Sprint HTC Evo 4G -- here comes the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G competition
Phil Nickinson over at Android Central has just posted a full review of the Sprint HTC Evo 4G, which he's billing as the baddest Android on the planet. Big screen, front facing video call camera, brand new OS in the pipeline, it's not hard to see that this will be Sprint's answer to the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G (unless and until they're able to offer the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G on Sprint -- just sayin').
It's at the top of the Android smartphone pile, for the moment. That's not to say that phones like the HTC Incredible and Nexus One (and very possibly the Samsung Galaxy S) aren't right up there. But the screen size, 4G data and promise of an upgrade to Android 2.2 make the Sprint Evo 4G the phone to beat, and it may well hold that title through the end of 2010.
Check out the galleries, the videos, and all the words holding them together and then come back and let us know what you think about the Sprint HTC Evo 4G -- is it the right handset, on the right network, at the right time, to give the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G a run for your money?
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.
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Meh. It is compelling from a hardware perspective, but for me it's about the experience. And nothing tops the flow, ease and gorgeously simple iProducts, at least right now. Battery life still sucks when doing multitasking, which is why I'm going to be a fan of the Apple way.
Is the EVO the phone to beat the iPhone? I think there are still too many "if's" right now to answer that. The "if's" which have to do with iPhone going to Verizon, the extent 4G coverage, battery life, open-source, & battery life. The way it stands now though, whether you're an Apple guy, Android Guy, or a casual consumer, there's no question the EVO is impressive.
It really depends on what apple has to say in a few days that will influence any decision to move to an Evo. AT&T sure didn't help things.
Android Apps suck, thus android sucks.
Aw yes the EVO....I'm getting mine tomorrow, today's my official last day with my iPhone AT&T. Yes!!!!!
ok bye Mr.Nelson lmao
This speculation on the iphone is getting OLD!!!! Can’t wait until June 7th, I will make my decision then on what phone and what carrier I will go with because anything is better than T- mobile where I am at now. Few days and counting.
Is there any way to put rene on ignore so I just see the others that post articles here?
To bad it is on Sprint, I don't do CDMA. If I'm going to leave the iPhone it will have to be for the Nexus 1. I will see what Apple has to say about that June 7th.
Yep, ditching my AT&T iPhone for the EVO tomorrow too!
Awesome specs, Android is much more customizable/free. AND, it actually makes/holds calls! Amazing for a phone!
@ thedave...I agree dude!!!
"is it the right handset, on the right network, at the right time, to give the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G a run for your money?"
I mean, was that really necessary?? Can we get an unbiased articls from this guy??Was the iPhone, the RIGHT handset, on the RIGHT network, at the RIGHT time? I believe not. It took a while for the iPhone to catch on and to get numbers like it has now. The network STILL isnt the right network...and Im not saying VzW is either. People still dread on moving to AT&T or renewing their contracts with them just to have an iPhone.
Regardless, Im tired of hearing about the EVO. It's like a broken record and it's getting played out. And no device is ever going to be the "iPhone Killer". I wish everybody would stop referring to any device that comes out as that.
I want to see what Apple is going to do, especially after last years lackluster keynote. they've had alot to see and alot to get working on.
Too big. Size makes this one DOA. Next.
I've had and experiences the Nexus One on AT&T's network, and had just as many dropped calls as my iPhone 3gs. So it's the network.
Network issues aside, I just can't seem to pull myself away from AT&T to make a move to Sprint. The EVO looks and sounds great, and android really is a great OS, but I'm actually excited about iPhone OS 4.0 and the features we will be getting.
As for the new iPhone hardware to be announced, we'll have to wait and see.
I'm making the move also tomorrow. However I'm not porting my number till after I see what the new iPhone brings. Then either I port my number or take advantage of sprints 30 day deal.
Is there a way to ignore articles by Rene? Yeah, scroll past them and spare us all the bitchfest.
