There are a lot of mobile phones on the market these days that have just been released using some of the newest technology. Mobile phones are becoming increasingly popular as they are getting better capabilities and are utilizing the Internet to become multifunctional. With so many new mobile phones on the market and so much competition, it might be difficult to figure out which phone would be good for you. Each mobile phone has different capabilities and they all utilize the Internet and applications in different ways. One of the new mobile phones to come out recently was the HTC Evo 4G from Sprint and it is some competition for other mobile phones. If you have been thinking about getting the HTC Evo 4G mobile phone then you might want to check out this review to see if it is something you would be interested in.
The HTC Evo 4G mobile phone is just the latest Android phone available from Sprint that showcases a ton of features. The HTC Evo 4G allows you to get hot spot capabilities by utilizing the cell signal to create a wireless connection that can connect up to eight different devices. The 4G connection is something Sprint has been excited about for a while because it will be covering over 44 markets by the end of 2010. The screen for the HTC Evo 4G is 4.3 inches and it is LCD which makes screen quality and resolution very nice. There is a small front-facing video camera on the HTC Evo 4G that you can use to video chat, take pictures and even play games virtually. The video camera is 1.3 mega pixels which is a fairly good pixilation for a cell phone and provides you nice photos and video chats without too much distortion. The HTC Evo 4G also comes with a regular 8 mega pixel camera with a LED dual-flash which takes very good pictures similar to a high-quality digital camera. The LED dual-flash is great for low-resolution situations or situations where light is very dim. Another great feature of the HTC Evo 4G is that you have a 720p video recorder which is in high-definition so you can take videos of various events and situations in a high-resolution quality. An HDMI output jack is also included on the HTC Evo 4G although you have to buy the cable separately and this could cost you up to 30 dollars. The HTC Evo 4G runs on a Snapdragon 1 gigahertz processor and uses the Android 2.1 operating system to provide excellent functionality.
There is also a kickstand on the back of the HTC Evo 4G for hands-free operation and video chatting or watching which is very neat. The hands-free operation however only works if you are viewing things in landscape mode since portrait mode makes it fall over. The phone weighs about six ounces and is fairly flat in nature so it can fit easily in a purse or pocket. On the front of the HTC Evo 4G you have four touch-sensitive buttons which are the basic buttons of the phone such as Home and Search. The volume control is on the right side of the phone and the headphone jack along with the on or off button is located on the top. The bottom portion of the phone has a jack for a small USB device as well as the jack for an HDMI cable. When you buy the HTC Evo 4G you will get everything already pre-loaded and you will get an 8 gigabyte SD card which is found under the battery. 8 gigabytes is not very much if you plan on taking a lot of videos or pictures so you will probably need to think about buying yourself a bigger card.
The HTC Evo 4G makes a great cell phone for viewing videos and playing music through websites such as YouTube. When you are on YouTube most of the videos should automatically switch to the high-quality version or high-definition version which is great. Sprint Television is also included on this phone but sometimes the videos do not display in the full screen mode which can be annoying. Since the HTC Evo 4G is an Android phone you have all of the great capabilities that come along with it when it comes to watching videos and playing music.Although videos are great on this phone, the sound quality is not the best if you are in noisy situations so you might need to use headphones. If you are in a quiet location the sound is pretty good but still headphones will probably be needed to hear music or videos at a more enjoyable sound level.
When you are talking on the HTC Evo 4G it sounds comparable to a household phone with no distortion or echoing in the background. Everything is fairly clear and crisp and sounds great no matter where you are calling from or where you are calling to. The only bad thing about this mobile phone as far as calling is considered is the fact there is no direct dialing button. You have to go to the “home” page to find the dialing keypad to enter a phone number which can be annoying and a hassle if you are in a hurry to call someone. You can have your various phone numbers stored in the top part of the dialing area for easier access but there is no direct way to get to the numbers without going to the beginning of the Android screen. Scrolling through various items on the HTC Evo 4G is not as easy as it might be on the iPhone but it is not too bad. There are some glitches when you are scrolling but most of them are minor and take just a second or two for it to adjust itself. When you are using the Internet on this phone it will take you about eight seconds to load full HTML websites while other sites might only take two seconds. So if you are comparing it to a home wireless network, the HTC Evo 4G has about half of the speed so it takes twice as long to view a webpage.
Overall the battery life is fairly decent for a small mobile phone, lasting about six hours depending on how much you use the Internet on the phone. Using the HTC Evo 4G to connect to the Internet throughout the day will wear your battery down faster than if you just used the phone for calling or simple tasks. If you are someone who uses their cell phone constantly to be on the Internet then you will have to charge your phone consistently. The battery is pretty big for a cell phone but when you are using it for the various applications that you can get with the HTC Evo 4G, it will run the battery down fairly fast. Turning your phone off when not in use can help keep your battery power but once you turn it on and use it, the battery life will drop significantly. If you are going to purchase the HTC Evo 4G, then you should remember to keep the charger with you at all times. Overall, you can not expect too much out of a cell phone battery since it is similar to a laptop when it comes to usage and longevity. Doing things such as decreasing the brightness of the screen can also help your battery last longer before you have to charge it.
The HTC Evo 4G is overall a really good mobile phone and it has so many possibilities and applications you could use. The HTC Evo 4G ranges in price from 200 dollars up to 600 dollars depending on whether you want a contract or not with the phone. Just the phone itself can run you about 200 dollars or 300 dollars which is fairly reasonable considering all of the applications you get with the phone. If you buy the HTC Evo 4G and get a contract then you are looking at about 400 dollars to 500 dollars for everything. Although this phone might seem a little high in price, it is really becoming the standard price for a good cell phone and a reasonable contract. The HTC Evo 4G is a great mobile phone for anyone looking for a phone with many applications and features. This phone has everything you would want in a mobile phone plus so many functional tools similar to a computer. You can get the HTC Evo 4G at a Sprint store near you, various retail stores and even online retail stores such as Amazon. You get a lot of things with the HTC Evo 4G including a charger, handset, rechargeable battery, USB cable, 8 gigabyte microSD memory card, quick start guide, and user manual. With all of the extra items you get when you buy the HTC Evo 4G it really makes it a great product to buy. Anyone who likes the latest technology would really be interested in the HTC Evo 4G phone because it utilizes all of the latest innovations. Someone who likes taking videos or pictures wherever they are without having to carry around a digital camera would also be interested in this phone. Basically, if you want to upgrade your mobile phone to a better model with more features and better functionality then you should be looking into buying the HTC Evo 4G mobile phone from Sprint.
Chris Zeigler, “HTC Evo 4G Review”, Engadget.
