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.

 

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.