“is it the right handset, on the right network, at the right time, to give the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G a run for your money?”
I mean, was that really necessary??
It's an iPhone site, what the hell did you expect him to do? Ask if it compared to making out with goblins? The original iPhone still sold millions in its first year, whatever you may think of the network (varies with location, perfect where I live, perfect for 90% of the travel I do). If people would stop referring to these phones as the iPhone Killers, then I assure you Rene would be more than happy to stop calling them that, too. He's griped about it on several occasions. Give the guy a break.
As for Phil, I enjoy his stuff, but I'm going to tease him a bit now:
"You could actually go the entire life of your Android phone without connecting it to a computer."
Right, so long as you don't want to load music on it or take a screenshot
.
"It's not an attack on your smartphone manhood (or whatever the female equivalent is)."
Um, womanhood?
What do you guys who are looking at the EVO think about the $10 Premium Data Services charge? And is $29 for the HotSpot functionality is a worse grab than ATT's tethering fee?
@MacMan - why not just wait til Monday? Worried about an EVO sellout?
I love competition...without it the market wouldn't be aggressive in trying to please the consumer. That said, I'll pass on this phone, but I do have my $ ready for the iPhone as long as it lives up to my expectations!
@zeagus - not at all just wanna try an android phone and sprints network. Not really worried abbot the 10 dollars because my texting paln is 20 dollars on AT&T.
@Jordan - right there with ya - gadget freak enough that I keep an eye on (and emulators) on hand for the major platforms that I am not using.
@ Zeagus- Or how about NOT post a completely unbiased, unrelated article about Android on an iPhone site and put your bias in it. Its an iPhone site, nothing in that article that Phil wrote mentioned anything about an iPhone. Now Rene wants it to be about iPhone AND questions its...superiority, for lack of better words.
This is how the trolling starts. Now youre going to have Android fans on here with THEIR opinions and thats what makes this site a horror to visit and read through.
Keep the iPhone news on an iPhone site. What WOULD have been more productive would have been having a poll to see who would leave iphone for the EVO and who wouldnt leave. for coverage reasons, carrier reasons, pricing reasons etc.. and for sh its and giggles, add on the poll who likes Rene's posts and who doesnt hahaha
Yes, it is a competitor but the real competitor is Android. The phone blows out the iPhone 3Gs but we'll see how it holds against the 4th gen iPhone.
Its an awesome phone, and if you spend the vast majority of your life in the SMALL Sprint 4G signal area, you would be crazy not to include it on your shopping list next time you buy a phone.
But Sprint 4G isn't everywhere, their coverage map is thin right now.
And, lets face it, if this phone became 1/100th as popular as the iPhone, Sprint could not carry the load. They are too small.
But for people living in a Sprint4G, this may be a better deal than the iPhone on AT&T unless you are grandfathered into AT&T's "unlimited" plan.
People come to a site dedicated to Apple products and complain about the editor's story on a competitor's product? That's like going to an Acura forum and complaining about the editor's story on a Hyundai. Since my experience with Sprint has never been good, I will wait for the EVO to hit the GSM world to try it out. I just can't pull myself from AT&T as I don't have the issue that others say they do.
@SoCo_Jon:
This post is completely unbiased. Evo 4G looks like an awesome Android device. Competition is all about timing. Droid was the right phone on Verizon at the right time to do a whole lot of business. Palm Pre was fantastic but the wrong network at the wrong time.
Will Evo be Droid or Palm Pre is a legit question. Similar network, similar (summer) timing. Will AT&T hurt iPhone and help the competition with the new rates?
Interesting times.
BTW- most of my articles are hugely pro-Android. I love Andorid and Apple needs the competition. I only get upset when people say dumb things that make Android look bad for no reason. Anything else is you bringing your own baggage to these articles. Read more, hate less.
It's not about me or you or Phil or anyone. We all love gadgets and are here to discuss them.
Trolls aside, the question above is whether Evo makes you consider getting it instead of an iPhone HD.
