Manage updates with the Download AppPrizefight (week of November 09)
Apple iPhone 4 vs. HTC Evo 4G
Apple iPhone 4 vs. HTC Evo 4G
The summer of 2010 has seen no shortage of smartphone heavyweights, and with each device touting its awesomeness and vying for people's affections, it's led to some epic Prizefights. Fresh off its last victory over the HTC Droid Incredible, the HTC Evo 4G is more than ready to take on its latest competitor: the Apple iPhone 4.
Of course, the iPhone itself is no stranger to the ring. Apple's shining star has knocked out many contenders, and now, with new features like a Retina Display, more entertainment features, and a revamped operating system, can it knock out the Evo 4G? Well, let's find out.
Editors' note: The Prizefight scoring system is as follows: Each judge rates on a zero-to-five-point scale. At the end of each round, we will take an average of the three judges' scores. The final score for each phone will be an average of all five rounds.
Round 1: Sexiness and durability
Design and looks count for a lot when you're shopping for a cell phone, so here's where we examine the look, size, feel, and sex appeal of the devices.| player | Bonnie | Kent | Brian | the winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Apple iPhone 4 | 5I'll admit, I wasn't too excited when I first saw pictures of the iPhone 4. The boxier design didn't appeal to me, but it's definitely much more fetching in person. I still miss the rounder edges of the 3GS, but I like the iPhone 4's compact design, and the screen is gorgeous. That said, I do worry about the phone's durability. | 5I've always thought the iPhone was attractive, but the fourth-generation model is the prettiest one yet. Sure, the edges are a bit sharp without a bumper, but it's a sleek device with a clean profile and a shiny skin. The handset has a solid feel, though, admittedly, I'm still a tad worried about its long-term durability with all that glass. | 4The iPhone 4's edges are a little sharper and it's not as pleasant to hold as it once was. The screen is clearer than crystal clear. Its glass finish is supposedly more durable to scratches and drops. Its design is sexy but I don't consider this the sexiest phone out there anymore. | 4.7 |
 HTC Evo 4G | 4As much as I love the Evo 4G's 4.3-inch touch screen, the size of the phone is still a bit of a turn-off to me. Though more durable, when it comes to sexiness, the iPhone wins, hands down. | 4Though some may balk at the Evo 4G's heft, I don't mind it at all. You get an expansive screen and it has a pleasantly thin profile. I also prefer the Evo 4G's soft-touch material on its rear cover. As a minor point, I'm not crazy about the protruding camera lens, but I love that kickstand. | 4This screen really wows. It's not as high resolution as the iPhone's, but in this case, size matters. The design is solid and clean, but it's still a little awkward to hold because of its larger size. | 4 |
Round 2: User interface and controls
Sexiness is one thing, but are the phones easy to use? In Round 2, we examine the design and usability of their user interfaces, keyboards, and navigation controls.| player | Bonnie | Kent | Brian | the winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 4 | 5We've said it a hundred times before, but I'll say it again: when it comes to usability, it doesn't get much easier than the iPhone. Also, the addition of folders (finally) definitely makes it easier to organize apps. | 5Apple has always excelled at offering an accessible and intuitive user interface, and the iPhone 4 is no exception. It remains exceedingly user-friendly and the addition of home screen folders makes it even more so. And, wow, how lovely is that Retina Display? | 5After playing with so many different phones, I'm still waiting to see someone top Apple's iOS 4 interface. It's the easiest and most elegant to use. | 5 |
| HTC Evo 4G | 4HTC Sense has done wonders for making Android easier to use, and I think it provides the best user experience out of all the different Android skins. However, when you compare it with the iPhone, it's not quite as clean or straightforward. | 5HTC Sense is the best Android interface available. With seven home screens, the Friend Stream, the combined mail widget, and the Leap screen, it has everything that I want. And it doesn't hurt that the phone also offers full multitouch. Its display is also crisp, clear, and colorful. | 4This really isn't a pick-up-and-play phone because its navigation and UI still have a learning curve. It's one of the few all-touch Android phones, and I like it. It's just not as easy. But there is more control. | 4.3 |
