Looking for new Sprint Phone - Epic? Evo? Wait? In 4G area

[android91]

Hey Guys, new to the forum and fairly new to android. I'm locked in with Sprint so its my only choice.

I am elligible for an upgrade, but am not the premier member on my plan. (Only pay around $25 a month). I'm really struggling picking a phone that will last me for 22 months. Currently, I am getting by with a Samsung Rant and an Ipod Touch. My needs for this phone are basically to replace my Ipod Touch for both videos and Music. In addition, I would like to play the latest greatest games. I'm not too familiar with Android games, but all my friends have an Iphone and I myself have alot of Apps on the Ipod Touch.I'll be getting my phone in January so I'm still doing a lot of research on current and upcoming devices.

In terms of current phones I'm looking at either the Epic or the Evo. I have no need for a qwerty keyboard as I do fine with all touch screen phones. I'm a little worried about the Evo's screen. All the reviews say it looks washed out compared to the Epic and the Iphone4. Is it really that bad? Is it pixelated?

So what's the best for me in terms of:
-Build - I want something Sturdy, but don't need a keyboard
-Music/Video playback - (TV shows that I'll be manually putting on SD card)
-Games - Angry bird type games
- Screen - I like a big screen, but if it looks more washed out than the Ipod Touch then maybe a smaller screen is the way to go...
-USB tethering - Can it be done on froyo without rooting
- Benefits of Rooting

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. Also, if you guys know of a way to get two premier customers (yearly upgrades) on a share plan, please let me know!

 

[lordofthereef]

I went from an iPhone 4 to an EVO. The screen isn't as sharp, but I feel it isn't nearly as bad as reviews lead you to believe. The 3GS and lower phones, by comparison, have MUCH more visible pixels than the EVO. I have to get my face within a couple inches of the EVO to notice any pixels at all. With the iPhone 4 you have to be even closer, but at what point does that TRULY matter? As far as colors, they are also nicer on the iPhone, but not bad at all on the EVO. I have a much easier time seeing the EVO screen in sunlight than I did any iPhone as well (although the 4 was better than its predecessors). Goinf from a touch (I assume you don't have the newest one with the retina display), the EVO screen is going to be an upgrade IMO and a slight downgrade from the iPhone 4 and latest touch. It is worth noting that the extra relestate is very nice too, so that is a sort of trade off. I would walk into a Sprint store and take a look if you are very concerned. I THOUGHT that I would not like this phone based on screen quality and size, but I am EXTREMELY happy with it. As far as I am concerned I gained FAR more than I lost with this phone.

I will say that gaming is lacking on the android market. I would keep the touch handy if that is what you are looking for. I had tons of games on my iPhone but didn't really play them much at all, so I can't say I miss them all that much now. There were some signature games like the 'dash" series (I think android has diner dash 2, which iOS does not have, but that is the only one), along with street fighter and sonic 4 that I don't get to play anymore, but since I didn't buy this device with gaming in mind it wasn't big loss for me.

You can tether the phone via USB, but you will have to pay for it unless you root. If you have your touch jailbroken, it really isn't much more involving than that (unless you get a new evo, that is more involving, but if you can follow directions to a T, not so bad).

Benefits of rooting include nandroid backups (essentially an image backup of your phone so if you ever need to restore, there is no manual installation of everything required). As mentioned you also get the ability to tether the phone. Deleting stock apps and tweaking your performance (under/overclocking) are also perks for those that root. There are also custom roms available for root that have features added or removed based on what you want/prefer.

As far as the epic, I am pretty anti Samsung when it comes to phones. I have read too many bad things and have had too many bad experiences. not trying to condemn that phone, but it just isn't for me. There are plenty on here that feel the same way, however there are plenty that love the phone. I will say the display is gorgeous, although once you get moderate sunlight you can't see a damn thing on it.

 

[android91]

wow thanks for the indepth and thoughtful response. I'm now leaning towards the evo. I've jailbroken my ipod using the one click method, so I'll probably end up rooting my future phone. Thanks to your post, I think I've eliminated the epic completely. Its either the Evo or a mystery phone that'll be coming out in the very near future

 

[AndroidSPCS]

I have both Epic and Evo. I would not rule out the Epic. It is a damn fine phone and a great gaming phone especially with the Game Gripper that's available for it.

