Kensington KeyFolio Bluetooth Keyboard and Case for iPad

This keyboard lets you type much faster than you can with touch-typing VGP-BPS13 while protecting your tablet, but is it worth $99?

When the iPad first came out, there was a lot sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery of speculation as to whether it could replace a full-fledged notebook. However, many came to realize that, without a keyboard, it was difficult to type longer documents. Enter the Kensington KeyFolio, a Bluetooth keyboard built into an iPad case. Will this $99 accessory Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Battery let you leave your laptop behind?

Design

From the outside, the KeyFolio looks like an elegant iPad case--which in fact, it is. It's made sony VGP-BPS9 battery of black faux leather with white stitching. Flip over the cover, and you reveal its second function as a wireless keyboard.

The keyboard is covered in a rubber membrane sony VGP-BPS9/S battery that protects it from spills and prevents the screen from getting scratched. A few ridges above the keyboard let you adjust the angle of the iPad, but in doing so, it covers the Pairing button. There's no way to secure the iPad to the keyboard, so the KeyFolio has to Vostro 1510 Battery be used on a flat surface such as a desk; putting it on our lap caused the iPad to fall backwards.

The case weighs just over one pound, which is light in the grand scheme of things, but, when Inspiron 1545 battery coupled with the 1.5-pound iPad, this combo weighs almost as much as the Asus Eee PC 1015PEM.

Performance

Pairing the KeyFolio with the iPad was easy. Simply Dell Latitude E6400 Battery turn the keyboard on (there's a small switch on the right side above the keys), and press the large Connect button on the top. A message will appear on the screen asking you to type in a code on the keyboard to complete the pairing.

The keyboard on the KeyFolio is about the same size as one you'd find on a netbook. However, it's not nearly as good as, say, the Vostro 1710 Battery Toshiba Mini NB305. The rubber membrane was soft to the touch, and in general, we found the keys responsive. In fact, they Vostro 1720 Battery were a bit too responsive; we found that we would often accidentally type the same letter twice in a row until we figured out just how much pressure to apply.

We found the KeyFolio, like early netbook toshiba PA3534U-1BRS Battery keyboards, to be slightly irregular. For example, in order to make room for arrow keys, there's no right Shift key. (For touch typists, that's a dealbreaker right there.) Also, the quote button is not in its usual place between L and Enter--only the Colon key Sony VGP-BPS13A/B Battery is there. Until we realized this, we found ourselves writing things such as "I;m" instead if "I'm."

However, we like that Kensington reversed the function keys; that is, media controls and volume Dell GD761 Battery can be accessed without having to press the Fn key first. Also, the F5 key can be used to bring up the on-screen keyboard, which is nice when you don't want to use Kensington's

The KeyFolio's battery is rated to last 90 hours; that's a lot of typing. When--or if--it runs low, you can recharge it using the microUSB port on the side.

Verdict

The idea that you can take just a tablet good battery with you on business trips is an intoxicating one, as it would free up weight battery and room in your carry-on. The $99 Kensington KeyFolio makes this dream a reality. However, the keyboard's misplaced keys (and missing right Shift key), the inability to use it securely in one's lap, and oversensitivity are real turn-offs. The KeyFolio is certainly better than nothing, but you may want to wait until something better comes battery along.

Kensington KeyFolio Bluetooth Keyboard and Case for iPad

This keyboard lets you type much faster than you can with touch-typing VGP-BPS13 while protecting your tablet, but is it worth $99?

When the iPad first came out, there was a lot sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery of speculation as to whether it could replace a full-fledged notebook. However, many came to realize that, without a keyboard, it was difficult to type longer documents. Enter the Kensington KeyFolio, a Bluetooth keyboard built into an iPad case. Will this $99 accessory Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Battery let you leave your laptop behind?

Design

From the outside, the KeyFolio looks like an elegant iPad case--which in fact, it is. It's made sony VGP-BPS9 battery of black faux leather with white stitching. Flip over the cover, and you reveal its second function as a wireless keyboard.

The keyboard is covered in a rubber membrane sony VGP-BPS9/S battery that protects it from spills and prevents the screen from getting scratched. A few ridges above the keyboard let you adjust the angle of the iPad, but in doing so, it covers the Pairing button. There's no way to secure the iPad to the keyboard, so the KeyFolio has to Vostro 1510 Battery be used on a flat surface such as a desk; putting it on our lap caused the iPad to fall backwards.

