Product Evaluation
by Joel Saltzman
One thing is perfectly clear, RIM better
wake up to the fact that it's a new world out there. People want a better
browsing experience. It took three
years and some major patent infringement battles but another iPhone challenger
has emerged. Most people have no idea that HTC has been building PDA devices
for years under the radar. That's because, until recently, most of their
products were carrier branded. That has changed. I was always impressed
with HTC products and features. It was their reliability that concerned
me. I later realized that it was the Microsoft OS that was the problem,
not the hardware. I discovered this after HTC began making models for
Google's Android platform which were incredibly stable. Ironically, the
T-Mobile HTC HD2 running Windows 6.5 is the first Microsoft device that
really kicked butt and was stable. Too bad they abandoned this for Windows
7 for mobiles after finally getting it right. HTC just introduced the
HTC Incredible for Verizon. Much to Motorola's chagrin, it is being touted
as the latest and greatest Droid. It certainly is, or I should say was,
until yesterday when Sprint launched their 4G HTC EVO. Verizon's HTC "Incredible"
model is very similar to the EVO but has a different display technology
and is not 4G, among a few other small distinctions. It is, as the name
implies, "Incredible". One thing most of these HTC models have
in common is a Qualcomm 1GZ SnapDragon Processor and a huge HD display.
I also do not have access to 4G in the Los Angeles market yet so this
review is confined to 3G data speeds which were more than satisfactory
for this eval. I like the fact that you can customize different "scenes"
which are profiles and go back to theem anytime. I have my favorite bookmarks
saved for one-touch launching along with my most used APPS. This model
has the best Touch Pad Keypad and entry system of any touch screen model
I have used. The spell check/word suggest feature makes it easy when you
miss a letter.
While I liked the feel of
my old iPhone better in my hand, this device has a much larger screen.
It also has a faster processor, better camera, removable battery, removable
memory, built-in router, and of course, 3G coverage nearly everywhere,
with 4G coming very soon. Even with just 3G EVDO, I was shocked at how
great the browsing experience was. Surprisingly, I was even able to
watch the SwellMagnet.com video surf cams which stream video which is
a PDA first for me. Since I have a Google account, all my information
wirelessly synced immediately. My SuperTooth3 BlueTooth device paired
automatically and loaded all the contacts without prompting which was
very convenient. Nothing is as intuitive as BlackBerry OS but I was
able to figure most everything out without reading the manual. One thing
that I did not figure out yet was how to do a conference call but I
am going to work on that. Aside from internet browsing, using FaceBook
is unbelievable on this device, as is e-mail. Since the OS is pretty
much open source, everything can be personalized and customized to the
users preference. The GPS feature allows applications like weather to
always show you the latest conditions automatically - regardless of
the city you are in. Very cool. I took several pictures, and while not
exactly Carl Zeiss optics, the 8.0mp camera picture quality looked easily
twice as good as my 3.2mp Blackberry camera. The phone was easy to dial
and the touch interface, my biggest concern, was rather easy for my
big clumsy fingers. This is my second foray with Touch Screen devices.
The first was my 3G-8GB iPhone which was ultimately too difficult for
me to accurately input text and numbers. The EVO appears to be more
user friendly and multi tasks better than I do. Battery life was my
other big concern. So far, it does not appear any better or worse than
my BlackBerry Tour. Of course, I haven't tried the built-in 4G Router.
I did watch some videos with my daughter. Not ony was the picture quality
superb, but the built-in kick stand was a thoughtful addition when watching
videos with multiple people. I am sure this feature will be great for
video chatting as well. With 8 people simultaneously watching video,
I am betting battery life would be reduced substantially. I'm only into
the third day of playing with this and am already convinced that my
Blackberry days are over for now until RIM brings out a 4G Storm4 or
comparable model. I highly recommend this model and will be keeping
my evaluation model. I will update this review once I have had some
more experience with my EVO. Good Times!
One
Week Later Evaluation Update...
Now that I have had a chance
to play with this thing a bit, I have noticed a few things, both good
and bad. First, this device, like the iPhone, has a sensor that kills
the screen lighting when it goes up against your face. Several times,
the screen remained black and did not return when I removed it from
my face. I could not answer my call waiting or try to conference call
both parties when this happened. For four days, my battery would drop
rapidly through the course of the day, I could go until about 10pm before
it went totally dead. For the last few days, my battery life seems to
be getting progressively worse. I don't know if it is from streaming
video cameras, wifi or bluetooth but my BlackBerry smoked thiis thing
for battery life. This smokes the 'Berry though for web browsing and
applications though.
Yes, it has flash, but a
lite version that works with some types of Adobe Flash, but not others.
I noticed that HULU did not work on this device.
I would have preferred Andoid
2.2 with full Adobe Flash support, and better battery life from day
one. That being said, this is device provided me with the best mobile
internet browsing experience to date. It's 4.3 inch screen blows away
Apple's 3.5". Unfortunately, bigger screen = bigger device. it
takes big hands to hold the EVO so it may not be for everyone.
Two
Weeks Later Evaluation Update...
Still loving
this device but have discovered that the battery life has become even
worse. After speaking with an HTC/EVO "expert" at Sprint,
I was instructed to do about 15 things that would increase battery life
without effecting my user experience. One of these brilliant ideas was
to disable an "always on" data feature and download an "Application
Killer". I am not sure which was the
culprit, but after doing all this, my device began booting itself up
several times an hour with no prompting from me.
I am going to reset the device,
drop another $40 on a second battery, and live with crappy battery life.
Don't buy this device without an extra home charger, car charger and/or
battery. That being said, at least I can easily change my battery out
for a fresh one. What a concept!
