Database Users

[Q] So I have to decide by Monday

Knowing what you know now about the Epic....
My upgrade time is Monday and I need to replace my old Touch Pro (can you imagine I am still using it). I would like the Epic becuase of the keyboard, and the hardware does look more impressive. However the EVO fanboys are a bit much and you cannot get a good review of Epic from them.
So I am asking you all what do you think... Should I take the Epic and be happy? I have to extend my contract 2 years and I want to be happy with my decision. The angst here over GPS and Froyo has me thinking it might be safer to go to Evo w/o the keyboard... even though I can't stand the attitutudes of the Evo users.
Let me know what you think. Any comments I would appreciate.

For a good unbiased review see engadget. They did a thorough workup of the epic. Also I reccomend using the search function, there are multiple threads just like this and should answer ur questions.
Sent from my Epic 4G

ravizzle said:
For a good unbiased review see engadget. They did a thorough workup of the epic. Also I reccomend using the search function, there are multiple threads just like this and should answer ur questions.
Sent from my Epic 4G
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I've read COUNTLESS posts. I am just looking for something a bit updated. It seems things change as the wind blows.

Well the ppl on the froyo leak say gps is fixed so if that and froyo are ur only 2 probs with epic, they will be solved soon with the ota (the leak is kinda buggy) which hopefully will come in the next few weeks.
Sent from my Epic 4G

I like them both. The keyboard sold the epic to me, along with the display.
I love my Epic. I play a lot of games too, so the choice was obvious to me.
Sent from my bathroom, with toilet paper.

I'm upgrading on thursday. I finally decided upon the epic because of the hardware keyboard, the awesome screen and the fact that I don't like sense. I went into the sprint store to get a feel for them. That definitely helped me. There have been a few moments here and there where I think "man, maybe I should get the evo." Especially after seeing how large the user community is. But I always come back to the epic. P.s. If you're the primary line then you should be eligible for yearly upgrades with the everything data plan. So you're only stuck with this phone for a year. Or give it thirty days ad switch to the evo if you're not satisfied.

I just got my epic and love it.
The only other phone I think I would consider is the G2 by T-mobile.
I wish we had froyo already but it should be out in a few weeks.
The epic's display is awesome.

keekah said:
I'm upgrading on thursday. I finally decided upon the epic because of the hardware keyboard, the awesome screen and the fact that I don't like sense. I went into the sprint store to get a feel for them. That definitely helped me. There have been a few moments here and there where I think "man, maybe I should get the evo." Especially after seeing how large the user community is. But I always come back to the epic. P.s. If you're the primary line then you should be eligible for yearly upgrades with the everything data plan. So you're only stuck with this phone for a year. Or give it thirty days ad switch to the evo if you're not satisfied.
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Same here. I originally wanted Evo (didn't we all)... then I investigated Epic and found out its a whole lot more than just a keyboard for $50. The added hardware (processor, display, gpu, etc, etc, etc) make me think its plumb silly to buy an Evo... but man those Evo owners are very loud. No one is saying their phone is bad... obviously its great, but boy do they like to cut down the Epic.
In regards to primary line stuff... its currently set to my wife's line. She is on blackberry, but I will probably upgrade her to an Epic later this year so that we are on the same phone (unless a dual core 3.0 phone comes out... then I get it and she gets the Epic ).

I just jumped from an Evo to the Epic and this is my honest advice. If you are here for roms go with the Evo by far. The support for the Evo on this site and the lack there of for the Epic is like night and day.
If you don't plan on Rooting your phone and wanting everything stock go with the Epic. I don't see how anyone can argue differently.

imwillzillla said:
I just jumped from an Evo to the Epic and this is my honest advice. If you are here for roms go with the Evo by far. The support for the Evo on this site and the lack there of for the Epic is like night and day.
If you don't plan on Rooting your phone and wanting everything stock go with the Epic. I don't see how anyone can argue differently.
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Thanks. Good advice. I like that there is a support community for Evo... but I would only root/flash if I really had to. I am not a power user... couldn't care less about overclocking (at least for now - a year from now who knows).. that being said my Touch Pro is currently unlocked/flashed to MightyROM, so it's not out of the question. I certainly will not be planning to root/flash anytime before official Froyo is released on Epic.