The case weighs just over one pound, which is light in the grand scheme of things, but, when Inspiron 1545 battery coupled with the 1.5-pound iPad, this combo weighs almost as much as the Asus Eee PC 1015PEM.

Performance

Pairing the KeyFolio with the iPad was easy. Simply Dell Latitude E6400 Battery turn the keyboard on (there's a small switch on the right side above the keys), and press the large Connect button on the top. A message will appear on the screen asking you to type in a code on the keyboard to complete the pairing.

The keyboard on the KeyFolio is about the same size as one you'd find on a netbook. However, it's not nearly as good as, say, the Vostro 1710 Battery Toshiba Mini NB305. The rubber membrane was soft to the touch, and in general, we found the keys responsive. In fact, they Vostro 1720 Battery were a bit too responsive; we found that we would often accidentally type the same letter twice in a row until we figured out just how much pressure to apply.

We found the KeyFolio, like early netbook toshiba PA3534U-1BRS Battery keyboards, to be slightly irregular. For example, in order to make room for arrow keys, there's no right Shift key. (For touch typists, that's a dealbreaker right there.) Also, the quote button is not in its usual place between L and Enter--only the Colon key Sony VGP-BPS13A/B Battery is there. Until we realized this, we found ourselves writing things such as "I;m" instead if "I'm."

However, we like that Kensington reversed the function keys; that is, media controls and volume Dell GD761 Battery can be accessed without having to press the Fn key first. Also, the F5 key can be used to bring up the on-screen keyboard, which is nice when you don't want to use Kensington's

The KeyFolio's battery is rated to last 90 hours; that's a lot of typing. When--or if--it runs low, you can recharge it using the microUSB port on the side.

Verdict

The idea that you can take just a tablet good battery with you on business trips is an intoxicating one, as it would free up weight battery and room in your carry-on. The $99 Kensington KeyFolio makes this dream a reality. However, the keyboard's misplaced keys (and missing right Shift key), the inability to use it securely in one's lap, and oversensitivity are real turn-offs. The KeyFolio is certainly better than nothing, but you may want to wait until something better comes battery along.

ASUS K42J Review

The ASUS K42J is the latest in the K series of affordable laptops. This 14-inch notebook Dell Latitude 131L Battery features a high-performance Intel Core i5 processor, discrete graphics with Nvidia Optimus technology, and a starting price below $900. Is this the ideal back-to-school laptop? Read on to find out.

Our review unit of the ASUS K42J (K42JC-A1) features the following specifications:

* 14-inch 720p (1366x768) display with LED backlighting

* Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

* Intel Core i5 430M (2.27GHz)

* Nvidia GeForce 310M graphics card w/ 1GB dedicated memory (Optimus switchable graphics)

* 4GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM

* 500GB 7200RPM hard drive

* 802.11n wireless

* DVD Super Multi drive

* Two-year warranty w/ one year accidental coverage

* 6-cell Li-ion battery (10.8v, 4400mAh, 47Wh)

* Weight: 5.01 lbs

* Dimensions: 13.7 x 9.4 x 1.5 inches

* MSRP: $899.99 ($880 street price)

Build and Design

The K42J has a traditional notebook design sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery and shape similar to the previous generation ASUS K40IN. In other words, it looks like a fairly boring coffee brown notebook without much flare. The notebook features a mixture of matte black, semi-gloss brown and black and glossy brown and black plastics. All of the corners and edges are rounded to give the laptop a smoother look, and the textured touchpad and palm rests give the K42J a nice feel. The glossy screen lid features a subtle imprinted design that replicates the pattern used on the palm rests, but overall we're talking about a very clean, simple laptop design.

The build quality of the K42JC-A1 is typical of most of the ASUS consumer-grade notebooks we've reviewed. The overall chassis strength Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Battery is good with no specific areas of plastic flex or creaking sounds. The internal chassis frame resists pressure quite well and the screen hinges provide a good balance of resistance (not too firm and not too loose). The back of the screen lid does flex under heavy pressure, but even when significant pressure is applied to the back of the screen there are no obvious ripples or distortions on the screen.

The bottom of the notebook includes two access plates for the RAM and the hard drive. ASUS sony VGP-BPS9 battery engineers obviously understand that most consumers buying a mainstream notebook like this won't upgrade much (if anything) beyond the RAM and hard drive. Yes, we usually like to have more access to the notebook's internals, but the majority of the people who buy this laptop probably won't care.

