14 DAY TRIAL // Like all segments of the IT industry, the smartphone market gets constantly updated, as new models with small design updates or optimized interfaces show up to keep things fresh. At times, however, some company or another will suddenly start working on a device that has the potential to truly stand out, even act as a forerunner for next-generation products. Whether through official announcement or unofficial reports, these projects always come to light, and HTC's EVO 4G is no different.
The EVO 4G smartphone has been on the minds of many end-users because it is the first of its kind to come into being. The existence of the project was announced as far back as March. Essentially, the handheld should be able to match, and surpass, the performance of any 3G smartphone in existence, but will unleash its full might when used in Sprint's 4G coverage area.
The circuitry packed inside this 4.3-inch phone is nothing short of impressive. Mostly, performance is owed to the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor which, coupled with the HTC Sense custom user interface of the Android 2.1 operating system, makes short work of most any type of multimedia files, even those in 720p quality. Even more, an HDMI output enables such files to be streamed to a larger screen. But the most important part is that the WiMAX connectivity will allow consumers to download and view such content from the web and fully take advantage of the social networking integration with Twitter, Flickr and Facebook, among other things.
It should also be noted that the HTC EVO 4G features not one, but two webcams. The front-facing one is of 1.3 megapixels, useful, for example, when communicating via visual voicemail. The real wonder, however, is the 8 megapixel camera on the back. Other features include a GPS, a 1,500 mAh battery, a microSD slot (8GB included, upgradeable to 32GB) and access to the Android Market, among other things.
Those that don't want to wait for an official press release can simply drop by Sprint's website and set their order. A two-year contract has the price set at $199.99, with a $100 mail-in rebate and $150 instant savings.