Samsung Galaxy S II, Epic 4G Touch
Phone Scoop Review
Sep 15, 2011 by Eric M. Zeman
The Sprint version of the Epic 4G Touch packs WiMax 4G, TouchWiz, a speedy processor, 4.5-inch touch display and a host of Sprint software. Do these all add up to a killer phone? read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
just a few reminders
well.this is phone is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo FANTASTIC. but first time smartphone users and as well as for those whose trying to compare device from another ANDROID. I would highly recommend that you visit a store and try doing the Sprint Ready Now service.That's a service that would really, I mean really help you guys a lot to learn and understand how does the device works.Just view Sprint.com/readynow to make an appointment. Sprint rep will be helping you guys and teaches how does the device performs/They'll be giving you some tips and how to amximize device full potential. ;). You can even view it online @ sprint.com/getreadynow to view some video tutorials. :). that could really help you guys a LOT! :)
Best phone I have owned
I never give a phone a full five stars but this phone deserves it (despite a few minor cons I will discuss later). I switched from an Evo 4G which I really liked but this phone is in a class by itself. It was between this phone and the iPhone 4s. I am certain I made the right choice. Not only does this phone handle websites like YouTube much better than even my iPad can, but it is a great phone experience as well as a great web browser.
Pros:
-Best web browser I have used on a phone
-Most beautiful display I have ever seen
-Great battery life for a large smartphone
-Very colorful and easy to see menus
-Great levels of customization available
-Easy to navigate menus
-Excellent sound quality (speaker & earpiece)
-Thin and lightweight
-Camera is amazing (equal even to iPhone)
-Large easy to use keyboard w/swype
-Very fast processor
-Smooth operation/transitions
-Expandable memory
Cons:
-Power button position (see below)
-Plastic build materials (see below)
-No HDMI port
-Lack of good cases (see below)
The phone does have a few cons. As I mentioned above I do not like the power button position. It is opposite the volume controls and I keep lowering the volume when hitting the power button. The thin textured plastic back does feel a little flimsy on the black model. Although on the white model the smooth textured back actually feels much more solid and higher end. It is hard to describe how different the two versions feel. The white model reminds me very much of a huge version of my old white iPhone 3s. There is no HDMI port but I never used the one on my EVO. There is also a lack of good covers, but I have found covers cause more damage than they prevent when dust gets in them. None of these issues are major and none detract from the phone deserving a full 5 stars when compared to other phones.
Galaxy amazing.
My last phone was the Galaxy S 4g with T mobile. I made the switch to Sprint because this phone was an upgrade in so many ways.
The screen size is amazing. The amoled on this size of a screen makes everything so much brighter and bigger. The amoled plus is also much more defined. There is also a new sense 2.3.4 and they've changed some things, the widget screen to customizable, you can do all screens at once. It comes pre loaded with amazing weather,calender aps. I'm very pleased so far.
Has blazing fast recognition. The 2.0 Ghz Processor really shows when doing multiple applications. The camera works great, faster response. 1080p is a big plus.
Only down fall is a personal issue, the speaker being on the right, I hold my phone with my right hand so it seems to cover the speaker at times. But my hand also acts as a theater system amplifying the sound to me.
The phone comes with 16g of memory which is amazing. Most apps require more room, so a micro SD is needed. When I used the web cam the color was distorted, took a min to get light, seemed to work fine after that. Other then that I'm pleased.
I'm very happy with my switch to the Epic 4g.
Pros-screen size,amoled plus,new interface
Cons-speaker,web cam coloration :)
Gps? Where are you?
This is a beautiful device, truly the screen, responsiveness and the camera are wonderful. Seductive enough, almost, to forget what this device is supposed to do, make phone calls. I gave up, after months of using this phone, and getting sub-par performance out of the signal strength and call quality, the last straw came on my last trip to Chicago, when the gps proved to be laughable. I mean, it not only doesn't work, but when it's working, it's not working. I went through two of these phones, and my girlfriend still has hers, and none of them posess the ability to lock on to gps satellites. And if you're thinking that you'll just use the map function without the gps, you forget, you're also not getting signal. No signal, no gps, sorry, you're beautiful, but thats a deal breaker for me.
some things to know
Ok as far as the overall phone goes i absolutely love it. But there are some problems you need to know before getting one.
