I got the phone yesterday. First impressions on the pro side are:

1. Smaller even with the extended batterry (Nice).
2. More RAM/ROM on the phone.
3. Compatible with higher capacity memory cards.
4. CommManager closes without an error.
5. 6700 chargers are compatible with the 6800.
6. Verizon had a stock of 6800 accessories when the phone was released which wasn't available when the 6700 was released.

Cons are:

1. Upgrade didn't fix the inability of accessing java based web pages.
2. No improvement in the stability of the OS.
3. Exit option on the CommManager still doesn't shut down the program.
4. Not even close to meeting the advertised battery life. To make sure the unit is useful all day must charge it over night every night.
5. There aren't any nice cases that will accommodate the extended battery.
6. Doesn't come with a cradle to sit in when connected to the pc.
7. No headsets provided for hands free access by either hardwire or bluetooth; must be purchased separately.
8. Even though I shut off the voice dialer so I can listen to audio things such as music, gps commands, etc., audio will shut down in the bluetooth after about 30 secs. Have to install a 3rd party software to get it to work.

Neutral throughts - Even though there are 8 cons most are fixable with a 3rd party solution which makes the unit an adequate source of communication needs. It's just aggravating that Verizon makes it so that the average user must resort to such workarounds to have a device that will meet their needs.

Overall impression - With a bit of modification this PPC is nice and gives me the combination of calendar, phone, and internet in one device. There is more of a variety of programs to use on a PPC then on a standard phone which makes it more capable of meeting my needs. The only thing that makes it worth the upgrade from the 6700 is the increase in memory and electronic storage. If not for those I would be returning the unit and still continue to use my XV6700.

As an aside, regarding your inquiry about EVDO Rev A, I can't tell what version I have. There's nothing on the phone to show what version is installed even with EV showing as the network connection. Tell me where I can find it and I'll tell you.