Just like its sibling on AT&T the EVO 4G LTE comes with an impressive 4.7-inch display with a 1280 x 720p resolution, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, HTC’s Sense UI 4.0 overlay, an 8 megapixel camera on the rear with the HTC Imagechip for enhanced photos — all powered by Qualcomm’s impressive 1.5 GHz S4 dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. The quick video below will give you a better look at the hardware and software.

Just like the previous EVO, you’ll get that neat included kickstand for easy viewing of videos and photos, as well as watching back video recorded with the 1080p capable 8 megapixel rear camera. Just like the others from the HTC One series the EVO 4G LTE comes with a non replaceable battery, it’s 2,000 mAh and has 16GB of internal storage.

Pre-orders for the new EVO 4G LTE started yesterday, and it should be available starting May 18th from the Now Network.

This device will be working with the Snapdragon S4 with speeds up to 1.5GHz per each of its two cores, and should be an interesting device to compare to the first S4-laden device on the market. That first device is of course the HTC One S, one of HTC’s 2012 hero phones in the HTC One family, it having the processor we’re seeing here, with the HTC One X appearing similar to this device in many other respects – such as in the display department.

The HTC Evo 4G has a 4.7-inch Super LCD 2 display sitting at 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, works with Beats Audio, and comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as well as Sense 4.0. This Evo has NFC capabilities, a microSD card slot, and a 2,000mAh battery that we won’t be worrying about because of the S4′s fantastical abilities in battery conservation.

You’ll also notice that this device has a red ring around its 8-megapixel back-facing camera as well as a bright red strip across the middle. This strip can be pulled out as a kickstand, making this the third device in the history of HTC to give you the ability sit up without 3rd part products. The device will cost you $199.99 on a two-year contract and will only work with 4G in one of four of its carrier’s activated LTE area’s here in the USA – good luck with your speed!

First have a look at this device in-hand as it was given the hands-on treatment by yours truly a few days ago. Look how nicely it looks in the hand!

Hardware

First of all, the display on this device is sharp. It’s not just sharp, it’s qHD sharp – have a look back at our unboxing and hands-on with this device to see all the comparisons you could possibly want between the original EVO and this EVO Design – note that the amount of pixels are the same even thought the display size has been reduced in size. That means that the pixels are might tightly packed, resulting in some excellent sharpness.

The EVO Design has both soft plastic and metal along the back, the bottom being able to be popped off with a LOT of effort for you to be able to access the battery, the SIM card, and the microSD card slot which comes packed with an 8GB card right out of the box. You also get 4GB of built-in storage, 768 MB RAM, and on the front and back you’ve got cameras, one 1.3 megapixel camera and one 5 megapixel camera, the back with a single LED flash for all your dark dwelling subject matter.

This device, as I’ve mentioned above, is suited for either a petite hand seeking a smartphone that seems the same large size as every other Android device holding person in the world gets, or for the regular Android lover hoping for a feel similar to that of an iPhone, just sitting there perfectly shaped for the inner part of the palm. This device again is 4.80 x 2.40 x 0.50 inches while the iPhone 4S is 4.54 x 2.31 x 0.37 inches – rather comparable if I do say so myself.

*Also note* that though I’d originally called this this smalled smartphone ever to carry the EVO name, I’ve been corrected! The smallest EVO on earth is still the EVO Shift, a 3.6-inch display having slide-out QWERTY keyboard toting device. Go big, EVO!

Software

Though this device does not have the newest version of Sense, still working with Sense 3.0 yet appearing very much to have the majority of the features that make that most updated version of the HTC user interface great. There’s the ring-pull unlock screen, the complete customizability of aesthetics you should be used to from several versions of Sense, and that all-powerful clock and weather widget that makes HTC devices look so very professional and well made, right there front and center.

As far as its ability to please on a processor level, this device does outdo smartphones of generations past in benchmark tests, but can’t quite add up to the dual-core processor packing collection of superphones that are out today. That said, you won’t find this device skipping a beat for normal everyday tasks, and only the most power-hungry games and apps will be showing their want here with the single-core Qualcomm. The average user shouldn’t worry a bit.

Check out a couple of benchmarks here and know the truth.

