The original HTC EVO 4G was all about size and speed. It was big. Really big. It was also fast. Very, Very fast. Now, there's the EVO Shift 4G, a more petite version of HTC's powerful smartphone. It's not as big or as fast as the original EVO 4G, but the Shift 4G is an impressive phone nonetheless. And it's one that comes at a cheaper price.
Price and Availability
Sprint is offering the HTC EVO Shift 4G for $149.99 when you sign a two-year service agreement. That's a very reasonable price for such a full-featured phone, and it's $50 less than what Sprint charges for its other 4G phones, the EVO 4G and the Samsung Epic 4G.
But you will be paying a premium every month. Sprint requires a PDA/Smart Device service plan with the HTC EVO Shift 4G, such as the carrier's $69.99-per-month Everything Data plan. But the EVO Shift 4G also requires a $10-per-month Premium Data add-on for its 4G service -- and that add-on plan is required whether you live in an area with 4G coverage or not.
High-Speed 4G Wireless
While HTC's EVO 4G was the first 4G phone to hit stores, the Shift 4G comes at a time when there's more competition. But the phone's 4G wireless support remains a headline feature. Sprint says its 4G network can offer download speeds that are ten times faster than a 3G connection.
But 4G is still a new technology and the network, also called WiMax wireless, isn't yet available everywhere. It is now available in the Boston area, where I live and where I tested the EVO Shift 4G, and I was very impressed by its speed.
For more information on 4G networks, read 4G Wireless: Everything You Need to Know.
Design
The EVO Shift 4G is noticeably smaller than the mammoth EVO 4G. The Shift 4G is about the same size and shape as an iPhone 4, but a bit thicker. That thickness is due to the slide-out QWERTY keyboard -- something that the original EVO 4g lacked. The Shift's keyboard features keys that are a bit flat for my taste, but it's still roomy enough for easy typing.
The tradeoff for the Shift 4G's smaller size is its smaller display: at 3.6-inches, it's significantly smaller than the 4.3-inch screen on the EVO 4G. But it still offers plenty of real estate for viewing Web pages and photos. It's also bright and clear, boasting a high resolution of 800 by 480 pixels.
Making Calls
Call quality was very good in my test calls made over Sprint's network. Voices were loud and clear on both ends of the line, with no distortion. I experienced no dropped calls during my testing period.
Software
The EVO Shift 4G runs version 2.2 of the Android OS, which grows more refined with each update. Read my full review of the Android OS for more information.
The EVO Shift 4G also features HTC's Sense interface as an overlay to the Android OS. Sense offers some useful options for navigating through the Android OS, which can sometimes be confusing on its own. HTC has added new features to the Sense UI, include one called Leap. Leap lets you view thumbnails of the various apps that you have open, so you can switch between them or close out of them. The Sense UI also includes a feature called Friend Stream, which lets you view information such as social network status updates and more.
The combination of Android 2.2 and the HTC Sense overlay is a winning one. Overall, the phone's on-screen interface and menus look slick and polished (something that's not always true of Android phones), and navigating through its many options is a snap.
Browsing the Web
Browsing the Web on the Shift 4G is a pleasure. For one, the browser offers support for Adobe Flash, so you can view embedded videos and animated Web sites. You also have a good amount of screen space for viewing Web pages and images, and navigating with the phone's keyboard is a breeze.
In addition to the 4G connection, the EVO Shift 4G also supports 3G and Wi-Fi wireless networks, so you have plenty of options for speedy Web browsing. I tested the phone over 4G, 3G, and Wi-Fi networks, and found its speed to be plenty fast. Web pages loaded quickly, and videos fired up in a flash.
You'll also be able to use the phone as a mobile hotspot, to which you can connect up to 8 Wi-Fi enabled devices. To use the mobile hotspot service, you'll have to pay an additional $29.99 a month, though.
Camera
The HTC EVO Shift 4G features only one rear-facing camera; it lacks the forward-facing camera found on the EVO 4G. The 5-megapixel camera was not nearly as impressive as the camera on the original EVO 4G. My test photos were too often looked blurry and washed out. But videos, which can be captured at a resolution of up to 720p, looked very good, with crisp images and strong audio.
Music and Multimedia
The EVO Shift 4G includes a decent list of multimedia features, starting with the excellent HTC Sense music player. Like all Android phones, the EVO 4G offers one-touch access to Amazon's MP3 store for DRM-free music downloads. It also features an FM radio, but you'll have to purchase a headset with an antenna to take advantage of that feature.
Video features include a YouTube app and a variety of Sprint services, including Sprint TV, which offers a mix of live channels (showing the same content you'd see on your TV) and content that has been specially packaged for viewing on your mobile phone. Over a 3G connection, I noticed occasional stuttering and buffering. But video quality improved noticeably when 4G and Wi-Fi connections were available.
Bottom Line
The EVO Shift 4G is a great alternative to Sprint's other 4G phones, and will appeal to anyone looking for a smaller device with a full QWERTY keyboard.