Epic obviously doesn't have same dev community as evo, but we do have a good growing dev community. We have 4 or 5 solid roms out right now and even if that number doesn't grow I'm happy, its about quality not quantity.
Sent from my Epic 4G

skywalkr2, I worked at Sprint for over 8 years (great place to work, left for an amazing opportunity elsewhere) and as a Pre owner, I was RABIDLY anticipating a new device this year to replace my Pre (greatest software on the market, worst hardware). I'm at work now and took a short break to look at my phone and happened to see this thread in the XDA app. As such, I don't have time at this moment to give my full opinion, but I can tell you that NOBODY did more research on this exact question than I did... and I ended up choosing the EVO AFTER I talked my own father into getting an Epic. I'll post the full list of reasons tonight, I just wanted to get in my two cents since obviously everyone in this forum is likely to tell you the Epic is the best. I was afraid you might see an overwhelming number of people telling you to grab an Epic and then you'd stop checking this thread.
I suggest you at least listen to my reasoning before jumping ship.

ravizzle said:
Well the ppl on the froyo leak say gps is fixed so if that and froyo are ur only 2 probs with epic, they will be solved soon with the ota (the leak is kinda buggy) which hopefully will come in the next few weeks.
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Not so fast. The reports I have seen about the GPS are mixed. For example, see this.
It does sound like one of the GPS bugs -- the bogus estimated accuracy of 30.0 meters that we see now on the Epic-- is fixed in the beta release. But to test the most serious bug -- the failure to achieve satellite lock over time because of a time-sensitive cache problem -- it will take more time and effort than these early anecdotal reports can boast. So far I have not seen any Froyo-release beta tester who seems to know how to test the GPS rigorously, and I am not risking my own phone to flash this leaked ROM.
So the overall status of the GPS is unknown, as far as I'm concerned.

WrlsFanatic said:
I was afraid you might see an overwhelming number of people telling you to grab an Epic and then you'd stop checking this thread.
I suggest you at least listen to my reasoning before jumping ship.
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Great. I will definetely listen. It's exactly why I posted over here.

Dear OP,
If I were in your shoe, I'd wait at least till Epic gets Froyo update. Then you can make apples to apples comparison between Epic and EVO (assuming Evo doesn't get 2.3 update).
Or better yet, if you are a bit more patient, wait till january, when HTC Knight (Speedy?) becomes available. If Knights come with 2.2, it's more likely to get updated to 2.3 than current EVO or EPIC. The general consensus here is that neither EVO or Epic will officially get updated to Gingerbread. If you don't want to be stock with TP till January, get a refurb HTC Hero from ebay for about $100.

acegolfer said:
Dear OP,
If I were in your shoe, I'd wait at least till Epic gets Froyo update. Then you can make apples to apples comparison between Epic and EVO (assuming Evo doesn't get 2.3 update).
Or better yet, if you are a bit more patient, wait till january, when HTC Knight (Speedy?) becomes available. If Knights come with 2.2, it's more likely to get updated to 2.3 than current EVO or EPIC. The general consensus here is that neither EVO or Epic will officially get updated to Gingerbread.
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Isn't the Knight 3g only?

Just upgraded from my trusty HTC Hero, about an hour ago. I have a lot to get used to, touch wiz is a lot different than sence. Definitely faster an nicer. Next thing to do is root and get rid out the bloat!

fczeuner said:
Just upgraded from my trusty HTC Hero, about an hour ago. I have a lot to get used to, touch wiz is a lot different than sence. Definitely faster an nicer. Next thing to do is root and get rid out the bloat!
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Get launcher po. Its like sense on steroids, and the tw notification bar with toggles is so awesome. I came from hero too.
Sent from my Epic 4G

I might have some perspective on this question. I had a Touch Pro 2 prior to my Epic. I thought the TP2 was a great phone. Now I don't know how I ever managed with it. So point one is, EITHER the Epic or the Evo will seem like a HUGE step up.
One of the other phones on our plan is an Evo, so I've had a fair chance to experience that phone and my Epic.
I would give both very high marks, and I think that the recent rating (can't remember from what publication) that gave them number one and number two of all phones was correct.
I waited for the Epic because I was used to the keyboard on the TP2, and thought it was very necessary. However, Once I got the Epic, with Swype, I find I almost never use the keyboard. It's still handy once in a while, but now I could live without it, as long as I have Swype.
For a short while we were successful in getting Swype to work on the Evo. When it did, the Evo really would have worked for me as well as the Epic. Alas, it has not proven possible to get the program to work reliably on there.
So oddly, the phone with the keyboard doesn't really need it because it has Swype, and the phone without a keyboard doesn't have Swype, and can't seem to have it.
That comes down to the sole "real" issue for me. Both have been nearly trouble free, and Android just annihilates Windows Mobile.
Radio Shack now has the Epic for $220.00, and the Evo for $150.00. When I bought the difference was $50.00, and then they lowered it within the first 30 days, so my total difference was only $20.00. For $20.00 more, I'd say take the Epic for sure. For $70.00 more, I'd say the scale tips in favor of the Evo.
Again, they're both just great phones. I don't think you can go "wrong" with either.
Harris