Screen and Speakers

The K42JC-A1 has a 14-inch diagonal display sony VGP-BPS9/S battery with LED backlighting and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The overall quality of the display is "very good" within the narrow viewing angle sweet spot. Brightness, contrast and color are all quite good. If there is a single obvious issue it has to be the narrow vertical viewing angles. While the horizontal viewing angles (side view) are nearly flawless, the colors become over exposed when viewed from above and significantly inverted and distorted when viewed from below. If you are using this laptop for color-accurate editing you will need to be certain you're viewing the screen from straight ahead. The backlighting also appears slightly uneven with brighter light coming from the bottom of the screen in our review unit.

The display's 1366x768 resolution is a standard resolution for mainstream notebooks. The horizontal resolution is adequate, however only 768 pixels Dell Vostro 1510 Battery of vertical space means a good deal of scrolling while surfing the Internet and only enough space to view about one-half of a page in a Microsoft Word.

The K42J has Altec Lansing speakers located underneath the palm rests facing forward on the front edge Dell Inspiron 1545 battery of the notebook. Despite the Altec Lansing brand name, these speakers didn't deliver exceptional sound quality. Vocals sound muddy and distorted, and the speaker output is weighted heavy toward the highs with no real midtones or bass to talk about. If you want quality audio out of this notebook you'll really have to consider external speakers or headphones. The headphone jack provides a great, static-free connection for alternate speakers.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The full-size keyboard on the K42J full-size keyboard features Dell Latitude E6400 Battery Chiclet-style keys that are responsive and provide a little extra spacing to prevent typos. The keys are large and flat and have a matte texture, which may wear over time. There is no noticeable flex unless you apply significant pressure to the keys in the middle of the board. A individual key presses are quiet with the softest possible "click-clack" noise while typing; making it nice for taking notes in a classroom or office meeting room. The keyboard lacks dedicated multimedia keys, but the arrow keys double as media keys when used with the function key.

The ELAN touchpad is a mixture of good and bad. The textured surface provides excellent traction for your fingertips but the touchpad suffers from obvious lag. This is a multi-touch touchpad with customizable gestures, but the mediocre responsiveness makes using the touchpad less than ideal. The lack of a dedicated scroll zone good battery is also annoying. The touchpad buttons have very shallow feedback with loud clicks when you press the buttons.

Ports and Features

The K42J is a step up from previous K-series notebooks in terms of the port selection. The K42JC-A1 adds the much needed HDMI port, though we'd still like to see the addition of an ExpressCard slot to make this laptop a little more future proof. A simple ExpressCard slot batteries would have made it possible to upgrade the K42J with USB 3.0 ... a potentially important feature since USB 3.0 is starting to show up in more and more notebooks. All picture descriptions are left to right.

Superphone Face-Off: HTC Evo 4G vs. Samsung Epic 4G

If you haven’t thought about switching to Sprint, there are two very Dell Inspiron 6400 Battery good reasons staring you right in the face: the HTC Evo 4G and Samsung Epic 4G. As you can tell by their names, both devices can connect to Sprint’s fast 4G network (more than 50 markets and counting). However, while both of these Android phones sport 1-GHz processors and can record HD video, they’re pretty different beasts. The Evo 4G ($199) is a pure slate design with a 4.3-inch display, while the more expensive Epic 4G ($249) has a smaller but more brilliant 4-inch screen with a slide-out keyboard. And those are just some of the differences.

Yes, both of these Android superphones Dell Latitude 131L Battery are Editors’ Choice winners, but only one device can win this battle. Let’s get it on!

Design

The Epic 4G is slightly thicker than the Evo 4G (4.9 x 2.5 x 0.6 inches versus 4.8 x 2.6 x 0.5 inches), but that’s to be expected Dell Vostro 1000 Battery given that the Samsung has a slide-out keyboard. The Epic 4G is taller but narrower. Meanwhile, the Evo 4G is heavier (6 ounces versus 5.5 ounces), and you can feel this difference in your hand and in your pocket.

Still, the Evo 4G feels more like a flagship phone. It’s one solidly constructed slate, with capacitive buttons that work well and are always visible. We especially like the built-in kickstand on the back of the Evo, great for listening to music or watching movies. The glossy black front on the Epic Dell Inspiron 1501 Battery 4G is slick, but the buttons are nearly invisible when the backlight isn’t activated. Nevertheless, the Epic’s smoother contours make it fit especially comfortable when it’s being held.

