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"Worth the Hype/Wait, Absolutely Love It!"
5.0 starson by MarionMobileCrazyPros: + Gorgeous, gigantic, super bright, crystal clear screen.
+ Call quality is excellent
+ WiFi works very well
+ 8 Megapixel camera AND HD video camcorder
+ Touch screen is VERY sensitive and fast
+ Everything about this thing is just fast.Cons: - Battery Life. This makes sense as the gigantic screen by itself likes to eat up juice when in use. WiFi, Bluetooth and certain auto-updating apps also drain the battery.
Summary: I've been on Sprint since 2005 and have experience using many of their smartphones: from the Mogul and Touch Pro to the Pre/Hero and Moment, and now the one that makes all those look like toys: the HTC Evo.
Let's start off with the battery life myth: Since the FroYo update, I am easily making it 30-40 hours without charging. I can drain a full battery in 5 hours if I'm trying to, but never with typical use. The negative reviews on battery are typically from not so savvy smartphone users and you will find these types of reviews on all smartphones.
Android is easy to use and you will love all the Marketplace apps to customize it as your own. The Evo has HTC's Sense UI, which looks decent and is user-friendly. A great thing about Android is that if you aren't happy with Sense UI, you can go to the marketplace for ADW.Launcher (my strong preference), or Launcher Pro. With these other launchers, you can add more rows and columns for apps and tweak everything to the way you want it.
Navigation works so well that I sold my Garmin Nuvi 265WT. It loads directions almost instantly, which is great because my biggest pet peeve with Garmin was waiting for the satellites.
Let's talk about media: For music there are several well designed apps but my favorites are PowerAmp (gorgeous and has an equalizer), Doubletwist (wireless air-sync), and TuneWiki (scrolls lyrics). For streaming, of course there's Pandora, Last.FM and Slacker. For viewing you loaded video files, I've only used Rock Player, which views AVI files. I like it a lot, so I haven't felt the need to search for any others.
Voice quality: I make a lot of calls, and usually 3-4 a day to people I've never talked to before. Calls are very clear and they need to be. I get 4-6 out of 6 bars from Los Angeles, all over Orange County, down to Chula Vista. I would be beyond frustrated with anything else. This obviously depends on your region, but in Southern California, I get excellent reception everywhere I go.
Camera: At 8MP and with 2 LED lights, it's better than most phone cameras but if you are expecting a phone to be on par with your point-and click shooter, that's a little unrealistic. I still use my Canon and however far these smartphones advance, if you take your picture quality seriously, you will always want a camera. As for the video recording, it gets the job done. I was considering a Flip type camera, but the Evo has 720p recording and makes that obsolete.
vs. iPhone 4: since many will make the comparison, it's fair to touch upon and since I've used it for several hours (I resell used ones), I'm qualified. If you already have an iPhone, it doesn't matter how glowing my review of the EVO is, you're most likely getting the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 is a sleek piece of hardware but you already know that. If you want things really simple, that's an area iOS, to it's credit, excels in. If you like to customize all the little details to your liking, chances are, you'll prefer Android. The display on the iPhone 4 does look nice but it's not really something you think of when you are using it, despite Apple embellishing this feature. I get why people love their iPhones, but I don't get why those in bad coverage areas (like Southern CA), would sacrifice the main feature of a device because they think it's a fashion statement. If you are a texter and rarely make phone calls, then I can understand somewhat, but it's a matter or principle for me. For AT&T to charge as much as they do, have subpar customer service, lie to you about rebates as standard protocol, and still have extremely spotty data and voice coverage in my region, no thanks.
For Sprint users, the Epic 4G is one many will compare the Evo to: I've used it for a week as my main phone. It has much more vibrant colors with the Super AMOLED screen. Physical keyboard comes down to your personal preference, but I prefer software keyboards now (something I didn't think would happen). If you plan on playing a lot of games with your phone, Samsung's Hummingbird CPU will leave the Evo in the dust. The Epic is a great phone and the SAMOLED screen is impressive. I would gladly pay the $50 premium to get that screen on the Evo, but I'll get over it. The Evo has the edge in everything else I prefer.
BOTTOM LINE: Shop for carrier coverage in your area, BEFORE the phone, unless you don't make that many calls. A great phone with poor coverage is not so great anymore. If Sprint sucks in your area, don't get the Evo. If Sprint is awesome, like it is in Orange County, CA, you are going to love the EVO.
*** P.S. If you are looking for this phone I suggest at: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003N9B3CY?ie=UTF8&tag=***************&********=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&************=B003N9B3CY
- 23 replies to this review
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Great Review!
Apprehensive about Sprint... but after getting this phone, Sprint service and the phone are both awesome. 4G works amazing in my network (Pittsburgh PA).