So, I have had both phones Epic & Evo. Here is my opinion about both.
Evo had a bigger screen and kickstand that I love and miss till this day. I loved the build qualitiy of the Evo, it just felt so much more durable. The evo is truly a great phone and i miss the heck outta it!
The Epic.... I love it! I love the keyboard, I tried so hard to get use to the on-screen keyboard on the EVO (even tried swype on it) and couldn't use it.. As I am a heavy texter (about 3000+ a month) the keyboard is a must for me. The screen on the Epic is well..... just EPIC! Its amazing! but then again the Evo had the bigger screen....
Both are awesome phones! If I could have both I would use the EVO to watch movies (kickstand) and to customize a lot. But I would def use the Epic as my daily phone. I strongly believe once we receive froyo there will be bigger & better things stored for us.
If you think you can live without a keyboard go for the EVO, but since your use to keyboards like the tp had then I would get the Epic.. (That is if you used it a lot?)
Like I stated both phones are great but I'd have to say Epic with the screen, keyboard & I personally think the camera quality is better on both the front and back. Defiantly the video quality is better on the Epic. 720p on the EVO looked like crap and didn't even look like 720p, the Epic is much crisp & clear IMO.
However I did miss HTC Sense (i loved the animations & clock) but with a couple apps from the market, you can make your phone feel like your using an HTC phone! Good luck on whatever you may choose, I'm sure you will be satisfied with either phone!

If anyone cares

Was checking the best buy website today and the Sprint Nexus S phone now has an add to cart button.
When processing the purchase it gives an Estimated Arrival: 04/18-04/21/2011
I opened a chat with a best buy rep and was told:
you : Is a release date available?
Tech: The date is on 4/18/2011
Just an FYI for those who care.

I just chatted with a Bestbuy rep and she said that if anyone pre-orders it and is with a different carrier they will be eligible for the $125 rebate that Sprint is offering if it is done before the 16th.

We're getting dual core's this summer, you're better off sticking with the Epic. The nexus s 4g is the exact same, except for it's running gb and has an NFC chip.

Yeah of rather have the epic over the nexus s
Sent From My Evo Killer!

I'm holding out for CM7 on my Epic. I'm happy with the Epic for now. It has everything I need and some things I don't (keyboard). I'm not really looking to get back into Samsung unless it is a Nexus because its pure google. My girl wants one so will get one for her and get rid of her Epic, but as for me I agree about holding out for later this year.

Epic 4g> Nexus s 4g
only benefit is that its pure google and that chip oh and gingerbread
but i like my epic hardware keyboard better then those things
im happy with froyo and besides if people do but this phone it may make it easier to port new Android versions and stuff like 4g working on CM7 and what not.

davidrules7778 said:
Epic 4g> Nexus s 4g
.
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Not at all. If anything Epic = Nexus S, but there is no logical reason to consider it better.

063_XOBX said:
Not at all. If anything Epic = Nexus S, but there is no logical reason to consider it better.
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Hardware keyboard....
Best thing ever for emulators and gaming
also with all the fixes we have for the delay i am actually enjoying typing on it especially with my new epic i got yesterday, hardware is so much tighter then my old original epic.

davidrules7778 said:
Hardware keyboard....
Best thing ever for emulators and gaming
also with all the fixes we have for the delay i am actually enjoying typing on it especially with my new epic i got yesterday, hardware is so much tighter then my old original epic.
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That's a personal preference thing, I could argue that thinner is better, it certainly doesn't make one better than the other.

Yep to personal preference... if i could switch to the Nexus... in a heart beat will i ? HELL NO it's not worth the amount of money.... ill wait for a decent Dual Core

063_XOBX said:
That's a personal preference thing, I could argue that thinner is better, it certainly doesn't make one better than the other.
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too me, i think the epic has some of the best hardware and is the only top of the line phone with the hardware kb and for a keyboard phone i think it is so sexy and thin
compared to the moment, the tp2 tp1, i think a lot more people like having that keyboard, all my friends that have galaxy s variants hate me cause i have the hardware keyboard.
but your right it is a preference
mind telling me why you didnt get the evo if you like thin phones?
was it the screen and the hardware on the epic?

davidrules7778 said:
too me, i think the epic has some of the best hardware and is the only top of the line phone with the hardware kb and for a keyboard phone i think it is so sexy and thin
compared to the moment, the tp2 tp1, i think a lot more people like having that keyboard, all my friends that have galaxy s variants hate me cause i have the hardware keyboard.
but your right it is a preference
mind telling me why you didnt get the evo if you like thin phones?
was it the screen and the hardware on the epic?
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I know you didn't ask me but....
I Got the epic b/c of the processor and i didn't know the keyboard would wobble so much and kill a piece of me every time i touched the screen...

davidrules7778 said:
mind telling me why you didnt get the evo if you like thin phones?
was it the screen and the hardware on the epic?
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I did have the Evo originally and it's still sitting in my drawer in the event I need a backup phone.
I switched for 3 Reasons.
The extremely poor GPU in the Evo.
It's weight vs. the Epic (or any SGS)
The direction HTC is going in.

