Verizon and Sprint are doing everything they can to eat away at the stronghold the iPhone currently has on the smartphone market by jumping head-first into supporting Android-powered phones.
Sprint's HTC EVO 4G is currently among the leaders in the increasingly powerful Android army.
The phone costs $199 with a new two-year agreement, after a $100 rebate. The data plans start at $69.99 per month and there is a $10 month add-on fee for "premium data."
A review unit was temporarily provided to azcentral.com by Sprint. Here are the highlights.
Android
The EVO is currently running the Android 2.1 software, skinned with HTC's Sense build. It's the same setup that Droid Incredible users get.
A new version of the platform was recently announced, but there is no official word on if the EVO will be getting the update.
The result of the existing software is a very quick and sleek operating system. There is virtually zero lag while swapping between widgets, apps, or features. It has the standard feature of multiple screens running at the same time. A simple pinch of the screen or push of the home-button will reveal the seven screens, which can combine to run just about every major widget the phone has to offer.
The software also does true multi-tasking.
Because the Android software is supported by Google, all of the search engine giant's features are strongly integrated into the phone.
Then there is the ever-growing Android market, which Sprint said features more than 60,000 applications. Though, it's not as developed as the Apple market, Droid's offering has a great variety of applications available.
Design
The EVO is big and heavy. There's no getting around that. The 4.3 inch LCD screen and six ounce weight is substantial in a market where phones are pushing to be lighter. But smaller isn't always better. In the case of the EVO, the large screen offers up a very good Internet browsing experience.
Turning the phone on its side, in landscape mode, means that full-fledge websites have room to be displayed. A visit to azcentral.com's non-mobile site, for instance, does almost nothing to take away from the layout users will see on a computer.
But the screen is most noticeable when loading videos. YouTube clips take up the entire display and make it easy to drop the phone's kick-stand to watch a video.
The display area also allows for more room to the touch keyboard and to apps.
With a big screen comes a large phone. It will prove difficult to handle with one hand. That's especially true when trying to unlock the phone by pushing the power button. It's virtually impossible to hold the phone and push the button with one hand.
So EVO users will have to accept that the phone comes with size and weight and know that it can translate into a satisfying visual experience.
Battery life
The biggest problem with the phone is how quickly the battery will drain. But that is true of most current generation smartphones. They're essentially pocket computers that have Wi-Fi, notifications, and GPS running at all times. The EVO, though, can drain alarmingly fast.
One way to preserve the battery life, especially for power users, is to turn off Wi-Fi unless it's needed and to disable GPS. The battery lasted considerably longer with those features off.
The camera
The EVO is a multimedia powerhouse. The 8 megapixel, duel LED flash, camera on the back, and the 1.3 megapixel camera on the front, combine to create a very solid experience. Every picture in the slideshow included in this review was taken with the EVO. As was the video embedded that shows a Sprint employee demonstrating the phone.
There is no question that the camera can replace most point-and-click cameras. The 720p capable video camera is more than enough to make pocket cameras obsolete.
4G
Sprint is touting the EVO as the nation's first cell phone able to handle both the 3G and 4G networks. The problem is that Arizona hasn't been given access to Sprint's 4G, which boasts dramatically faster speeds than the 3G network.
Sprint has announced 4G in 36 markets but has not said when or if Arizona will get it.
Until then, at least two of the phone's major features will be weakened in Arizona.
That doesn't mean that Arizona's residents shouldn't by the phone or feel cheated if they did. It's just a fact that 4G hasn't arrived here. When it does, the phone will be able to connect by simply pushing the 4G button found on one of the phone's default screens.
Mobile WiFi
Perhaps the most useful feature on this phone is the ability to turn it into a Wi-Fi spot for up to eight devices. The feature costs $30 extra a month but it is well worth the cost for frequent travelers or for anybody who owns the phone in a 4G market.
Setting up the Wi-Fi feature is fast and the 3G download speeds were very solid throughout the Phoenix area. There was a noticeable drop in speeds, however, when multiple devices were connected and running high-bandwidth websites.
Video calling
Sprint's partnered with Qik, a mobile streaming video service, to provide video calling. Qik allows users with most smartphones to stream live video and store it online through user accounts.
In the EVO, Qik has created an exclusive video calling application. It's the EVO's version of the iPhone 4's Facetime application.
The problem in Arizona is that the quality is horrible over 3G. So using a Wi-Fi connection is the best way to go. Once running on a quality Internet connection, the video-calling is still a little buggy but works as advertised. Qik has already released an updated application that added stability to the calls. The one drawback is that users will need a Qik account to make or receive video calls.
Overall
Sprint's HTC EVO 4G is one beast of a phone. It runs on a mobile platform that is picking up steam, features some of the best multi-media hardware currently on the market and runs on a reliable network.
But not having 4G in Arizona is currently limiting what the phone can do. Sprint users should still flock to this phone because both of what it can do now and what it promises to do if the 4G flood-gates are opened locally.
Sprint HTC EVO 4G offers great multimedia power
