What's the difference between the EVO Shift (with keyboard) and the Epic?

[Johnny Cakes]

Title says it all. I always thought that the major difference between the EVO and the Epic was the presence/absence of a keyboard.

 

[dan330]

1.. HTC vs Samsung.. support and updates
2.. size and tech of screen
3.. CPU and GPU... hummingbird vs Scorpion..
4.. aftermarket support.. mod community ... HTC have a history of active development.
5.. size of phone
6.. SDcard size (2GB vs 16GB)
7.. internal memory storage.. 2GB vs 512MB (not confirmed)

 

[dbpaddler]

2. Shift: 3.7" (don't know the tech) , Epic: 4" SAMOLED
4. The Galaxy series phones have a very strong development community as well.
5. Shift has a smaller footprint (length x width), but is slightly thicker.
6. Cards are cheap, and the cards they give are slow anyway. Though the Epic has the 16gb
7. I believe the Shift has 512mb of RAM same as the Epic.

Don't forget no front facing camera on the Shift(might or might not be important. I know I could care less). No HDMI out, though Epic doesn't either until the microUSB to hdmi standard is finished. It does have DLNA connectivity though.

 

[EarlyMon]

HTC EVO Shift? 4G at Sprint

HTC EVO Shift 4G - Android Forums

The Shift is like a baby Evo or kinda a baby Epic.

The quality is there, the features are fewer. Great phone if you like a smaller screen.

Targeted to less media-intensive user, in my opinion.

 

[jasonacg]

I'm currently torn between the Evo Shift and the Epic.

As a current Moment owner who is two weeks from upgrade eligibility, Samsung (and maybe Sprint to a lesser extent) have really disappointed me. To see such a powerful device as the Epic stuck at Android 2.1, is very discouraging. I'd hate to get into the Epic, only to suffer through the same wait times as I did with the Moment (by the time 2.1 finally came out, some devices were getting ready for 2.2). These factors are causing me to give some serious thought to ditching Samsung for HTC.

What's the opinion of everyone here? Is it worth going with the smaller screen and single camera, to get a phone that seems to have better support, or is the Epic still the better choice despite Samsung's constant foot-dragging on software upgrades? I don't need a larger screen, as long as the Shift's display is at least comparable in size and quality to the Moment. I mainly want a device that has a slide-out keyboard, support for future versions of Android, and fewer bugs (namely, the CDMA lockups that have plagued the Moment from day one).

Your thoughts?

 

[EarlyMon]

We've been going through this same decision for months. My wife's been frustrated with her Moment, I was strongly suggesting the Epic, but she refused to budge until there was clarity on updates.

Two minutes with the Shift and her decision was made. It has fewer features than the Epic - unless you count Froyo and working GPS, its screen is smaller and SLCD rather than SAMOLED, no front facing camera...

While going through the list one last time, she grabbed me, put the Shift in one hand and the Moment in the other and said, any questions? I'm now convinced it's quite a phone.

Either one will be a huge step up from your Moment - in every conceivable way.

Have you had a chance to try either in a store yet?

 

[dan330]

I'm currently torn between the Evo Shift and the Epic.

As a current Moment owner who is two weeks from upgrade eligibility, Samsung (and maybe Sprint to a lesser extent) have really disappointed me. To see such a powerful device as the Epic stuck at Android 2.1, is very discouraging. I'd hate to get into the Epic, only to suffer through the same wait times as I did with the Moment (by the time 2.1 finally came out, some devices were getting ready for 2.2). These factors are causing me to give some serious thought to ditching Samsung for HTC.

What's the opinion of everyone here? Is it worth going with the smaller screen and single camera, to get a phone that seems to have better support, or is the Epic still the better choice despite Samsung's constant foot-dragging on software upgrades? I don't need a larger screen, as long as the Shift's display is at least comparable in size and quality to the Moment. I mainly want a device that has a slide-out keyboard, support for future versions of Android, and fewer bugs (namely, the CDMA lockups that have plagued the Moment from day one).

Your thoughts?

are you a rooter?? if you take the option to root and use custom ROMs. Hopefully the epic devs will have a lot of more choices in custom ROMs. they should keep up with the android versions well after samsung has moved on.

that way... you can have your cake and eat it too.

 

[datruth]

I played with the shift and it is a good phone but the only thing it seems to have over the epic is froyo I am pissed with not having 2.2 on my epic right now but I think it would be a downgrade feature wise

 

[EarlyMon]

It _is_ a downgrade in features, and it tends to cost less.

 

[nyall]

The epic's keyboard has dedicated number buttons. The shift's number buttons are secondary. Most of the time it doesn't matter but Its one of my criteria in a slide out.

 

[EarlyMon]

The Shift's letter keys are laid out more like traditional keyboard.

 

[Lozer_Kid]

It _is_ a downgrade in features, and it tends to cost less.