XtaC318 said:
We're getting dual core's this summer, you're better off sticking with the Epic. The nexus s 4g is the exact same, except for it's running gb and has an NFC chip.
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Are we getting dual core pure Google phones on sprint? Is the next Nexus close to the horizon and in dual core?

davidrules7778 said:
Hardware keyboard....
Best thing ever for emulators and gaming
also with all the fixes we have for the delay i am actually enjoying typing on it especially with my new epic i got yesterday, hardware is so much tighter then my old original epic.
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Click to collapse
Emulators and gaming were cool for like the first week for me. Since then, not so much.

063_XOBX said:
I did have the Evo originally and it's still sitting in my drawer in the event I need a backup phone.
I switched for 3 Reasons.
The extremely poor GPU in the Evo.
It's weight vs. the Epic (or any SGS)
The direction HTC is going in.
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agreed.
i will be picking up my nexus 4g the day it comes out, why? i am going to be stuck in a contract for 2 years with it. there is no doubts in my mind, the sgx540 in the SGS lineup is hands down the best phone gpu on the market (check glbenckmark.com) in terms of overall benchmark gpu scores the nexus s is 4 slots down from the ipad 2 (you know that new dual core tablet thats been crushing everything in terms of speed) so as far as i see it i have a choice between the epic or the ns4g. the epic is a decent enough phone. i love hard ware keyboards, but i want upgrades for 2 years... ask anyone on the nexus forums if they regret getting a nexus device. im willing to bet 99.9 of them will tell you they love having 2.3.3
i couldnt care at all about nfc (yay non scannable qr codes... woopie..) but its more about the simple things. i very rarely run any stock rom, most of the time is cyanogenmod, i congratulate the devs on trying so hard to bring it to the epic but its still got a bit to go. i guarantee the nexus s 4g will have an official repo/build within a week of cm7.
now whats the worst part about nexus s 4g? the camcorder.. its locked at 480p due to hardware limitations, but i can get over that as i dont use my phone as a video camera. no sd card slot? nah ive owned cell phones before they used microsd, and i own an ipod.. so im kinda used to the whole concept of being stuck with a size, besides refer to above point.. no video means less space taken up by media. no i would have to say the worst part about getting a nexus s 4g is knowing that with gb out and hc being held off for tablets only.. that ice cream is a bit off and that means its gunna be a bit of a wait for me to get my next dose of android medicine.
P.S i know i cant be the only one hoping that moto gets skipped on the next nexus device and lg gets it

For those who are interested, I just got a 10% off coupon in the email from Best Buy. That means a 10% discount on preorders of. Nexxus S
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

I have this dumb habit of getting the cooler (in MY opinion) and more unique thing when I have a choice between it and something a little less cool but better supported. I own a Zune instead of an iPod, a Mazdaspeed3 instead of a WRX, I used to have an HPI RC car instead of an Associated RC-* that was gas powered instead of electric, and an Epic instead of an Evo, etc.
On one hand, I have never once wanted to kick the phone across the parking lot like I did with the Hero, but on the other hand, the Evo has more accessories that can be bought in brick and mortar stores, more custom ROMs including a more functional CM (much love, you guys really picked a whore of a phone to port to) and more fully functioning root apps.
I know in my heart that if I did get the Evo, I'd be kicking myself for not getting the far more powerful Epic. In this upgrade cycle I think I made the right decision to give Samsung another chance. I still don't trust them to the level of HTC (started with them back in the Titan days) but if they can make a hot-rod Google Experience phone then I'm definitely on board.
If anyone cares.

Top Nurse said:
For those who are interested, I just got a 10% off coupon in the email from Best Buy. That means a 10% discount on preorders of. Nexxus S
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
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that coupon is no good on contract phones.

That new EVO looks pretty sweet. I think I'm going to hold out for it. And for those of you that get your phones from Best Buy, you are better off going to a Sprint Store.

[Q] Would you still buy a Samsung Epic 4G?

My wife due for a new phone. She has a HTC Touch Pro 2 now.
Would you still buy a Samsung Epic 4G or wait for something else? Here's the hitch, she loves the keyboard so... she wants a phone with a keyboard.
I've read the HTC EVO shift is not that great and the screen is smaller. That's why I was leaning toward the Epic 4G
Any suggestions would help. I know the Epic 4G is getting old and don't want her to get stuck with an older phone if a newer, better one is coming out soon.
p.s. Android phones only please. (I don't see Windows making it!)