Six
Weeks Later Evaluation Update
Strange,
now that I got a second battery with charger, I haven't needed it. Last
week, Sprint pushed the new Android 2.2 OS to me as an upgrade. This
upgrade includes full Flash 10.1 and my EVO is does seem even more battery
efficient as also touted with this upgrade. Also tried the video chat
feature with an included FREE APP called QIK. This APP also allows me
to share my videos with friends. This HTC EVO just keeps getting better.
I can't imagine how cool it will be when they flip the 4G on in my area.
Three months later...
The EVO is a monster. The Pancreatic
Cancer Research Organization found this out last Sunday at their LA
Cancer Cure 10k Run. They had asked me if I could help them create a
wireless network at 6:00am on the Sunday morning of their event. I volunteered
my time and resources. My HTC EVO became their APN secured Hotspot.
The event organizers were able to handle late registrations and credit
card processing on site. Multi tasking? While my EVO was creating this
wifi network, it was also taking pictures of the event, taking HD video
clips, and amazingly, allowing me to watch the Miami Dolphin's on http://www.atdhe.net.
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HTC
EVO 4G (Sprint)
Dr
Wireless Choice for "Best SmartPhone"
They say good things come in small packages and the new HTC EVO is no
exception to this rule. While the device is not small by any standard,
the box was remarkably small and looked like it was made out of "green"
recycle egg crates...
www.drwireless.com
A device beyond compare
HTC EVO 4G delivers a robust list of features, including a 1GHz Qualcomm®
Snapdragon™ processor ensuring a smooth and quick user experience.
With dual cameras – an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with
HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera
– HTC EVO 4G unleashes the ability to create, stream and watch
video that far surpasses expectations of what is possible on a phone
today.
With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO 4G allows up to
eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 4G experience. Users can
easily share an Internet connection on the go with a laptop, camera,
music player, game unit, video player, or any other Wi-Fi enabled
device.
With integrated HD video capture and 4G speeds, HTC EVO 4G makes slow
uploads and grainy video a thing of the past. Now, it is possible
to post high-quality video to YouTube™ or Facebook, or share
moments in real time over the Internet live, via Qik. After these
videos have been captured, it is easy to share them on an HDTV via
an HDMI cable (sold separately).
The custom Web browser is optimized for HTC EVO 4G’s large display
and Sprint 4G speeds to deliver a full, no-compromise Internet experience.
Adobe Flash technology ensures that rich Internet content, such as
embedded video and animation, are displayed the way they are meant
to be seen. Pinch-to-zoom and automatic text reflowing provide easy
Web page views.
HTC EVO 4G features the newest version of the highly acclaimed HTC
Sense user experience. Along with all of the HTC Sense features first
introduced on HTC Hero, HTC EVO 4G adds a number of new features,
including Friend Stream, which aggregates multiple social communication
channels including Facebook and Twitter™ into one organized
flow of updates; a “Leap” thumbnail view to easily switch
between home screen “panels;” the ability to download
new, interactive widgets; and a “polite” ringer, which
quiets the ringing phone once lifted up.
“HTC and Sprint have a strong history of working together to
bring consumers technologies and advancements that make their lives
easier,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC. “We believe that
the HTC EVO 4G represents the best of Sprint and the best of HTC working
together to bring an unmatched device to the U.S. This combination
of HTC and Sprint innovation will allow people to do even more while
on the go, faster than ever on the Sprint 4G network.”
Experience Android at 4G
HTC EVO 4G, the world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, features
the latest iteration of the increasingly popular Android platform.
Leveraging the Android 2.1 platform, HTC EVO 4G can deliver a wide
array of useful new features:
• Android 2.1 enables a new way to search with pictures instead
of words. Google Goggles™ works with everything from books,
DVDs and barcodes to landmarks, logos, artwork and even wine labels.
A picture taken of the Golden Gate Bridge returns all of the information
anyone would need to know about the structure. By just taking a picture
of several restaurant options, HTC EVO 4G will provide restaurant
reviews to ensure the best choice.
• Text messaging and email composition feature built-in voice-to-text
technology. By simply pressing a microphone button on the screen,
messages can be composed by just speaking, making keeping in touch
faster and easier than ever.
• Through Android Market™, HTC EVO 4G users have access
to thousands of useful applications, widgets and games to download
and install on their phone, with many more to come.
SPECIFICATIONS:
* Dimensions: 4.8 x 2.6 x .5 (LxWxT)
* Weight: 6 ounces
* Main display: 4.3” WVGA (800*480) 65K colors
* Standard removable 1500mAh Lithium (Li-on) battery
* Memory: 1GB ROM, 512MB RAM
It's no secret that Sprint's Everything 450 plan
is the most generous in the business. That's because it includes Any
Mobile-Anytime. That means calling and being called by 280 million
cellphones for FREE without using any of your minutes. If you can
survive on 450 landline minutes, you get everything else unlimited
for only $79.99. Unlike the other carriers, data is unlimited as is
TV and everything else. The only problem was Sprint did not have an
iPhone or really great PDA. They do now! It's no coincidence that
both AT&T and Verizon just quietly jacked their early termination
fees for their smartphone subscribers from $175 to $325 and $350 respectively.
Dr Wireless Special
Tip for laptop owners...
HTC
actually includes a FREE Phone as a modem Application on this device
which enables usage without paying the customary $15 per month additional
monthly phone as a modem carrier charge. Ask Dr Wireless for details.
Dr Wireless
Rating.... 9.2
Performance:
Excellent
Ergonomics: Very
Good
Battery mgmt: Fair
- Good
Menu: Excellent
Features: Excellent
Menu Navigation: Very
Good
In summary, the HTC EVO is a computer, a phone, a wifi router, a 4.3"
flat screen HD TV, an 8mp camera, an HD Video Camcorder, a music player,
a flashlight and a million other things. The possibilities are endless.
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