Samsung Epic 4G vs. HTC EVO 4G

August 27, 2010 By Nick Mokey

Sprint’s 4G titans clash as we compare Samsung’s new Epic 4G vs. the pioneering HTC EVO 4G.

The first 4G phone in the United States finally has some competition. On August 31, Samsung’s Epic 4G arrives on Sprint, ending the EVO 4G’s nearly three-month run as the big man on campus. But is it actually a better choice? We stacked both superphones side by side to see which rules the 4G airwaves.

Processor

Winner: Samsung Epic 4G

When it comes to power, neither phone is a slouch, but minor differences do manifest a marked gap between them. Samsung uses a 1GHz Hummingbird chip that shares a bloodline with the one used in the iPhone 4, while the EVO 4G uses a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Which wins out when hummingbirds and dragons go to battle? The runty little bird powering the Epic. Check out AndroidCentral’s benchmark of the EVO 4G and Samsung Captivate (which has almost identical specs to the Epic 4G, but comes on AT&T) side by side. It averaged 55.1 fps to 42.9 fps in a gaming test, and turned in higher scores in the Neocore processing benchmark, as well.

Display

Winner: HTC EVO 4G

What might be the greyest area in our comparison comes down to a matter of preference. With a 4.3-inch LCD screen, the HTC EVO 4G has both immense size and sunlight-resistance in its favor. With a 4.0-inch OLED screen, the Samsung Epic 4G looks like a glittering gem beside its super-sized HTC counterpart… but fades to a dingy bluish gray the moment you bring it out into the sun. Resolution on both models is an identical 800 x 480. While movie fans might prefer the Epic’s brilliant color, we’re awarding this one to the EVO 4G based on practicality.

Camera

Winner: HTC EVO 4G

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Resolution does not make a camera. But in this case, the 8-megapixel camera in the EVO 4G really is a better shot than the 5-megapixel camera in the Epic 4G. Our test shots showed the Epic returning overly dark outdoor shots in comparison to the EVO 4G, even though they come closer to parity indoors. Small a difference as it makes, the EVO 4G also has a two LEDs for its flash, while the Epic gets only one.

Videoconferencing

Winner: HTC EVO 4G

Besides opening the door for faster Web surfing and services, the 4G connectivity has made it possible to make face-to-face videoconference calls without Wi-Fi. Both the EVO 4G and Epic 4G offer front-facing cameras to make it possible, but the EVO 4G once again outstacks the Epic 4G on resolution, offering 1.3 megapixels to its 0.3 megapixels (VGA). That said, it doesn’t pose much of a practical difference, considering bandwidth requirements will crush video quality down to a blotchy mess anyway. We’ll hand this one to HTC for the tech specs – with a bright red asterisk that resolution matters even less than normal here.

Battery Life

Winner: Draw

The EVO 4G taught us that you don’t go fast without burning a little gas to do it. The phone quickly earned a reputation for dismal battery life with heavy 4G use, and not surprisingly, HTC never posted official estimates for it. Funny thing: Neither has Samsung for the Epic 4G. While the manufacturers grin and shrug rather than delivering “official” battery estimates, our unscientific testing yielded about six hours of on and off use on the EVO 4G, and the Epic 4G performed very similarly. No surprise, considering they both use 1500 mAh batteries. Chalk this one up to a draw.