 

[Kelmar]

Also have both phones and was anti samsung prior to the epic, but it's an amazing device. If you want an amazing screen, choose the epic. If you want a larger screen, choose the evo. Regardless, play with both. You can't go wrong with either one!

 

[noobs]

Sprint is supposedly releasing a new phone in January called the Evo Shift 4G. It will have a 3.7" screen and a qwerty keyboard. It will have a newer generation 800mhz proc(Some articles say possibly dual core but I doubt it. If it is the same 800mhz proc as the G2 it is faster than the 1ghz snapdragons and overclocks really well). Not sure if it will have a FFC or not. I hope so. People are guessing it is Sprints version of the T Mobile G2 or HTC Desire Z.

You may want to wait until more details are released on it before buying a new phone. I know some people really dislike physical keyboards and others cannot fathom why anyone would want a smaller screen but I know for me the 4.3" screen on the Evo is too big which is why I am waiting. 480x800 resolution on a 3.7" screen looks great to me. Others may not like the plastic feel of a Samsung(Epic) or their slow updates. The new phone will be an HTC so should have a nicer feel to it.

 

[Rigmaster]

If you want a phone now, Evo's the best option. The most common knocks seem to be some think it's too big and some don't think it's screen compares to SAmoled. I don't find either of those to be a problem as the screen size more than justifies the overall size of the phone, which is still reasonably thin and small. I'm not disapppointed by the screen because I don't watch movies or game except on very rare occasions.

The build quality has been flawless for me and my wife, both original Evos. I have Wimax now where I live and most of the area I travel in NJ/Philly/NYC, and Evo shines when using 4G.

The only knock I ever consider with Evo or any other smartphone is battery life. None really is that much better than the other when used under like conditions. Plus, I have portable chargers galore so I've never come close to running out of power.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

While I love the Evo, I dislike the Evo Shift 4G. Evo is not too big at all.

 

[android91]

I'm also not fond of the shift. I do not need a QWERTY keyboard and the only selling point for the Epic for me is the sAMOLED.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

I don't foresee another 4G device launching before 2011 rolls around. Once the EPIC upgrades to FroYo, the EVO and the iPhone 4 won't hold a candle to it (unless the EVO gets Gingerbread and the EPIC doesn't).

 

[android91]

I don't foresee another 4G device launching before 2011 rolls around. Once the EPIC upgrades to FroYo, the EVO and the iPhone 4 won't hold a candle to it (unless the EVO gets Gingerbread and the EPIC doesn't).

Explain this please.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Explain this please.

The EPIC has a better display, a faster processor, a hardware keyboard, is more pocketable, has a better camera (more megapixels doesn't make a camera better), and a more user friendly UI.

The EVO has better tethering capabilities (which only serves a certain niche of users), a more advanced UI, a slightly larger screen, and a kickstand.

The EVO's biggest advantage over the EPIC right now is FroYo. Next would come screen size and the kickstand.

 

[android91]

The EPIC has a better display, a faster processor, a hardware keyboard, is more pocketable, has a better camera (more megapixels doesn't make a camera better), and a more user friendly UI.

The EVO has better tethering capabilities (which only serves a certain niche of users), a more advanced UI, a slightly larger screen, and a kickstand.

The EVO's biggest advantage over the EPIC right now is FroYo. Next would come screen size and the kickstand.

I was never a big fan of Sammy's skin, but that's just my opinion. However, I did not know the processor was faster. Interesting...

 

[BlackedOut]

Samsung Epic 4G vs. HTC EVO 4G

Review from Digital Trends.

 

[android91]

Why must Sprint make this difficult. Give me a 4.3" AMOLED Dual core no qwerty phone !

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Why must Sprint make this difficult. Give me a 4.3" AMOLED Dual core no qwerty phone !

You don't have to use the QWERTY. The EPIC has the standard Android on-screen keyboard as well as Swype.

Personally, I'd rather sacrifice the negligible screen size for SAMOLED anyday.

