We have reviewed quite a few Android based devices here at JAMM, so you should have a pretty good idea of what you are getting with that operating system by now.  To be perfectly honest, despite all of the hype, I have never really latched onto android the way I had always hope.  To me, every time I was Android, I flash back to 2005…as in Windows Mobile 2005.  Not that I think it is a fair comparison in terms of functionality or usability, however, I do see many of the same problems  with Android that we saw back then.  Problems like market fragmentation, multiple hardware designs, over-customization, and high learning curve.   That being said, this is not a review of the Android Operating System, but a review of the latest phone to implement it, The HTC Evo Shift from Sprint.

A few months back, I took a look at the Evo Shift’s “older brother”, the EVO 4G.  While I loved the power the hardware offered, I had two major complaints.  First, while the massive 4 inch screen was fantastic for watching videos, it was not terribly conducive to using the device as an actual phone.  Additionally, I absolutely detest on-screen keyboards, so the lack of a hardware keyboard was extremely frustrating to me.  As such, I was quite excited to learn of Sprint and HTC’s follow up device, the Evo Shift.  Everything I loved about the Evo, but in a more manageable size and a hardware keyboard.  Let’s dive in for a closer look.

Buttons and Controls: If there was any doubt that this phone is the younger brother of the HTC EVO, jut take a look at the controls, which pretty well mirror those of the EVO.    The main hardware buttons are located under the screen.  From there you can access the search option on the right.  Moving toward the left is the back button, and then the menu button, which calls up the dynamic menus for whichever screen you happen to be accessing at the time.   The final button on the left is the Home button. 

Tap it once to return to the main home screen.  Tap it a second time to access the thumbnail screen, which will show a screen full of thumbnail images of all seven home screen pages.  Tap and hold the Home button to access the recent apps menu, allowing you to quickly and easily switch to any recently used apps.

The remainder of the face is utilized by the 3.6 inch capacitive touch screen.   Many phones I have tested have screens which are too small.  The HTC EVO, on the other hand, had a massive, 4 inch, screen.  As I wrote when I reviewed that phone, the screen was simply far too large for me.   Which is why I was so excited when I started testing the EVO Shift.  The 3.6 inch screen was just right.  Not so small that it was difficult to read, but also not so large that it was too big to hold easily.  Perfect. 

The volume controls are on the left, just where you would expect to find them on an HTC phone.  The only other button on the phone is the power button, which is on top.   As you would expect, tap it once to send the phone into standby (or to wake it up from standby mode).  Tap and hold to access the power menu, allowing you to power down the phone, or enter airplane mode, among other options.

What I really loved about this phone, though, was the sliding keyboard, which slides out from the left hand side.  One thing which really impressed me was the responsiveness of the screen, which instantly spun from portrait to landscape mode.  This is an area in which many HTC and other phones have struggled in the past, so I was happy to see this one finally conquer this necessary feature.  The keyboard itself is a nice four row keyboard, with three rows of letters and other characters, and the fourth row containing various special and function keys.   I found this keyboard to be comfortable to use.  To the right of the keyboard there is a D-pad controller, which can be used to access any of the features on the phone.  I have to admit that I rarely used this for anything.  It was really not terribly accessible for every day use, and just did not make much sense when the keyboard was open.  I would have preferred it if HTC removed the D-pad, and used the space for a larger keyboard.

Overall, I was extremely impressed by the minimalistic approach HTC has been taking lately with the hardware controls.  In the past, too many phones have offered far too many buttons alongside a touch screen, resulting in a confused mish mash of controls overload, in which nothing really works well together.  Lately, HTC seems to have learned their lesson, going back to the drawing board with this next generation of phones.  The EVO Shift, like the EVO, includes only those hardware buttons which are absolutely necessary in order to control the phone.  That being said, I did miss having  hardware camera button, which really seems necessary in many contexts, but that was a minor complaint.  This is the best designed phone I have ever used.

Interface: The interface here is the same Android operating system (2.2) which we have seen before, so I am not going to go too deeply into that.  For more, check out some of our previous reviews of Android based devices.  On top of that basic OS is HTC’s SenseUI, which I really like.  Most importantly, it expands the number of pages available on your home screen from three to seven.  When you factor in all of the widgets and other options available to customize your home screen, these extra pages will make a huge difference. 