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Showing 149 comments

Epiccc 4gg at 6:18pm 6th March 2011 Im the cousin and can someone tell her my epic is much better please!!!!!!
all at 6:15pm 6th March 2011 I have the Evo and my cousin has the Epic we are debating in who's is better?! Can someone tell me which one is better?.. or are they the same?
Cody.Ruple at 9:40am 7th February 2011 After much debate I bought the epic and LOVE it! It is the best phone. The advantages of the epic are insurmountable. The phone is fast, easy to use, high tech, multifunctional and so much more. One of the many advantages of the epic over the iPhone is the ability to take out the battery and also upgrade memory without having to buy a whole new phone. I also like that there are not as many regulations with the android market as the app market. The epic is the end all, be all of all phones, mp3s, iPods and iPhones!
chagg4 at 5:05am 31st January 2011 My boyfriend and I got one of each: he got the Epic and I got the Evo. We're going to try them out for a month and if one of us prefers the other, we'll go back to Sprint to change one out and pay the cheap restocking fee. After a couple weeks of use, we both love our phones and neither of us want to switch them so far. Coming from the blackberry world, I had some reservations about not getting a phone with a keyboard, but I honestly don't miss it at all. I think the Epic's slide-out keyboard is the biggest deciding factor for choosing between the EVO and the Epic. I've gotten used to the EVO's touch-screen keyboard. There are plenty of different text input methods on both phones: Swype, Touch Input, and Speech with voice recognition. The only benefit I can think of for having a physical keyboard is it's possibly easier to play some games (because it looks like a PSP with the keyboard extended). The Epic does have nice deeper, richer colors, and very dark blacks, but it also has a negative that I don't like: the whites are have a blue-ish tint. Therefore it's a tradeoff. Both phones looked the same outside in bright sunlight, so I would disregard people's comments that the Epic is worse outdoors. They both have a way to connect to an HDTV: The EVO uses an HDMI cable and the Epic uses DNLA. I guess that comparison doesn't matter much to most people. How often am I really going to be hooking up my phone to a TV? I like that Samsung Epic gives you a 16 GB memory card vs the 8 GB card on the EVO. The battery life on the EVO sucks, I run out on my way home from work with very light usage. My boyfriend's Epic lasts all day. I had to buy an extended 3500 battery and I love it. It sticks out a bit, but it's not annoying at all. I think it's easier to hold and it now lasts all day without a problem. Lastly, there are some differences in the customized GUI of their Android operating systems. There several some minor differences, but the biggest one is the way they each display their apps list. The EVO has one long page of apps that you scroll down through to see them all. The Epic has pages of apps that you side-swipe to get through each page. I prefer the way the Epic displays the apps because I think it's easier to get to the one you want. I don't like scrolling through a very long list of apps on the EVO. I often miss the one I'm looking for and have to scroll back. The Epic way is very similar to the iPhone app display. To summarize this discussion, both phones are very similar and I don't think either my boyfriend or I would swap out our phones for the other after our one-month trial period. If you need a physical keyboard, go with the Epic. If you don't, then go with the EVO. Either way, they are both awesome smart phones!
amanda at 8:21am 19th January 2011 I had the evo, exchanged it for the epic, after less than a week I ran back to get my evo before they shipped it back, imo the epic screen is too bright and it does look like a toy, maybe good if you play lots of video games. My evo takes better pics and I love the widescreen display while viewing them, epic just did not compare and the keyboard is just too bulky, I thought the evo was to large but its actually alot sleeker than the epic, if im gonna have a big phone id rather have it for the screen not the keyboard, im getting used to the touch texting and its actually not bad.
Bill at 12:33pm 13th January 2011 Does anyone know what a prioe comment is about when they said the gaming (because of the epics screen) was so much greater on the epic?
Ozzy at 12:04pm 6th January 2011 Does Evo have Swype? If it does then I'm deffinatly getting it! Please reply to osman.noor95@gmail.com
1. JR2 at 6:57am 7th January 2011 I read an earlier comment to look on you tube.
Agent Smith at 3:05am 27th December 2010 Dear whoever wrote this review! I would like to tell you that you must be on some type of DRUGS! Because the Evo screen produces 65 thousand colors; while the Epic produces 16 millions. If you don't know the difference between that please don't write reviews! The battery life on the Epic lasts twice as long. Anyway, this is a very subjective review. You are most likely being paid by HTC. Because by pure specs the Epic is hands down the better of the 2 phones.
Shinobi at 5:58am 17th December 2010 Im not putting a positive nor negative comment. More than less, your looking for a phone that suits you. So instead of asking which is better, think of what you need. While they both have highlights and lowlights, make comparisons to that of which you are looking for. Me, i personally prefer the Evo over the Epic sheerly because performance and visuals. But my opinion might end in a different field than yours. So, for the final time, make decisions on what you need, not what others need.
Dino at 2:51pm 15th December 2010 EVo is the man, simple but with one "leg". Epic is the women beause she hes more colors and opnes her up.. Dude, by Epic
smed at 1:31pm 4th December 2010 its upgrade time i presently have a bberry 8350 . i like to play gadgets are great, games too im a 47 yr old kid but still a man with a construction business that needs to contact people on either email, fbook ,text or whatever is out there oh yeah telephone! im driving myself crazy with all these comparisons and replies screen quality is a plus.
Andrew at 12:21pm 1st December 2010 llikethem both
roxy at 1:13pm 28th November 2010 are the apps the same on both phones? When it comes to apps and widgets for the phones which one is better?
1. Guest at 1:52am 17th March 2011 The phones have same apps but different interfaces games play a bit smoother on the epic
Clyde Cj Gilchrist at 5:29pm 26th November 2010 both phones are sexy and better than any phone right now. i would rather go with the EVO because it has flash.
Brian at 12:40am 23rd November 2010 HDTV. Just so we can put our cell on a kickstand and watch a movie on a 4 inch screen. I guess I'm old. I like to leave the freaking booby-box at home when I go out.
davidjr at 10:21pm 29th October 2010 well both phone awesome! but really at the end they both the same crap! but also i have an EVO 4G so it is better than EPIC 4G
Brent at 11:19pm 25th October 2010 Anyone who has the HTC evo ... Have you had any problems with the glass or have you heard stories? Does it break easily and is it covered under the Sprint protection program? This is the turning point in my cell phone decision b/c im really clumsy
Nathan at 5:48pm 25th October 2010 The reason they black out the screen, is the lack of a prox sensor. Blacking out the screen shortly after placing a call helps cut down on erroneous button presses by your cheek.
1. Jeremiah at 6:04am 3rd January 2011 I have an Epic I think it senses when its close to your face and shuts off the screen. but when you pull it away from your face the screen turns back on!
Anjo at 12:33am 25th October 2010 Good day... How I can buy any of that android phone because I am here in Dubai, UAE
Bobby Lee Swagger at 3:00pm 23rd October 2010 HTC dominates! Hands down best phones you can buy. Maybe you kiddies should do a little more research on HTC phones period as well as the EVO. Yes indeed they are both good phones, but I would go with the EVO no questions no hesitation! The funniest thing is all these so called EVO returners probably have no idea of how much the phone is actually capable of. The list goes on and on! No reply needed!!!!!!!