+1

 

[FreakyLocz14]

The Shift has the advantage of being way better supported for software updates.

The EPIC has a better display and a front-facing camera. I also like the keyboard on the EPIC better.

 

[jasonacg]

I tried the Epic in a Sprint store, but they had a wire tie around the phone for "added security," meaning I couldn't test drive the keyboard. At the time, the Evo Shift wasn't there yet, so I haven't had a hands-on test of it.

Depending on the overall feel of the keyboard, the lack of dedicated number keys may not necessarily be a deal-breaker. I'm most concerned with it being easy to use.

I know the Epic has more bells and whistles than the Shift, but I'm willing to sacrifice some of those to a certain extent, to get a phone that is the most dependable. A larger screen is nice, but not necessarily a must-have. Neither is a front-facing camera.

I haven't ventured down the path of rooting a phone yet. I will if I have to, but I also want a phone with as much "official" support as possible. Yes, I know that every phone has a lifespan, but in the case of the Moment, it seems like development virtually stopped once the phone was released, with few exceptions. If HTC has a better reputation, and starts with a better foundation of software, then I'll go that route, and root the rest. I want to use root for adding more features, not for, as someone once said, "putting lipstick on a pig."

Hopefully, I can get to a store this week, and try them both fully, provided I can find a store that doesn't have the slide-out keyboards tied shut.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[redram38]

More dependable? My epic has been near flawless and no lag. I have NO GPS issues and the screen is the best looking than any phone on the market. 2.2 will come soon enough and those that threw away their epic for the shift IMO will be kicking themselves in the Tail.

 

[EarlyMon]

Early reports from those switching lean towards more satisfied. Choice is good and everyone has their own tastes and priorities.

 

[DeathMoJo]

More dependable? My epic has been near flawless and no lag. I have NO GPS issues and the screen is the best looking than any phone on the market. 2.2 will come soon enough and those that threw away their epic for the shift IMO will be kicking themselves in the Tail.

I have had no issues with my 2nd Epic and only the first had a blown earpiece speaker but i didn't hold that against the phone since electronics are mass-produced and sometimes you get one with an issue. Took only a few days to get my replacement in.

My Epic has run flawlessly and the only issues i have had is with software that was still in a "beta" stage. No lag, no slowdowns, no GPS issue. Tweaking my settings and using Ultimate Juice my phone lasts for two days with medium use before it needs charged.

The Epic has had a good support maintenance-wise minus the update to 2.2, if that is the only big thing people are harping on then just root/update the phone yourself.

It will come down to preference obviously, but for $50 bucks more (standard contract pricing for both) the Epic outweighs the Shift all around in terms of power and features.

 

[droid newb]

I was told that the Epic has a faster processor.

 

[EarlyMon]

I was told that the Epic has a faster processor.

Both phones do great on a known popular benchmark. If you're interested in fastest processor, then probably best to look into rooting options for the Epic and the TMO G2 (the Shift is too new to have an active dev community, but those results will indicate direction for which way the Shift should be expected to go).

Out of the box, the Shift has a 2nd generation processor of that found in the Evo (Snapdragon) and while running at a lower speed (800 MHz) than the Evo or Epic (1 GHz) essentially matches the Evo's performance, with slightly less cpu speed and better gpu performance.

Epic owners will be the first to tell you that their phone has the best gpu out there and the out of the box performance proves that's true.

All three phones are reported by their owners to be smooth, fast, and lag-free in normal use, so I think processor speed isn't an issue here for anyone considering the Epic vs. Shift choice.

It's about the features - overall, the Epic does more and comes with more and is the step up from the Shift. If you don't need those features, the Shift is great value at a lower price but unlike earlier lower-priced phones - it has the quality required by discerning users.

Hope that clarifies.

 

[droid newb]

Both phones do great on a known popular benchmark. If you're interested in fastest processor, then probably best to look into rooting options for the Epic and the TMO G2 (the Shift is too new to have an active dev community, but those results will indicate direction for which way the Shift should be expected to go).

Out of the box, the Shift has a 2nd generation processor of that found in the Evo (Snapdragon) and while running at a lower speed (800 MHz) than the Evo or Epic (1 GHz) essentially matches the Evo's performance, with slightly less cpu speed and better gpu performance.

Epic owners will be the first to tell you that their phone has the best gpu out there and the out of the box performance proves that's true.

All three phones are reported by their owners to be smooth, fast, and lag-free in normal use, so I think processor speed isn't an issue here for anyone considering the Epic vs. Shift choice.

It's about the features - overall, the Epic does more and comes with more and is the step up from the Shift. If you don't need those features, the Shift is great value at a lower price but unlike earlier lower-priced phones - it has the quality required by discerning users.

Hope that clarifies.

No worries. Was just adding something that I heard. I just upgraded a week ago and went with the Epic over the Shift because of the larger screen size mainly.

