In-depth HTC Shift review now available.
Edit: This is a short review based on a lot of study but a fairly short amount of time (hours not days!) with a production sample device. Think of it as a ‘what I know so far’ personal review. I will be getting a final-viersion HTC Shift for a longer-term and more formal review very shortly.
Edit 2: I have done further testing now… click here.
The HTC Shift has been the #1 most viewed ultra mobile PC on the portal for months and months now. It took a hit when the Fujitsu U1010 news was peaking but quickly re-gained the top spot. I think its mainly due to the design. It represents what many people believe is the best form-factor for a portable PC. Slider keyboard, slim frame and the fact that it can be used in the hand AND as a mini notebook is really unique. Its stylish too. Even before the first HTC Shift info was leaked I believed that this was the best design. The UMPC-X was the result of a brainstorming session and just look at the similarity! The HTC Shift is right up there on my list of favored UMPCs and I think it could actually replace the Q1 Ultra as the best all-round UMPC. I might buy it. I’ve had hands-on now and I’ve watched and read other reports so I’m in a position to be able to make a decision. Here’s a run-through of the device with my thoughts about the features and my final decision. Read on…
Bizzare! On the left, the results of my brainstorming session with JKKMobile.
On the right, the HTC Shift just weeks later.
Lets talk about the screen first. Its 800×480 which is not the optimal resolution for a hand-held 7″ device. 1024×600 would have been better but it does have some some advantages. Using the Shift on a table is going to be easier on the eyes because of the reduced pixel density (larger characters) and in-transport reading (car, train, bus) is going to be easier too. 800×480 is fine for browsing and the only problems occur when you use applications with multiple sidebars, tabs and menus. The screen real-estate could be very limiting. For me its no problem. I have used 800×480 successfully many times and I know that my applications suite will work. The screen is bright and has a reasonable interpolated mode so short-term usage at a higher res won’t be a problem.
Touch. I’m not someone that ‘inks’ and therefore the soft-touch screen is optimal for my finger-based requirements. The occasional annotation or diagram should be possible.
Then there’s the second ‘issue’. The battery life. Its not that the Shift is inefficient, its just that its got a small battery on it. If you’re using the device with WiFi then its going to be a 2-hours device. If you’re using it without WiFi then you might be looking at 2.5 hours if you optimise the settings well. Its really not that good and there’s nothing else to say other than – ‘major problem.’ I might have to find a way round this issue and I’m thinking about my Tekkeon MP3400 battery pack as a solution. It will give me 6 hours in addition to the 2 hours with the built-in battery but can only be used in tablet-top situations. I am also hopefull that HTC find a way to support an extended battery.
The keyboard is good. Not VyeS37-good which means its not possible to touch-type on it, but its good for fast two or three finger typing and excellent as a thumboard too. Its a more ‘mobile’ solution than the ‘ultra portable’ solution of the Vye. Far better than the Sony UX, the Gigabyte U60, the Q1 Ultra (ahem!) keyboard and possibly, based on the fact you can use it in table-top mode, better than the keyboard on the OQO Model 02/E2. For emails, IM, short reports and news items, forum replies and memos, its fine. I don’t do much more than that when I’m on the go so the keyboard is pretty much optimal for me.
HSDPA. Killer feature! For me, A device isn’t mobile until its got at least a 3G radio built in. I have the advantage of living in the populated part of a country that is at the forefront of 3G and 3.5G roll-out and the value of having 3G capability can not be understated.
Processing power. The Intel A110 isn’t the fastest in the pack but it isn’t the slowest either. I like that it uses the GMA950 for graphics and its man-enough for most of my application tasks. It handles all video formats well. The only thing that its not good enough for is…..
Windows Vista. Deal breaker! I can not get along with Vista on a mobile device (I’ve tried at least 5 different Ghz-class devices now) and for me this is the biggest issue. HTC let slip that they are looking at releasing a version with Windows XP and this is my glimmer of hope. Otherwise it could be a deal breaker. I will be looking for a definite answer on this before I buy.
RAM and disk. Assuming XP will be an option, 1GB of RAM is enough. If not then Vista is going to be even more of a deal breaker. A 40GB disk drive is fine for my media requirements.
Price. While the price appears to be high, its actually one of the cheapest HSDPA-capable PC’s you can buy. Its not an issue for me.
Mouse pointer. This could be a major issue. I have always preferred mouse sticks to pads and the one on the shift was particularly awkward for me. Based on the fact that others say they prefer pads to sticks I’m prepared to give it a chance and try and learn how to use it. It has to be better than the terrible joystick mouse on the Q1 Ultra.
SnapVue. The sub-WM6 component is not in my list of pro’s or cons. I access everything via browser so there’s not much value in it. However its not a disadvantage to have the feature there so i’ll be hoping that it gets enhanced and people manage to start building extra functionality into it. At least i’ll get to see the weather all the time ;-)
Other features. The SD card slot is a real bonus for me. I miss having it on some of my other devices. The fingerprint reader is a bonus. If it works i’ll be looking forward to optimizing login and password activity with it. The camera might, one-day, be useful for a Skype video call. I doubt it though as I rarely use built-in web-cams.
Other Issues. Voice calling is not possible on the HTC Shift. I don’t care about that. I have a phone with me 24/7. It doesn’t fit in a pocket. I don’t care about that. I will use a MID-style device for my social mobile Internet requirements.
Accesories. I don’t see any evidence of accessories but I have heard that HTC are reviewing the situation on accessories. A spare battery would be the first requirement along with a soft case. Not a deal-breaker though.
I’m going to be selling off all my mobile PC devices in the next 4 weeks (except the Everun which I am so attached to that I dare not let it go.) and looking for a single ultra mobile PC solution to live with for a while. Despite the disappointing screen size and battery life it looks like the HTC Shift could be the answer. There’s only one possible show-stopper and that’s got nothing to do with tech specs or design. Its Microsoft’s Vista. If I can confirm that XP driers are in development I will buy it. If not, I won’t. Instead I’ll probably stick with my current favorite, a Q1 Ultra HSPDA with XP and an organizer pack.
More details, images and links to the latest reviews, news and the forum are available in the dedicated HTC Shift page.
