HTC EVO 4G LTE Review

Introduction:

Rewind to early 2010: RIM had an iron grip on the enterprise market, Window Phones still required a stylus, Google was still trying to make an impact with Android and the iPhone was the undisputed king of the smartphone kingdom. The Motorola Droidno doubt sparked interest in Android, but the unapologetic angles and massive heft of the phone made it hard to love. The Nexus One had everything you could want except a place to try it and buy it. There were whispers of a superphone coming to Sprint from HTC, but other than a few blurry pictures of a white slab and some rumored (hoped for) specs no one really knew what to expect.

Then it came: the HTC EVO 4G. The original EVO was the nation’s first 4G phone, the first phone to have a 4.3” display, the first phone with a kickstand, the first domestic phone utilizing a front-facing camera allowing for video chat, and the first phone to make Apple really take notice. It won universal acclaim, Phone of the Year honors and opened the flood gates for Android. Though the EVO has spawned a family of phones and the flagship EVO 3D was launched a year later, many saw the 3D capabilities as a gimmick and have patiently waited for a true successor to the original EVO 4G.

The wait is over, the EVO 4G LTE is here. The name says it all; instead of going by the EVO One (in reference to its HTC One X bloodlines) or the EVO HD (a nod to the 4.7” 720p display), Sprint has chosen to stick with the EVO 4G nameplate and bill it as “a true successor to the original.” For a phone with such pedigree, this is a bold claim. Read on to see if HTC and Sprint can back it up!




Design:

In a day and age where spec sheets look increasingly similar, HTC has put an emphasis on using premium design to set itself apart. We took notice when the One series of devices were announced, and the EVO 4G LTE is crafted with that same philosophy in mind. Fashioned from an anodized aluminum unibody, the EVO 4G LTE is a pleasure to pick up. The finish gives the phone sufficient grip, and at just 8.9mm thin the EVO 4G LTE is comfortable in both your hand and pocket.