Camera

The camera on the back of the device is a 5-megapixel rated single-LED flash having shooter that’s capable of capturing 720p HD video, while the front-facing camera is 1.3 megapixels and is really only good for video chat. Have a look below at a single photo example with several other photos in the gallery at the bottom of this post showing off the camera’s photo abilities. Also see a 720p video below the photo to see how the HD video turns out.

Battery

This device appears to be part of the next generation of battery saving miracle devices because even though the 1520 mAh battery is rated at 6 hours of use, standby on this device is fantastic. What you’re seeing in the image below is the device having not been used for much of anything for over 24 hours.

Looks good!

Wrap-up

This device isn’t going to be the next step for you if you’re looking to upgrade from the previous EVO or especially the EVO 3D since its processor takes the EVO Design to the cleaners, but without comparing to the rest of its close family, this device isn’y half bad. Like the rest of the HTC line, this device is extremely high quality and made not only to last but to function perfectly well through at least the 2-year contract period you’ll have to sign up for. Not only that, this device takes HTC’s design evolution and adds just a couple of unique cues that make this little monster look pretty neat – and it’s quite comfortable to use as well.

Have a look at the gallery below, the images above, and the video of the hands-on and unboxing to see what you think of this device. If there’s any questions you’ve got that I’ve not answered here, feel free to ask below and I’ll do my best to answer.

What I’d like to show you first is a series of hands-on videos from each of the three different versions of this device, starting with the Euro, moving on to the Wifi, and finally looking at the newest version, the EVO View 4G, the device we’ve got here today. Notice the similarities and note how while there are slight differences, they’re all basically the same device. This does bode well for those realizing that this means HTC has a lot of confidence in this device, only altering the way it connects to the internet in the guts, leaving the software and the user interface, for the most part, very much alone.

Hardware

This device has a size of 7.7 x 4.8 x 0.52 inches (195.4 x 122 x 13.2 mm) and weighs in at 420 grams (14.82oz). It’s certainly not the lightest or the thinnest of any tablet on the market at the moment, including tablets with larger displays, but it DOES fit right in the palm of your hand – supposing you’ve got a relatively large hand like yours truly. You’ve got a micro USB jack at the bottom if you’re holding it in portrait mode, a lovely silver volume rocker at the top of the right side, a headphone jack and power/lock button on the right side of the top. You’ve got a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera and a back-facing 5-megapixel camera, and a pop-off panel covering the top back of the device, behind which you can insert your very own microSD card up to 32GB.

One problem with this device, and I’ll explain how to fix it in a moment, is that the scribe pen does not attach to the tablet in any way. If you want to keep it with the device, you’ll have to… I don’t know… tape it to the back, right? No way. All you’ve got to do is head to the accessories bin and pick yourself up a case – HTC has several official models that’ll work perfectly for you – you’ll be wanting to keep that nice glass display safe anyway. Head back to our sister site Android Community’s post entitled HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G Accessories Rundown and see everything you can get.

This device is small enough to fit in an adult-male sized pair of jeans, large enough to be called a tablet – it’s got a 7-inch display if you did not know already. This device runs Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread, has a single core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and you’ll be able to connect to the internet with WiFi or WiMAX. This device is capable of sending and receiving SMS messages, but as far as we can tell, there’s no phonically going to be coming in or going out without some sort of special app like Skype.

Software and Performance

You’ve got Qik for video chat, Notes for taking notes, and HTC reader for reading e-books. The applications you’ll get in this version of the tablet are essentially the exact same set you’ve gotten in the WiFi version of the tablet save for some extra bloatware presented by the carrier. Bloatware is a word that here means useless, added by a company to further pull you into their web of payments for product, essentially something you’re going to want to find a way to delete as soon as possible. Unfortunately you won’t be able to delete most of the applications that are included in the out of the box build on the EVO View here, a rooting situation is what you’d have to use to get your device clean of these bloated apps – if rooting is something you’re not likely to do because it involves hacking, these apps you shall be a keeping.

That said, there are quite a few applications that you’ll find good use for. Google has been fairly good at figuring out what it is you’ll want from an Android device, and have required all those manufacturers who hope to add the Android Market to their device to keep these apps in tact (in most cases, that is.) You’ll get Gmail, Google search app, Google maps, and every other little tidbit you’ve got on the Android device you already own.