Winner: Draw

The Evo 4G has a more premium feel, Dell Inspiron E1505 Battery and we love the kickstand and HDMI output, but the Epic 4G’s lighter weight and more rounded design give it equal appeal.

Display

If you went by the spec sheet alone, this would look like a pretty close matchup–the Evo 4G’s 4.3-inch screen is only marginally larger than the Epic 4G’s 4-inch screen and both phones have a resolution of 800 x 480-pixels. But when you turn these devices on, the Epic 4G’s Super AMOLED blows past the Evo 4G’s VGP-BPS9/S display. Colors were crisp and contrast levels were extremely sharp. The Evo 4G’s screen was also easily outclassed by the Epic 4G when it came to brightness–at maximum levels, images popped from the screen. The extra 0.3 inches on the Evo 4G certainly doesn’t hurt for applications like web browsing, but the difference in visual fidelity can’t be ignored.

Winner: Epic 4G.

The Super AMOLED display on this phone makes jaws drop.

Keyboard

The Epic 4G’s slide-out keyboard is what makes this phone stand out from the rest VGP-BPS9 of the Galaxy S family, and it’s pretty great. The keys are nicely spaced apart and offer good tactile feedback. We just wish typing “@” didn’t require a function key combo. However, the Epic 4G’s touch keyboard disappoints. The combination of an overly large text entry area and odd key placement scrunches together all of the onscreen keys, making it tough to accurately type. Fortunately, the inclusion of Swype software makes it easy to type words with one hand just by tracing your finger from one letter to the next.

The Evo 4G’s keyboard makes the most VGP-BPS9A/B of its large screen. The screen size makes it easy to type with minimal errors, and we like how you can press and hold various keys to enter special characters like numbers. Just be sure to turn off the haptic feedback; it slows down the typing experience.

Winner: Epic 4G

While the Evo 4G has one of the better touch keyboards around, the Epic 4G’s physical QWERTY is the best we’ve used on a good battery slider and is one of the main reasons to get this device compared to other Galaxy S phones. You never have to wonder whether you just typed the right letter.

Superphone Face-Off: HTC Evo 4G vs. Samsung Epic 4G

If you haven’t thought about switching to Sprint, there are two very Dell Inspiron 6400 Battery good reasons staring you right in the face: the HTC Evo 4G and Samsung Epic 4G. As you can tell by their names, both devices can connect to Sprint’s fast 4G network (more than 50 markets and counting). However, while both of these Android phones sport 1-GHz processors and can record HD video, they’re pretty different beasts. The Evo 4G ($199) is a pure slate design with a 4.3-inch display, while the more expensive Epic 4G ($249) has a smaller but more brilliant 4-inch screen with a slide-out keyboard. And those are just some of the differences.

Yes, both of these Android superphones Dell Latitude 131L Battery are Editors’ Choice winners, but only one device can win this battle. Let’s get it on!

Design

The Epic 4G is slightly thicker than the Evo 4G (4.9 x 2.5 x 0.6 inches versus 4.8 x 2.6 x 0.5 inches), but that’s to be expected Dell Vostro 1000 Battery given that the Samsung has a slide-out keyboard. The Epic 4G is taller but narrower. Meanwhile, the Evo 4G is heavier (6 ounces versus 5.5 ounces), and you can feel this difference in your hand and in your pocket.

Still, the Evo 4G feels more like a flagship phone. It’s one solidly constructed slate, with capacitive buttons that work well and are always visible. We especially like the built-in kickstand on the back of the Evo, great for listening to music or watching movies. The glossy black front on the Epic Dell Inspiron 1501 Battery 4G is slick, but the buttons are nearly invisible when the backlight isn’t activated. Nevertheless, the Epic’s smoother contours make it fit especially comfortable when it’s being held.

Winner: Draw

The Evo 4G has a more premium feel, Dell Inspiron E1505 Battery and we love the kickstand and HDMI output, but the Epic 4G’s lighter weight and more rounded design give it equal appeal.

Display

If you went by the spec sheet alone, this would look like a pretty close matchup–the Evo 4G’s 4.3-inch screen is only marginally larger than the Epic 4G’s 4-inch screen and both phones have a resolution of 800 x 480-pixels. But when you turn these devices on, the Epic 4G’s Super AMOLED blows past the Evo 4G’s VGP-BPS9/S display. Colors were crisp and contrast levels were extremely sharp. The Evo 4G’s screen was also easily outclassed by the Epic 4G when it came to brightness–at maximum levels, images popped from the screen. The extra 0.3 inches on the Evo 4G certainly doesn’t hurt for applications like web browsing, but the difference in visual fidelity can’t be ignored.

