It's a non-standard port, but you can use standard headsets with an adapter (which T-Mobile is now distributing with the phone). It's an HTC thing, not an Android thing; HTC did the same on their Windows Mobile devices.

I'm not sure what to make of "the keyboard and drop down styling is a cheap ripoff of the iPhone"... Is the problem that it's too similar to the iPhone or that it's not similar enough?