Even More EVO Reviews for Your Consideration

There are more EVO reviews out. In earlier blog posts, I shared links to the first round of reviews and also to those which came shortly after the first round. We have a limited supply of demo units, but we as we get devices returned, we are sharing them with reporters and bloggers across the country.

Here's the latest reviews for you to consider as you make your decision about the EVO:

Paul Taylor with the Financial Times says:

"Even without its 4G mobile broadband capabilities, HTC’s Android-powered EVO 4G smartphone is an impressive touchscreen-based handset because it combines many of the best features found in other devices to produce what could start a whole new category, which might possibly be called 'superphones'."

Hiawatha Bray with the Boston Globe says:

"It’s called the EVO 4G, and it’s our first glimpse at the next big thing in smartphones. When cellular carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. begins selling the EVO on June 4, it will be America’s first 4G cellphone, capable of far greater speed than the 3G iPhones and BlackBerries we have come to love."

Aaron Baker with Phonedog.com says:

"The HTC EVO 4G launch is right around the corner (June 4th), and simply put, the EVO takes the prize for flagship Android device. Though other high-end devices like the Incredible offer friendly competition, the EVO's combination of features blow everything else out of the water."

Mathew Honan with Wired says:

"The new Sprint HTC EVO sports some of the nicest hardware you can find on any mobile device on the market and boasts some of the burliest specs we've ever seen in a phone (4G finally!). What's more, it's just drop-dead gorgeous; the kind of thing that compels others to ask about it when you take it out of your pocket.

So the EVO's greatest draw is its 4G WiMax compatibility. How did it work? Uh ... we don't know. We tested the phone in San Francisco, which is not currently wired for 4G. If you're considering the EVO for its data-processing chops, take a look at where 4G is currently deployed.

However, it did do far better with 3G than our iPhone. We took the phone to three different locations in San Francisco where AT&T has coverage holes, and in every case, had a 3G data connection (sometimes slow) while our iPhone wouldn't even make calls. While this may be less of an issue in areas where AT&T delivers the coverage it advertises, those who suffer its inadequate network will be happy to know there's a robust alternative."

Andrew Kameka with Androinica.com says:

"Owning an EVO essentially comes down to one question: do I want to wait for the best phone on my carrier or do I want to get the best phone? Other than update-phobia and an aversion to Sense, there’s really no excuse not to own the EVO if you’re eligible for an upgrade to Sprint. Anyone obsessed with stock Android can opt for an AT&T or T-Mobile Nexus One, but there’s no other 1 GHz phone guaranteed to get updates within a reasonable timeframe. If you’re going to forsake promptness for the sake of day-to-day enjoyment, you might as well do it on the EVO powerhouse."

almost 2 years ago dfiedor responded:

I've read so many articles about the EVO I now yawn anytime I see a new headline. Apparently HTC handed these things out to every scribbler and his brother they could find -- including a couple dozen Apple fanboys. Just tonight, I called (on my old Instinct) one such "tech writer" out in CA because he was carping about the battery life of his EVO and I informed him that if he would turn off a few unused apps once in a while he would get a lot more battery life. His reply: "Yeah, probably."

Some people do not understand that the EVO is primarily a pocket computer that also makes phone calls. No one would try to leave their netbook running applications all day, even when the computer is not in use. They shouldn't do it with the EVO either. The most important first app all new users should download is that app that provides one click to turn off all apps before putting the phone in your pocket.

Mostly, all articles are saying essentially the same things. I notice, though, that only a couple mention anything about how it works as a PHONE. You know, those mundane things like how loud (for us older folks) can it go, how scratchy does it sound, how does it sound to those on the other end of a conversation, etc, etc. One of the first things I would do would be to call a musical director-composer I know out west and get a professional critique. Out of the many phones I have spoken with him on, he likes how my Instinct sounds best -- and when I use the stereo headset that came with it he says it sounds exactly like me in person.

One of the better mobile tech writers is Jenn K. Lee at Pocketables.net. She just started a new blog strictly for the HTC-EVO (goodandevo.net) and surprise, surprise, Jenn is using that blog as a running commentary on how to actually DO interesting and useful things with the EVO. Of course, she (somehow) bought her own EVO and therefore is beholding to no one concerning what she writes. Nonetheless, all reports are good. Much better, in fact, than all of the Apple fanboys' reports. Of course, she also seems to be quite a bit more knowledgeable about mobile technology than a few other writers I could name. . . .

That's what I look for in a real blog: actual results, along with materials and methods. I want to read information from those who use the device to actually do real and useful things, not from those who are just evaluating a new toy for a few hours for an article.

Reading the Andrew Kameka comment above about Sense on the EVO gave me a chuckle or two. Anyone actually playing with the EVO for a while would NOT have "an aversion to Sense" because it can be turned off! Turning Sense off give you a large Nexus One. And, if I did not want Sense (I like it just fine), the next logical step would be to treat it like a Nexus One and load Android 2.2 on it.

Alas, it appears that I'll not be getting my hands on my own EVO anytime soon. After four calls to Sprint I still haven't a hint about how much it would cost me to update and the monthly cost of the plan I want. I also know five current Sprint customers in the same boat. So, our plan is to wait a few days after the EVO officially comes out and then all call Sprint the same afternoon and give them a hard time until we get exact answers. lol

Like Jenn at goodandevo.net, I would like to write a few substantial "how to" articles on using Android on a pocketable device. The EVO would be ideal for what I have in mind. But, I guess it's just not my time for that yet.

@jbtaylor on tech

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Even More EVO Reviews for Your Consideration