For the record, I want to say I care about the CDMA version because I have verizon, but feel free to compare the GSM versions as well.
well, it all depends on your taste. The 9500 is slightly thicker, bulkier, bigger than the 720. The 720 does not have a "true" alarm, the 9500 does not have a calculator. With the standard batteries, the 720 gives you a slightly longer talk time. The 9500 has 9 lines of txt, the 720, I believe 7 or 8. Other than that, they are somewhat similar. I can't stress it enough tho, avoid the 720, at least until all the bugs are worked out! Even my "cheapy" Kyocera has proven more reliable than that phone.
Well, I didn't play around much with the Audiovox phone, but it is bigger than the 720. They both have 9 lines of text, and the 720 has longer talk time. As for the functions, I really can't say since I only stayed for a minute or two...one weird thing on the Audiovox was that the headset jack is on the flip cover instead of the base of the phone... I will say that the newest software for the T720 works fine. I have taken it to the store for an issue of the phone resetting itself, and they replaced it. Haven't noticed that happening anymore.
I believe the 9500's biggest selling point is the speakerphone. However, I haven't tried it out to see if it's any good.
Gotta add the Audiovox don't know which one but the newest one that came out for Verizon. The screen is much much nicer, more vibrate. SEems to have 16 bit color vs 720 256 k of color. I hope the Samung 105 that sprint has comes out for Verizon. It's hella nice
This is one phone I really can't judge, because I am not sure I had the chance to play around with the finished product, but based on the model I got to use (care of a friend) the T720 definitely had better reception, looks, somewhat better battery life, and it sounded much more clear/bassful. For all of you that hate the first T720's, then the 9500's can't be any better, since right now the very first phones are circulating. The T720 is also $150 cheaper with a 2 year contract, so that makes the choice very easy. Only place where the 9500 could win is probably holster-wise and the speakerphone feature. The 9500 also moves faster (menu system and mobile web, that is). Your best bet is still the T720. And although I like the looks of the T720 better, the 9500's look is more unique and fresh (though it'll seem ugly when it first hits your eyes). For some odd reason, when I first saw it, "Star Trek" came into mind.