Above we’ve recorded a video which disseminates some knowledge on this device particularly on a few apps you’ll want to use, will undoubtedly be using quite often, or will want to download once you’ve got the device. There’s also a few often-asked questions on the device answered such as “what happens when I’m using the pen and my finger touches the screen at the same time?”

Camera

The camera in the past we’ve called generally mediocre. The past few days we’ve got to look at this iteration of the device, it’s seemed to be better. Perhaps it’s the weather, maybe it’s just that everyone’s excited that it’s summer, who knows. You’ll be able to see for yourself below, have a look at the highest quality photo the back-facing camera is capable of here:

And some of the highest quality video as well – look at that good puppy getting into position for the video – cute!

Battery

As with all such mobile devices, you’ll want to know how this device’s battery holds up. Inside the EVO View you’ll be getting a 4,000 mAh non-replaceable battery that adds up quite well. While HTC says the battery will be lasting you four hours of video playback or between 820 and 1470 hours on standby, we’ve got to say that we’ve not had to charge it since it arrived, again, several days ago. Impressive as all tablets seem to have been since this Android wave began.

Wrap-Up

What you’ve got here is a note-taking machine. You’re able to use the Notes app in so many different ways that we’re surprised an iteration of this device hasn’t been called the HTC Scribbler. You’ve got to keep an eye on the pen, unless of course you’ve got a custom case, which you almost certainly will, and it’ll be your best friend and NEARLY an indispensable addition to this already super tablet. It’s a 7-inch tablet running a single-core 1.5GHz processor, and by all means that’s all it should need to get all of your note-taking done.

But therein lies the dilemma – what if you want to use it for games as well? I’ll tell you right here and now – no game that we’ve tested on this device has seemed slow, force closed, or had any error of any kind thus far. If you’d like us to test something hardcore that you don’t believe we could have possibly come across that might bust down this Qualcomm Snapdragon, by all means, send it on over – we’ll try it out! For now though, power.

If you plan on purchasing this device, consider first that you’re also able to purchase the WiFi version from Best Buy, a device that’s exactly the same with slightly less bloat in the apps and having no monthly contract for connectedness. When you use this device for notes, you wont need the internet, and when you’re using this device for internet, you’ll more than likely either be in range of a WiFi connection or you’ll have your handset in your pocket with a mobile hotspot. No problem!

To be eligible for the trade-in program the phone the user trades in must work, the case must not be broken, the screen can’t be cracked, and the phone can have no signs of water damage. If your device meets all those criteria, you can get $50 off a new device like the HTC EVO 4G or the Evo Shift 4G.

The phones that you can get the $50 credit towards will change and the EVO 4G and shift 4G are the devices from now until February 12. The event runs until March 5, but the devices available to choose from will change on the 12th.

R3 Media Network

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To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

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Apparently, the issue first shows up as light leakage around the handsets buttons. The screen on one user’s EVO 4G is clearly sticking up past the edge of the handset while the screen at the top of the smartphone is still recessed.

Some users report that the screen separation near the buttons can be remedied for a short time by pressing the buttons back down. Others have also reported that removing the battery and tightening a couple screws underneath might fix the issue. Any of you seeing this separating issue on your own EVO 4G handsets? Check out the video below to see what the separation looks like around the 2:24 mark.

If you are one of the EVO 4G users that has already rooted the handset, you can grab an app that allows unlimited WiFi and Bluetooth tethering. The app is called Wireless Tether for Root users and obviously to enjoy you have to root the handset.

Once the EVO is rooted, grab the app in version 2.02.pre14 or higher here. The developers do point out that the Sprint tether app supports WPA/WPA2 whereas the free app doesn’t. However, $30 monthly for Sprint tether app versus free will offset that for many users.

Sprint says that the EVO 4G sold more phones in a single day than either of the two previous record holders – the Palm Pre and the Samsung Instinct. Sprint claims that the EVO 4G sold three times as many units on launch day as the Pre and Instinct did over their first three days of sales combined.

