HTC EVO Shift 4G Review - Specifications, Design and Display
HTC EVO Shift 4G Review
HTC has been one of the strongest players in the market for Android mobile phones. It made the first Android phone - the T-Mobile G1, the first Google phone - Nexus One and has launched the highest number of Android phones yet. The HTC Evo 4G was the first 4.3 inch Android phone, and now, the HTC Evo Shift 4G, its successor, plans to take it forward. It has great hardware specs, the latest Android OS and comes with 4G connectivity. It is available on Sprint and competes directly with the Samsung Epic 4G, which seems to be a great option too.
In this review, I will check out the HTC Evo Shift 4G and tell you whether it’s worth buying.
HTC EVO Shift 4G Specifications
- Dimensions: 117 x 60 x 16 mm
- Weight: 130 gms
- Display: 3.6 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display, 480 x 800 pixels
- OS: Android 2.2 Froyo
- Processor: 800 MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
- Graphics: Adreno 205 GPU
- RAM: 512 MB RAM
- Memory: 2 GB internal storage, up to 32 GB microSD card support
- Camera: 5 MP camera, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus and LED flash
- Connectivity: GPRS, EDGE, 3G Rev. A, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, WiMAX
- GPS: GPS transceiver with A-GPS
- Battery: 1500 mAh Li-ion battery
Design and Display (4 out of 5)
The HTC Evo Shift 4G has a standard sliding touchscreen design with a stylish feel. It has a business edge to it and feels quite good in the hands. It has dimensions of 117 x 60 x 16 mm and weighs about 130 gms. It is very pocketable and has a smooth sliding action. The phone feels sturdy and robust.
It has a 3.6 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. The display is nice, with decent brightness and contrast, but compared to the Samsung Epic 4G’s SuperAMOLED display of 4 inches, it fades into the background. Below the display, there are the Home, Menu, Back and Search buttons. On the left, there is the volume rocker and the microUSB port, and on the top, there is the audio jack and the power button. It has a nice 4 row QWERTY keyboard which has a great feel. Typing on it is a real pleasure.
User Interface (5 out of 5)
The HTC Evo Shift 4G comes with the new version of Android - Android 2.2 Froyo. It will likely be upgraded to Android 2.3 Gingerbread in a matter of months. It is powered by the new Qualcomm Scorpion processor clocked at 800 MHz. It has 512 MB RAM and comes with 2 GB internal storage. It also supports up to 32 GB microSD cards. The graphics are handled by the Adreno 205 GPU.
It comes with the HTC Sense UI, which is the best third party UI shell for Android. It is very fast and responsive. It also comes with Android Market which offers over 140,000 apps and games.
Multimedia (4 out of 5)
The HTC Evo Shift 4G comes with a 5 MP camera with autofocus and LED flash. It has an image capture resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels. The image capture quality is quite good, but it definitely won’t replace your standalone camera.
It can also record 720p videos at 24-30 FPS. The video recording quality is good. It also comes with an image gallery, a music player app and a video player. The audio quality is great, especially with good headphones. Thanks to the powerful processor, it can play 720p videos with ease. It also has a stereo FM radio with RDS.
Connectivity (5 out of 5)
The HTC Evo Shift 4G has all the standard connectivity options - GPRS, EDGE, 3G EVDO Rev. A. It also has Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n. It also has WiMAX 4G support. It sports a GPS transceiver with A-GPS as well. The web browsing experience is excellent. The 3.6 inch display is large enough to browse the web easily and the physical keyboard helps too.
It is powered by a standard 1500 mAh Li-ion battery which lasts for about 1.5 days with moderate usage.
The Verdict (4 out of 5)
The HTC Evo Shift 4G comes with a $149.99 price tag which is quite reasonable. The 4G connectivity is a great plus. Even so, I would rather go with the Samsung Epic 4G, as it is just $50 more but offers a much better display.
Having said that, the HTC Evo Shift 4G is an excellent phone too. If you don’t need the bigger display, it is totally recommended.
If you can wait for the Mobile World Congress then check out the Best Android Phones at CES 2011.