P_sipgoose at 5:07pm 22nd October 2010 I have the epic and and my girl has the evo! honestly both the phones are great and im glad sprint step its game up. took a long time LOL. I love my epic and my girl loves her evo. the evo cool but epic is killing the evo, only thing i feel the evo is better in is the camera and HTC interface and thats prolly a tie, other than that the epic is my best phone i ever had and i use to have the iphone which is a good phone with a horrible Service! the epic is just a great all around phone, have you played a games on the epic yet???,yeah the epic is killing the game right now. its just getting started and the epic doesn't even have the froyo update yet. We the best no matter what we all have sprint. Good Phones good service with cheap plans.
Alex at 7:38pm 19th October 2010 I had first upgraded to an EVO and then switched to the epic, IM GOING BACK ! In my humble opinion no phone looks incredible in bright light, the epic included, and we do a lot with our kids so the better camera is a plus for me, I will admite that I LOVE SWYPE, I mean this is the greatest thing since the camera on a phone, but since you can get it on the EVO, Im going back. Cant really knock the Epic because Ive only had it a couple days, but is it just me or does it feel kinda cheap ? I guess I just like the weight of the EVO, feels more substantial and solid to me. Gorilla glass is a huge huge advantage for the Epic, but Ive never had one before so I cant miss what Ive never had. Both phones have a ton of features, but for me I think I just fell in love with the EVO. Btw-yeah the kickstand is awesome.
brief at 10:25am 17th October 2010 Gaybonics beats English. EVO beats EPIC.
1. Metal Gypsy at 4:01am 8th December 2010 Sssssay what?
forsale at 11:53am 15th October 2010 Technically speaking, Epic wins out. Hummingbird is faster than snapdragon after all. but if i had a choice, i'd go with EVO for software reasons. I also like Sense more. Samsung has alot of buggy issues which is kinda annoying more than not. In reality i'm not getting either of these phones b/c i don't think $10/mo for 4G service is worth it. it's only 1.3x faster than the 3G in various areas tested. Plus, have you ever been satisfied with Sprint service?
charlie at 9:35am 13th October 2010 Had Epic for a week....then Evo....screen is slightly better on Epic that ....altho the colors on the epic are way over saturated...4.3" better size for browsing and videos..and amoled screen will degrade much faster than LCD....jury out there....HTC sense better user experience...No Froyo...who knows when samsung will get around to it...not the best rep for fixing stuff...has been buggy already....slide out keyboard feels flimsy. battery life about the same...kick stand awesome on evo...i use as an alarm clock ...dont like carrying a docking station. Keeping EVO
1. neednewphone at 12:19pm 15th October 2010 So the Epic doesn't have Froyo?
arnoud at 4:55am 12th October 2010 I want to buy one of these phones. I care for display, brightness, outside display, flash videos on internet, playable media files and internet
1. the awesome asian at 4:02pm 2nd December 2010 hey you should get the epic you just described things on the epic
coffee at 6:24pm 4th October 2010 mooka, there maybe a defective on your epic. my friend got an epic about 2 weeks and it was freezing many times and it was really annoying. my friend went back to the store and exchanged for another one and now it works fine.
RHL at 4:14pm 4th October 2010 I travel outside the US (China, Southeast Asia & Europe) which phone will function best (either a GSM phone)? RHL
1. scott at 5:47pm 7th November 2010 neither! Neither phone have the capability to take SIM cards. This was the ONE and only one advantage having my old Touch Pro II is. I hate that phone though, so I only use the TP2 when I leave the country.
mooka at 10:58pm 3rd October 2010 I've had the epic now for almost 3 weeks. The battery keeps freezing on me and I have to take out the battery and resnap it in before I can retrieve email, etc. Today I had to resnap the battery in 3 times. Does anyone else have this problem?
DRACULA at 10:49pm 3rd October 2010 What truly amazes me regarding all these reviews of phones/smart-devices is that you people never actually review the phone aspect of well... the PHONE! When you go to do a review of a cellphone, rule #1, don't forget to review THE PHONE! I primarily use a phone to make phone calls, and while it is a plus to be able to do all these other nifty things with it (texting, web browsing, email, streaming music and videos) I still want to know about actual phone functionality, i.e.: not just call clarity (because clarity is usually about the same on these smart devices). That said, I can personally tell you that the functionality of the phone and phone interface and dialing pad on the HTC Hero and EVO are the absolute WORST of any phone I have ever had the displeasure of using in my 15+ years of experience with cellphones. • There is a huge lag on both the speed-dial and manual dialing on these HTC phones. The "pre-pend" function straight up sucks and the dialing mistypes or stutter-types constantly. • I also absolutely hate how the HTC always "has to" completely black-out the screen within 10 to 15 seconds of placing a call (a crappy feature they don't allow you to turn off or adjust), which sucks if you're dealing with automated systems where you have to enter numerical selections. • I also hate how HTC always has the dialing pad down and you have to #1) bring the screen back after it went black, and then #2) select to bring the dialing pad up, oh and #3) bring the screen back a second time because it will black-out again. Why the hell do they need to do this, to save the battery charge!? Because it doesn't help increase the length of battery charge at all and is just another hoop one has to jump through when using the phone. • And even if I'm not dealing with an automated system I still like to use things such as speaker-phone and mute, both of which are a hassle to use thanks to the piss poor way in which HTC set up the phone aspect of this phone. Basically, HTC was so focused on making a smart-device that they almost forgot the phone part of the "phone", and then hurried up and tacked it on at the last second as an afterthought. I have owned several Samsung phones in the past and their call clarity and quality have been just fine (HTC was fine here too), but the actual dialing interface and intuitiveness of a Samsung has always been spot on for a phone, whilst HTC's is atrocious. I will be trying the Epic this time around because I want a phone to work as a phone should, and not just be some smart-device who only included the ability to make phone calls at the last second, as an ad hoc "courtesy". Trust me, HTC's phone is no courtesy, it's an insult to those of us who still actually need to make a lot of phone calls. ~ DRACULA
Buke {Boo-K} at 5:48pm 29th September 2010 I have the epic and have no problems in the sun. Was going to swap to the evolution but might stay with the epic.
cheri at 6:29pm 28th September 2010 go to you tube and search "how to install swype on evo"
cheri at 6:28pm 28th September 2010 If anyone is looking for SWYPE for the HTC evo, this works flawlessly. http://www.evo4gforum.net/htc-evo-4g-apps/swype-f...
L Pacheco at 3:46pm 27th September 2010 I had the EVO for 2 1/2 months and it died on me. I mean the screen went blank and would'nt turn on again. I went to get if fixed but was told i had to get a new one. At Best Buy they haven't had any for a while so i had to go with the Epic. Its a great device but i guess i was just used to my EVO. Ive had some issues with the GPS on the Epic. It won't always pick up your location or if you're driving the signal gets lost and shows you on other streets than the one you're on. My wife has the EVO and she does not experience any problems like mine. Ive had time to compare the both side by side and it just feels that EVO is a bit more responsive than the Epic. The menu buttons on the bottom of the Epic are not always responsive since they don't stay on and disappear after a few seconds. Like I said the Epic is a great device but I really miss my EVO. I'll have to stick with the Epic for now. Can't really complain since I didn't have to pay for either of the phones and I still kept my full upgrade thanks to best buy.