1)The LoS issues
-from what ive seen the radio has problems switching back and forth from 3g-4g
-sprint reps have said that leaving the 4g off(just turning it on for downloads/streaming) seems to fix the issues and i would have to agree
2)Touch screen issues while plugged into the wall
-some chargers seem to be causing an issue where the touchscreen glitches or becomes unresponsive at times
-only fix ive found so far is to replace the charger(went to local sprint store and they were happy to change out the charger for me)
As far as the hardware on the phone goes it absolutely amazing but, due to what im hoping are just some software issues, it holds this phone back from being the best it can be.
Mostly Happy But a Few Concerns
I carry 2 phones, work and personal. I already had the Motorola Photon for a personal phone. I was using the Optimus V from VirginMobile for work due to the unlimited plan being affordable. But ported the number to Sprint after coverage issues. I bought the iPhone 4s. I was happy how easily it fit in my pocket and carrried the MoPho in a case on my belt. After becoming disenchanted with the 4s because of miserably slow data speeds (on 3G AND wifi) I looked for something better. I swapped the iPhone for the SGS2. I'm mostly loving this phone. However, I am learning that it is lacking in the "Radio" Dept. The call quality and reception are not great. I rarely and I mean rarely ever drop calls with Sprint. But I haven't had good luck with this phone. The earpiece isn't very clear either. The speakerphone is also borderline. I am apprehensive about relying on this phone for basic communication purposes. Also, the GPS is quirky. Yesterday I was driving some place I hadn't been before. I wasn't sure where I was. I opened Google maps. The GPS icon kept flashing telling me it couldn't get a lock. Google maps thought I was about 3 miles away from where I really was. I was parked while doing this. So I got out my MoPho and instantly got a GPS lock.
Pros: Amazing display!! Very responsive. Battery is acceptable.
Cons: Call quality, ability to hold on to a call, GPS problems.
I'm trying to figure out if I just have a defective unit or if its the phone design. I have another 8 days to return it for something else.
amazing hardware lousy software
I have been trying to love this phone....but im returning it. The phone itself is by far the best out. The software however is too glitchy for me. Ebay app and a couple others always force close when EVO did not. Wifi turns on automatically. Power save mode doesnt revert back after charged. led light doesnt work right with handcent sms. some days battery is amazing and another day with same usage it gets hot and dies quick. bluetooth disconnects from my car for no reason.
I am not gonna wait for an update . however the phone is amazing and once the software is updated it will be perfect.
I gave it a four rating based on the hardware. The. software on the Evo is much better.
camera and video are amazing
call quality is not good
going to return and swap for a more stable phone
Some problems but an awesome phone
The Samsung Epic 4G touch is a pretty awesome phone. The main issue with it is the software is buggy. For no reason at all, the phone will lose connection to the 3G and phone service. The 4G connection seems to keep working when this happens. Samsung hopefully will come out with a software update to solve this issue. The phone will rate five stars when the software update happens.
Pros:
--Large vibrant screen. Almost lifelike at displaying pictures.
--Clear external speaker (speakerphone)
--Excellent camera
--Camera flash
--Excellent 4G connectivity.
--Very thin.
--Very lightweight. Almost too light
--Very fast processor. Awesome!!!!
--SD Card can be removed with out removing the battery.
CONS:
--Buggy software
--Slippery case
--Accessories not widely available yet
Best phone on the market
I have had most of the top of the line including iphones and other android phones. This is by far the best phone I have ever had. Extremely fast, tons of memory, thin, lightweight, screen is ridiculous and the battery life is pretty good. There is not another phone that I would take over this phone.
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Excellent phone for the price
Carrier: Sprint
I carried the Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch for nearly two years, and while it showed its age towards the end, as any handset is wont to do, for most of my time with it, it was a sleek, reliable handset with average battery life and a camera good enough for me to capture lovely images on my walks.
