Having finally read this whole thread, I really feel the need to chime in here. First and foremost, of the two phones I think the thick ring on the Talkman really takes away from it, and makes it a letdown, especially since I was counting on that one to be my upgrade path. Cityman, however, is gorgeous, so I'll see if 1) it's a device I can deal with (the Icon is about at my top range, and a 1520 was too large, so we'll see) and 2) if MS is going to make sure I can use this, or Talkman, on Verizon's network. I'd take either for what they are bringing in terms of technology. The bezel thing is an absurd argument too me. The bezels on both of these are about the same or smaller than most current flagships. Any smaller and you'll run into accidental touch issues on the bottom of the display. I'd normally prefer the capacitive buttons, but, as someone who still has a Pre+, Pre 2, and Pixi+ in a drawer, swiping up from the bottom of the screen is natural for me, so I don't mind the virtual buttons too much.
Some of the minor cosmetic arguments others have made are kind of silly, especially since nobody has a phone in hand. I remember when the 822 renders came out and everyone was stating how bad they looked. Then the actual phone came out with video and pictures from all angles and a lot of people, including myself, changed their minds. From renders I thought the 820 was the better looking phone, but, with my now deceased 822 (the boot sector corruption issue) in hand I compared it to an 820 in Walmart and thought the 822 was a much nicer design. The 925 also produced a lot of flack when the renders came out, then a lot of people changed their tune when the actual phones came around. So I think a lot of people here are being premature. I've looked at and held the Samsung S6 and S6 Edge and while they look nice from a distance, they feel somewhat cheap up close, not to mention that hideous thick square border they always have around their cameras. Many of the new designs I'm looking at often look great from a distance but the build quality in hand is usually the big difference. The iPhones feel like a very well crafted device, though the ultra light weight makes the regular 6 feel like a cheap toy, as did the iPhone 5 series. I have a feeling the 950 and 950XL will live up to the Lumia build reputation.
Some of the other comparisons just make me laugh a little, like the render that looks like a cross between the 830 and the Icon/930. The pillowed back is, of course, to hide the thicker Icon/930's body. Having a radius on the corners is generally more comfortable and easier to get in and out of the pocket. At the end of the day, I think a number of people will change their minds on these phones, especially once they have them in hand and can feel the build quality.
I will say that MS should just remove the hideous thick metal ring on the Talkman (Cityman's thin, understated ring is a nice accent). Also, MS should stop being stupid and offer this phone in several more colors, or, at the very least, offer backs of different colors so that we can make it what we want. Yes, you need the black and white ones for businesses, but consumers should have choice and these can't be more than a $1 to make the covers in various colors. Heck, they could throw a couple of extra colors into the box like the did on another Lumia (forget which one it was). The fact that the covers should be easy for third party producers to make, is a good thing, as I think we'll get the colors one way or another. I can't wait to see how these actually look in real life, but, since my VZW Edge subsidy won't finish until March, I may wait to see how the Surface phone looks and what CPU it has before I decide. I just hope I don't end up having to change networks just to get the phone I want. AT&T sucks in a lot of spots, especially my workplace, here in the Tampa Bay area. Verizon is strong everywhere.