Winner: Epic 4G.

The Super AMOLED display on this phone makes jaws drop.

Keyboard

The Epic 4G’s slide-out keyboard is what makes this phone stand out from the rest VGP-BPS9 of the Galaxy S family, and it’s pretty great. The keys are nicely spaced apart and offer good tactile feedback. We just wish typing “@” didn’t require a function key combo. However, the Epic 4G’s touch keyboard disappoints. The combination of an overly large text entry area and odd key placement scrunches together all of the onscreen keys, making it tough to accurately type. Fortunately, the inclusion of Swype software makes it easy to type words with one hand just by tracing your finger from one letter to the next.

The Evo 4G’s keyboard makes the most VGP-BPS9A/B of its large screen. The screen size makes it easy to type with minimal errors, and we like how you can press and hold various keys to enter special characters like numbers. Just be sure to turn off the haptic feedback; it slows down the typing experience.

Winner: Epic 4G

While the Evo 4G has one of the better touch keyboards around, the Epic 4G’s physical QWERTY is the best we’ve used on a good battery slider and is one of the main reasons to get this device compared to other Galaxy S phones. You never have to wonder whether you just typed the right letter.

Superphone Face-Off: HTC Evo 4G vs. Samsung Epic 4G

If you haven’t thought about switching to Sprint, there are two very Dell Inspiron 6400 Battery good reasons staring you right in the face: the HTC Evo 4G and Samsung Epic 4G. As you can tell by their names, both devices can connect to Sprint’s fast 4G network (more than 50 markets and counting). However, while both of these Android phones sport 1-GHz processors and can record HD video, they’re pretty different beasts. The Evo 4G ($199) is a pure slate design with a 4.3-inch display, while the more expensive Epic 4G ($249) has a smaller but more brilliant 4-inch screen with a slide-out keyboard. And those are just some of the differences.

Yes, both of these Android superphones Dell Latitude 131L Battery are Editors’ Choice winners, but only one device can win this battle. Let’s get it on!

Design

The Epic 4G is slightly thicker than the Evo 4G (4.9 x 2.5 x 0.6 inches versus 4.8 x 2.6 x 0.5 inches), but that’s to be expected Dell Vostro 1000 Battery given that the Samsung has a slide-out keyboard. The Epic 4G is taller but narrower. Meanwhile, the Evo 4G is heavier (6 ounces versus 5.5 ounces), and you can feel this difference in your hand and in your pocket.

Still, the Evo 4G feels more like a flagship phone. It’s one solidly constructed slate, with capacitive buttons that work well and are always visible. We especially like the built-in kickstand on the back of the Evo, great for listening to music or watching movies. The glossy black front on the Epic Dell Inspiron 1501 Battery 4G is slick, but the buttons are nearly invisible when the backlight isn’t activated. Nevertheless, the Epic’s smoother contours make it fit especially comfortable when it’s being held.

Winner: Draw

The Evo 4G has a more premium feel, Dell Inspiron E1505 Battery and we love the kickstand and HDMI output, but the Epic 4G’s lighter weight and more rounded design give it equal appeal.

Display

If you went by the spec sheet alone, this would look like a pretty close matchup–the Evo 4G’s 4.3-inch screen is only marginally larger than the Epic 4G’s 4-inch screen and both phones have a resolution of 800 x 480-pixels. But when you turn these devices on, the Epic 4G’s Super AMOLED blows past the Evo 4G’s VGP-BPS9/S display. Colors were crisp and contrast levels were extremely sharp. The Evo 4G’s screen was also easily outclassed by the Epic 4G when it came to brightness–at maximum levels, images popped from the screen. The extra 0.3 inches on the Evo 4G certainly doesn’t hurt for applications like web browsing, but the difference in visual fidelity can’t be ignored.

Winner: Epic 4G.

The Super AMOLED display on this phone makes jaws drop.

Keyboard

The Epic 4G’s slide-out keyboard is what makes this phone stand out from the rest VGP-BPS9 of the Galaxy S family, and it’s pretty great. The keys are nicely spaced apart and offer good tactile feedback. We just wish typing “@” didn’t require a function key combo. However, the Epic 4G’s touch keyboard disappoints. The combination of an overly large text entry area and odd key placement scrunches together all of the onscreen keys, making it tough to accurately type. Fortunately, the inclusion of Swype software makes it easy to type words with one hand just by tracing your finger from one letter to the next.