The only thing better is the dual core, but then you get to go through all the development cycle again. Depends on whether you want stability or raw fracking power tech.
Sent from Bonsai 7.0.3

Thanks!
She will be keeping the phone with the stock rom.
I think it will be fast enough for her. She just uses it for internet, youtube, texting, emails. Nothing too major.

Yes if it for an everyday user it the perfect phone! Beautiful screen and super fast for an everyday user!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I would hold off and wait, the new phones are coming soon. You might find something you like better, if not then you could always get the epic then for less probably.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App

Well, if you want her to be involved in the latest tech, I'd wait a bit until there's a phone that's dual-core and has a keyboard. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything coming soon like that, so it's your choice.
For her basic uses and stuff, she might want to wait only because the keyboard on this phone is a bit laggy in its current state.
If she's okay with that, then buy an Epic It's still a great phone.

Yea as long as she doesn't mind a little wobble here and there on her phone...

i personally would just get the nexus! its a google phone so you know it will be supported by devs and google themselves
edit: nvm i didnt see the part that said she likes the keyboard
just go with the epic
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Absolutely! I've loved my device and I'm itching for my new one. Developing on it has been rewarding, and all the missed sleep has been worth it.

I went from the tp2 to the Epic and I don't how to say it in nice words. I had the tp2 for 1 1/2 years and if I had know how good android was compared to winmo 6.5 I would have thrown that thing in a lake. Going to the epic felt like going from a 486 dx2-66 to a quad core computer. IMOP the tp2 was the worst touch phone I have ever owned. If she is like my wife and just wants a nice phone that works and no modding then I would get the epic now. Everything on it is allmost instant when touched and I have not had any keyboard issues at all.
My epic is stock rom and rooted no custom roms. have had it for 6 months and only locked up twice so far where I had to pull the battery.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App

minics04 said:
My wife due for a new phone. She has a HTC Touch Pro 2 now.
Would you still buy a Samsung Epic 4G or wait for something else? Here's the hitch, she loves the keyboard so... she wants a phone with a keyboard.
I've read the HTC EVO shift is not that great and the screen is smaller. That's why I was leaning toward the Epic 4G
Any suggestions would help. I know the Epic 4G is getting old and don't want her to get stuck with an older phone if a newer, better one is coming out soon.
p.s. Android phones only please. (I don't see Windows making it!)
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I just ordered my wife one a couple of days ago. Will be ordering my daughter one also.
Sent from my SPH-D700

The keyboard has issues with skipping letters, which makes it very difficult to type fast on, and there's a slight wobble when open (nothing drastic).
I would definitely factor in software support too, which is severely lacking with the Epic 4G. You have to consider all the bug/security/critical fixes that are a significant part of the updates. I, personally, have been having software issues from the DK28 leak to EC05, Eclair was the only one that was every completely stable for me.

for 19.99 hell yea.
i love my epic, but ive recently played around with a mytouch 4g and that thing is blazing quick and snappy. everyone here says the epic is the quickest and best non dual-core phone (and i trust them since they know more than me), but i feel that phone is more responsive. it's stock and so is mine. its running adw like my epic. why do you guys think the mytouch runs much smoother?

What kind of software problems do you have? I have seen very little on my end. Confuses me on xda where some say there are a lot of problems and some have very few to all most no problems. I type very fast on my keyboard and it never skips a beat.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App

Especially now that it comes with Froyo, an Epic is a no-brainer for these prices. I paid many times more and coming from an original Touch Pro, it was like going from a Dodge Dart hooptie to a Lamborghini.

DroidApprentice said:
Especially now that it comes with Froyo
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Are you sure it comes with Froyo? I'm helping someone pick out a phone, and this person, like the OP's wife, will be using it completely stock and unrooted. I can't find the details on sprint.com either way, but Best Buy and Radio Shack both say 2.1 in their specs about the phone. I heard there were problems with the updates, so I'm not sure at all that it comes with 2.2, and that's a real consideration for someone who will be running this stock, I think.

edonnelly said:
Are you sure it comes with Froyo? I'm helping someone pick out a phone, and this person, like the OP's wife, will be using it completely stock and unrooted. I can't find the details on sprint.com either way, but Best Buy and Radio Shack both say 2.1 in their specs about the phone. I heard there were problems with the updates, so I'm not sure at all that it comes with 2.2, and that's a real consideration for someone who will be running this stock, I think.
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I can only go by what I saw in a local Sprint store. I would hope that they would have all their stock replaced with 2.2 versions out of the box, but even if they don't, a stock 2.1 phone should receive the 2.2 upgrade over the air fairly quick. I'd just advise trying to get it updated before installing much else on it. The latest Froyo is as official as it gets and is pushed everywhere to phones which can receive it, AFAIK.