Reports last year when the Pre went on sale had the device selling about 60,000 units over the course of its first weekend of availability. Sprint also reports that demand was so strong there were shortages of the device at some of the sales locations around the country and more stock is going to be coming on a daily basis.

MSI also whipped out several new tablet computers at Computex including the WindPad 100 and WindPad 110. One of the new tablets is a Windows 7 machine and the other is an Android device. Intel showed off its plans for Oak Trail and the super skinny Canoe Lake netbook platform. The netbook platform is only 14mm thick.

Apple announced early in the week that it had sold 2 million iPads in the 60 days the device was on the market. That is a lot of tablets for sure. The DOJ extended its inquiry into some of the practices at Apple into music and video this week. The DOJ is talking to film industry insiders to learn more about how Apple operates.

A new smartphone from HTC called the Aria has leaked out ahead of its expected launch on AT&T. The device runs Android and has a 5MP camera with a 2.8-inch screen. The updates for Android that have been roughly every six months in the past will be changing. Andy Rubin states that Android updates will move to once per year now on.

HP showed off a sweet new 30-inch LCD this week with an S-IPS panel capable of over a billion colors. The big screen has a 2560 x 1600 resolution and well sell for about $1300. A screen said to be for the iPhone HD surfaced this week and literally went under a microscope. The pixels were counted and the resolution was pegged at 960 x 640.

AMD Fusion APUs were demonstrated at Computex this week. The Fusion APU is AMD’s combination CPU and GPU in one. Google confirmed that it will launch its Chrome OS late this fall. Google also says that software and apps for Windows will be able to run on Chrome.

Microsoft’s Project Natal camera turned up at D8 and looked finished. If the pricing we have heard is true, I think most will find the gimmicky device too expensive. HP said this week that it bought Palm for WebOS not for a smartphone future. Palm later clarified and said phones might still be coming.

Late in the week stock on the sweet HTC EVO 4G handset was headed to stores and the first commercial for the handset surfaced. The EVO 4G is one very nice handset. AT&T threatened a customer with legal action this week for emailing the CEO twice over a few week period to voice concerns with the network. This is all Steve Jobs’ fault for listening to customers and responding to them even if it’s only one word.

We reviewed the Palm Pixi Plus handset for AT&T late this week. The device is the same handset we have already seen, and has sold poorly everywhere else. AT&T apologized to the customer they threatened earlier in the week on Friday saying it was all a misunderstanding. The customer still left for Sprint and a shiny new EVO 4G.

We told you everything you need to know about the Sprint EVO 4G handset on Friday. You can run out and pick yours up knowing what you are getting after you read the story. That’s it for this week’s edition, thanks for reading!

RadioShack has now announced that it will start taking pre-orders on the EVO 4G on May 14, which is today for those of you not keeping up. The handset will land in RadioShack stores on June 4. To pre-order the device users have to go into a store and buy a special $50 gift card.

That gift card is used towards the purchase price of the handset. When the card is purchased, the user also sets up a time to pick up the phone and get it activated for use. RadioShack has specially trained experts on the EVO 4G in its stores to teach buyers how to use the device.

After the Incredible launched on Verizon’s network, there were a lot of people saying that there didn’t seem to be much of a reason for the Nexus One to make an appearance. And, sure enough, Verizon realized much the same thing and scrapped the launch. Now Sprint has apparently done the same thing. Why? Because of the HTC EVO 4G, of course. A far more impressive device in just about every shape and form, apparently the higher-ups at Sprint don’t really see a reason to go through the Google Store for the Nexus One.

So, if you were one of the people out there that got excited about the potential of the Nexus One on the Now Network, consider your excitement dashed on the relentless rocks. But, the EVO 4G is still coming out this Summer, so maybe it’s time you start considering the upgrade. Though, we imagine you’ve already done that. You want that WiMAX, 4.3-inch goodness, right?

[via Engadget]

The Snapdragon chipset has seen plenty of use in recent HTC devices – the Nexus One and the Desire, if you’re limiting things to Android – as has the 3.7-inch OLED WVGA display. Previous phones have had EVDO Rev.A, too, and WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS are par for the course too. Where things improve are in the optics and the internal storage: the Incredible will be the first HTC device to ship with an 8-megapixel autofocus camera, and it’s paired with a healthy 8GB of onboard storage.