Speaking of widgets, I did notice that HTC has made some significant improvements to the widgets offered with the SenseUI.  At times, it was almost as though they could hear me complaining about the limitations of one widget or another.  Take the calendar widget, for example.  This has always been a sore spot for me, which previously included only two equally ineffective views.  This latest version of the widget now features an agenda view.  While this improvement may come at the chagrin of several third party developers, I absolutely loved it.   This agenda view shows me everything I have coming up at a glance.  Although this has been available from third party developers in the past, it has not been included with the native calendar until now.

The other widget I wanted to mention here is the Friendstream, which is one of HTC’s more recent widgets.  It combines your Facebook, Twitter feed, and Flickr account and drops them all in one place, right there on your homescreen.  This is fantastic as it allows you to quickly and easily monitor your social networking sites all at the same time, without opening a single app.  I do think this widget could have been made even better by allowing access to more accounts (LinkedIn, Plaxo, 4Square…).

Overall, the interface should feel pretty familiar to fans of Android, especially those who have used previous installments on HTC phones.  To That being said, everything about the interface just felt refreshed.  I found color, for example, where there had not been color before.  Additionally, many of the menus included more refined icons.  These and dozens of other tiny touches really gave this version of the Android operating system a more professional polish than we have seen previously.

Phone: The phone interface on the EVO Shift is pretty much the same thing we have come to expect from Android devices.  You can dial/text directly from a contact card in the persons app (Android’s name for contacts).  Or you can pull up the phone and dial from the dial pad directly.  You can also access your phone’s history in order to return calls or redial. 

What was really nice here is that once you connect the device to your Google account, all of your Google contacts will be automatically loaded onto the phone.  In addition to your Google account, you can also sync contacts from Facebook, Flickr, or Twitter.  While this was all nice for someone like me whose life revolves around my online Google account, it would still be nice if other email services could be directly synced, such as Yahoo or Hotmail. 

Making and receiving calls worked fine for me, though I did find that I typically had at least one fewer reception bar on the EVO Shift than the HTC Hero.  This was a bit disappointing.  Once connected though, I found the call quality on this phone to be exceptional.  One problem I have had in the past with Android phones was locking up when a call came in.  The processors simply were not powerful enough to process the call while handling whatever other tasks might have been underway at the time of the call.  The result was quite a bit of frustration as calls would not only be dropped, but also require me to reboot my phone before I could return them.  I never had this problem with the EVO Shift which relies on the Snapdragon processor to ensure that it could handle any activity I required, even answering the phone.

Other features of the phone include the standard Android caller Id, and visual voicemail, which allows you to see who left you a voicemail before you listen.

Data/4G: Like the EVO, the EVO Shift connects to Sprint’s ultra-modern high speed network (dubbed 4G).  To put Sprint’s 4G network into perspective, switching from the industry standard 3G (as in Sprint’s normal network) to 4G is like being stuck in traffic and then suddenly entering the Audubon with 100 mph speed limits.  The problem though is that Sprint’s 4G network is still a cobbled together patchwork of partially enabled connections, meaning it is not quite ready for prime time.  When it works, the 4G network is blazing, but it is also prone to dropping the connection without warning, making it terribly ineffective and unstable.  In other words, it is more like driving on the Audubon, during construction season.  You are speeding down the road at one moment, and stopped short the next.  Still, the potential for this high speed network is clear.  Hopefully Sprint will continue to improve coverage in order to make the 4G experience finally live up to it’s own hype and promise!

Mobile Hotspot: One of my favorite trends in the latest generation of Smartphones is the inclusion of a mobile hotspot.  Lately, I have been using the Sprint Overdrive, and while I love its speed and 4G connectivity, the need to carry an additional device in order to connect my iPad to the Internet  can be a bit cumbersome.  The idea of combining the Overdrive with the phone I am already carrying, therefore, was quite appealing.

The mobile hotspot on the EVO Shift is incredibly easy to use.  Just turn it on, and setup the ID and password for encryption.  It took about 60 seconds taking my time to get it all operational.  What I really liked here was that since the phone is already turned on, all you need to do is connect, which takes a few quick seconds.   This is significantly faster than using the Overdrive, which needs to take a minute or so to boot up and reset each time you use it.

The connection itself was about the same speed as the Overdrive.  I found the 3G connection to be acceptable, but what really impressed me was the 4G connection, which was absolutely blazing.  Unfortunately, as I mentioned, the 4G network where I love is extremely spotty, and really became quite frustrating to use.  Hopefully, Sprint will continue to develop this 4G network in order to ensure a more stable user experience.

