HTC EVO 4G first impressions

By on Mar 24, 2010 at 6:17 PM
Featured March 24, 2010

htc-evo-1

We got some one-on-one time with the HTC EVO 4G today, and let us succinctly sum up our experience for you: wow. We’ll start with the screen… it’s gorgeous. 4.3 inches, enormous, easy to type on, responsive… it’s everything you want out of a touch screen. How’s the phones speed you ask? The product manager from HTC kept saying: “this isn’t the final software build, so there could be some lag” but to be honest, we couldn’t really find any. Opening Google Earth with 5 applications running in the background produced a tiny lag (3 seconds) but once Google Earth was up and running we were flying again.

The 1GHz Snapdragon processor really flexes its muscle in the EVO 4G. We pressed the product managers about a realistic battery life with 4G on, but all they could muster up for us was, “it’s good.” Bollocks. If you love HTC’s Sense UI, you’re really, really going to love this phone. The enhancements to Android’s UI are done with great detail and add minimal overhead to the phone’s resources (arguable, we guess). Widgets provide easy access to social media content, bookmarks, and other phone resources. You can update your “status” on several social media sites using HTC’s social widget. The EVO is a “with Google” phone and supports Exchange, Gmail, POP, and IMAP email accounts — although you can only have one Exchange account configured to the phone. We prefer having support for multiple Exchange accounts, but for most users this won’t be the end of the world.

Want more good news? The video camera is awesome. You can choose your desired resolution — we know you’re going to be keeping it in 720p — record, using either the front or rear facing camera, and upload to your favorite social media site, send via email or even transfer via Bluetooth. The quality is great and watching your videos play back on that screen is a real treat. We could go on and on about this phone but you get the idea. Great screen, very responsive, and, currently is in a class of it’s own as far as Android (and dare we say all) devices go. All Sprint and HTC will give us for a release timeline is “summer.” We’ve got June 21st circled on our calendars. Hit up the gallery for images!

UPDATE: The screen is not AMOLED as I originally wrote, I’m low on sleep.  Sorry for the confusion!

Click on over to our HTC EVO 4G gallery!

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  • cam

    to be totally honest, the best phones money can that gurantee to help you out are satellite phones

    • user

      The best phones are money cans (with string, presumably)

  • Sprintrep

    I used to be heavy into Windows Mobile and tweaked the hell out of mine with the help of sites such as PPC Geeks and XDA Developers. After roughly 4 years and a few devices strung in like the Palm Pre and the Blackberry Curve, I can safely say I feel Android is vastly superior in every way. Although I do still have my Pre because I love the webOS. With all that said, I will be getting this phone… and yes, partly because I’m a phone ****e. And partly because I work at Sprint and who honestly wouldn’t want the latest and greatest as soon as it comes out?

  • Monique

    I really hope Sprint markets this product correctly…I mean, how they marketed the Pre was shameful and the Pre deserved so much better than that…and now this phone looks to be awesome as well, Sprint needs to put this phone all over TV like verizon did with the Moto Droid. If they do so, I think it will be successful. Sprint needs this phone to be a consumer hit and so does Google/Android. I’m on VZW and I will probably never leave VZW but I’m rooting for Sprint and Android! Droid Does!

  • MicroNix

    I would never do Sprint, but this phone is absolutely stunning! HTC is game on for cutting edge and is quickly becoming the top bar. I can only imagine what is going on in Cupertino after seeing this! Not going to be a good weekend for the Jobs Mob. Unless they are going to get rid of the stale 4×5 icon screen and really update the OS, HTC is going to steal the thunder from the 2010 Apple launch.

  • Monique

    Looks like Sprint is already advertising this phone, there’s a billboard up in times square already…sweet! Now, let’s get a release date for goodness sake.

  • Jezz83
  • Hanst

    Great, if you want to accept the severe limitations of Sprint’s coverage. It does look like a geat phone but pretty useless if no data connection in your area.

    • jonathan

      that makes no sense, sprint has unlimited roaming on verizons cdma network when there signal isnt present so your sprint phone always have a signal. the only thing is you dont pay for verizons crazy prices. plus another advantage to sprint is that if you get a cdma boost mobile phone account you can transfer that account over to any sprint phone and then guess what all your paying is 50$ for unlimited sprint service can you beat that? i dont think so,google it up! but do it quick cause cdma boost phones arent gonna be made for much longer.

  • Ryan

    GREAT phone…but it MUST sync with Microsoft Outlook (calendar/contacts). Phone makes it totally worth giving up the iPhone over and switching to Sprint!

    • Ron

      You do know that you can sync any gmail account to outlook right?

      There’s a google product called ‘Outlook Sync’ that makes your Outlook sync directly to your Gmail account. I only use it for calendars, but it works great.

      • Ryan

        @Ron:

        Yes but it’s redundant to sync from Outlook to GMail and then from GMail to my phone…way dumb, and one too many steps. The iPhone can sync directly from itself with Outlook through iTunes…I shouldn’t have to do all this double-syncing.

  • K

    I’ve been a Verizon customer for years due to coverage in my area. I’m actually seriously considering Sprint, but one question before I wait for this phone – does it ONLY work on 4G?

    • Angel

      no, it has 2 antennas that get signal from both 3g towers and WiMax

  • JB

    No this phone has a 1X, EVDO (3G), and WiMax (4G) built in

  • mosamjc

    CDMA calling? High latency voip over Wimax? No thanks. I’ll wait for a true next gen voice and data solution on a carrier that still owns a few of its own towers.

  • xavier

    if you’re in a wimax area, calls are made over the cdma radio, while 4g is done over the wimax radio.

  • Harold

    Too bad it’s on Sprint.

    Fact is, Wimax is going to be a flash in the pan.

    Within 5 years everything will be LDE.

    • james

      I’m sure you mean LTE not LDE…..You sure know what your talking about.

  • trojandnc

    @Harold… and no one will have any phone purchased in the Summer of 2010 in 5 years.

    Plus, flash in the pan or not. NO ONE else has 4G right now LTE or otherwise. By the time some carriers have LTE my contract on my EVO will be up.

  • Bill B

    The Sprint EVO 4G has got to be the best phone on the market right now. The monthly prices to run it can’t be beat for all you get. It simply rocks!

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