The Evo 4G’s keyboard makes the most VGP-BPS9A/B of its large screen. The screen size makes it easy to type with minimal errors, and we like how you can press and hold various keys to enter special characters like numbers. Just be sure to turn off the haptic feedback; it slows down the typing experience.

Winner: Epic 4G

While the Evo 4G has one of the better touch keyboards around, the Epic 4G’s physical QWERTY is the best we’ve used on a good battery slider and is one of the main reasons to get this device compared to other Galaxy S phones. You never have to wonder whether you just typed the right letter.

Superphone Face-Off: HTC Evo 4G vs. Samsung Epic 4G

If you haven’t thought about switching to Sprint, there are two very Dell Inspiron 6400 Battery good reasons staring you right in the face: the HTC Evo 4G and Samsung Epic 4G. As you can tell by their names, both devices can connect to Sprint’s fast 4G network (more than 50 markets and counting). However, while both of these Android phones sport 1-GHz processors and can record HD video, they’re pretty different beasts. The Evo 4G ($199) is a pure slate design with a 4.3-inch display, while the more expensive Epic 4G ($249) has a smaller but more brilliant 4-inch screen with a slide-out keyboard. And those are just some of the differences.

Yes, both of these Android superphones Dell Latitude 131L Battery are Editors’ Choice winners, but only one device can win this battle. Let’s get it on!

Design

The Epic 4G is slightly thicker than the Evo 4G (4.9 x 2.5 x 0.6 inches versus 4.8 x 2.6 x 0.5 inches), but that’s to be expected Dell Vostro 1000 Battery given that the Samsung has a slide-out keyboard. The Epic 4G is taller but narrower. Meanwhile, the Evo 4G is heavier (6 ounces versus 5.5 ounces), and you can feel this difference in your hand and in your pocket.

Still, the Evo 4G feels more like a flagship phone. It’s one solidly constructed slate, with capacitive buttons that work well and are always visible. We especially like the built-in kickstand on the back of the Evo, great for listening to music or watching movies. The glossy black front on the Epic Dell Inspiron 1501 Battery 4G is slick, but the buttons are nearly invisible when the backlight isn’t activated. Nevertheless, the Epic’s smoother contours make it fit especially comfortable when it’s being held.

Winner: Draw

The Evo 4G has a more premium feel, Dell Inspiron E1505 Battery and we love the kickstand and HDMI output, but the Epic 4G’s lighter weight and more rounded design give it equal appeal.

Display

If you went by the spec sheet alone, this would look like a pretty close matchup–the Evo 4G’s 4.3-inch screen is only marginally larger than the Epic 4G’s 4-inch screen and both phones have a resolution of 800 x 480-pixels. But when you turn these devices on, the Epic 4G’s Super AMOLED blows past the Evo 4G’s VGP-BPS9/S display. Colors were crisp and contrast levels were extremely sharp. The Evo 4G’s screen was also easily outclassed by the Epic 4G when it came to brightness–at maximum levels, images popped from the screen. The extra 0.3 inches on the Evo 4G certainly doesn’t hurt for applications like web browsing, but the difference in visual fidelity can’t be ignored.

Winner: Epic 4G.

The Super AMOLED display on this phone makes jaws drop.

Keyboard

The Epic 4G’s slide-out keyboard is what makes this phone stand out from the rest VGP-BPS9 of the Galaxy S family, and it’s pretty great. The keys are nicely spaced apart and offer good tactile feedback. We just wish typing “@” didn’t require a function key combo. However, the Epic 4G’s touch keyboard disappoints. The combination of an overly large text entry area and odd key placement scrunches together all of the onscreen keys, making it tough to accurately type. Fortunately, the inclusion of Swype software makes it easy to type words with one hand just by tracing your finger from one letter to the next.

The Evo 4G’s keyboard makes the most VGP-BPS9A/B of its large screen. The screen size makes it easy to type with minimal errors, and we like how you can press and hold various keys to enter special characters like numbers. Just be sure to turn off the haptic feedback; it slows down the typing experience.

Winner: Epic 4G

While the Evo 4G has one of the better touch keyboards around, the Epic 4G’s physical QWERTY is the best we’ve used on a good battery slider and is one of the main reasons to get this device compared to other Galaxy S phones. You never have to wonder whether you just typed the right letter.