The HTC Evo Shift 4G is Sprint's third 4G smartphone and also the most affordable one in its lineup. At $149.99 with a two-year contract, it's $50 less than the Samsung Epic 4G and the HTC Evo 4G and sure, the cheaper price comes with some trade-offs--smaller display, 800MHz processor (versus 1GHz), no front-facing camera or HDMI port--but the Evo Shift still has plenty to offer. Running Android 2.2, the smartphone has 4G support and solid performance. It also combines an easy-to-use physical keyboard in a more compact and solid design. If you're counting your pennies or prefer your devices on the smaller side, the HTC Evo Shift 4G is a great alternative to the Epic 4G.
The HTC Evo Shift 4G takes some style cues from its eye-catching, touch-only sibling, the HTC Evo 4G, but the Shift stands out on its own, as it combines high-quality look and feel. At 4.6 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick and 5.9 ounces, the slider smartphone is much more comfortable to hold than the larger and wider Evo. In addition, the soft-touch finish and aluminum accents give it a more premium feel than the Samsung Epic 4G, which felt a bit plasticky and slick. with a more compact design, screen size is going to be a bit of a trade-off. Measuring 3.6 inches diagonally, the Evo Shift's display is a bit smaller than the ones on its keyboard-equipped competitors--the Epic 4G has a 4-inch touch screen, whereas the T-Mobile G2 has a 3.7-inch display--so you don't enjoy quite as much screen real estate while browsing the Web or viewing multimedia. However, the display is sharp and clear with an 800x480-pixel resolution. It also has a proximity sensor, a built-in accelerometer, and pinch-to-zoom support, all of which were responsive during our testing.
The HTC Evo Shift 4G takes some style cues from its eye-catching, touch-only sibling, the HTC Evo 4G, but the Shift stands out on its own, as it combines high-quality look and feel. At 4.6 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick and 5.9 ounces, the slider smartphone is much more comfortable to hold than the larger and wider Evo. In addition, the soft-touch finish and aluminum accents give it a more premium feel than the Samsung Epic 4G, which felt a bit plasticky and slick. with a more compact design, screen size is going to be a bit of a trade-off. Measuring 3.6 inches diagonally, the Evo Shift's display is a bit smaller than the ones on its keyboard-equipped competitors--the Epic 4G has a 4-inch touch screen, whereas the T-Mobile G2 has a 3.7-inch display--so you don't enjoy quite as much screen real estate while browsing the Web or viewing multimedia. However, the display is sharp and clear with an 800x480-pixel resolution. It also has a proximity sensor, a built-in accelerometer, and pinch-to-zoom support, all of which were responsive during our testing.