DDP at 8:18am 26th September 2010 THE EPIC DOESNT HAVE AN OLED SCREEN IT HAS A SUPER AMOLED DISPLAY THAT LOOKS GREAT IN THE SUNLIGHT
manny at 11:36am 24th September 2010 I had the Evo for 3 months and just got my Epic......the EPIC is the best of the 2. The screen on the epic is AWESOME! I do missed the kickstand on the Evo but I won't miss the battery life.
Rob at 8:39am 22nd September 2010 Anyone who's saying Evo has a nicer screen compared to Epic... that means they are biased because they already own Evo. There is no comparison, Evo is bigger, but it's also tougher to put in a pocket. The quality of screen... hmm... EVO looks like the colors are washed out when compared to Epic. This author clearly did not test Epic in the Sun, Epic is using "super" AMOLED- meaning it's actually better than LCD in the sun. On contray, EVO's screen is basically unreadable when you are outside. If you don't like Epic's keyboard, you won't like any physical keyboard, period. Epic is miles ahead of Evo in these areas. As a #2 phone in Sprint, Evo is pretty awesome too though. Sense UI is really cool, plus it has Froyo update already. (Samsung recently announced that Froyo will be coming in October.)
Bethany Ford at 9:18pm 21st September 2010 The phone can take a lot of abuse. I’ve broken over 10 custom cases for the phone having to reset it with so many flashes to the ROM. The phone will always come back and boot with a good programmed ROM. New is nice and exciting but old is sometimes manufactured better! I hope this long article helped some people. If not, you know what they say on Wall Street? Pay your money, take your choice! Best of luck to everyone…
Bethany Ford at 9:17pm 21st September 2010 I have been in the Technology Industry for over 30 years. I started my first company when I was 15 years old. I also worked for Microsoft as a lead support representative. I know my phones, I know my software. I know the Android operating system was created using Linux, which is supposed to be a much better performing OS compared to WINMO. I hate to say it, not the case with these two phones. I honestly think everyone needs to take a step back and just wait. I think newer more efficient Android operating systems will be designed / programmed and I think eventually every phone will be designed with Gorilla Glass made by Corning, a publicly traded stock. Right now, the best phone that you can buy I feel is the HTC Touch Pro 2 from Sprint. I unlocked the phone and flashed the ROM probably 100 or more times testing different themes / skins / roms.
1. AndrewZorn at 9:05pm 14th October 2010 This is so absurd. Everything about it. The TP2 comment at the end makes me think the whole thing might be a joke, though... so I'll try to laugh with you.
2. CGMincey at 12:48pm 20th November 2010 Um, I have the TP2...the phone SUCKS! I am going with the EVO....
3. Metal Gypsy at 3:59am 8th December 2010 Let's see.. you own a lot of stock in HTC Touch Pro 2 or something lol
Bethany Ford at 9:16pm 21st September 2010 The EVO has come through HTC with an upgrade, not a full Android 2.2 operating system it has an upgraded 2.1 operating system on it. I think that is really bad. So HTC is selling a phone that they upgraded and then are selling it as new to the consumer when in fact the phone is not new, the phone has been touched by people to be upgraded. I do realize that down the road, eventually all phones get an upgrade but to think you are buying a phone as "Brand New" never opened or played with is false for the EVO. I call it “Sales Fraud". I own several Internet Companies so I receive a lot of email. Using the EVO with my Bluetooth Headset and the email among the many applications on the phone only gives you 2 to 3 hours of battery life if that. Heavy data users are virtually screwed if you buy the EVO and think you will have enough battery life for the full day. Picture yourself in a conference and presenting a Powerpoint Presentation and the battery goes out on the EVO. I tried plugging my EVO in while performing these data heavy tasks and the phone sucked-up the battery life before the charger could even work.
1. AndrewZorn at 9:06pm 14th October 2010 Another comedy goldmine. Please tell me this is not how people really think...
2. Allan B at 12:46am 25th November 2010 You're using your EVO to do a PPT presentation??? Are you freakin kidding me? And you own several companies? Get yourself a Macbook Pro like real professionals and use your phone for what it's meant to be. Idiot!
3. the awesome asian at 3:57pm 2nd December 2010 so pretty much the epic is better on battery usage
Bethany Ford at 9:15pm 21st September 2010 The EVO kept drawing my attention due to the size of the screen and the better camera. While I was at the store, a customer did arrive with a broken / chattered screen on his new EVO. The store had another phone waiting for him. The store also had a lot of Epic phones in stock. The store was sold out of the EVO. I purchased the Epic, within a day, I brought the phone back. The Epic has Android 2.1 which is the old operating system. The Epic had problems, when I opened the keyboard, and then closed it, the phone stayed in Landscape mode. I had to open it two to three times for it to jump back over to Portrait mode. I was not happy with that issue since the phone was new. I shouldn't have any issues. Not knowing, I did return the phone and purchased the EVO, they were holding two for a Corporate Customer and the person said his wife wanted the Epic due to the keyboard feature, so the EVO was mine. Now, for everyone reading this, here comes the "BANGER", I didn't know this until after the fact, I actually unlocked the EVO and sent the operating system back to Android 2.1 and started flashing custom Android ROMs on it.
1. Anonymous at 11:47pm 6th December 2010 Both the Epic and EVO have ANdroid 2.2 now and Epic's Touchwiz was upgraded to 3.0. So... a lot of those issues have been fixed.
Bethany Ford at 9:15pm 21st September 2010 I actually read all the comments regarding the Epic and the EVO that people have posted. What I see is almost everyone is comparing the screen contrast / glass / colors of both. This feature may be important to some but you are all missing a few things to consider. For one, I walked in to a Sprint Corporate Store and actually played around with both phones as they were side by side. The vivid colors on the Epic caught my attention first. The colors are amazing. The EVO had a kind of dull colored screen. I went in to the setting of the EVO and unchecked, automatically adjust background light on the EVO and bam, the colors of the EVO Screen came to life. They were still not as vivid as the Epic but they were very satisfying. Also, a good screen protector like Apple sells for the iPhone will bring the colors out a bit. I stood looking at both models for over 1/2 hour.
shaun at 4:37am 21st September 2010 Reading all these comments makes me laugh, its al based on personal preferance, if you like the physical keyboard you go with the Epic, if you don't, you get the evo. I personaly like the physical keyboard, so i went with the epic, the screen size is really not an issue, .3 is hardly a noticeable difference. One thing i can say, is Samsung built a very qaulity phone, where is HTC built a nice phone with features that sound better, but might be using lower qaulity components, it's kinda like comparing the Acura to Honda brand, Samsung can be compared to Acura, and HTC can be compared to Honda. Samsung is using the better processor, better screen, , more memory, and just a more solid feel. i guess where its going to count is the long term test results. the samsungs gorrila glass screen will definetly out live the HTC's screen. All in all it comes down to personal preference. both phones are definetly good choices.
1. joant at 9:10pm 12th October 2010 You do know that Acura and Honda are the same company, right?
  1. rocky at 1:56pm 25th October 2010 EVO AND EPIC ARE BOTH MADE BY SPRINT... DUH...
    