Round 3: Features
What do these phones offer under the hood? Here we examine the features in each device and rate which phone offers more.| player | Bonnie | Kent | Brian | the winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 4 | 4 iOS 4 definitely brought a lot of needed features to the iPhone, such as "multitasking," folders, and e-mail enhancements. Also, even though FaceTime is limited to Wi-Fi, it feels a little more polished and stable than some of the other video chat apps out there. However, looking at the bigger picture, the iPhone 4 features are on par with a lot of other smartphones out there, and the Evo certainly beats it in several ways. | 4Thanks to iOS 4, the iPhone 4 now has many long-overdue features like multitasking, the home screen folders, and a combined e-mail box. Granted, it's not "full" multitasking, but it's multitasking how Apple intends it. Apple gets some credit for FaceTime, but I consider that feature to be more fun than practical. And in any case, the Evo offers video chat without forcing you to use Wi-Fi. | 4The iPhone 4 is a 3G phone and does many things well, but it's still a step behind. The Retina Display is stellar, and iOS 4 brings multitasking and folders, but Android phones have already had that. FaceTime is the killer feature because of how it's integrated into phone calls, but the Evo 4G can do video calls as well. | 4 |
| HTC Evo 4G | 5In what ways you ask? Well, there's the 4G support, mobile hot spot capabilities, and the HDMI port, just to name a few. Some might groan about the Android Market, and how the quality or quantity of apps can't compare with the iTunes App Store, but I've been able to find all the apps I need and am satisfied with them. | 5It's a shame that like other Android phones, the HTC Evo doesn't offer Bluetooth-activated voice dialing. Yet, it does offer Flash support, 4G, and that nifty ability to act as mobile hot spot. It takes this round. | 5The HTC Evo 4G is the most feature-packed phone on the market. There's no argument. There's 4G/3G connectivity, you can use the phone as a wireless hot spot, there's a kickstand, built-in turn-by-turn GPS, and an unmatched voice search. | 5 |
Round 4: Multimedia and Web browsing
These handsets do a lot more than just make calls--they also have Web browsers and multimedia players. We tell you which phone offers a better media and Web-browsing experience.| player | Bonnie | Kent | Brian | the winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 4 | 5The iPhone 4 certainly makes it easy to get multimedia content on your phone, and the addition of iBooks and iMovie is pretty awesome. The camera improvements are also welcome. The Safari browser continues to be one of the best, but it doesn't support Flash. | 4Though it lags a bit in Web browsing, the iPhone 4 has a slight edge in media. Its camera quality is better and video playback is superior. | 5Still the best mobile browser experience on a phone, even without Flash. It also has the cleanest media player for a mobile phone. iTunes integration and all its content feed this phone. Videos and images look stellar, and if you want to edit movies directly from the phone, Apple's $5 iMovie will satisfy. Its 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash takes great pictures with proper lighting, as well. | 4.7 |
| HTC Evo 4G | 5I wish there was a video store for Android, but the Evo's multimedia capabilities are nothing to scoff at. The media player is very competent; the camera takes excellent photos and HD video, and the large screen makes it great for viewing videos and Web pages. The Evo's browser offers Flash Lite and 4G speeds, where available. This round is a draw for me. | 4The iPhone 4's data speeds are better than on previous iPhones, but Sprint's 3G network delivers better performance. I'd give this round to the Evo because of its even faster 4G speeds, but I have to call a tie since that network is only available in a few cities. And really, Sprint, we shouldn't have to pay for that extra $10-per-month 4G if we don't have it. | 5Android's Web browser runs smoothly with multitouch and is finally on par with Safari. It supports Flash Lite content with full Flash on its way. The Amazon MP3 store and DoubleTwist take care of media and syncing. Plus an 8-megapixel dual flash LED with HD video capture and HDMI out. And that large screen makes a big difference for viewing content. | 4.7 |
Round 5: Call quality and general performance