One of the biggest questions I had about this mobile hotspot was how it would interact with the other functionalities of the device.  Really, if connections with the mobile hotspot interfere with the primary purposes of the device, then it really can become more of a burden than a benefit.  So, I tested the mobile hotspot fairly extensively and was really impressed by how well it was implemented in this device.  You can send and received text messages or surf the Internet from your phone without interfering with the mobile hotspot.   Making and receiving phone calls was a bit more complicated.  Sprint’s network does not allow you to talk and surf at the same time.  As such, making or receiving a phone call will interrupt the hotspot connection.  What I liked, though, was that the call is given priority, so if someone calls the phone, it will automatically drop the hotspot connection in order to connect the call.  Given that these devices are primarily telephones, this is exactly how I would have expected it to work. 

Camera: The camera on the EVO Shift is much the same as what we have seen from Android in the past.  It can take both still photos and video, although switching between the two is not easy.  Android really needs to incorporate a control button directly on the screen to toggle between the still camera and video.  As it is, you need to open the sliding menu in order to toggle the camera and video radio buttons.  Really, that is just a little cumbersome. 

Unlike the EVO, there is no front facing camera, which means the EVO Shift will not be able to carry you into the latest video chat craze.  That is really too bad.  I do not think a front facing camera would have required a lot of additional space in terms of the hardware, and the lack of such a camera really puts this device at a disadvantage when compared with some of the other top phones available.

The camera itself features a 5 megapixel processor.   As I have said time and again, this camera will never be destined to replace a standard camera for serious photographers.  However, it works extremely well for capturing that spontaneous moment.

Processor: As mentioned, this one sports the latest and greatest Snapdragon processor under its hood.  In fact, it features the second generation Snapdragon processor, with speeds up to 800 mhz.  Not too shabby for a phone.  This is really impressive considering it is nearly double the processor speed previously available.  The HTC Hero, for example, which was considered extremely fast, clocked in at a maximum speed of just 528 mhz, and speeds went down quickly from there.  The Snapdragon chip truly makes this every bit as much a small computer as it does a large phone.   The end result is a device which is absolutely blazing!

Battery: as usual, the battery in the EVO Shift proved to be the weak link.  I was really disappointed by how poorly the battery performed.  This device can do an awful lot, but none of that means anything if the battery is dead when you need it most.  On a typical day, I leave the house in the pre-dawn hours between 5:30 and 6:00.  I generally do not get home from work until after 6:00 in the evening.  This means in order to be useful, the battery in my phone must last in excess of twelve hours on an average day.  I put the EVO Shift through the paces of my average use with email, phone calls, Internet, and more.  The battery lasted about six hours, or roughly half of my need.  Not terribly impressive.  Toss in the mobile hotspot and that goes down even further.  This all means that I cannot stray far from the charger or the EVO Shift becomes a really heavy pocket protector.   I know this was not HTC or Sprint’s fault…but this problem has lingered long enough.  It is beyond time for someone to come up with a battery which can keep pace with today’s hottest technology.

Memory Card:  Like most HTC devices, the EVO shift includes a pretty minimal on board storage space.  Fortunately, it does also allow you to add storage via a microSD card slot.  There is a 2GB card included, but you can utilize up to a 32 GB card.  The only problem here was that the slot for the card is located under the battery, meaning you must remove the battery in order to access it. 

While it is nice to be able to add such a huge amount of memory, I was disappointed to find that Android 2.2 still does not allow users to store apps on the microSD card.  This means all of your apps, along with their required data in the minimal on-board storage space.  Google has indicated that a fix for this is finally coming, and I was really hoping that it would have happened by now.  Given the fact that Windows Mobile was able to store apps and data on external memory cards, Android’s inability to do so constitutes a glaring omission.

Overall Impressions:  Wow.  What can I say?  I absolutely loved this phone.  In the past, I have had a real love-hate relationship with the Android operating system.  As in…I really want to love it…but I just don’t.  In one way or another, I have always felt like Android and Android-based devices simply failed to live up to their hype.  That changes with the EVO Shift and its Snapdragon processor.  HTC did an absolutely fantastic job of finding the perfect compromise in areas such as screen size (large enough to watch videos, but not so large as to turn it into a small tablet), hardware controls, camera functionality, and so much more…even including a slide-out keyboard.  Frankly, if I was going to design my ideal phone, it would like an awful lot like this. 

The HTC EVO Shift is available from Sprint for $149.99  (including instant and mail in rebates) with a two year contract from Sprint (www.sprint.com).

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