 

[DeathMoJo]

Both phones do great on a known popular benchmark. If you're interested in fastest processor, then probably best to look into rooting options for the Epic and the TMO G2 (the Shift is too new to have an active dev community, but those results will indicate direction for which way the Shift should be expected to go).

Out of the box, the Shift has a 2nd generation processor of that found in the Evo (Snapdragon) and while running at a lower speed (800 MHz) than the Evo or Epic (1 GHz) essentially matches the Evo's performance, with slightly less cpu speed and better gpu performance.

Epic owners will be the first to tell you that their phone has the best gpu out there and the out of the box performance proves that's true.

All three phones are reported by their owners to be smooth, fast, and lag-free in normal use, so I think processor speed isn't an issue here for anyone considering the Epic vs. Shift choice.

It's about the features - overall, the Epic does more and comes with more and is the step up from the Shift. If you don't need those features, the Shift is great value at a lower price but unlike earlier lower-priced phones - it has the quality required by discerning users.

Hope that clarifies.

Great points there and comparison of the both.

My only big input for the two is if you are looking for a phone/gaming platform, some people have had issues with some of the higher 3d games on the snapdragon processor that the Shift as vice the Hummingbird processor that the Epic has.

But remember, like all technology within the next few months to a year it will be updated to something better and faster.

Pick what works for you, best way to do that is play with them hands-on. I did my research at the time between the Evo and the Epic and after that and trying them out, picked the Epic. No regrets, even if i still have 2.1.

 

[jasonacg]

Well, I had a chance to stop by a Sprint store today...one the had both phones on display, with all of the features accessible. So, I was able to compare the two models side-by-side.

The screen sharpness and brightness on the Epic are dramatically better than the Shift. I didn't expect that much of a difference. Between that, and the faster processor, and the larger keyboard, I think I'm sold on the Epic.

Still, after owning a Moment, I'm less than thrilled about getting another Samsung product. If you're a former Moment owner, you know what I've had to endure--you've probably been there yourself. Sure, I can root the phone to an unofficial 2.2, but as what seems to be Samsung's flagship phone for Sprint, one would think that they would be more motivated to market the phone with the latest and greatest OS. If the GPS issues and CDMA lockups that plagued the Moment, aren't present on the Epic, then I'll go for it.

As for price, I was expecting a $100 difference, instead of just $50. That makes the decision a little easier.

4G speeds were comparable on both. I didn't have the strongest possible signal, but still managed a reasonable 3 up/2 down on both models. I'd expect more with a better signal.

Thanks again for the advice. I still have to wait until Feb 1 to upgrade, but at least I know which to get now.

 

[EarlyMon]

Congrats! Keep everybuddy posted on your upgrade - I know I like new success stories. Former Moment owner myself, so, I know.

 

[DeathMoJo]

Well, I had a chance to stop by a Sprint store today...one the had both phones on display, with all of the features accessible. So, I was able to compare the two models side-by-side.

The screen sharpness and brightness on the Epic are dramatically better than the Shift. I didn't expect that much of a difference. Between that, and the faster processor, and the larger keyboard, I think I'm sold on the Epic.

Still, after owning a Moment, I'm less than thrilled about getting another Samsung product. If you're a former Moment owner, you know what I've had to endure--you've probably been there yourself. Sure, I can root the phone to an unofficial 2.2, but as what seems to be Samsung's flagship phone for Sprint, one would think that they would be more motivated to market the phone with the latest and greatest OS. If the GPS issues and CDMA lockups that plagued the Moment, aren't present on the Epic, then I'll go for it.

As for price, I was expecting a $100 difference, instead of just $50. That makes the decision a little easier.

4G speeds were comparable on both. I didn't have the strongest possible signal, but still managed a reasonable 3 up/2 down on both models. I'd expect more with a better signal.

Thanks again for the advice. I still have to wait until Feb 1 to upgrade, but at least I know which to get now.

Glad to hear you got to test out each phone and decide what you wanted to go with.

I use the GPS feature a couple times a week and have not had any issue with it. I actually use the Sprint Navigation program to help me find places around San Diego since i'm still getting familiar with the area. I constantly turn the GPS on and off and service in general to preserve battery life so i am not searching for signal all the time while on my ship. The GPS locks on quickly and i have only experienced one dropped call while operating the phone in San Diego and in Denver.

 

[iBleedBlackNgold]

I used a shift for 3 days ... only thing it has on the epic is an amazing keyboard which doesn't skip inputs. its slower, the enter button on the keyboard doesn't allow for clicking links so y is there a big dpad ? the volume rocker is in the worst spot and u will hit it a lot. swyping across the screen is slow n laggy. when rotating, sliding out keyboard or double tapping to zoom u will lose ur page spot since it doesn't re adjust . screen is tiny. hmm what else