    Mike at 8:38pm 2nd November 2010 Rocky - No, the Evo is made by HTC and Epic is made by Samsung.
  2. Nathan at 5:42pm 25th October 2010 Yeah, I think that's his point. Acura is the upscale division of Honda, Epic is upscale version of Evo.
2. reggie at 4:06pm 1st November 2010 be i like how you forgot to mention that epic has a better screen the camera looks better on the epic its faster and it does have live backgrounds and you can get the standard android home screen on the epic but you cant get touch wizz on the evo best of both worlds get EPIC!!!!
3. kyle at 7:59am 6th March 2011 Actually, your analagy is backwards. Acura uses leather seats and other luxury ammenitys to sell the cars while they use the lower grade internal parts. If you open an acure hood, the motor says honda on it. So do all the parts stamps. Its a honda aall spiced up with unimportant features that don't improve the vehicles longevity or reliabbility. Sorry. Your analagy doesn't make sense.
chris at 3:00pm 20th September 2010 Do you have any phones available?
Darryl at 4:44pm 19th September 2010 Please send me your contact phone please. Thank you.
Ham at 7:54am 18th September 2010 Def interested too!
ben at 11:40am 17th September 2010 all i want to kno is , witch fone is better for video chat?
Rob at 5:19am 16th September 2010 Does Evo have good video games like the Epic?
1. samuel at 12:21pm 24th November 2010 all android phones have the SAME games cuz of the same android market. they have the same. epic just has a 6 axis motion detector for racing games and such
jay at 8:25am 15th September 2010 As an evo and an epic user I can say the evo sucks compared to the epic if u want just a work phone get the evo if u want work and play get the epic
1. vexint at 8:03pm 27th October 2010 why do you say that the Evo is more of a work phone, and the Epic is more of a work and play phone
Ben at 5:37pm 14th September 2010 And you can't forget the kickstand on the evo!!!! GET THE EVO! The first time i used it, i loved it, the evo is the best phone out there!
Ben at 5:35pm 14th September 2010 Ok, so I don't understand any of you people who say the epic is better. First off, the Evo has an 8 mp camera, which shows up better than the epics 5 mp camera. Also, the evo has micro HDMI port, epic doesnt, Evo has a better FF camera, Evo's mobile hotspot can provide 8 people with wifi, compared to epics 5 people, Evo has a bigger screen while the phones are about the same size, Evo has HTC sense which is a better program with more widgets, Live wallpapers etc.. than the epics Touchwiz, The evo is also $50 cheaper, It also doesn't matter that the epic has media hub because you can just get movies online and transfer them to your evo for free! . And lastly, WHO CARES IF THE EPIC HAS A QWERTY KEYBOARD, the epic has talk-to-text so you don't even need to touch the phone to text, you just say it to the phone, the phone inputs it, and then send it, no typing!!
1. Ben at 5:39pm 14th September 2010 sorry when i said the epic has text-to-talk i meant the evo, but both phones have it, it beats typing over a physical or on-screen keyboard.
2. Angel at 8:20pm 18th September 2010 THat talk to text just nailed for me. You were the 1st and only to mention it. THANKS BEN!!!!!
3. AndrewZorn at 9:02pm 14th October 2010 I'm still trying to decide... but please, most of the features you listed are all STUPID CONSUMERY FACTORS that I cannot believe people use in their comparisons. WOW, MEGAPIXELS! WOW, SOFTWARE FEATURES! It's as bad as buying a car for the "navigation system".
4. Jeremiah at 5:55am 3rd January 2011 Do you use your Mini hdmi port! There are ways to watch stuff from an epic on your tv through wireless WIFI if you really wanted to. I think both of them have awesome features. I picked the epic. However EVO has ANDROID 2.2 and also an fm tuner! No one mentions that. But I am happy with my phone for the most part! I just wish Samsung would stop with the game and give (and I know I speak for most of the Epic users out there) us FroYo. Then I would be 99.9% happy with my phone. Its because of the fm radio. I like to listen to the morning shows when I am at work hehe!
Mary at 8:12pm 13th September 2010 I haven't used an EVO, but I adore this Epic. I have not needed to use the physical keyboard because the swype feature is so easy to use, but I like knowing it's there if I eve it'r need it. so much better than the T9 function I had on my old phone, lol. It is great for watching videos & although I prefer real books, I can even deal with reading ebooks on it. have not had a chance to test camera much. Very happy with overall speed on internet, and NH doesn't even have 4G yet. I am also really clumsy, and the epic is nice and sturdy.
1. epicftw at 12:03am 13th October 2010 To turn on the 4g, gps and wifi on the epic all you have to do is be on the home screen and slide down the top menu.
ashyelbows at 12:33am 12th September 2010 first there both nice i have evo my girl has epic, evo is better why? htc widgets so much nicer, like on the evo to turn on 4g u just push ur 4g widget button, on the epic u have to go to menu then settings then networks then turn on 4g,this is like this on everything, hot spot, 4g, gps,bluetooth,everything, second epic has no animation and all the social media widgets for htc 100 times better if u like face book my space twiiter etc get the evo
1. Rebel guard at 6:50pm 13th September 2010 Dude, I don't know what you're talking about for the Epic, except maybe attempting disinformation. To toggle radios on the Epic, drag your notification shade open and tap the radio you want to change. Definitely not complicated. This works for wifi, bluetooth, 4g, and GPS.
  1. jeremiah at 5:45am 3rd January 2011 ya its pretty ez
neal at 4:59pm 11th September 2010 Hi everyone I have the epic in my hand...I'm commenting with this little beast pros for epic...lite wate, easy to usr...and cam functions r awesome....its fast and I have way more prune with the screen than on the evo. No matter way pol say or the stats say...fact is the evo runs better....why...idk..it just does haha... Idk why....persolanlly i say if u enter like hard keys go for evolution....if u like good, clear image...epic....both rlly good phones....evo. to me looks sexy...so irk haha
1. Brian at 12:36am 23rd November 2010 Yes. I can see just how well you can type with the cool kb-on-a-touch-scrn. I lik to b abl to spel.
Taylor Lonon at 11:22am 11th September 2010 Ok, so I'm in a bit of a pickle. I am a HUGE HTC fan, my first HTC phone was the Media Mogul, followed by the Touch Pro, then The Touch Pro 2. I now have a Samsung Moment. The information that I cannot seem to find anywhere is how easy to use the EVO 4G's on-screen keyboard. I have always preferred a physical QWERTY keyboard, I have anxiety problems, sweaty hands are a problem. When my hands are moist, I have found with most touch screens that this interferes with accuracy. Also, I don't like having to look at my phone to text, I'm a college student, so you can imagine how difficult it would be to walk down a crowded hallway without bumping into people because I am looking at an on-screen keyboard. The only reason why I have not yet purchased the EVO is because of the lack of the physical keyboard, and now the Samsung Epic 4G is out, with the physical keyboard. I guess it boils down to this: Is the EVO 4G's on screen keyboard accurate as far as keystrokes are concerned? I really desire the EVO 4G, but the physical keyboard is such a huge bonus to the Epic.
kristen at 10:23am 11th September 2010 d
1. bill at 4:05pm 25th October 2010 how did you get that backwards b?
joe at 6:44am 6th September 2010 Matter of preference, especially when it comes to the keyboard.
1. Swampcitycrip at 2:54am 10th September 2010 Listen if y'all dnt kno any facts about somethin SHUT UP TILL U GET IT RITE! 1ST OFf Y'ALL DA EPIC SCREEN SHOWS BETTER DEN DA EVO ALL DA WAY AROUND inside outside or wateva. Da better last wayyyyyy longer on da epic & da epic is faster 2 watch da youtube videos y'all would see. Anyways da keyboard ain't like those othe small 1s on da epic its way bigger & have way more room & feels better. I wanted a evo 1st but wen I used da epic I fell in love wit it. & o yea I 4got 2 things it has double da memory & da media hub is comin out soon 4 da epic so 2 all yall evi people out there yall gotta step yall game up asap yall mite have a lil bigger screen & 3 more pixels but guess wat we as in team epic got everything more den yall so catch up wit dat dull screen lol. I can only say 1 good thing bout da evo at least we all on sprint 4g lol!
  1. Swapcitycrip at 3:00am 10th September 2010 Damn I was typen so fast on my computer I miss spelled alot of words. But anyways TEAM EPIC we da best lol
  2. Larry at 1:48pm 15th September 2010 Can I get that in English please?
  3. Bernadette Avon-Lady Robinson at 1:38pm 20th September 2010 Yes.. i was so dead set on the evo until the lady ibn the store showed me the differences. I love it and now im dead set on the epic
fivewall at 5:17pm 4th September 2010 I am also very suspect about the battery life being a draw when you can easily prove how much more power the Evo's screen is using. Both me and my roommate run the power control plus widget, and when you click on it - it gives you a breakdown telling you what exactly is using the power. On his EVO the % of battery being used by the screen is typically 15-20% higher then what it says for my Epic. The difference is due to OLED vs LCD. I fully believe that if you rooted both devices and put the same ROM's on them with identical software configurations and put them through identical usage, the Epic would come out on top due to the huge difference in power draw from the screens. Back to the display - check out this video of the gorrilla glass on a Dell Streak getting abused: http://www.viddler.com/explore/engadget/videos/14... This is the same glass used on the Epic - try this with your EVO and you will have a disaster...
fivewall at 5:02pm 4th September 2010 The display section of this review is very head scratching and makes me wonder if the OP actually had both phones at the same time to make the comparison. My roommate has an EVO and I have the Epic - he now wants to upgrade to the epic mainly for the much improved screen!! We were both out fishing yesterday in bright sun, I was able to use my Epic with ease and his EVO was very washed out and hard to read. Not to mention the fact that the Epic has gorrila glass, my roommate's screen cracked the very first time he dropped the phone and had to mail it away for a week to get repair - the gorila glass makes a huge difference, check out some of the youtube videos testing it. Also some of these topics are simply mute, the connectivity part? really? they are both on the same network and why would anyone pay sprint 30/month for the hotspot software when they can use pdanet for free. If you really want to look at the broader connectivity features, you have to give it to the Epic due to DLNA support.
1. Gary at 4:01pm 1st November 2010 It's MOOT, not mute...
  1. DDA at 3:05pm 26th December 2010 It's MOOO...You know, like a cows' opinion...nobody cares. :)
2. vtec ayo at 5:32am 3rd November 2010 There both same glass lol
Mook1e at 2:12pm 4th September 2010 You can get an Epic right now from Amazon or Newegg for $199, so the price is the same.