Let's try to stay on that topic okay?
This is just a big nokia.
iPhone is a platform!
@SoCo_Jon
The title of the post is "The Competition". Rene's been doing this for well over a year now. When the Storm came out, a similar topic hit. So it'll continue to happen so why does it matter?
@SoCo_Jon
H'e posting about it because people (regardless of whether Phil mentions it) see it as iPhone competition! The Android trolling here started long ago, it's not going to suddenly happen because of something I wrote in a random post -- there is no Android app (to my knowledge) that screenscrapes TiPB parsing for me to mouth off and then pops a notification to the Phandroid Army to attack! But wouldn't it be cool if there was
.
My friend on sprint wants the iPhone but he doesn't want to switch cause his bill is gonna go up. I'm gonna tell him to get this one.
I wonder if right now is a good time to release the Evo. They've got, what, 3 days of press before the iPhone HD's announced on the 7'th and sucks up all the press.
@James
That might matter if the iphone was on Sprint. But given Sprint's lack of phones (and initial Pre owners are due for upgrades), any time is a good time to launch the Evo on that network.
@Rene ..
I agree this article is not biased whatsoever..
However, you make plenty of bias comments about the Iphone regarding android...
But again this is an IPHONE website.. I still think you are way more biased than Phil though..
For the record, I see nothing wrong with Rene asking questions to jump start the discussion.
An occasional article about a competitor does not detract from the iphone focus of this site. Rene gets slammed for being too much of a fanboy (including by me), and the instant he posts an article about the competition he gets slammed for that too.
Make up your figgin minds!
Competition is good.
Personally, I like the stats/design of the Evo a lot. I think it's looking like a strong competitor to the iPhone. I believe we can all agree, competition is good.
The next gen iPhone will own the evo!
which then, in turn, will eventually get owned, ad hominem..
erm.. pretend I said ad nauseum...
I'm with icebike on this
And you can trust that, cause I can't always say that!
@Michael - pretending... now!
"It’s at the top of the Android smartphone pile, for the moment" Ya until three weeks from now till a better android phone comes out. If I had bought a android phone 2 months it is now outdated as far as specs and software. That would suck.
Sticking with iPhone and hopefully getting the iPhone 4/HD in July when I qualify for a full discount. Looking forward to seeing what they have done with the battery life as that seems to be a theme with Apple of late and it is a very big selling point. Having just got the new 13inch MBP with 10 hour battery life it is just so freeing to have a mobile device that you know you can use heavily pretty much all day and not have to worry about it running out of juice. The Evo looks like it will burn through its battery very quickly, especially if you get 4G.
I also don't see the point of having a larger screen if it is the same resolution as other existing Android phones since it doesn't provide you with any more information and I think phones like the iPhone are big enough as they are.
In my mind all carriers suck. It's a cool phone and all but sprint is the worst.
@Macboy15:
And you know this because.....?
As it happens I transferred from Sprint when the iPhone first came out. I have not experienced the dropped calls everyone else has but I have noticed the drop in data speed during the day.
I purchased an iPad on launch day but did not spring for the 3G radio because I did not want the additional monthly expense. I could have jail broken my iPhone to become a hotspot, but I prefer an officially supported solution. At the time I investigated the EVO 4G, AT&T's new pricing plan for tethering had not been announced.
The only sensible action would have been to replace my iPhone by breaking the contract and purchasing the EVO, the EVO would then have replaced my Sprint 3G USB wireless $60 and my iPhone $80 with a single bill around $120. Then amortize the ETF over the course of the new contract and it would become a wash.
So I set aside my curiosity over a new OS and instead purchased a Sierra Wireless Overdrive. Now I keep my investment in iPhone apps and maintain compatibility with my iPad and Mac and take advantage of the only thing Sprint had to offer its shiny new and underpopulated 4G network.
