See that? It's my HTC EVO 4G and my 2.5-year-old HTC Shift. They're acting like they don't know each other, but don't be fooled. According to a recent filing at the US Patent and Trademark Office, it looks like the two devices are actually quite close.
Why else would HTC be trying to trademark the HTC EVO Shift 4G name?
Any number of reasons, really, but how can you look at the slide-and-tilt UMPC (Vista and Windows Mobile-based SnapVUE) and our favorite Android superphone and not jump to conclusions like a slide-and-tilt EVO or a dual-booting Windows 7 and Android 2.2 Shift? That's where my mind goes, anyway.
Whatever the HTC EVO Shift 4G turns out to be, it should give G&E a reason to stick around long after the sun has set on the EVO. And that's good news to me.
[Engadget]
To be honest, the Shift was more then simply dualbooting. it has two computers (one ARM, one X86) inside its shell, and a kvm switch built in to allow the user to jump between them.
I wonder if the Shift might be the Sprint version of the “Mecha” or Incredible HD that is rumoured to come soon on Verizon, that looks like an EVO upgrade. The Evo already doesn’t have a slider, so I’m hoping future ones don’t either.
Funny the Evo has been out for 6 months, and quite frankly no new Android phones can really say they are worlds better in specs. Normally there would have been an “Evo killer” put out by now, but it would seem they bumped up the Evo specs so much it was kind of future proof…as far as smartphones go. I love my Evo the same as when I first bought it! Glad it was my first Android phone.
2 years ago a good friend in the advertising business went up to Seatlle for a week to pitch a (then) barely known company to get it’s cell phone business. He evry clearly told me (whether he got the account or not) this company would be THE cell phone company in 2 years.
He got the account (he was coming off Cox Mobile) and lo and behold that little company, HTC, is now the company to chase-and-beat in the cell business.
They appear to be the best-positioned company for dominating the cell market, so it absolutely wouldn’t surprise me to see an HTC tablet overtake and dominate the tab market, and have it be just a “larger EVO”.
I agree with Charles S, the EVO is now over 6 months old and no other company’s 4G phone comes close. They were simply THAT forward-thinking.
I, too, am deliriously happy my first Android (after 3 years on the iBrick) was the EVO…it really spoiled me for any future portable equipment I may buy and freed me from the shackles of Apple’s [temporary] domination!!!!
I’ve thought since day one and my switch from my sprint pre that the only thing that couldve made the evo better was a keyboard, i still am not a fan of screen typing. Here’s hoping they can do some more “forward thinking” and include a keyboard and another great spec jump for us right around upgrade time next year…I’d have to seriously consider it over WebOS if they did.
Maybe the EVO will be the first of many “EVO” branded phones similar to the “Droid” branding by Verizon. Next is the “HTC EVO Shift 4G” then will come the ‘HTC EVO something or other 4G”, the ground breaking “HTC EVO blah, blah, blah, 4G”, etc, etc… The obvious difference being the Droid branding is from a carrier, Verizon, with various manufactures and the EVO branding is from a manufacturer, HTC. That brings us to the big question, will future EVO products be exclusive to Sprint or will they spring up on other carriers in the states and abroad? LTE is fast on its way to Verizon/AT&T and T-mobile just released their first 4G phone. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Fingers crossed it stays on Sprint.
The lack of a physical keyboard used to be a deal breaker but after using Swype on the EVOs 4.3” screen, I now prefer it. If the “HTC EVO Shift 4G” is the next EVO phone, I hope the design strays away from the original, I don’t want a physical keyboard but my gut tells me they probably do. HTC and the carrier, whoever it may be, will want the next EVO to stand out from the original so giving it a physical keyboard accomplishes that, the slide-and-tilt maintains what the kick stand does for the original, and both together justify the “Shift” name. Of course it will have various other improved specs as well, CPU, RAM, ROM, OS, bigger screen? (4.5” maybe), etc… Regardless, I’m excited to hear more about this device, whether it’s to my liking or not, whatever it might be. Phone, Slate, Star Trek Communicator…
well, the EVO 4G being my first Android phone and also being my first smart phone without a keyboard, I can say that while I love my EVO and they can take it out of my cold dead hands…. (who ever “they” are) I do miss the keyboard from my Treo 650, the HTC Titan (sprint Mogul) and the HTC Touch Pro, I await the Shift if only for the keyboard.
It’s purported to be a smaller version of the EVO 4G, but with a bigger battery and slide out keyboard, like you’re shift has.
Says engadget or one of those blogs.