Cell phones aren't worth much if they don't make good calls and can't keep up with your demands. In the final round, we check out just how well devices work as a phone and everything in between.| player | Bonnie | Kent | Brian | the winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 4 | 3The call quality of the iPhone 4 has definitely improved over previous versions, not to mention the longer battery life. I personally didn't encounter the antenna problem, but obviously it's a real issue and a big one, and buying a $30 bumper to correct it isn't a satisfying answer to the problem, in my book. | 4The iPhone 4 also makes better calls than its predecessors, but we still suffer from those same AT&T issues. And we're still investigating what's going on with the antenna. In my tests, Sprint calls were louder with better signal clarity and voice quality. Both phones are zippy inside, so the Evo wins this round. | 3Call quality was just a hair behind the Evo 4G. It was by far the cleanest-sounding iPhone I've used when calls connected. But you've heard of the antenna issues, and in our tests call audio completely disappeared or became garbled when we touched the "magic spot." I know this doesn't affect everyone, but it's a big deal. It's a good thing the phone's improved battery life makes up for it. We squeezed out almost 8 hours of talk time over 3G. | 3.3 |
| HTC Evo 4G | 4Call quality on the Evo was great. Audio was clear, and I didn't experience any dropped calls. General performance was also pretty good. I certainly wish the battery life was better, but at least I can replace the battery on the Evo. | 5See comment above. | 4The Evo 4G was superb, with some of the best call quality I've heard. It was clean, crisp, and clear on both sides of the call. That's right, I used the three Cs. Running on 4G is a blessing and a curse. You'll get awesome data speeds, but you'll be lucky to make it through a day. Plus, if you're running it on 3G, that large screen still drains the battery. Over 3G we were able to squeeze out 5.5 hours of talk time. One negative: if you're only on 3G, you'll still pay a $10 premium for the Evo 4G. | 4.3 |
The winner is...
Winner
HTC Evo 4G (4.5 pts)
Runner-Up
Apple iPhone 4 (4.3 pts)
The iPhone 4 took the early lead but stumbled in Round 3. The Evo's 4G features were simply unmatched in this case. To no surprise, the iPhone fought back in the multimedia and Web-browsing round--although the Evo held its own, too--but ultimately, the antenna issues were a vulnerable spot for the iPhone and it went down in the final round. For now, the HTC Evo 4G remains the champ.
Next up: Motorola Droid X vs. HTC Droid Incredible
Next up: Motorola Droid X vs. HTC Droid Incredible
Jose.
I use mild reading glasses and can barely see the little dashes and stuff on the miserable keyboard - even a downloadable upgrade has the same micro mini crap like lawyers business cards - who thinks its cool to make stuff so tiny?! the leg is a good start but it needs two!! ever try to put it on your dash in your car for maps, gps - etc.? I have a first go to phone that is a bberry 9700 because it syncs with my exchange 2000 and its smaller, easier to grab and voice dial with, e-mail and to take quick photos with - but the EVO beats it for everything else...except I have it in a soft lowes camera case in my pocket with multiple caribiners attached to a belt loop so I won't loose the thing again! so the bberry is quicker to get and easier to use fast from the beltclip. oh yeah and they both share power cords so its easy to keep the EVO plugged in in the car and at different desks... and the bedstand so sucky battery life isn't so much of an issue. got the 450 minute plan (cause bberry unltd t-mobile $99) and cell to cell is unltd w/sprint so whoopee! a couple of kick ass business phones and the EVO is pure pleasure too! now where are my beta testers? anytime you need help cnet...ciao
I mean sure, it'll still sell way better than the Evo which definitely isn't as appealing to anyone who doesn't have sprint 4g coverage but still, I consider this a big win for HTC and especially for android phones in general as they will keep getting better and better even in just the year to come.
The iPhone 5 (or 4g?) will definitely have some catching up to do.
ps - after I lost my EVO off my belt on first day at work with it I almost bailed and got an iphone...soo glad I didn't, alex - asnstone
Let's also not forget that what matters is individual priorities. I personally feel that the App Store is what makes the device. So higher quality apps means I'll be getting an iPhone. Had I been a judge, the App Store would have made all the difference in my scoring and the iPhone probably would have been on top.
After all, the device is only as strong as the apps that run on it.