i also came from a touch pro 2 and i was amazed how good the EPIC was I think it's a great phone. Plus radiosack.com has the epic for $19.99 with a new contract and $49 upgrade. That's a steal. I like the phone so much(and hated att service so much) the price drop doesn't even bother me. The last 6 months was worth the launch price.

itsmebryan said:
Plus radiosack.com has the epic for $19.99 with a new contract
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Oh my, thanks for that. We can't pass that up (totally new contract). If it doesn't have 2.2, I'll just go ahead and root it and put Syndicate on it.
With regard to the question the OP asked, I suppose my answer is that, yes, I would buy another Epic, at least right now. I've looked around at what Sprint currently has, and there's nothing I'd rather have than the Epic. The keyboard doesn't mean as much to me as I thought it would, but I'd still prefer the Epic to the Evo. I'm not sure the upcoming Nexus S is much better than the Epic. Now, once the Evo 3D comes out, that might be something to look at, but that's months away. I have no plans or desires to switch phones, but have been looking a lot to help someone else, and I'm glad that I discovered that the Epic is still the phone to get if you're tied to Sprint (company discount).

edonnelly said:
Oh my, thanks for that. We can't pass that up (totally new contract). If it doesn't have 2.2, I'll just go ahead and root it and put Syndicate on it.
With regard to the question the OP asked, I suppose my answer is that, yes, I would buy another Epic, at least right now. I've looked around at what Sprint currently has, and there's nothing I'd rather have than the Epic. The keyboard doesn't mean as much to me as I thought it would, but I'd still prefer the Epic to the Evo. I'm not sure the upcoming Nexus S is much better than the Epic. Now, once the Evo 3D comes out, that might be something to look at, but that's months away. I have no plans or desires to switch phones, but have been looking a lot to help someone else, and I'm glad that I discovered that the Epic is still the phone to get if you're tied to Sprint (company discount).
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If the keyboard doesn't mean that much to you, you might as well wait little over a week for the nexus, for the better form factor alone. I guess you're weighing price vs size & software support, all other things being almost equal.

Is the Epic a dying breed of phone - a flagship keyboard phone?

It seems to me that looking at all of the new releases, with the possible exception of the Motorola Droid series (although it seems the Droid Razr is getting more hype), is the era of flagship physical keyboard phones dead?
It seems that the Epic 4G may be the last flagship keyboard Android phone that Samsung releases. None of the Galaxy S2 variants so far, nor any derivatives (such as the Note) have physical keyboards.
It's noteworthy that HTC hasn't either, with the HTC Desire Z/G2 being the last flagship (and the Desire HD was arguably the true flagship) nor have any of the Chinese phone makers. So far all keyboard phones of 2011 have been confined to largely mid-range devices.

We will see another keyboard phone. It sucks that many were dooped, myself and fiancee included, into thinking that sprints flagship phone would receive software kindness. I suppose I can't complain because we just received 2.3.5, but what about the people who bought this phone a week ago and will be ****ed for quite awhile? Money scamming samsung ****s. God bless our devs for turning death into new life.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Epic future
I agree that their should be more support for physical keyboards on flagship phones.
I was researching and It looks like the Epic will not receive an (Official) update to Android 4.0 ICS. Just look at how long it took to get the 2.3.5. Official update.

I agree, it's quite disappointing keyboard users are being abandoned across the board.
Although, I do remember a facebook post from Sprint a few weeks ago polling users where they prefer On-screen or physical keyboard...and almost everyone answered physical keyboard. What does this mean? I don't know..
Nonetheless, and like with anything, we must change with time. I'm slowly starting to use the on-screen KB more and more to prepare myself for the inevitable.

Verizon JUST released the Stratusphere 2 months ago. Almost an Epic clone. So no. When this one dies out (still actually a good seller) another will take it's place. This is probably why Sprint removed it from the EOL list, waiting on the next keyboard phone.

kennyglass123 said:
Verizon JUST released the Stratusphere 2 months ago. Almost an Epic clone. So no. When this one dies out (still actually a good seller) another will take it's place. This is probably why Sprint removed it from the EOL list, waiting on the next keyboard phone.
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Not to mention the Captivate Glide for AT&T which also has a physical keyboard.

Neither of those phones are flagship phones though... for today's market they are both considered high-mid level devices.