As far as networks go lets face it they all have there flaws. I have been with verizon,sprint and At&t and have had dropped calls and no service in curtain areas with all carriers.
@icebike Because I was with them for 2 years with my BB. Nothing but headaches man. Overcharges," no service" on my phone,rude ass costumer services,issues with phone repair and replacement. I just can't see going though all that for a phone. Even if the iphone were on sprint I would not have one. Would've just stuck with my bold on AT&T.
Most important however, was the idea that with the EVO I would be relying on the battery power of the device with the smallest battery. So I will wait until the iPad can run on a faster network with it's on board radio and instead share that connection with my phone. More expensive of course but far more useful.
@MACBOY..
Your statement makes no sense.. so you don't want the EVO because a better phone will come out soon? .. when the Iphone 4g .. comes out .. if it's the best smartphone on the market.. it will be eclipsed by another phone in the fall as well .. it might not be another Iphone but it will be surpassed by many android phones.. plain and simple..
I'd get an Evo if Sprint had better 3G coverage at my house and in rural California. I don't care about 4G. I travel a lot. AT&T and Verizon have better coverage in California.
Personally, I love the fact that the editor of this site is biased IN FAVOR of the iPhone. It is, after all, an iPHONE site. If you visit a New York Yankees blog, wouldn't you WANT the editor to be a huge Yankees fan?? Keep up the great work Rene!
As far as the Evo, Android just doesn't have the same eco-system. I like the iPhone apps and I like the iTunes eco-system. I like how easy it is to get all my media on my phone without having to think about it too much. Call me a fanboy if you like (I originally resisted all Apple products until WinMo made me want to gouge my eyes out), but I already have the $ earmarked for the next iPhone and I can't wait!!
@ Rene..I really don't see how people take this post as being biased. I see it more praising the EVO then bashing it. Even saying, "Sprint HTC Evo 4G — is it the right handset, on the right network, at the right time, to give the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G a run for your money?" To answer that question, I currently have the Droid, and I would have to try both out the EVO and Iphone HD out to make a true decision, so if you have get any extra, send one my way..
@Rene If your intention was honestly not to be biased then I retract my earlier comment.
The Evo is a fantastic piece of kit by the looks of it and I think its safe to say that Android software and hardware-wise is really evolving fast. The upcoming features have to be putting the wind up Apple. Even though I have said I will be leaving apple because of the whole "jobs knows best" of late no one can claim that the original and follow up iPhones have all been game changers and have given us the market we have today. Im of the opinion that, as icebike alluded, those on sprint will grab it. I cant see many swapping to sprint for it specifically and I cant see those waiting for the next iPhone being tempted.
The reason the iPhone is successful is because it has a great computer to phone software platform and is not specification orientated which makes for a better consumer product. Android needs to tidy the end to end user experience up but unfortunately Android - like Windows is what happens when you pass the hardware to hardware manufacturers they can only increase the specs to make a "better" product.
@Zen There is no better computer to hardware platform than your device appearing as a mass storage drive on any computer. Thats all thats needed. Move files around using the native file manager on your OS. But if you feel its the computer to device platform that makes the iPhone successful then the iPhone is in trouble. It doesn't have the capabilities to push web sites, maps, pics or any other media you can think of from any computer to your phones native app for handling that media....wirelessly. I'd say Android has more than tidied up that experience.
I heard the battery life is stellar as well.
evo great hardware horrible os.. its either iphone os or webos for me everythingelse is garbage
@icebike
What drugs are you on?! Sprint's network smaller than At&t?? Hahahaha, At&t's network is 1/4 the size of Sprint "3G" network. Out of all the carriers, Sprint have the largest footprint. Having more customers does not mean the network is bigger. If Sprint "can't carry the load", why did Sprint be out At&t in total data usage in 2009? Did you not get the memo?... Verizon and Sprint carried 63% of ALL data in 2009. At&t came in 3rd, but not too far ahead of Tmo. MAN!!! The things some people believe.
