Mighty HTC EVO 4G LTE on Sprint review roundup
We’ve written several articles now about the HTC EVO 4G LTE smartphone on Sprint and this phone looks set to impress many consumers and experts alike. We’ve been taking a look at some of the initial impressions of Sprint’s HTC EVO 4G LTE and come up with a review roundup to give you an idea of what those in the know think about this handset.
First we’ll give you a brief reminder of the main specs and features of the HTC EVO 4G LTE. It has a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, 4.7-inch Super LCD HD display with resolution of 720 x 1080, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory expandable to 32GB with micro SD. There’s also an 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p HD video capture and HTC ImageSense and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing shooter, HTC Beats Audio, 4G LTE connectivity and a 2000mAh battery and it all runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich overlaid with HTC Sense 4.0. Dimensions are 134.8mm x 68.9mm x 8.99mm and it weighs 134 grams. The price is $199.99 on the usual two-year contract. As you can see then many of the specs are impressive so let’s take a look at what some of the experts say.
The first review in our roundup comes from PC Mag and gives this phone a 4/5 rating, so a pretty good start. Positive points are seen as it’s slim design with integrated kickstand, the camera and the fact that it ships with Android 4.0 ICS. Negative points are that although it is a 4G LTE-equipped phone, Sprint has still to launch its LTE network although it will start rolling out in the next few months. Described as “both fabulous and frustrating” it receives the PC Mag’s Editor’s Choice for a Sprint smartphone. Sprint’s unlimited data plans is another plus point but it has to be said the main drawback is simply that its LTE use cannot come out to play just yet.
The next review comes from Mobile Burn and this one gives ratings for each category for the HTC EVO 4G LTE on Sprint. This is a hugely comprehensive review and the ultimate rating is 4.2/5, so yet another very favorable review. For individual category ratings the hardware receives 5/5, usability 4/5, calling/data 2/5, messaging 5/5, Apps/App Store 5/5, browser 4/5, camera 4/5, music 4/5, battery 4/5 and reviewer spin 3/5. The thumbs up is given for the screen, speed and solid build of the phone. The thumbs down for the slow data until LTE arrives which accounted for the low calling/data score (seeing a theme here), indoor camera performance and the fact that some users may find it a little too big to hold comfortably. In conclusion the HTC EVO 4G LTE is found to be the best Sprint Android smartphone at present though the reviewer feels that those who can use a different carrier might be better off with a phone they can use on an LTE network. However, of course with the reviews so far the phone itself has little to let it down and so it can only get even better once Sprint’s LTE network arrives.
On to a review from Android Community. This one doesn’t give an overall rating score but the reviewer does seem pretty bowled over. The reviewer says, “everything about it screams of excellence” except of course, you guessed it, the omission of LTE use at present. For all other aspects though this phone is said to be “basically as good as it gets.” The conclusion is that this phone would be perfect if it was on Verizon with Sprint being the weakest link. Nevertheless this is another hugely positive review.
The final review of our roundup comes from Laptop, which rates the HTC EVO 4G LTE as 4/5, high yet again. Pros are said to be the design and kickstand, screen, camera, unlimited data option and Google Wallet support. Cons are the large size of the phone and ‘all together now’ the 4G LTE network not being available yet. The phone is described as a “compelling choice” but not yet living up to its name. It didn’t quite gain Editor’s Choice status simply because the LTE service isn’t in place yet but it seems as though it would have done otherwise.
All in all then we all know the biggest drawback to the HTC EVO 4G LTE right now and I feel no need to repeat it. Apart from that though and after a really good scrutiny of these in-depth reviews it seems there’s very little else to complain about and an awful lot of things to praise. Are you thinking of purchasing the HTC EVO 4G LTE on Sprint? Has our review roundup helped you to decide that this is the right choice for you or is your head being turned by another new smartphone? Let us know with your comments.
Comments
7 thoughts on “Mighty HTC EVO 4G LTE on Sprint review roundup”
i could not possibly wait for to get the evo 4g. i have had it two years, and i want a new phone. i was disappointed when 4g never came within 200 miles of my house. all that advertising, all that BS about the FIRST 4G phone (that sucks what were they thinking going with WiMax!?!?!? ANYBODY KNOW!?) Usually Sprint isn’t too bright anyway. i hope this doesn’t fail too. come on sprint get it together. I like my Evo for what it was and want to be excited all over again.
also another feature i haven’t heard about in this article is the HD Voice that Sprint was supposed to come out with. i think that will def flop and no one cares. but the LTE had better be coming this time!!!!!!
What Sprint was thinking is that at the time WiMax was the ONLY option!! So, I guess Sprint was brighter than you by knowing that fact.
there was not only Wimax. verizon had their clearance from fcc back then too. they just didn’t turn on 2 cities like sprint did. they turned it on like everywhere at the same time. my comment was more of a rant in some ways. sprint has a continuous path of screwing up. bright one lol. i use their phone and contract and a verizon prl. so “by knowing that fact” shut up
Also you should know that this phone does in fact support simultaneous voice and data sessions on 3G.
This phone would be great if Sprint had its LTE network up and going. Did you know that Sprint’s new LTE infrastructure hasn’t been implemented yet?
Really, though. Caveat emptor, etc, we all knew this going into it. Everyone, including me, loves their recently end-of-line OG Evo, so I’m gratified this new version has been largely confirmed as the best Android phone on the market. I gambled that this would be at least as good as the Samsung Nexus III, particularly the version expected to come out on Sprint network (you can’t beat unlimited data).
Let’s just hope that Sprint redeems itself by fulfilling the network expansion and improvement expectations that have developed.
I hear a lot of griping about Sprint releasing LTE-capable devices ahead of their planned network upgrades. Realistically, what do y’all expect Sprint to do? If Sprint is planning on a roll-out beginning this summer, and they require a two-year commitment when customers upgrade or switch carriers, how could they expect customers to drop $199 on a device that will be obsolete halfway through their contact term? Give Big Yellow credit for thinking ahead.
So sick of all of the reviews knocking this phone due to the fact that LTE isn’t up and running yet. That’s a Sprint issue, not an HTC one. This has nothing to do with the performance and/or build quality of the phone. Sprint is in the process of dropping $6 Billion dollars on LTE upgrades…I’d say that they’re putting their money where there mouth is. I’d rather be ready to roll with an LTE phone when the tower is turned on (they’re turning each one on as they complete the upgrade) than have the LTE but no phone to use.Â
This phone is incredible (got mine pre-order from Best Buy) and I’m sure the GS3 will be amazing too. I was going to hold out for the GS3, but when I heard that it could be as late as August for launch, I jumped on the EVO LTE. I also read that Samsung is known for being lacking on updates and having a very poor GPS track record. My original EVO was flawless with GPS and I got timely updates from HTC. That was enough to make me a believer in the EVO line once again.