HELP: HTC Evo or Samsung Epic?

Hey guys. I've decided to finally take the plunge and get a smart phone. I'd been avoiding them for a while because they're so pricey but I'm starting to realize that having one might really help me. I'm in the graduate film program at USC and I'm really noticing how much mileage people get out of their smartphones. They can send each other screenplays, budgets, and schedules instantly; they can pull up videos; and they can constantly have access to their e-mail and the net. So, with this in mind, I'm debating between getting one of the two top tier Sprint Phones for Christmas. The price on the two seems moot as they are $150 (Evo) and $180 (Epic) on newegg and, if I got the Evo I'd end up paying another $30 anyway for a bigger micro SD card to make it comparable to the epic.

Anyway, I've looked at a lot of comparisons but am still trying to figure out which is right for me. Here are my priorities:

1. Media Player - When I heard about the HDMI out on the Evo I was SUPER interested because I've already had a number of issues this year trying to quickly pull up a film I've shot (or other video files) and show people. There's something really exciting about the idea that I could have my 1080p films on my phone and just plug them into an HDMI device and hit play. That said, I'm not sure which is overall better as a player. The HDMI on the EVO won't be much good if it can't play Quicktime files well and most of my stuff tends to be in H264 or MPEG4. I havn't found a place that has mentioned which plays video files better. I know the Epic's screen is nicer with more colors and better blacks but this won't matter as much if the HDMI on the Evo works well.

2. Still Camera - I have an SLR camera but I don't have a quick snapshot one. If I'm getting a smartphone, it might as well help me out in this category. I know the HTC's camera is 8 mp vs. 5 mp but, having long worked with digital photography and video, I know that pixel count isn't really what matters. I have no desire to use the video cameras in either as I'd rather just use my pro-HD cams.

3. Form Factor - Both of these phones are huge so I'm not sure if either fit well in one's pocket. I know the Evo is a bit wider but I've heard it's more narrow. Which feels better in tight jeans?

4. OS, Apps, and Functionality - I've heard that HTC's interface is better than Samsung's and also that the Evo is using OS 2.2 while the Epic is still on 2.1. How big a difference does this make?

5. Battery Life - I'd rather not have to recharge every constantly but I've heard all Android phones are pretty bad.

So, these are the things I care about in order of preference. Once again, my biggest priorities is the ability to play HD video files and take good still photos. Which sounds best for me?

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› See More: HELP: HTC Evo or Samsung Epic?

Epic. And here's why:

1) Media player - you hit on that, if hdmi is your thing evo, BUT Samsung has and is getting a better mdeia inface/hub to do much more than HTC will ever be able to do. Als Samsung has a wireless media hub accesory that can resolve your hdmi output issue.

2) Still camera- cmon, its a cell phone, you know 5MP is fine.

3) Form, Epic slides in and out of your pocket and is NOT that thick. So yes best for tight jeans, the EVo corners arent' rounded much and would get stuck, etc. Its back also curves out, whereas the Epic is pretty level/straight with no mountaineous popoouts.

4) Give it 10-12 weeks and you'll have 2.2 on the epic, the samsung lab is just having issues with a few widgets at the moment they are resolving before release.

5) Battery life, in regards to this phone and android phones- Samsung seems to have a bettery battery life. If you simply uncheck background data on any android this adds 1-2 hrs of battery life. Menu>Settings> Accounts and Sync> background data.
Next, adjust your email check frequency, do you really need it ever 5 or 15 minutes? Change it from the email application>settings> update frequency to an hour, or more. This will add about 30 minutes to your time.
Next, dim your display slightly or setup the auto backlight dim feature. This will add another 1-2 hours of battery time.
Next, if you work and have a computer, bring the trickle charger usb chord... its not that hard to plug your phone in.
Next, purchase a spare battery, under $10 they aren't that expensive - www.cellphonehelp.org .
6) I know and see and help people that have the EVo and Epic daily (about 30-40 people that own each), and I help resolve epic issues a whole lot less that EVO issues. The epic seems to handle random android apps better- the EVo keeps getting tweaked by 3rd party apps with loose coding. Samsung seems to be able to handle sloppy market code better and keep a stable system- another reason why the epic won't have 2.2 until the lab is satisfied with how it interacts to certain android apps.

I tried both and ended up going with the epic, although its lacking in software 2.2 (for now) everything else is superior and you wont be sorry. Pick up the epic and enjoy the samoled screen.