What’s interesting is that we’re expecting Google’s CDMA Nexus One to arrive imminently, and the most obvious difference between the two will be HTC’s use of their home-grown Sense UI. Initially limited to T-Mobile USA, now also on AT&T, the Nexus One runs the bare Android 2.1 OS, and while it’s a more attractive, usable proposition than earlier iterations of the platform, it’s still nowhere near as intuitive out of the box as Sense makes things. As well as adding an extra two panes to the homescreen, Sense packs a preloaded Twitter client in the shape of HTC Peep, Flickr and Facebook integration, and a Friend Stream app which pulls all your contacts social network updates into a single timeline (complete with a desktop widget and the ability to update one or more of your own profiles with just a few taps).

More surprising is a noticeable improvement in touchscreen quality when you have both devices side by side. We’re not sure exactly what HTC have done with the Droid Incredible’s capacitive layer, but it’s both more accurate and less likely to miss taps than that of the Nexus One. Many Google phone users have complained of patchy touch response, something we’ve not encountered on this newer handset. The Incredible also has a broader brightness range than the Nexus One, particularly at its lower settings.

The Droid Incredible’s main competitor on Verizon is likely to be the Motorola DROID (review on SlashGear). It’s a testament to Motorola’s ambitious design that, while the DROID has been on sale for several months now, it’s still a viable option among newer devices. Like the Incredible it has a 3.7-inch display (running at the slightly higher 854 x 480 resolution) but the Motorola uses a more traditional LCD panel than HTC’s currently favored OLED screens. Although the latter is arguably more power efficient, the DROID’s display is in our experience just as bright and color rich as that on the Droid Incredible; it also has the benefit of being more usable (at lower brightness settings) outdoors.

As with the Nexus One, the Motorola runs Android 2.1 with no embellishments (not even the company’s own MOTOBLUR social networking integration). While you could argue that the DROID’s slide-out hardware QWERTY keyboard makes it a more proficient messaging device, HTC’s updated Mail client actually pushes the Incredible ahead in our opinion. Although 2.1 has native Exchange support, it’s only for email and contacts; the HTC app adds in calendar sync too, and the mail app itself allows you to view messages organized by whether they’re flagged, unread or from certain “VIP” contacts, or if they’re meeting invitations, and there’s a threaded “conversation” view too. Although the Motorola’s QWERTY is fair, HTC’s standard on-screen keyboard is a pleasant boost over and above the regular Android QWERTY – thanks to improved auto-correction – though we’re also fans of Swype on which we’re actually faster than with a hardware ‘board.

The flip side to out-of-the-box usability with Sense, though, is the ease of future OS updates. It’s telling that, in the months the DROID has been on the market, Motorola have already upgraded it from Android 2.0 to 2.1; HTC users have been waiting considerably longer for an update of early Android devices (such as the HTC Hero) to a newer version of the platform. That’s down to the headaches of getting Sense to play nicely with a changed OS, and while we don’t doubt HTC’s intent to keep the Droid Incredible as current as possible, we also feel pretty confident saying that the Motorola handset, unmodified as it is, will likely get official builds sooner.

Where the Droid Incredible particularly kicks away from the Motorola – and, for that matter, the Nexus One – is with its camera. It’s not just a win on the spec sheet, either; the Incredible’s 8-megapixel autofocus camera has a brighter, dual-LED flash than the Nexus One, and the still photos it takes are significantly better than those of either the Google phone or the DROID. It’s also more flexible, with granular control over exposure, contrast, saturation and sharpness, ISO ranges from 100 to 800 and optional geotagging and face detection. Sadly there’s no 720p HD video recording on any of the three devices, but the Droid Incredible’s 800 x 480 WVGA footage is reasonable if uninspiring.

Tour of Grand Canyon at 30,000 feet through Droid Incredible’s camera

Sample videos taken with Droid Incredible

Image taken by Droid Incredible of Grand Canyon

Unfortunately, the flip side is battery life. The Nexus One requires some goading of settings to get it through a heavy day’s use, and – since some of the more recent firmware updates – the Motorola DROID actually stretches out its battery surprisingly well. Here, though, the Droid Incredible falls resolutely into bottom place; we’re not sure quite what’s happened, but it ousts even the hungry Nexus One. With the settings as standard, and push email turned on, we didn’t make it through a full day of use before the phone expired. Toning down the amount of social network updates that Sense makes, together with notching down the screen brightness a little, each helped prolong things, but the Incredible is definitely an over-eater.