Have all working. I dont use gmail for my database, just outlook.
The only thing I can not do is accept calendar invites which i do from my computers or netbook.
I have a iTouch and its very nice but I just bought a EVO 4G . A few things to think about.
THE EVO KILLS the Apple 4 when you add this information.
1) I bought two new batteries and a charger on Ebay for $9.95 you can change a battery in 30 seconds.Then charge as needed.
2) The EVO recently had a SW update that added battery life and fixed a few minor bugs.
3) Android 2.2 froyo will soon be available for the EVO adding more features.
4) I bought a 32GB memory card on EBay for $25
5) The EVO plan is far less than Apples with the $10 adder.
6) You can Teather and run your computer via PDA.net for free via UNLIMITED DATA All of this should have been included in the Prize Match,
7) Im running all of my iTunes on the EVO with a Free application called Double-Twist
8) I'm running streaming POD casts and Pandora through my car stereo with a $9 3.5mm Audio cassette, when a phone call comes in I hear it via my cars speakers after the call Pandora resumes playing. This is perfect no HEAD set needed on trips to Tahoe.
Add this and the EVO is miles ahead of the Apple. Both are great phone but this is why I bought a EVO and Sprint is much better to deal with than AT&T
Good luck.
Dave
Apps I like: Advanced Task Killer free, it sits on notification bar for easy use and helps with battery life; Weather Bug free, Better Keyboard. I just tried speech to text to see if a co-worker was coming in today - it gave mulitple options of what I said and the first one was right on! Very nice. Good luck everyone. Alex
good luck, alex
In regards to #8 on your list of EVO comments (phone calls through the car speakers).... I have used my Palm Pre with the audio jack/cassette player, but the caller cannot hear me even though I can hear them in my car speakers. I've tried using a bluetooth while having the phone plugged into the stereo, but still no joy. It sounds like you aren't having this problem with the EVO? Do you just talk loudly into the mic on the phone while it's hooked up to the cassette deck? I'm considering an upgrade to the EVO. Thanks for any comments.
Bill
Where are all the apple fanboys at?????
Why do people still think that android needs a "learning curve"? Its a simple touch interface on both devices. When you press an icon, what you press opens up. Its not hard to get used to at all. You long press to add something to the home screen or long press to remove it. Not hard at all. I dont see why CNET has a thing against customizing your phone. They always seem to take points off all android devices for that reason as if changing a background was rocket science. Also no mention of live wallpapers(video and interactive) on android 2.1+, vs static backgrounds on the iphone (a new feature for non jail broken iphone users!!!)
With the iP4, the video recording is smoother than the EVO @ 30 fps, when the EVO does 24 fps and Facetime is better than Qik, since with Qik (at least the free version) you have to use it almost like a walkie talkie. (leaving fring out since it doesnt come stock with the devices, and no longer has skype support as of this post) The Evo is also locked in at 30 fps (XDA unlock availible), where the iphones interface is much smoother when scrolling from screen to screen.I also dont know why they called safari the best mobile browsing experience, when given the choice most iphone users went to Opera when they allowed it on the app store because they wanted something other than safari.
oh well, just another of millions and millions of pointless reviews :D i don't have any receptions on my iphone 4 or any other flaws, and really I'd take the risk of possibly having poor reception over all the issues and defects I've read about the evo 4g.. if i was to give up my i4 i would not replace it with an evo.. my 2 cents...
Androids a good phone, but i prefer the original. Androids apps are growing but nothing comparable to apples App store. The iphone is sleek, userfriendly, its media player and web browsing is absolutely CLEAN and SMOOTH.
The results to this "fight" are understandable, ATT is a horrible service provider and 4g would be a great plus however there are more wifi hotspots than there are 4g areas (at least in NYC there are).
I say go to the store and use them both for yourself to make your own decision, then there you'll have a true lack of bias. Personally the android is too large for a phone, and its hideous appearance is unbearable. The little green monster is cute for you fandroids and children, id rather be taken seriously.
