We certainly were not expecting to finish off a Friday like this.  Images of an unnamed HTC handset have just hit the web which show off a handset which looks strikingly similar to the HTC EVO 4G, but with a little extra style.  The HTC handset is expected to launch on Verizon’s network and will include a 4.3 inch display, 3.5mm headphone jack, an 8 megapixel camera with dual-led flash, a kickstand, and a front facing camera. 

Basically, it looks like Verizon’s going to be getting its own version of the HTC EVO with a highly modified exterior shell.  We’re not sure what version of Android will be loaded onto this handset when it hits store shelves, but the words “with HTC Sense” embedded into the kickstand give us enough confidence to say it will not be running stock Android. 

Source: BoyGenius

If you find yourself among the thousands of HTC EVO 4G owners who happened to flash the unofficial Froyo update to your phone a little over a week ago, we’d like to let you know that an official OTA fix is now available.  HTC is pushing out a patch for all phones running on 3.26.561.3 which will update the phone to the official 3.26.561.6 ROM build.  To grab your update, simply press: menu > settings > system updates.  Keep in mind that if the download is not yet available, you can always bump up your handsets date by a few weeks which should trigger the download process.   Be sure to let us know how it goes.

Source: Sprint Community

The latest report from NPD has just unveiled that Android has reached the number one spot as the best selling smartphone OS in America.  RIM’s Blackberry phones have been at the top since late 2007, but it looks like Android will be holing the top honor for quite some time.  Android finished off the quarter with 33% while RIM dropped to 28% and Apple gained a little, moving up to 22%. 

While the numbers are pretty impressive, we’re a little more excited to announce that the top five list of best selling Android phones for Q2 in the U.S. market included the HTC DROID Incredible, HTC EVO 4G, HTC Hero, and HTC DROID Eris.  HTC was not able to bump the Motorola DROID from the number one spot, but I’m pretty sure they are happy to have secured the other four. 

We are pretty confident that HTC will continue to lead the way on the Android front over the next few quarters.  The HTC Hero will most likely be faded out over the next few months just as the DROID Eris recently pulled off a silent disappearing act a few weeks back.  With 3-4 new Android phones from HTC expected to hit between now and the end of the year, HTC should have no problem staying at the top of the list, helping Android increase its market share lead over the competition.

The latest report from NPD has just unveiled that Android has reached the number one spot as the best selling smartphone OS in America.  RIM’s Blackberry phones have been at the top since late 2007, but it looks like Android will be holing the top honor for quite some time.  Android finished off the quarter with 33% while RIM dropped to 28% and Apple gained a little, moving up to 22%. 

While the numbers are pretty impressive, we’re a little more excited to announce that the top five list of best selling Android phones for Q2 in the U.S. market included the HTC DROID Incredible, HTC EVO 4G, HTC Hero, and HTC DROID Eris.  HTC was not able to bump the Motorola DROID from the number one spot, but I’m pretty sure they are happy to have secured the other four. 

We are pretty confident that HTC will continue to lead the way on the Android front over the next few quarters.  The HTC Hero will most likely be faded out over the next few months just as the DROID Eris recently pulled off a silent disappearing act a few weeks back.  With 3-4 new Android phones from HTC expected to hit between now and the end of the year, HTC should have no problem staying at the top of the list, helping Android increase its market share lead over the competition.

If you havn’t heard, Android 2.2 for the HTC EVO 4G has finally landed.  No,m this isn’t another one of those pre-releases that have been floating around for the past few days.  There’s no five step process to manually download an install the update either. From your home screen, simply press menu > settings > system updates  > firmware update.  Your EVO ping the servers to check for the update.  Since HTC’s servers are getting slammed right now, it will probably take quite a long time for download the 84.4MB update (we’ve been at if for nearly 20 minutes over Wi-Fi).

Those of you who still get a message saying that there is no system update to install, keep in mind that Sprint is staggering the updates so that their systems don’t crash. If you wait a day of two, you’re turn will come.  However, there’s a little tweak you can do if you’re not to keen on waiting.  In your phone’s settings, simply change the date to two weeks out and then restart your EVO.  Once the phone boots back up, it’ll ping the servers again and find the file to download.