How can you say androids apps suck when only 500 of apples 200,000 apps r even worth a darn...who cares about all these dumb apps anyway...people need to get over this crap
Something about Android that I don't like! To me, Android devices are starting to look more & more like Windows. As for Apple, it's just sticking to the way it rolls. Without complications, One hardware with the same software, and the ease of use. Anroid & other manafactures are making better phones every month. I just want to stand out and stick to a unique phone. And that's the iPhone.
Android made by motorola. Android made by HTC. What's next, fisher price? Heck everything including the iPhone is made in China. Guess it will be what last long term, and price. I still haave an old Palm T2 that still works. Compared to the iPod touch, or iPhone it is not much, but is still working. Will my iPod touch last as long? If I know I can depend on a product, I will pay more.
@Blaque I dunno, I think iTunes is better than a blank USB mass storage volume as far as synch and managing media and backup. It's worth noting that Android doesn't currently (and not I. fray) have the ability to push "any media you can think of" to your phone. Andy Rubin in the Q&A at Google I/O said that it can't, but push apps and music fro your PC, "We weren't announcing that as a feature, we were saying it's something that we could do in the future.". A message that it seems not a lot of folks got from the way that it was press Ted.
@concierge actually the battery life is kinda so so according to the more recent reviews. See Phil's review at AndroidCentral.
Ha, autocorrect for the lose - @converge not @concierge
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/06/03/tips-and-tricks-to-extending-the-htc-evo-4g-and-incredibles-battery-life-and-what-this-says-about-android/
I have tried android and found it is has come along way the sense experience is quite good. The interface is easy to use, and a hell of alot more powerful then the iphone os. I also see that the adobe air and conversion program will be fitted for android. Something Mr Control Nut Jobs wont allow. I will be switching to the evo im tired of attempting to defend the iphone, its already behind. Plus att just plain thinks they can dictate such crappy plans.
It's all about screen size to me, comparing my 32gb 3Gs to the evo sorts makes me want one for that huge screen alone. Friends would flip out if I whipped this out and be even more envious than they are now. I will be dissapointed if the new iPhone hd has the same size screen as I don't care much about resolution if it's still the same as mine. Mine is already super clear while watching movies. If I didn't have to pay a small fortune to get a evo I might consider it but no I'll keep my 32gb 3gs a little longer thanks.
It does currently have it. It's in a beta program right now. People with Froyo can use the browser plugins to push things right now. That's no different than the people that scream OS 4 when you say iPhone doesn't multitask. The streaming music isn't baked in currently bit I believe that will arrive by the end of the year in what will probably be the last I'd multiple updates in the same year. So in fact its there.
As for syncing people seem to do just fine with their usb sticks without a syncing app. Same thing here. You've can have more than enough storage on these devices to hold all your media without worrying about swapping subsets. All you need to do is make sure you have the whole thing backed up and that's simple as dragging and drooping a folder. Syncing software has always been a complete waste to me.
I got to play with the Evo today since we got it at my job the phone was in my pocket and i didn't realize that a video was palying and the battery was dead in under 2 hours. I'm in a 4G market and we cant get 4G in my store we have a demo Sprint Overdrive and the Evo and can't get a decent connection cause of the frequency they use. Where i work we sell ATT, Verizon and Sprint and we have had some many Androids phones coming in when there is an update out that cause the phones to lose data or freeze. HTC Eris the most. Everyone that comes in to get an Android phone always ask how it compares to the iPhone and the only reason they dont want to switch is because of contracts and usually are in family plans. All Apple has to do to over take Android is release it on another network problem solved.
I'll be making the switch tomorrow. I've been with the iPhone for two years and been a loyal follower of TiPB as well. I will miss this device, but AT&T is becoming worse, my phone feels stodgy, and I loathe iTunes.
Take care TiPB! AndroidCentral, I'm movin in!