Just shows how much more annoying the Fandroids are. You don't see iPhone users in here whining because they're content with their devices rather than feeling the need to defend it mercilessly like most of you would had the EVO lost.
1) Background on the three testers to determine if they have any inherent biases (iow are they an "Apple" fan or "Apple" skeptic/hater?
2) MOST IMPORTANTLY: The rounds should be weighted on importance either the same or let the reviewers assign weight and then factor in the weight in the total scores. I've owned iPhones and HTC and like them both. But in my book it is all about how usable/efficient the interface is. It doesn't matter how many more features or better specs a phone has if it is hard to use and takes a little (or a lot) longer to perform tasks.
3) What about ancillary services and support such as App selection, Customer Service experience (for the device, not the phone service), etc. etc.
They are both great phones. A real test would be to hand out a couple dozen of them to users of various backgrounds/skills. Have 12 start with iPhone, and 12 start with HTC. Then in 2 weeks, switch. I'd love to hear the results of that.
The only thing that i was concerned with is iTunes Remote as i use this app the most. I was surprised to find that the Evo iTunes Remote is better ($5 from Market). It connects faster and doesn't skip my music on connection like my 3GS running iOS4 used to.
Hope this helps if you're in the same boat I was - I used both the 3GS OS4 (JB back and forth) and the Evo 2.2 for about a week and made the switch. The battery seems fine. I always had to charge my iPhone mid-day and just got used to plugging in any chance I had. The Evo did fine integrating to my car's system via bluetooth. I notice that I get 4g sometimes in LA and it's faster. I haven't had a call dropped yet.
It's much cheeper - I'm paying 100 vs. 160 per month for same features with insurance for lost, stolen, breakage. Plus, I was able to sell my 3gs for 300 and offset most of the cost of moving over. No brainer really.
Downsides: Moving contacts over took some thought. I decided not to go with gmail cloud and instead use my company's exchange server as the system of record, emailed all my personal contacts as vcards. It pushes to Evo from there. I like the native Calandar and Weather app on iOS4 better. Evo can be kind of a time suck messing with widgets, apps and scenes but the outcome is pretty cool.
I have one question - why would you make a phone made out of glass? especially if you don't offer (real) insurance....
Okay...I wrote way more than I planned but I do appreciate the evaluation but feel that with what I stated that either the phones will end up in a tie or the iPhone would be the winner...but just my opinion. Thanks!!!
Apple isn't about trouncing the other phones in features. Any idiot should know that. If Apple did, then we would have a 4G iPhone with 64GB storage when it first came out (as dictated by the 64GB in the current and last gen iPod Touch's). So why don't they release 64GB for iPhone? Coz they don't need to. YET. It's a clever, devious marketing strategy that I've figured out... has something to do with having 3 phases of products launched over a period of time, and teasing users with the "next-best" product. But it seems the 3rd phase version is the one that always has the best features (that's why you buy an iPod/iPhone only after every 3rd revision... that's the way I've been doing it since the 3rd Gen iPod).
Apple isn't about features or what product is better. It's about what products SELL. And they do this by making it EASY for the end-user to use. You've got your HTCs, Samsungs and other phones and are they any easier to use than the iPhone?
NO.
They may have more features or better features, but they STILL aren't easier to use. In fact, they become more COMPLEX to use.
The average idiot isn't your typical tech junkie. Ask yourself this: Would you rather buy -- a coffee machine that you put together that can make all sorts of flavours and styles of coffee (but you have to program all those features and ask people from all over the world how to properly configure those features) -- or a coffee machine that just SIMPLY MAKES COFFEE? I know what I need.
Another selling point of the iPhone is it's CENTRALISED distribution of software and support. You have a problem? Go to one place. You wanna buy something? One place. You wanna build and sell iPhone games? Uh-huh -- ONE PLACE. It's SIMPLE AND EASY.
Now, I'm not even going to go into details about the 200% more capabilities you get outta a jailbroken iPhone, but to compare to Android: the JB iPhone community seems to be better organised, and it's easier to get JB stuff and find what you need than with an Android product. I know so coz I wanted to get the best Android game that's out and I'm still trying to find one that's better than Tetris.