 

[Rigmaster]

Why must Sprint make this difficult. Give me a 4.3" AMOLED Dual core no qwerty phone !

Don't blame Sprint. The only chance now at getting a 4.3" SAmoled screen will come if Samsung makes it. I don't know if anyone else will be able to produces the screens required for 4.3" because SS makes most of them for other smartphone makers and setting up that type of production facility doesn't happen overnight and is very costly.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

The EPIC has a better display, a faster processor, a hardware keyboard, is more pocketable, has a better camera (more megapixels doesn't make a camera better), and a more user friendly UI.

The EVO has better tethering capabilities (which only serves a certain niche of users), a more advanced UI, a slightly larger screen, and a kickstand.

The EVO's biggest advantage over the EPIC right now is FroYo. Next would come screen size and the kickstand.

While I do agree with this, the other major advantage of the Evo is the awesome GPS. The Epic's GPS is just "ok", does not hold a candle to Evo's GPS. That's the main weakness of the Galaxy S phones. My Epic's GPS is better than the Captivate I have, but that's not saying much.

Even my LG Optimus S GPS was superior to the Epic.

With the Evo I have confidence I can get GPS lock any time any where. With the Epic I have to make sure I'm in the open and wait for a while to get a lock.

The Evo also has a huge development community behind it, lots of ROMs, tweaks, etc available. The Epic falls significantly short in this regard. My Epic's battery also drains much faster than my Evo's. But I have plenty of spare batteries for both so it's not much of an issue.

But I do love both phones so neither one is significantly better than the other, imho. They are both awesome.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

I was never a big fan of Sammy's skin, but that's just my opinion. However, I did not know the processor was faster. Interesting...

The Epic processor is not faster, however Epic does have a much better graphics processor. That can make a big difference in gaming / videos. But in reality since I do not game I can not tell a big difference between Evo / Epic. In fact my Epic lags at times whereas the Evo does not lag at all.

I notice lag on both my Epic & Captivate. I'll often turn it on to check email, then I try to turn off the screen, and both the Epic / Captivate will refuse to turn off, until at least 30 seconds or so. It confounds me. Quite annoying if you're trying to check email and then put the phone away.

The Evo, on the other hand, just works, and does not give me any issues at all...that is a significant advantage.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Don't blame Sprint. The only chance now at getting a 4.3" SAmoled screen will come if Samsung makes it. I don't know if anyone else will be able to produces the screens required for 4.3" because SS makes most of them for other smartphone makers and setting up that type of production facility doesn't happen overnight and is very costly.

There is also Super LCD.

 

[Eazail70x7]

The EPIC has a better display, a faster processor, a hardware keyboard, is more pocketable, has a better camera (more megapixels doesn't make a camera better), and a more user friendly UI.

The EVO has better tethering capabilities (which only serves a certain niche of users), a more advanced UI, a slightly larger screen, and a kickstand.

The EVO's biggest advantage over the EPIC right now is FroYo. Next would come screen size and the kickstand.

Good points. Also, my gps on dk28 2.2 works perfectly and is very accurate. So one of the biggest knocks against the epic (gps) will be remedied. Even on the internal document for the dl11 upgrade, it listed gps enhancements as a benefit.

Biggest thing by far holding the Epic back from its full potenial is the lack of an official Froyo build. Its coming, even if it takes 3 more months (sigh).

Both phones are top class in todays market. I suggest using them side by side in the sprint store. I found that speed wise, they were neck and neck but smoothness of ui and graphics is better on the Epic due to the powerful gpu. I also found that the screen whileb smaller, is better for my taste on the Epic. These are what led me to this phone (well the keyboard did too).

If there was no Epic, I would have got an Evo. I love the Evo.

 

[stevcha]

I would definitely go into Sprint or Best Buy and compare both phones side by side. I initially wanted the Epic bc of the screen and keyboard (former blackberry owner). But after researching both phones more it seemed like the Evo was a better fit for me. Seems like HTC is better at rolling out updates. Also as someone mentioned earlier the development community for the EVO is amazing. Plenty of custom roms/kernels to choose from. Choose the phone that best suits YOUR needs.