HTC EVO 4G Review
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While the multimedia options of the HTC EVO 4G remain unchanged from other devices, the 4.3” display make it a veritable multimedia powerhouse. The new YouTube app automatically goes to HD when in 4G coverage, and side-loaded videos look amazing on the huge screen. The EVO blurs the line between tablet and phone well. True, the iPad offers a much bigger screen, but it’s not something that you can slip in your pocket easily. The EVO is a true portable multimedia device. Even over 3G, SprintTV looks better than ever, but is not available over WiFi. The HTC EVO 4G handled all of our MPEG-4 test files just fine, but has no support for DivX or XviD, something we’d love to see corrected in future releases.
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The HTC music player remains unchanged, and several options are available from the Market. The HTC player has been good enough for us, and in fact we’ve given up our iPod touch in favor of the Hero a few months back. There are several streaming services such as Pandora, Slacker Radio and Rhapsody which further enhance the music experience on the EVO 4G and Android in general. We used our Plantronics Backbeat 903s to listen to music and were quite pleased with the quality of both streaming and side-loaded music. The EVO 4G ships with an 8GB microSD card and can support cards up to 32GB. The addition of an FM radio makes the HTC EVO 4G all the more capable, though the wired headset is required as it serves as an antenna.
Camera and Video:
The HTC EVO 4G has two cameras, a main 8 megapixel shooter capable of recording videos in 720p and a front-facing 1.3MP cam for self-portraits and video chat. HTC has been good about upping the sensor size, but their picture quality has not always been top-notch. The EVO 4G is very good, but we’ll hold off on saying great. All-in-all images were well reproduced; colors were natural, graining was minimal and details were sharp. When viewed at their full 8MP resolution some distortion came into play, but on our high-def monitor pictures looked really good scaled down, and on the EVO’s display they looked downright fantastic. Another fantastic aspect is the shooting speed: we were able to cold start the camera and snap a shot in under 3 seconds. With the review turned off we were able to snap a second shot in under a second. The auto-focus is lightning quick as is the shutter, which is a great feature to have. The one issue we have is that the front-facing camera takes reverse pictures, much like Apple’s iSight. We’re not sure if this is intentional (with Apple it is) or if it will be addressed in a future update.
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Samples shot with the HTC EVO 4G | |||
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Strong | Medium | Low light | Darkness |
Indoor samples | |||
HD videos were also good, but not great. We took the EVO 4G out for a spin in our test cemetery and there wasn’t significant blurring, but the color did have issues adjusting at times throughout the video. All-in-all we were impressed with the EVO 4G’s video capabilities, it is a phone after all. Starting a recording was just as quick as snapping a photo. We will say we’d prefer a dedicated camera key however.
HTC EVO 4G sample video at 1280x720 pixels resolution.
HTC EVO 4G sample video 2.
HTC EVO 4G sample video 3.
HTC EVO 4G sample video 4.
In terms of options you’ll find a number of goodies. You can adjust the brightness, contrast, saturation and sharpness and set the metering mode and flicker adjustment. The ISO can be set to auto, or manually set to 100, 200, 400, 800 or 1250. There is a face detection option, but not anti-shake. Images can be geotaged and timestamped. All of our photos were snapped with default settings, we’re sure a professional photographer could get slightly better results than we were able to achieve.
We did run into one potential serious problem when attempting to use the camera: there were multiple times that it would give us a memory card error and not allow us to save any pictures. When trying to send pictures the EVO automatically scales down the size for MMS, but at times we also got a could not resize error and so were unable to send the image. These issues were fixed via a soft reset which leads us to believe it is all software related, but hopefully these issues will get resolved quickly because obviously it was frustrating, especially since pictures can't always be retaken.
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34 Comments
2. jdmdany posted on 31 May 2010, 09:46 0 0
i wouldnt really consider the kickstand to be a pro. i do think its a great idea but i dont think its something id keep in mind as beneficial over a different high end android device.
