hack, customize and play with. It’s proven to be a reliable phone, surviving slip after fall after puddle, and is what I would consider the closest to a true computer replacement ever released in a cellphone.

The BlackBerry is a messager’s dream. The keyboard, after years of use, is second nature, an extension of my two very active thumbs. Without thinking, they dance along the keyboard like upon a piano, spittin’ out lyrics, if you will. It is the phone I never leave home without, since it is the one I can rely on to actually be used as a phone, as a communications device. It serves its purpose. I no longer lust after ghost apps, ones that I would find on other platforms but are, like an amputated limb, missing from the App World. Once you come to terms with the BlackBerry as a wonderfully efficient email and messaging device, and little else, it is perhaps the best one ever made.

The HTC Legend is smack in the middle of the two aforementioned devices. It is beautiful: created from one piece of brushed aluminum, to hold it in your hand is to cradle a fine jewel or piece of art. Even without turning it on, its subtle combination of design excellence and austere presentation promotes the best of industrial smartphone design. There is, to be frank, nothing wrong with the device’s design. I could quibble about how, when removing the SIM card, your phone will turn off, since one side of the battery connector is attached the the piece, on the bottom of the device, that is taken off to get to the SIM card/microSD card. But that is necessitated by the design; one look at the back side of the Legend is justification enough for this design choice. As an evolution from the attractive, though markedly cheaper-looking HTC Hero, the Legend is a step in the right direction: it promotes build quality in the face of higher production and marketing costs.

The software, compared to the Hero, is also an evolutionary step in the right direction. The jump from Android 1.5 to 2.1 is the difference, even on similar hardware, between a slow-moving steam engine and a bullet train. The whole OS infrastructure has been made more efficient. The additions of voice-recognition throughout the OS, of multi-touch within the browser, maps and gallery apps, and the improvements made to HTC’s Sense UI, are unifying ingredients that make Android feel like much more of a well-rounded package. The problems that exist in stock Android builds, even the latest 2.2 build, are taken up by Sense with panache. Copy and paste mimic Apple’s implementation (a little too much, IMO); the HTC_IME keyboard is incredible; their mail app is vastly superior to stock Android; their widgets do not hamper your interactions with the OS but improve on them. I particularly enjoy the FriendStream widget, which provides, on the homescreen, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr feeds, in a clean, intuitive way.

Overall, the phone is stable, and speedy enough to engage in some multitasking without bogging down the system. The 600MHZ processor does not strain under most conditions, since the screen resolution is lower than on most high-end Android devices. You wouldn’t know it to look, though, since the AMOLED screen is sharp, bright and quite pleasant to look at, even in sunlight. I did notice the colours wash out quite a bit in the sun, but less so than on the Nexus One.

There was some slowdown, though I expect it is app-related more than problems with the OS. When typing in a text field in the browser, there is some nasty slowdown with the keyboard. The keyboard would flake out randomly, and then Force Close, the Android equivalent of a BSOD. It usually starts right back up, but it’s a consistent problem and one I hope improves with updates.

I noticed a problem with battery life, too. As a fairly low-use phone, I expected at least a full day out of a charge. Instead, even with minimal use from the browser, camera, SMS and phone calls, the battery would expire in 4-6 hours. Not acceptable for a device aimed at the mainstream. While I’m sure I could improve the longevity by keeping the brightness to a minimum and turning off all background apps, most users will leave the settings on default, such as auto-brightness, and install an RSS reader, Facebook, Twitter, etc., all of which use background resources every one in a while.

Bell’s network, in the two cities I used the device, Toronto and Montreal, and in between on the 401, was rock solid. I found a couple dead spots on the highway, but it would usually spring right back to life within a couple minutes. The speed was always good whether I was downloading apps or uploading pictures. I will say it again: Bell’s network is definitely the fastest 3G network in Canada at the moment.

The camera takes sharp pictures with its 5MP sensor, and the LED flash is a welcome addition. HTC’s camera app is much better than the stock Android version as well, and is so beloved among enthusiasts, it has been ported over to work with rooted stock devices such as the Nexus One. Its small size is perfect to slip in an out of a pocket to take quick snaps, and the optical trackpad works wonders as a shutter click.

Speaking of its small size, I cannot convey how wonderful this phone feels in your hands. It is a pleasure to use. Without exploding with hyperbole, I don’t think I have ever been more comfortable using a phone. It is noticeably lighter and smaller than the iPhone and Nexus One, thinner than both, and despite its smaller screen size, because of the text’s sharpness, I never missed the higher resolution of the N1. There is something to be said for chemistry between a person and his or her phone; it may seem trifling, but the phone you buy is an important decision: you’re going to use it for hours a day, every day. For it to feel comfortable and inviting in your hands is essential, and something I believe people overlook when making their decision.

There are things I’ve overlooked. I will get to them in the video review. Suffice it to that, however, that for $79.99 on a 3-year term, the HTC Legend is a bargain on either Bell or Virgin Mobile. For $399 at Bell (or $350 at Virgin Mobile), you can purchase it outright, unlock it and use it on any Canadian provider, or AT&T in the US. Until the Desire arrives in its NAM 3G form, this is the most desirable Android device in Canada: sorry Milestone, Liquid E et al.

For more information on the device, check out HTC’s page, and to get it on Bell, hit up their store.