### Thank for your suggest link!!! -
For me, I am glad I made the switch, and I am much more impressed with the Evo than I ever was with the iPhone
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This phone is in a nutshell the most amazing device that I have ever used. It feels strange to even call it a phone when it can do pretty much everything. The only downside is that it's not the greatest on battery optimization. I charge it daily, which I guess would be comparable to every other smartphone. Def about a billion times better than the iPhone. Do the research and you will agree.
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The biggest fault with this device is the battery. It lasts maybe a day and a half in light usage, and slightly less than a day in heavier usage. You HAVE to plug it in each night or carry around a power source or something. If you can deal with that though, it's a slick little machine.
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Awesome features. Speedy phone. Video calls good. Battery typical for a powerful/speedy smartphone. I cant wait for the comparison between iPhone 4 vs EVO 4g.
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The best phone I have ever had! 4G, Hotspot, GREAT CALL QUALITY (Not 1 Dropped call), great screen, HDMI Out. This phone is basically anything can be done on this phone.
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great phone, I like the screen and functionality. I am anti Iphone b/c I don't like that everything they do is proprietery. This is a better phone regardless
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Pro:
Just a great phone all around. It is equal or better than the iphone - hands down.
Cons:
The battery life isn't that great. But if you purchase the extended battery, you'll be fine. Also, the volume could go louder as well. Sometimes it's hard to hear. But I can deal with that. . . for now. . . -
If you are with Sprint, and live in a 4g coverage area, and dont like physical keyboards, and like large screens, and HATE lag, this is it...
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The only issue I have had with the phone so far is the MicroSD card, it was hard for me to get out and put in my own with all my songs.
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For a phone it really takes great photos!
I have been a Mac guy for many years(pre-second coming), but Mac users deserve more choices than ATT. -
This phone has been waitlisted ever since it came out so good luck finding one!
The HTC EVO 4G is simply a great phone and should be seriously considered if you are in the smart phone market :D -
I think the HTC EVO and the Sprint Service has been well worth it. I am a former blackberry isuer and even though i prefere the size of the blackberry, this phone truly is amazing and i am happy I made the change.
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I have had the best experience with a phone so far. I find my self surfing on my phone and using applications more often and actually using the features. This phone is in high demand and sold out almost everywhere for a reason.
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HDMI is not very special, if that's why you're getting the phone, you will be disappointed. Camera/camcorder quality is not as good as your camera/camcorder. FM radio doesn't seem to work. It's also a big phone, but it's a big screen.
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Until something better comes along, they will take this one out of my cold, dead hand. Sure I'd like better battery life, but that is probably just a sign of how much I use it. Love the Navigation system with the contact and Yellow Pages connections, great for a road warrior. Voice mail by name is fabulous. Email access saved me at the rental car counter at midnight when they "lost" my reservation.
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I'm glad I decided to leap into the new millenium and get this phone. It has basically eliminated the need to use my computer and laptop at home on a daily basis to manage my affairs and other things I like to do to/from office on the commuter train
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ok i have to say this is the best phone i've ever used. beats the iPhone by far. the only problem is the battery life, thats why i gave it four stars. if i keep the screen on the lowest brightness setting and never take it out of my pocket by the end of a 10 hour day its under 30% battery(with almost no use). i plan on getting an extended life battery which should bring out the beast in this phone.
now after that, don't let the battery life discourage you. this is still an amazing phone and i recommend it to anyone looking to get their first smart phone or upgrade. -
I love this phone. I do think its the best phone for sale on Sprint right now, however, there is one MAJOR flaw. The battery life is absolutely terrible. The first few days when you are going to be playing with the phone the most, it will die a few times a day. be prepared and get a car charger. Another flaw in my opinion is the lack of flash on the front facing camera. If you want to video chat, get a lamp, because if its even remotely dark, the camera wont pick up anything. Other than that, this is a great phone, i love the big screen, and despite its few flaws, i love it.
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My only gripes are battery life and ear placement for talking. The battery drains pretty quickly while using it, so it might be a good idea to get an extra battery. Also, when I talk on the phone, the edge of the phone seems to dig into my ear. Maybe with a skin that will go away.
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this is an excellent phone, and i have no specific complaints. i just hope it lasts 2 years so i can get the next best thing without problems!
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this phone is so much fun, don't know how i lived without it. it does EVERYTHING i could want and more. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!!!!! Did i mention i LOVE this phone? and the kickstand is such a great feature, don't know why nobody has thought of it before. it's a little touch that goes a long way.
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I work for a local Sprint store and I've sold many of these phones, and finally I got one for myself.. I wish I would have gotten one so much sooner. This phone does EVERYTHING I want it to do, and more. The amount different applications are absurd. This phone has replaced my Garmin GPS, the Google Maps GPS Navigation is superior. The screen is AMAZING. I use the mobile hotspot for my home computer. Of course the battery could be better.. but this phone is really more a handheld computer that makes phone calls. I carry a spare charger in my car and if I know I'm going to be away from a power source for an amount of time, I pop in the 3500 mah extended battery from Seidio.
Coming from someone inside the industry, this is the best phone I've ever had.
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