14 DAY TRIAL // On Tuesday, wireless carrier Sprint and Taiwan-based mobile phone maker HTC Corporation announced officially the first ever 3G/4G Android handset in the world, the HTC EVO 4G. The new mobile phone is powered by Google's Android 2.1 operating system, can offer users the possibility to enjoy 4G speeds in the palm of their hand, and boasts a 4.3-inch touchscreen display with pinch-to-zoom capabilities. The phone has been spotted around the web before, as the Supersonic, yet now it is official, with all that 3G/4G connectivity goodness it packs inside.
According to Sprint, the handset can offer an enhanced multimedia experience courtesy of those impressive speeds it supports, which result in the downloading of music, pictures, files, or videos in a matter of seconds. Sprint 4G, based on Clearwire's WiMAX network, offers a fast wireless experience, and is already available in 27 markets around the United States, with more to follow. The wireless carrier notes that its services offer download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G can offer, which means that HTC EVO 4G will enjoy the fastest speeds any handset in the US can benefit from.
The specifications list of the new handset includes a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, an 8-megapixel photo snapper with auto focus and HD video recording capabilities, coupled with a frond-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, and Wi-Fi capabilities with the possibility to deliver connectivity to a number of up to eight additional Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The phone also comes with support for Adobe Flash, a custom Web browser, support for uploading videos to YouTube or Facebook via Qik, the HTC Sense experience, and more.
Some of the features HTC EVO 4G comes with include: - 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.
The HTC EVO 4G is expected to become available for purchase in summer, and will be sold via all Sprint channels, as well as via retail partners, including RadioShack, Best Buy and Walmart. Those interested in the device can pre-register for it here. “Sprint continues to lead the 4G revolution as we introduce HTC EVO 4G to give our customers an experience that is unlike anything available in wireless to date,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. “Not only is this feature-rich device incredible on our Sprint 3G network, but Sprint 4G speeds will take mobile multimedia, including live video streaming, gaming and picture downloads, to a whole new level.”