26. remixfa posted on 19 Jun 2010, 10:20 2 0
yea, u say that until you want to watch a movie, voice call, or utube... then that kickstand will be a priority.
4. jdmdany posted on 31 May 2010, 11:42 0 0
i hate that this website has fanboys for phones they dont own yet
22. WKlingbeil posted on 10 Jun 2010, 18:19 0 0
I'm sure there are plenty of people that hate that this website has people that complain and post a useless comment on forums.
5. Jyakotu posted on 31 May 2010, 14:37 0 0
From reading the review, Phone Arena, you really didn't go indepth with 4G speeds. Other sites went further indepth with 4G speeds and how they differentiate from 3G. Are you planning to do a comparison feature soon.?
8. mr. anderson posted on 31 May 2010, 16:58 0 0
from the screenshots it doesnt look like they have 4g in their area. its basically the same as wifi, it just makes everything even faster
9. Jyakotu posted on 31 May 2010, 17:47 0 0
I still would love for them to go to a city with 4G and they do a cover piece on it.
6. TechBlue posted on 31 May 2010, 14:39 0 0
IMO its to big and bulky not a pocket phone, but whatever works for ya
10. KArkhon posted on 31 May 2010, 19:04 0 0
Agreed, it's way too big to be practical. However, the specs are really amazing, and it would be nice to see them in 4 or 3.7 size.
11. stix26 posted on 01 Jun 2010, 14:36 0 0
there is a phone like that...Its teh HTC Incredible. Remember the Evo has the same resolution as the Increcible so that spec is not that much different. Bigger isn't always better. For me i want a 4.1 inch screen with better res better processor lighter than this...then i will upgrade from my Droid.
25. renegade626 posted on 18 Jun 2010, 16:35 0 0
You can compare specs all day long, but until you can hold both phone up next to eachother and try them out, its hard to compare... I was able to do this, and I can say that between the incredible and the EVO, the EVO is by far superior.. I can think its safe to assume at least 9 out of 10 people who have been able to do this would agree with me
13. sprintguy123 posted on 01 Jun 2010, 21:43 0 0
the battery is a 1500 mAH. abit better then the iphone...but like all htc's the apps will kill it...
15. paynekiller posted on 02 Jun 2010, 06:34 0 0
there is mention of battery life, right on this very page. They said it lasted 6hrs 18mins talktime in their tests "Similarly to the Hero, the HTC EVO 4G uses a 1500mAh battery. However, instead of being rated at 4 hours of talk time, the battery on the EVO is rated 50% higher at six hours. We were a bit skeptical, especially with such a large display, but lo and behold we were able to achieve 18 minutes more than the rated time"
16. suziehopedope posted on 04 Jun 2010, 03:13 0 0
The unleashing of the EVO 4G is sure to be beyond belief. I cannot wait to get in line and wait this phone out. My local Sprint store is going to be open at 8am. I hope this phone is not a failure like the Palm Pre. Such a horrible phone. I got a lot of good info fromhttp://htcevoreview.com
19. hightech3000 posted on 08 Jun 2010, 11:21 0 0
BEFORE GETTING NEW EVO PHONE FROM SPRINT The phone will cost $10 more per month and another $30 per month for hotspot! That's $40 more each month and not worth it. When ask about 4G in Tenn they said it is not slated for TN 12 months or more. What are we paying for. They say... the best camera and it is very fast. Every phone out today has a camera and I for one do not need a 8meg photo on my phone.
24. GoofyGirl_77 posted on 14 Jun 2010, 12:17 0 0
I too was surprised that it was not just the additional $10 like had been discussed. But when I connected my iPad to my phone effortlessly while relaxing this weekend that $30 didn't seem like too big of a deal at all! It's all in perception. What does everyone pay monthly for their internet services? I would imagine it is more than $30! This phone is awesome! The only real complaint I have at this point is the lack of thought in design because the camera lens literally is what the phone rests on when on it's back - who's bright idea was that????
20. mike123 posted on 09 Jun 2010, 12:03 0 0
great phone and for a bluetooth just as advanced, check out the jawbone icon at bluetoothandbeyond.com they have the best prices on bluetooth headsets and a great warranty.
