I'm being bad and doing a little research during lunch time. Unfortunately most of the reviews I've found so far seem to be done by gadget geeks in highly populated areas...doesn't help me much regarding reception info. I admit, I like the geek factor of a lot of the new phones, but overall, I can live without the nifty features if I get a phone that works. It's just that the idea of a bright red phone that plays MP3s is appealing. ;-)
I did return one phone due to reception problems, and they let me do it - this in spite of the fact that I was past my approval period! But I felt bad for havin' to do that. Guess you do what you gotta do, but it still seems like taking advantage of 'em, a bit, even if it's during the 30 days.
And again, I'm partly just trying to decide if I'm ready to commit to Verizon for another two years. I've been vey happy with 'em, for the most part, but it is a commitment.
You might get more info from forum posts on the phone and not full out reviews. Find some cellphone forums.