1. Tonja at 7:56am 21st September 2010 only with a new contract, not if your just upgrading. then the evo is only 189 and the epic is 239
2. Tracey at 8:05am 2nd October 2010 I had the Epic and Returned it for the EVO. The EVO is a far better phone and should not be compared to the Epic. Screen is the only aspect of the Epic that is superior so if you're phone is just a mini video player go for the Epic but if you want a truly flagship phone go with the HTC product every time. EVO while specs say otherwise if much faster in EVERY situation. If you absolutely need a slide out physical keyboard the Epic is an ok choice. Still the $250 price tag seems excessive for what is not in the same class as other Top Tier Smartphones such as the EVO, iphone4, and to a lessor degree the HTC incredible (still better than Epic in my opinion).
Brandi at 10:14am 4th September 2010 The rest of my comment: I also tried out the keyboard and didn't like it. I read how the buttons were rounded, but I found them to be too flat & I kept pressing the wrong buttons. (I do have wide thumbs tho). With that being said, I'm sure with a little practice, I could get used to it, but I've tried other keyboards before that just worked for me the first time (like the Rumor Touch phone). I was able to download the SlideIt keyboard from the android market for the Evo (for $5.99) and that really is working pretty good for me. With that being said, if I wasn't comparing, I think the Epic would be pretty neat. I think it's probably a great phone. If the keyboard had felt really natural and the colors were as true as the Evo, I think I would have went for it. I really thought I was going to like it better & felt pretty sure I was going to exchange when I went in, but ended up feeling like I just wanted to keep my Evo. I hope that helps if anyone is looking for a comparison.
1. Steve at 1:49pm 5th September 2010 I am looking for an upgrade; my research leads me to the EVO, but I like the keyboard so the Epic is catching my eye. But after reading your email post, my concern of tight vitural keyboard on EVO may be answered with the SlideIt keyboard app. I take it the vitural SlideIt keys are larger?
2. doug at 6:18am 2nd January 2011 Thanks for that. my only concern is also the eve touch qwerty. I just cannot get used to it. Argh.
Brandi at 10:13am 4th September 2010 I have the Evo but went yesterday to compare it to the Epic because I was thinking of switching because of the physical keyboard. I didn't like the idea of losing even a little bit of screen space so I wanted to see I pulled up a photo that is on my website on both of the phones. I used "pinch" to enlarge it to the max so I could see how much of the photo that I could see on each screen. I was anxious to see how much better it looked on the Epic since it supposedly has better colors etc. I was shocked to see that the picture actually looked better on my Evo! On the Evo, the coloring looked exactly like it looks on my computer screen at home. On the Epic, however, the color was off. It was darker and didn't look just right. I tried adjusting the lighting and it was still not right. I admit that if I didn't know what the picture looked like, I probably wouldn't know the difference, and it would look pretty good but I can say for sure that the Evo was true in color. And the difference in the screens was definitely not what I thought it would be. Strange that I keep hearing how better the Epic was!
1. Kreg at 6:56pm 7th September 2010 Well Brandi I'm sure that the evo is a pretty good phone but did u think that ur computer screen is probably LCD and the the epic screen is AMOLED and the evo's screen is not, so who's to know what the true color really is
2. Anon at 11:32pm 6th December 2010 Are you surprised that the picture in your LCD EVO screen looks like the one on your LCD computer monitor screen? Did you realize what you said there? Think about it. The Epic uses AMOLED.
Destiny at 2:19pm 1st September 2010 iAm An EVO User &Have Been For About Ah'Month Now. iAbsolutely LOVE MyPhone &I'm Pretty Sure That Tha Epic Is Ah'Good Phone As Well. WhatEver YouChose, iHope It's Not an iPhone. it's Just Ah'Brand &iPrefer androids Myself.
1. Andrew at 11:28pm 6th December 2010 let me guess. You typed this using your touch screen keyboard. BAHAHAHAHAHAHA
  1. Cjack at 12:13pm 11th December 2010 no... she's just black. Black people type this way for some reason now.
Steve at 11:59am 1st September 2010 As an Evo user, I found sometime during the surfing of the internet, my screen dims and then brights up shortly. I found it is very disturbing. Does your EVO do that? Or it is just mine?
1. guest at 3:40pm 1st September 2010 Mine does that in some rooms when the auto-brightness is on. If you turn off the automatic brightness setting it won't do that.
Tiger at 11:54am 1st September 2010 Yay
oto at 9:53am 1st September 2010 can the Epic 4g be used to make calls while in Europe? or elsewhere outside of the US?
King John at 8:56am 1st September 2010 I'm interested, how do I get more information? Thanks.
jrock at 8:51am 1st September 2010 You honestly give the evo the edge on the display? The Epic display exponentially more colors. Comparing them side by side, I find it extremely difficult for anyone to choose the evo
1. Jimmy at 8:59am 3rd September 2010 well maybe if you read the article.... the evo has the edge because you can actually use the display in the sun, the epic looks afwul IMHO outside, which takes away from a great display... DUH! it's not like you will only use the display inside to watch Avatar - you might want to look up a location on the go.... LOL!
2. Nobody at 11:02am 3rd September 2010 I recently compared both phones side by side in the Sprint store. The Epic had more vibrant colors, but when reading text with a white background, there is a bluish tint to the Epic's screen where the Evo was white as it should have been. This may not be a big deal – it was not obvious without the side-by-side comparison, but it is definitely a point in the Evo's favor. Although the screen size of the Evo is only 0.3” bigger than the Epic, this size difference was immediately noticeable and is a significant point in the Evo’s favor. I think that which screen you prefer will depend on what you tend to do with the phone. The sharp colors of the Epic really stood out when playing a video game demo that comes installed on the phone and I can see why someone would prefer the Epic’s screen to the Evo’s screen. But for normal web browsing, I think I would prefer the Evo’s screen, primarily because of its size, but also because it doesn’t give whites an off-white tint.
phillybreezy at 12:08am 1st September 2010 The Epic is AWESOME! It looks fake though. It's so smooth and the colors are so vivid- Evo & Epic are both great phones to take down Apple and the crappy iPhone! I personally think that each phone appeals to a different crowd. I believe the Samsung Epic is better suited for a younger generation of cell phone users whereas the HTC Evo is more "business-like" and appeals to an older generation of cell phone users.
1. Vanessa at 6:14pm 2nd December 2010 I dont have the phone but I wish I did because it is very good for a person that has visual problems..I can' t wait until I can afford to purchase this phone because it would definetly help my eyes.....a
David S. at 7:12pm 31st August 2010 I have the EVO and I love it...I really do think that the EVO is a better phone. It's a phone for everyone; it's for a business person or student...The epic 4g seems almost childish?...I really just don't like the physical keyboard.
1. Sweetlove2011 at 9:41pm 28th November 2010 I have the Eco 4g as well, and personally don't know how I ever got along without it. I would never go back to a regular phone, and not just any phone to boot. Print Eco 4 g is the very best, there is no competition there. Loving it!!! Thanks Sprint and Android for the worlds greatest phone ever made!
Dara Amengual at 12:22pm 31st August 2010 how can I contact you ?
Rashidah Royal at 11:11am 31st August 2010 How can I contact you?
Gina Davidson at 6:56am 31st August 2010 Glenn--Can you supply your e-mail for more information. Thank you.
Yahoo at 5:23am 31st August 2010 Umm, there's no way you can give any phone other than the iPhone 4 a better display rating over the Galaxy S. The screen is like, a trademark with the AMOLED display and it's the best display you can get on a screen. Not sure what the greyish tint is either, but yeah, the display is pretty sexy.
1. Kelly at 6:30am 31st August 2010 They just did...
gab at 8:57pm 30th August 2010 Ummm the front facing cameras are the same resolution. Just saying.
1. @palmsolo at 12:53am 31st August 2010 Actually they are not. The EVO 4G has a 1.3 megapixel one and the Epic 4G has a 0.3 megapixel one. The FFC on the EVO 4G is better and it shows too.
  1. Gator at 6:02am 31st August 2010 It really doesn't matter, thought. The VGA will grant better battery life, and when you're video chatting (at least at this point in time with technology) you're not going to see very much difference.
  2. Dan Burden at 9:50am 10th October 2010 your crazy the epic is way faster with speeds and looks beeter two with the slide out keyboard.
  3. rob at 8:35pm 11th October 2010 Epic is a far better phone the movies are crystal clear
2. joe at 7:22pm 31st August 2010 No there not the Evo has 1.3 while the Epic only has VGA
3. Clyde Cj Gilchrist at 5:24pm 26th November 2010 no the evos is way better
PatriciaElizabeth at 4:30pm 30th August 2010 They are both overall great phones. Its all about user prefference. Some people love slide out keyboards while others like myself either love the "Suretype" keyboard such as the Blackberry or completely touch screen such as the Evo. Right now the price on the Evo is $199.99 after rebate ($100) and the official price of the Epic will be $250 after rebate ($100). Shhh, I was a Sprint Sales Rep...not anymore, long story.
1. sara at 10:13am 12th October 2010 you can get them at raido shack for 219.00
Brad at 7:58am 30th August 2010 They're both excelent phones. The 4G speed is awesome for viewing online videos. I did notice that the colors were definitely more vibrant on the Epic and the blacks were blacker. I did not have a chance to view them outside. The camera features on the Epic seemed to allow more customization and easier to use. It was real easy to adjust focus through multiple object in the display. The Epic also supports DLNA which would allow you to stream your content directly to your DLNA blu-ray or internet ready TV (so no wires would be required (wifi)). Also the Epic is the first mobile phone to get DivX certified. I'm due for an upgrade in about 7 weeks and I still have a lot of research. I need to test Swype to see if I like it (it comes installed on the Epic) and if I do, see if it's available for the EVO. The EVO's 4.3 display is nice and it has already been upgraded to FroYo, where as it will probably be a few weeks after launch that the Epic gets upgraded from 2.1 to 2.2. Either way you go, you're going to get a great phone, and even best yet, you can hold it how ever you want :)
1. JUAG at 7:30am 31st August 2010 I have the EVO and I am able to use swype on it !
  1. Bertron at 12:05pm 1st September 2010 I hav da Evo, whic iz n awsum phon, sorry Epic !!! How can I put swype on my Evo plz ???
    
