A little trick that many phone companies have learned is to repackage the same material and slap a new techno-name on the box. While names like ‘ultra-RAM’ may sound intimidating, they rarely result in a practical application. Samsung’s Epic 4G had many consumers nervous if Samsung was relying on throwing in ’4G’ into the name of their phone to make sales. On the contrary, Samsung produced their most comfortable, ergonomic phone yet with some great features and a sturdy construction.
When the specs are given a close inspection, they appear identical to almost every other smartphone on the market running on an Android operating system. 1GHz processor, 720p HD video recorder, 5 megapixel camera and 16GB of memory come standard. The difference of this Epic’s internals is the 4G connectivity with mobile hotspot and the slide out keyboard.
In the hand, the phone feels slightly bulkier than Samsung’s traditional ultra-thin design. Oddly enough, there seems to be no extra weight for this extra size. The slide out is a 4 line QWERTY style keyboard with a designated number line. The buttons and slide work great and feel sturdy, but in the end it will come down to the preference of the user. The 4G network is not so noticeable with optimized mobile websites, but is as fast as a PC when it comes to loading non-optimized web pages.
The Samsung Epic 4G ends up being a great phone with some useful features. The question before buying it remains, is the QWERTY keyboard and 4G network worth the extra money? If the answer is yes, pick this phone up.
Jabari, March 4, 2011
It would be great if Samsung could roll out Froyo successfully on the Epic 4G (as well as all of the other Galaxy S line for that matter).
Simon, March 4, 2011
Yeah I agree. Some time soon would be nice.
Tom Conyers, March 20, 2011
I own the Samsung Epic 4G and have really enjoyed it so far. I have 3 email accounts linked to it, my facebook and twitter accounts, and a ton of news and technology apps. Everything works at an impressive speed. The only downside to this phone is that the battery is always dead for me by 6:00pm if I use it constantly throughout my day..and I do. I've gotten into the habit of bringing my charger with me places and consider it an easy thing to remember; especially since my phone does so much else for me throughout my day.