My buddy is about to get a phone on Sprint, he likes a physical keyboard like myself, so we go down to the Sprint Store, to see what they had, and the Epic is by far the best with a keyboard, and it is over two years old... this is sad... Looking at the buzz, it doesn't look like a good one is coming down the line either. So he will probably be getting an Epic, and I will root and rom it like this one. Still a great phone, thanks to development...

saramon said:
My buddy is about to get a phone on Sprint, he likes a physical keyboard like myself, so we go down to the Sprint Store, to see what they had, and the Epic is by far the best with a keyboard, and it is over two years old... this is sad... Looking at the buzz, it doesn't look like a good one is coming down the line either. So he will probably be getting an Epic, and I will root and rom it like this one. Still a great phone, thanks to development...
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Not over 2 years old. Won't be 2 years old until end of August 2012.
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Sorry, quite right... Still though, over a year and no followups in sight

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Motorola-DROID-4_id6431
pretty sure that's gonna be a flagship phone...
also it's the end of the year and ICS just released, the new quadcore phones are in the air, and also it's a lot easier to throw just a touchscreen on than a full qwerty keyboard that full works.
be patient.

Doesn't the captivate glide have a tegra 2? Its not exactly a flagship but its powerful
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lys3rgic said:
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Motorola-DROID-4_id6431
pretty sure that's gonna be a flagship phone...
also it's the end of the year and ICS just released, the new quadcore phones are in the air, and also it's a lot easier to throw just a touchscreen on than a full qwerty keyboard that full works.
be patient.
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That's all well and good but I'm sure that will be a Verizon exclusive just like all the other motorola droids w/ a kb.
I think my next phone won't have a kb. Pretty sad when you have to hack the kb yourself to get it to work properly. There for awhile, I hardly ever used it because it skipped so much. Going back to the HTC Touch Pro's days, there has only been 1 (HTC Touch Pro 2) that worked correctly out of the box.
Rather have a thinner phone at this point.
Galaxy Nexus here I come!

I'm not sure the Droid 4 will bring anything new. Looks like just another dual core A9; like the Droid 3, which IIRC had an OMAP 4.
When the Epic was released, it was well, among the most powerful Android phones to get with the Hummingbird CPU and the most powerful on Sprint (despite what Evo fanboys like to say).
I was hoping for something like another Epic this year, maybe with an Exynos and an RGB Super Amoled screen, but with keyboard. The way things are going, it looks like 2012 won't be any better.
For 2012, I am hoping for a 720p Super Amoled (or that giant monster on the Note) with a keyboard phone and either a quad-core A9, or a dual-core A15. Apparently, Samsung is working on a quad core Exynos 4412.

Unfortunately...
I have to agree... there likely won't be another flagship/high-end Android phone with a keyboard released other than the DROID series (which is only on VZW). Every time I try to get used to using only the onscreen keyboard, I pull out the physical keyboard and realize how much better it is for me to use (especially on the longer messages).
There will certainly be some powerful phones with keyboards released in the future, but they likely won't be the most powerful/high-end/flagship devices like the Epic 4G was when it was released (see, as mentioned above, the Samsung Captivate Glide on AT&T).

For me, a physical keyboard is a requirement for using terminal programs (ssh). Not only do I get more screen area for the text, but it is easier to type out special characters (~, /, and \).
If I am sending an SMS or a short email, I use Swype.
I hope that there will be a Galaxy Nexus-ish phone that has a physical keyboard. If it comes out, that will be my next phone.

I like the physical keyboard for typing long things out or using a terminal app, but at the same time i hate how it takes away from the solid feel of the device and makes it a ton thicker.

umby24 said:
I like the physical keyboard for typing long things out or using a terminal app, but at the same time i hate how it takes away from the solid feel of the device and makes it a ton thicker.
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I find the thin phones to feel fragile to me. I don't even like the epic without the case on it. Too hard to hold while you type. Feels solid in the case and just perfect to grip while typing.
I won't even bother looking at a phone if it doesn't have a keyboard.

When I originally decided to buy an Android phone back in June, one of the requirements for me was a good physical keyboard. At the Sprint store where I got it, there was one phone that was higher end, but it didn't have the physical keyboard, so I went with the Epic. I love the versatility of being able to use multiple software keyboards, and still slide out a hardware keyboard if needed. Since I'm always rooting and modding friends' phones, I use the software-only keyboards on them often, and most of the time it drives me batty not being able to silde out a real keyboard. ;-)

I swore I would never get a phone without a physical keyboard but I got the ET4G and the extra screen size makes it almost impossible to hit the wrong letter..especially in landscape mode. That being said, if they figure out a way to get a phone the size of the Epic Touch with a physical keyboard and keep it slim I would get it on day 1
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium

After almost two years w/ Evo I switched to the Epic Touch 4G... :-(

My wife was complaining about her Blackerry Style and I had been toying with the idea of finding a used newer Wimax phone so I wouldn't use an upgrade becuase I want to wait for their LTE to come before I think about maybe leaving Sprint.
So I found someone on CL who was selling a "almost brand new" white ET4G for a pretty good price and I pulled the trigger. (of course I had ESN checked before I paid) I plan on giving this phone to my wife once LTE rolls out and that is when I may try to get the Evo LTE or the Samsung GSIII.
I am so used to flashing the Evo that the the Samsung flashing seems much more complicated. I do have a Galaxy Tab but I do not flash it often and only used Odin once to root it and flash CWM. I miss the ease of use/comfort of flashing my Evo and I kinda miss the phone as well, but I do like the Epic Touch. Phone is fast, screen is bright and huge and the phone is pretty good in the hands.
My wife is now transitioning from Blackberry to Andoid using the OG Evo on MikG3.1 (fnin sick ROM and has been my daily driver for months now). Hopefully she gets used to it but she hates typing on the screen instead of a real keyboard. I gave her a trial of Swiftkey X to see if she likes that keyboard better than the stock one. I had problems installing Swype beta for her, kept getting a parsing error even though Swype was working on the Evo when I was using it.
Anyway, I am going to miss the Evo forums but at least for now my wife is using it and I may still need to come back here.

At least you'll still be able to mess around with the good 'ol EVO. I'm in a similar situation...
My girlfriend has the Epic 4g touch, and as a hardcore evo fan, I admit that epic is pretty sweet Hardware is decent, and picture quality/screen are its main highlights, also pretty fast! I don't know its true potential because, for some reason, she hates the thought of rooting phones and i can't convince her otherwise...
Her upgrade comes sooner than mine and I want her phone to mess with til' i can get my hands on the LTE. I wish you luck and let us know how it goes

Well you still have access to the evo. I rooted an original Galaxy S, so I know what you mean using Odin. I just pre-ordered my S Galaxy S III...so after all the 'rumors' that I left...I finally will be, lol.

Raistlin1 said:
My wife was complaining about her Blackerry Style and I had been toying with the idea of finding a used newer Wimax phone so I wouldn't use an upgrade becuase I want to wait for their LTE to come before I think about maybe leaving Sprint.
So I found someone on CL who was selling a "almost brand new" white ET4G for a pretty good price and I pulled the trigger. (of course I had ESN checked before I paid) I plan on giving this phone to my wife once LTE rolls out and that is when I may try to get the Evo LTE or the Samsung GSIII.
I am so used to flashing the Evo that the the Samsung flashing seems much more complicated. I do have a Galaxy Tab but I do not flash it often and only used Odin once to root it and flash CWM. I miss the ease of use/comfort of flashing my Evo and I kinda miss the phone as well, but I do like the Epic Touch. Phone is fast, screen is bright and huge and the phone is pretty good in the hands.
My wife is now transitioning from Blackberry to Andoid using the OG Evo on MikG3.1 (fnin sick ROM and has been my daily driver for months now). Hopefully she gets used to it but she hates typing on the screen instead of a real keyboard. I gave her a trial of Swiftkey X to see if she likes that keyboard better than the stock one. I had problems installing Swype beta for her, kept getting a parsing error even though Swype was working on the Evo when I was using it.
Anyway, I am going to miss the Evo forums but at least for now my wife is using it and I may still need to come back here.
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Invest the $5 in mobile Odin pro by chainfire one of the best $5 u can spend on this phone, you won't be tethered to the PC to use Odin unless you're stuck in a bootloop or your phone won't fully boot into android. It works great for flashing the el26+cwm kernel for flashing ICS or AOSP roms. I upgraded to the ET4G from the Evo and upgraded my 2nd line to the Evo from the intercept. The ET4G is hands down the best non LTE device on sprint. Its easy to root, has tons of development and has the best hardware specs over any of the other wimax devices. The new generation of phones with LTE are pretty much playing catch up with the sgs2 even tho they have better specs hardware wise, real world performance the devices are so close its not even worth the upgrade til the next gen of LTE phones roll out. I'm personally waiting til the next nexus is announced or the LG Eclipse 4g LTE comes out this 3rd/4th quarter. I'm personally boycotting HTC for their half ass dev support, I will never buy anything made by Crapple, so my next device will be Samsung, nexus or LG since I also dislike Motorola because of their locked up bootloaders similar to HTC. If you have any questions about the ET4G feel free to PM me and ill be glad to help you out or point you to someone/somewhere to find your answers.
We are legion, for we are many.

I have one of these that I use at home for an XBMC remote (total overkill, I know). I actually really like the screen, and think it looks better than the Evo's. Also, Cyanogenmod 7 really rocks on this particular phone, super solid and extremely fast to maneuver around and open/close apps, etc...highly recommend you try this ROM first.