    K-Man at 9:49am 11th September 2010 Go to the android market and search for Slide-it keyboard. it is exactly like swype. The free version lasts about a month, but you can re install it after it expires and use it for as long as you want. The full version is 2.99 i think.
    
    Darrall at 5:55am 18th October 2010 Go to android central and download the apk, and install it from the sd card then you can use swype on ur phone, but sorry to say the EPIC is a evo killing machine.
  2. chase wilson at 9:46am 16th October 2010 how did you get it??
2. guest at 11:13am 15th September 2010 In my opinion, the Epic's super AMOLED screen (with gorilla glass) is far better than the EVO's. The EVO does have a little more real estate but I believe the screen only supports 65K colors, while the Epic screen supports 16 million colors. Comparing the two side by side, the EVO's display looks washed out and faded. Swype is very convenient to have built in to the virtual keyboard. The physical keyboard is also nice and easy to use. I went with with the Epic over the EVO because of the better screen and the faster processor and I've had no regrets. My only issue is battery life. I have not compared it to the EVO's but heard that they are about the same.
  1. bill d at 10:44am 20th October 2010 the epic's screen is oversaturated, it almost looks cartoonish. also the screen is having problems with image retention... its 4g radio is terrible and doesnt pick up the 4g signal as well as the evo in the same place, i know because i work at an indirect sprint store and have tested this... and im sure the pictures on the epic look just as good as the evo when viewing them on the screen but if you upload them to anything or print them you will notice the difference... bottom line, samsung PDAs always have some major issure. unless you have to have a keyboard, go with the evo IT IS a better phone... if the epic was $50 less than the evo then it would be debatable but it really shouldnt be at $50 more
    