Compounding the issue is the absence of a charging dock. Both the DROID and the Nexus One can be paired with an optional cradle, and we’ve found that we’re more likely to drop each phone into its respective dock than we are to plug them in with a regular microUSB adapter. That way, the handset gets a mild top-up and you get to stay wireless for more of your day. The Incredible’s lack of charging contacts (unlike the Nexus One) and side-mounted power connector mean a portrait-orientation dock is unlikely, and the fact that Sense doesn’t have a landscape-orientation mode leaves us doubting that HTC plan a cradle similar to Motorola’s.

It’s frustrating, because there are lots of power-hungry reasons we’d rather have the Droid Incredible in our pockets. There’s Flash Lite 4.0 support in the browser, for one, though performance at streaming video is very much dependent on the bitrate it has been recorded at; too high, and the Snapdragon CPU chokes and playback gets stuttery.

Audio performance during voice calls is a little better than with the DROID, though lags behind the Nexus One. That’s primarily down to the Incredible lacking its sibling’s noise-cancelling microphone array. Meanwhile 3G data performance over the Verizon EVDO Rev.A network was strong, though without a CDMA Nexus One we can’t make any direct comparisons. As with the DROID, the Incredible is CDMA-only and – shortsighted in our opinion – lacks global 3G support; saying that, as far as we’re aware the upcoming Verizon Nexus One won’t get that either. If you regularly travel outside the US and still want to use your smartphone, neither the Incredible nor the DROID are the devices to choose.

Strong contender as the Motorola DROID is, the Droid Incredible by HTC edges ahead by virtue of its better performing camera and Sense UI. Similarly, we’d pick the Incredible over the Nexus One; don’t underestimate the value of having Verizon’s after-sales support network to hand, something that – even when the CDMA Nexus One goes on sale – the Google-branded phone will lack. Our only real Incredible concerns begin with battery life and end with firmware updates; we hope HTC can tweak their power management to address the former, though the latter could be the sting in the smartphone’s tail. As we said with the HTC Desire, though, opting against a Sense device out of what may or may not transpire a number of months into the lifecycle does mean you’re missing out on an excellent handset experience today.

When the HTC EVO 4G arrives on Sprint later this year, the Android balance will change again. Connected services are arguably the future of smartphones and mobile devices, and the boost in data speed WiMAX will bring may just change our minds again. Until then (and of course that assumes you live in an area served with Sprint 4G coverage) we’re leaning toward the Verizon Droid Incredible by HTC. International travelers and those unwilling to experiment with their data and power settings should look elsewhere, but everyone else will be enjoying excellent camera performance served up in a user-friendly package.

Unboxing Droid Incredible by HTC for Verizon

Verizon Droid Incredible by HTC key specifications:

Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon chipset
512MB ROM, 512MB RAM
3.7-inch WVGA 480 x 800 OLED capacitive touchscreen
8-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
8GB internal memory & microSD card slot (32GB)
EVDO Rev.A, WiFi b/g & Bluetooth
GPS, accelerometer
Android 2.1 with HTC Sense
3.5mm headphones socket & microUSB 2.0 port
1,300mAh Li Ion battery (rated 5.2hrs talktime or six days standby)
4.63 x 2.3 x 0.47 inches / 4.59 oz

The HTC EVO 4G is definitely one of, if not the strongest Android-powered handset coming to the market. Despite strong competitors in the Nexus One, and the just-announced Samsung Galaxy S, the HTC manufactured EVO 4G has a leg up in a few key departments. Such as: the 4.3-inch 480×800 TFT LCD display; a Snapdragon QSD8650 1 GHz processor; 1GB of built-in storage along with 512MB of RAM. And while the EVO 4G is obviously based off the HTC HD2, the specs are still angling toward the EVO. The battery is bigger in the EVO 4G than in the HD2, and the camera has taken a significant upgrade to 8MP, with a flash, and 720p video capability. And then, just in case you wanted more, there’s a 1.3MP camera on the front.