I was excited for this product when it first was announced. Since then I've lost interest in it. Its just like all the other Android phones, just with a bigger screen, really poor battery life, and 4G network I can't use since I'm in New York.
I loved my iPhone til the 3.1.2 update hit an now I can tell my 3G won't be able to handle the OS 4.0 update it'll just slow ever more so if the iPhone HD doesn't have a 1Ghz processor or faster I'm jumping ship 4 the amazing Specs of the Evo , but sprint not having sim cards annoys me, regardless the
Dell Streak is an iPhone Killer as well with it's amazing 5" screen & snapdragon an froyo android In sept!
Apparently the battery life of the Evo is really good. But then again, so's the iPhone. Who knows, eh?
Man, I wish I ran this site. I would put whatever news I wanted on here and say what I wanted. Anyone who didn't like it could leave. Man, I can wait until I get my website up and running...
I don't get the need for some of you to bad mouth anything different. I'm one that wanted an iPhone but was unwilling to switch carriers. So I got a Moto Droid. Its far from perfect but it was nonetheless lightyears ahead of anything else in VZWs lineup. It's about choice and as a consumer that's all I ask for.
I wouldn't get too upset about this post (after all, it is The iPhone Blog) because the next "shiny new ball" is about to roll down the street in the form of the HTC Scorpion. 1.5GHz Snapdragon, use 50% less power than current Snapdragons, Froyo,.... The list goes on.
What many don't realize is that Android can sync music with DoubleTwist and view the Android Market from within it as well (although it looks a LOT like iTunes - I smell a lawsuit brewing). Works just like iTunes in fact.
The big thing is what so many level headed folks have already posted: does it suit your needs? If so, it doesn't matter if something better comes out - Android or iPhone. Plus, we don't know what to expect from WWDC anymore than anyone knew what to expect from Google I/O.
iPhone 4g is gonna be sick. They said release is 18th of june: http://briefmobile.com/apple-iphone-4g-coming-june-18th
I'm not sure. Video conferencing will be soo awesome
Wake up apple fanboys and face it, the iphone is lame and a thing of the past. The apple fanboys cant handle the truth, face it,their is a new sheriff in town and he goes by the name EVO
okay well this is how i look at it iphone 4 is just a lame excuse for not having a 4g network like sprint. now i think the best way to get everything is to get evo which has more features than iphone 4 and some the same, and get a little cheep 8 gb itouch that way you dont have to have a crapy network you got 4g and you got an iphone that lacks really only to things a camera and calls out. and there are apps for calling on itouches. people really need to look at everything about all your options because evo to me is a better phone in general thats why i want it but like i said get a little 8 gb itouch because like whoever said most apps are crap anything cool cost alot
also the big deal about vidio calling is that iphone you must have wifi and evo can do that without wifi and nobody knows that
srry again but i do agree that the battery would die very fast on the first 4g but at the same time i want to get the first because the next upgrade i get will be when a really good 4g phone comes out mabe then att will have a better 3g network lol and stop charging random ppl more money than what they signed for lol
Funny how this article lost steam after that lame WWDC... It was a bit underwhelming. So, the killer feature of the new iphone is "a retina display"? They both do video calling with the advantage going to the Evo since it does it over 3g, 4g and wifi (also not just to other Evo's, unlike that iphone to iphone video call over wifi only)...now that gyroscope feature is just what I've been waiting for in a phone, lol!
The imovie app looks nice, but not enough to make me want one
Hey! this new HTC 4G looks hellz nice!!! i'm really wanting to get this phone, i think Android is by far more good than the iOS IMO so i guess thats the telly for me
Only things of issue are 1.) alarm clock got no pop up to dismiss or snooze the very first time I used it. It's already been great since then but wow- that was interesting. Had to turn it off to stop the song! 2.) One day, all my imported (at Sprint store) contacts disappeared. Only the ones I had hand loaded directly remained. I lost ~ 113 names, numbers that I have no idea how to get back. They are not in my gmail or anything..