    ydoucare at 10:53pm 25th October 2010 That's because you're used to looking at washed out LCD's.
3. Desmond Perrotto at 4:20pm 27th September 2010 Youre kidding right? Im not sure what EVO and Epic you were trying but I returned the EVO for several of the reasons you gave as "winners". The AMOLED screen on the Epic is far better in direct sunlight than I had with the EVO (I couldnt even see the EVO screen in direct sunlight). The camera, although decent on the EVO, fails in comparison to the Epic 4g and IMHO the 5MP is much better. The native camera app on the EVO did have superior settings and features. I will give you guys credit for the conferencing abilities, although neither require a strong front camera for this since conferencing is usually going to be about 2 feet away at a max.
  1. Rickard at 8:01am 2nd October 2010 I had the Epic and Returned it for the EVO. The EVO is a far better phone and should not be compared to the Epic. Screen is the only aspect of the Epic that is superior so if you're phone is just a mini video player go for the Epic but if you want a truly flagship phone go with the HTC product every time. EVO while specs say otherwise if much faster in EVERY situation. If you absolutely need a slide out physical keyboard the Epic is an ok choice. Still the $250 price tag seems excessive for what is not in the same class as other Top Tier Smartphones such as the EVO, iphone4, and to a lessor degree the HTC incredible (still better than Epic in my opinion).
4. justin at 3:24pm 30th November 2010 i bought the epic and i love it!!!! the clearity of the sreen makes a better choice for me, i much rather sacerfice size for quality and the camera dosent make a differance to me 5mp is good enough for me. just depends on how many hotspots you want. i have the evo and the epic the epic the has a better procceser in my opinoin. after staring at my epic the evo screen looks dull like every other phone out there.
  1. justin at 3:31pm 30th November 2010 i bought both phones and the epic was 2 dollars cheeper at walmart
5. Travis Erck at 10:16pm 5th December 2010 HDMI which the EVO support natively is the most common type of interface TODAY. DLNA is only found in higher dollar tech TVs and higher dollar blu rays. The majority of people have HDMi as it is the standard is HD interface. Regardless of Epics ability to do that it makes more sense to make HDMI , since it the common standard, native on the EVO. It's actually HTC that wins that one against the EPIC. Why because the EVO can do DLNA via an adaptor and its more likely MOST people are going to use the HDMI on the EVO. On the Epic theres no chance of HDMI as it's incapable of HD display. So with your argument it doesn't make any sense if thats the reasoning to get EPIC over EVO. EVO clrealy is the winner in that category over EPIC. And further, FROYO has been a huge disappoint on the EPIC and it's not even out yet and broken promises from Samsung have enraged the community. Sorry but the Evo all the way around , except for gaming, as the reviewer has shown the Epic just is not Epic enough against HTC's EVO. If you buy an EVO your not going to be unhappy when you discover what the EPIC can't do in comparison.