The laundry list of features goes on, including 802.11b/g WiFi, Android 2.1, HTC’s much-loved Sense User Interface, and an 8GB MicroSD card included. And that 4G isn’t just a name, either. It’s got full WiMAX capabilities, along with a combination of EV-DO Rev. A. What’s that mean? There’s a chance that this means the EVO can do voice communications and data connection at the same time, much like GSM networks can already do. That’s very good news, and we’re hoping that Sprint can take this feature out of the testing phase. The EVO 4G is also a fully capable mobile hotspot, allowing up to 8 concurrent connections. Oh, and it’s got a kickstand for all that YouTube video watching you’ll be doing.

The Sprint event is still going on right now, and we’ll have some videos, plus hands-on soon. So stay with us as we take a deeper look at the country’s first 3G/4G handset.

Press Release:

World’s First 3G/4G Android Phone, HTC EVOTM 4G, Coming this Summer Exclusively from Sprint

HTC EVO 4G offers one of the most robust multimedia experiences on a wireless phone today; features Android(TM) 2.1, one of the industry’s largest touch-screen displays, 8.0 MP camera, HD video capture, HDMI output,Mobile Hotspot capability and HTC Sense(TM) Pre-registration begins today at www.sprint.com/evo

LAS VEGAS, Mar 23, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Sprint (NYSE: S) and HTC Corporation today announced summer availability of the world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, HTC EVO 4G exclusively from Sprint. HTC EVO 4G delivers a multimedia experience at 4G speeds that is second to none, making it possible to download music, pictures, files, or videos in seconds – not minutes – and watch streaming video on the go with one of the largest pinch-to-zoom displays, at 4.3 inches, in the wireless industry.
Sprint 4G offers a faster wireless experience than any other U.S. national wireless carrier, and Sprint is the only national carrier offering wireless 4G service today in 27 markets. Sprint 4G delivers download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G1,giving HTC EVO 4G the fastest data speeds of any U.S. wireless device available today.

“Sprint continues to lead the 4G revolution as we introduce HTC EVO 4G to give our customers an experience that is unlike anything available in wireless to date,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. “Not only is this feature-rich device incredible on our Sprint 3G network, but Sprint 4G speeds will take mobile multimedia, including live video streaming, gaming and picture downloads, to a whole new level.”

Customers will be able to purchase HTC EVO 4G through all Sprint channels and through national retail partners, RadioShack, Best Buy and Walmart, this summer. Pricing will be announced at a later date. Pre-registration begins today at www.sprint.com/evo.

A device beyond compare

HTC EVO 4G delivers a robust list of features, including a 1GHz Qualcomm(R) Snapdragon(TM) processor ensuring a smooth and quick user experience. With dual cameras – an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera – HTC EVO 4G unleashes the ability to create, stream and watch video that far surpasses expectations of what is possible on a phone today.

With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO 4G allows up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 4G experience. Users can easily share an Internet connection on the go with a laptop, camera, music player, game unit, video player, or any other Wi-Fi enabled device.

With integrated HD video capture and 4G speeds, HTC EVO 4G makes slow uploads and grainy video a thing of the past. Now, it is possible to post high-quality video to YouTube(TM) or Facebook, or share moments in real time over the Internet live, via Qik. After these videos have been captured, it is easy to share them on an HDTV via an HDMI cable (sold separately).

The custom Web browser is optimized for HTC EVO 4G’s large display and Sprint 4G speeds to deliver a full, no-compromise Internet experience. Adobe Flash technology ensures that rich Internet content, such as embedded video and animation, are displayed the way they are meant to be seen. Pinch-to-zoom and automatic text reflowing provide easy Web page views.

HTC EVO 4G features the newest version of the highly acclaimed HTC Sense user experience. Along with all of the HTC Sense features first introduced on HTC Hero, HTC EVO 4G adds a number of new features, including Friend Stream, which aggregates multiple social communication channels including Facebook and Twitter(TM) into one organized flow of updates; a “Leap” thumbnail view to easily switch between home screen “panels”; the ability to download new, interactive widgets; and a “polite” ringer, which quiets the ringing phone once lifted up.

