HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint

The single best selling Android phone on Sprint is the original HTC EVO. Since that device, Sprint has tried to re-capture the EVO effect with several devices, all from HTC. The HTC EVO Shift and the EVO 3D really didn’t do so great in comparison, but that hasn’t stopped HTC and Sprint from trying again. With Sprint’s LTE network just a flick of the switch away (or so they tell us), the HTC EVO 4G LTE is has come to Sprint.

Hardware, and the return of the kickstand 

 

The original HTC Evo was an ugly phone. It was the first 4.3-inch Android handset, but managed the same resolution as the smaller screens available. As a result, most of the icons looked cartoonish, and the overall usability suffered as a result. The EVO came to Sprint at a time when Sprint needed to deliver their new 4G network, so it combined a 4G radio with the first huge phone screen. The result was a recipe for success.

The EVO 4G LTE comes equipped with many of the same features, only they have been fine-tuned after years of hardware improvement across the mobile ecosystem. This new EVO is lighter, thinner, stronger, and much faster than anything else on Sprint right now. Combine that with a terrific Super LCD qHD display and an LTE radio, and you’ve got the makings of a really great phone.

When the EVO 3D was released, HTC told us that they weren’t able to squeeze in a kickstand like the one found in the original. It was too hard and they couldn’t make the phone any thinner. Times sure have changes, because the EVO 4G LTE comes in at 0.35-inches thick and manages to include a kickstand. In fact, after two years of trying to put a kickstand in a phone, this new EVO finally does it right. You can stand the phone up on either of its long sides, or lay it on the back and let it wobble a little.

The casing for this phone is clearly the result of HTC’s attempts to fine-tune this design for the past couple of years. The front and most of the back is a matte finish plastic that is unfortunately an oil and fingerprint magnet, but feels very comfortable to hold in your hand. The top portion of the casing, just above the kickstand, is a glossy black plastic that is pretty different from the rest of the phone. The different texture is a little strange to look at, but actually makes it easier to hold the phone as your fingers rest on the two different textures.

The removable glossy backing reveals a microSD slot, but no SIM slot. In fact, the SIM slot is not accessible by the user at all — the EVO 4G LTE has an embedded SIM. It is unlikely that will cause any issues, but the idea that you can’t get to the SIM sets me on edge a little. You also don’t have access to the 2000mAh battery in the phone, but that is a growing trend in thinner, sexier phones.

You’ll also fin NFC on the inside of this device, an 16GB of internal storage. All of this is powered by the 1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 and 1GB or RAM, similar to what we’ve seen in HTC’s ONE X. What really sets this phone apart from the others on Sprint is yet to come. When the Sprint LTE network is turned on, the EVO 4G LTE will be the only LTE device on the network where the radio baseband is found on the Snapdragon chipset, instead of on a separate chip. In theory, this will mean better battery usage than the other LTE devices.

Screen and Camera 

In a world with Goliath phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note, it is not enough to simply have the biggest screen anymore. HTC put a 4.7-inch 720×1280 SuperLCD screen in the EVO 4G LTE. This is not only just under half an inch larger than the EVO screen, but significantly higher quality and greater resolution display. The phone doesn’t disappoint, everything on the phone looks great. As an LCD display, it has a great color balance and the resolution makes text display very sharp. When you take the phone outside, expect the sun to wash out the screen a bit, and in direct sunlight understand that the backlight on the phone will lose out most times. You’ll need to rely on your shadow to use the phone to read something outside. Otherwise, it’s a really great screen.

The EVO 4G LTE also comes with HTC’s amazing new 8MP camera with a backlit sensor. From a hardware perspective, this means you’ll be able to take great photos even in low light. The camera really does compete with most of the low-end point and shoot cameras. The hardware is combined with HTC’s camera app, which has been finely tuned to offer you the best shot possible. Because of the dedicated shutter button on the EVO 4G LTE, you can hold that button down and allow the burst mode of the camera to instantly take 20 rapid fire photos, and then the software will help you pick the best one. The software even allows for HDR shots, which have a high likelihood of turning out absolutely amazing as long as you can hold the phone still.

HTC Sense and Sprint 

The phone has no shortage of what most would consider bloatware, but the case of the EVO 4G LTE is somewhat unique. This is the first phone I have ever used that had bloatware from HTC, Sprint, and Google. The typical HTC Sense 4 apps are all there, ready and willing to try really hard to not get in the way of using your phone. On top of this, Sprint has their arsenal of account apps, Sprint TV, and so far it looks like these apps can be removed.

It is good to see Sprint keeping promises and HTC not stopping basic Android 4.0 functionality from allowing the users to choose what is on their phones. However, added to the normal lineup of additional software from carrier and OEM, I found new Google apps. The Google Shopper app, for example, is pre-loaded on the phone. Nestled right next to the Google Wallet app, Shopper is on the phone to help you look for things that you can buy with Google Wallet online, in case you aren’t in the store to buy it.

If the software comes from Google, is it still bloatware? It’s an interesting though, considering I’ll probably never use the Shopper app, and I have yet to use a phone where Shopper came pre-installed.

Final Thoughts 

 

When Sprint’s LTE network is finally turned on, I am sure this will continue to be a really great phone. As it stands right now, the lack of any kind of 4G is the only thing holding this phone back from being one of the best devices out there. Compared to AT&T’s or Verizon’s LTE, the Sprint 4G service is mildly akin to dial-up in my area. It made the phone fairly difficult to use any time I traveled outside with it.

The biggest question I have about the EVO 4G LTE phone can’t be answered until the LTE network goes live, and that’s how the battery life on the phone is with LTE on, specifically how it compares to the rest of the LTE devices out there. Aside from the battery life question, the HTC EVO 4G LTE is by far the best phone on Sprint today.

This review was based on an Evo 4G loaner unit, provided by Sprint.

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