The anticipation and hype that surrounded the lead-up to the HTC Evo 4G's release was pretty heavy. Fortunately, it doesn't disappoint, easily setting itself up as one of the best, most full-featured smartphones in the market today.
Physically, it's a large device with solid, sturdy construction. HTC did manage to slim it down to half an inch thick, making the slate almost pocketable in a "bursting out of your pants" sort of way. The size, of course, is due to the huge 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen, which shows sharp lines and vibrant colors. It's quite mesmerizing to look at, apart from offering a spacious onscreen keyboard, although the colors do wash heavily under sunlight.
As a phone, the Evo 4G makes for excellent calls. Voices came through loud and clear, with no distortion of any sort. Those on the other end reported the same thing. Speakerphone calls were also good, making for serviceable quality even in loud environments. Battery is good for around one day of moderate use, although we'd recommend carrying a charger with you, just in case.
The handset is a veritable feature showcase, with literally every modern convenience you can find in any other smartphone and at least one (4G connectivity) that you can't. Sure, the network isn't available in most places, but if you happen to be in one of the lucky cities, you can enjoy really fast download speeds that put current HSPA networks to shame. Well, not that much, since when we tried it, we did run into some lags with SprintTV (yes, believe it or not). YouTube HQ and Hulu went hitch-free though (the latter with a few seconds initial loading). Do note that with 4G, you can use simultaneous voice and data, allowing you to keep the phone alive as a mobile hotspot even while taking calls.
It runs Android 2.1 out of the box (which you can now update to 2.2, by the way), which brings all of the platform's latest capabilities into your hands. Suffice to say, everything is here, from the robust messaging to the Google's suite of apps. It also runs the latest version of HTC Sense, which comes with numerous useful tools, such as Agenda, Group Contacts and Friend Stream.
Android is notorious as a less-than-ideal multimedia phone, but the Evo 4G changes all that. With support for 720p processing, an HDMI out and superb audio quality, it lays a strong argument for being a solid multimedia device. It also has an 8.0 megapixel camera that shoots impressive photos and pretty good 720p videos.
Overall, the HTC Evo 4G easily finds a place in the top of the heap among Android devices. The data charges can be expensive, but could be worth it, especially since the phone costs the same as other high-end handsets at $199.99 with a two year contract from Sprint.
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EVO 4G Review…
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