23. dadoo985 posted on 12 Jun 2010, 04:09 0 0
THIS PHONE IS AWESOME!!!!! WISH IT HAS BETTER SCREEN RESOLUTION!!!!!
27. teamblackdroid posted on 22 Jun 2010, 10:34 0 0
AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE PICTURES OF A GRAVEYARD AS THE EXAMPLE OF HOW WELL THE CAMERA WORKS?!??!?! Anyway, I really want this phone, I'm scared to go to all touch though.
28. swagnificent posted on 25 Jun 2010, 19:02 0 0
I've wanted this smart-phone ever since I started seeing leaks everywhere was a lot of hype that came along with this device which isn't always a good thing In this case everyone was SPOT on! I'm getting mine at the end of July and I think I'm more excited to get this then I was when I got my Iphone.When The HTC hero came out I was so stoked and wanted one so badly. But a little voice in my head told me to wait because something better will be released and I'll be kicking myself I'm so glad I waited! Msg from Ryan via my blackberry on the sprint now network
30. YR82 (unregistered) posted on 10 Sep 2010, 05:39 0 0
Can any one tell me weather its (locked) on sprint only? or can i use it on other network using other sim card?
34. shyne (unregistered) posted on 08 Apr 2011, 10:42 0 0
its a cdma phone== 1. cdma phones dont have sim card.. 2. its exclusive with sprint..
31. fugeesnfunions (unregistered) posted on 20 Dec 2010, 01:38 0 0
I want to call this review a joke, but jokes are funny. After seeing the ridiculous Sprint TV ad that ends with a quote from this review saying the Evo "goes toe to toe with the iPhone and beats it", I had to see what bastion of crap could produce a purely sensationalist headline like that. I'm all for everyone having their own opinion, but when EVERY SINGLE respected tech blog and review comes away with a drastically different take, then either the one outlier is being compensated in some way or they're just plain stupid. I'll give these guys the benefit of the doubt and assume the former.
I personally tried this phone for a week but had to return it because it felt so incredibly "laggy". I even made a YouTube video showing how bad it was, you can find it if you search for Evo vs iPhone.
At the end of the day, reviews and feelings about something are subjective and almost impossible to accurately quantify, but facts aren't, and that FACT that since 2007 (I didn't even bother looking further back) until now, EVERY SINGLE survey of iPhone users has found them to be unquestionably the most satisfied group of mobile phone users by a huge margin. According to ChangeWave's latest survey, the current leader in mobile phone satisfaction surveys, 84% of 32 GB iPhone 4 users are "very satisfied" (the highest available ranking). When you add in all other iPhone models currently available, over 99% of them are either "satisfied" or "very satisfied". A 99% satisfaction rating; that's all but unparalleled in ANY industry, let alone the mobile arena. In that same survey HTC saw a measly 45% "very satisfied" of their "other models" and a 76% very satisfied for the Evo (a rating that drops every time a new survey is done. Almost every HTC model starts with a rating in the 70's but they all inevitably fall to the 30's or 40's). When people from all the carriers except AT&T were asked, 1 in 3 said they would buy an iPhone if it was available on their network. Even when looking at HTC owners specifically, the number is the same. 1 in 3 wish they could have an iPhone. So say what you will, but the numbers don't lie.
35. shyne (unregistered) posted on 08 Apr 2011, 10:52 0 0
you would rate a phone depending on how you intend to use it.. statistics is good.. but ul get to know what ur talking about if ul use them side by side on a 4g network...be practical:
1. total MONTHLY PLAN PRICE
2. device discounted price
3. speed
4.CONNECTIVITY(bluetooth,hotspot,etc)
5.ohh, bro--HDMI=== i just use my evo during my sister's wedding then use the HDMI...
6. MULTIFUNCTIONALITY
That's for me though...
33. Android Fanatic (unregistered) posted on 28 Jan 2011, 08:13 0 0
I am lusting for HTC EVO 4G