“HTC and Sprint have a strong history of working together to bring consumers technologies and advancements that make their lives easier,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC. “We believe that the HTC EVO 4G represents the best of Sprint and the best of HTC working together to bring an unmatched device to the U.S. This combination of HTC and Sprint innovation will allow people to do even more while on the go, faster than ever on the Sprint 4G network.”

Experience Android at 4G

HTC EVO 4G, the world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, features the latest iteration of the increasingly popular Android platform. Leveraging the Android 2.1 platform, HTC EVO 4G can deliver a wide array of useful new features:

Android 2.1 enables a new way to search with pictures instead of words. Google Goggles(TM) works with everything from books, DVDs and barcodes to landmarks, logos, artwork and even wine labels. A picture taken of the Golden Gate Bridge returns all of the information anyone would need to know about the structure. By just taking a picture of several restaurant options, HTC EVO 4G will provide restaurant reviews to ensure the best choice.
Text messaging and email composition feature built-in voice-to-text technology. By simply pressing a microphone button on the screen, messages can be composed by just speaking, making keeping in touch faster and easier than ever.
Through Android Market(TM), HTC EVO 4G users have access to thousands of useful applications, widgets and games to download and install on their phone, with many more to come.
In addition to today’s Android apps, the performance of which will be enhanced by 4G speed, application developers will be introducing new apps that take advantage of 4G power in new ways – games and communications tools and other apps that bring together video, presence and location simultaneously, and capabilities that haven’t yet been imagined. For example, an application developer might create an app that allows a customer to simultaneously watch a streaming sporting event while pulling down stats and conducting a video chat with a friend.

A Sprint 4G developer guide is available today from the Sprint ADP Web site http://developer.sprint.com. The Sprint 4G developer guide explains how to develop on an Android 2.1 handset and how to take advantage of 4G and unique hardware/software capabilities, including how to use a forward-facing camera in an app; how to use HDMI output; and how to build in network detection (3G, 4G or Wi-Fi) to optimize quality of data in an app. The Sprint 4G developer also will include sample apps and source code that highlight these features. It will supplement the Android 2.1 SDK. As a charter member of the Open Handset Alliance(TM), Sprint is actively engaged with the Android community. Sprint has employed an open Internet approach, and the Sprint Application Developer Program has been providing tools for third-party developers since Sprint first launched the Wireless Web on its phones in 2001.

“Sprint and HTC have come together to propel the Android platform into the 4G world with the introduction of HTC EVO 4G,” said Andy Rubin, vice president, mobile platforms at Google. “The Android platform was developed to give people unmatched mobile connectivity to the Internet. By combining this vision with the promise of Sprint’s first-to-market 4G technology, HTC EVO 4G makes accessing thousands of applications from Android Market, using Google(TM) services like Google Goggles, Google Earth(TM) and the all-new Gesture Search, or simply browsing the Web faster, easier and more enjoyable than ever before.”

Blazing trails with Sprint 4G

As the first national wireless carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology, Sprint made history by launching 4G in Baltimore in September 2008. Today, Sprint 4G covers more than 30 million people and expects to have up to 120 million people covered by the end of 2010.

Sprint currently offers 4G service in 27 markets, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., San Antonio and Seattle. Following is a comprehensive list of markets by state where Sprint 4G is currently offered: Georgia – Atlanta, Milledgeville; Hawaii – Honolulu, Maui; Idaho – Boise; Illinois – Chicago; Maryland – Baltimore; Nevada – Las Vegas; North Carolina – Charlotte, Greensboro, (along with High Point and Winston-Salem), Raleigh (along with Cary, Chapel Hill and Durham); Oregon – Portland, Salem; Pennsylvania – Philadelphia; Texas – Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, San Antonio, Waco, Wichita Falls; Washington – Bellingham, Seattle. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/4G.

In 2010, Sprint expects to launch service in multiple markets, including but not limited to, Boston, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Sprint is harnessing the power of 4G as the majority shareholder of Clearwire, the independent company that is building the WiMAX network. Sprint is the only national wireless carrier to offer 4G services on the Clearwire WiMAX network.