Metrico started the test before LTE networks and phones were launched, so it examined three phones that run on T-Mobile's network and three on Sprint's WiMax network. T-Mobile and others now call their HSPA+ networks 4G even though LTE and WiMax had been widely described as the first 4G technologies.

Metrico bought phones from retailers and tested them in four markets, examining performance like voice quality, data speeds, web page download times and video.

The EVO Shift averaged 27 percent above the average of all the devices for download speed while mobile, . That's a surprise because the Shift has a slower processor than the other phones, said Rich McNally, vice president of information products for Metrico.

The Samsung Galaxy S 4G was the best performer on T-Mobile's network and had the best average data download speed while stationary among the devices tested. It averaged just over 6 Mbps when stationary. The Shift had an average stationary download speed of 5 Mbps.

The other phones Metrico tested were Sprint's HTC EVO and Samsung Epic and T-Mobile's G2 and myTouch 4G.