hey, I got the v600 for free through a promo with At&t. My step mom worked there, so I got all the stupid kinks worked out, and yeah its an awesome phone. I know many people that also work at Activate Cellular(local place) and T-Mobile.
Biggest tip is, get warranty for the length of your service, not how long you want the phone. The thing is, all phones will be dead within the 1st year. Plan on it.
The v600 has a metal case, and its not too heavy, but heavier then my buddies sanyo's. The picture quality is aight, with 640x480. Better then my friends samsung e316.
I honestly like it more then the samsungs because its "metal" and has a lot of features that back up its shiny looks.