Let us know how the download and install process goes.

Though HTC has been plagued with component shortages for the HTC Desire, EVO 4G, and DROID Incredible over the past few months, HTC is hoping to finish out the year with an incredibly strong fourth quarter.  Industry sources are reporting that HTC is planning to introduce a total of six new handsets in Q4 which will help them boost their sale numbers for the year and ship nearly 8.5 million phone in the fourth quarter alone. 

HTC’s new handset lineup will most likely include the HTC Vision, Vanguard, and Emerald running on Android along with the HTC Mondrian, and Mozart which are expected to be running Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 platform.  The HTC Ace (HTC Desire HD) isn’t included in the list since it is expected to go on sale some time in Q3. 

HTC has already experienced two amazing quarters this year, beating their own and analyst expectations both times.  With six new phones on the horizon, we are hoping that HTC has finally been able to sort out their component supply issues, which could be their only obstacle in reaching their sales target. 

source: DigiTimes

A few hours ago, Engadget started getting reports that the white HTC EVO 4G was making appearances at select Best Buy locations a few days early.  Now, we have a few confirmed reports of our own and images of a purchased white HTC EVO 4G have made it on to the web.  Best Buy has the exclusive selling rights on the white EVO until August, but we’re not so sure how many customers are really interested in the white version.  As we originally suspected, the white EVO isn’t fully white.  The front panel surrounding the touch screen and part of the handset’s side cover are still in the original black, making the white EVO 4G look more like a zebra than anything else.  If you asked us, we would suggest just sticking with the original black unless someone at HTC or Sprint realizes that a “white” phone needs to have more white than black on it.

Source: Engadget

In the spirit of openness that surrounds the Android ecosystem, HTC has just released the kernel source code for the HTC EVO 4G.  While hackers and modders will have a heyday with the new code, HTC’s real intent in releasing it to the world is so application developers can take a peek at the changes that HTC has made to Android so that their applications run smoothly on HTC’s phones.   There has been a fair share of app developers who have complained about HTC’s customization of the Android platform since their changes don’t always play nice to a vanilla Android build.  Most manufacturers developing phones running Android have been making their own tweaks to the system over the past year or so, but HTC is the only one releasing their course code to the developer’s community. 

Source: HTC Developer Center

Many HTC EVO 4G owners may have noticed an OTA update for their handsets yesterday.  The new update (version 1.47.651.1) that Sprint is pushing out to the phone includes improved Wi-Fi performance, a fix to the integrated Facebook Sync feature which should help improve battery life, and a few tweaks to the Exchange Active Sync client.  It may not be the Android 2.2 update that many EVO 4G owners are looking forward to, but that should be the least of your worries.  Apparently, reports of bricked phones has forced HTC and Sprint to pull the update from rolling out to all HTC EVO 4G owners.  Some EVO owners reported that the update would still show up after the installation process and that installing it again would brick their handset.  Also, keep in mind that if you have a rooted HTC EVO 4G, the update would most likely turn your phone into a very fancy paper weight. 

While the vast majority of consumers successfully downloaded and installed the most recent HTC EVO 4G software update, we have received a handful of reports from customers having some issues with the update. In light of this, HTC and Sprint have decided to temporarily halt distribution of this software release until we can investigate further. We expect to be able to resume software updates shortly.

 Source: Mobile Crunch

We’re sure that those who have been waiting for the HTC EVO have already made your purchase.  But if you happened to hold out for some reason and are still looking to make your purchase sometime soon, hold off just a little bit longer.  A white HTC EVO 4G will be heading to Best Buy on July 11^th.  Pre-orders for the white handset are kicking off today with a $50 deposit at your local Best Buy store.  The exclusive deal on the white HTC EVO only last about a month with Sprint retail stores expected to offer the phone starting on August 8^th.  Sprint for the white HTC EVO 4G should be the same $199.99 with new contract as the original. 

While white is probably not the most popular handset color in the world, giving people color options is always a nice thing.  If you already purchased the black EVO 4G around launch but wish you had a white one instead, keep in mind that Sprint has a 30-day return policy on all their handsets.  You might be stuck without the mighty EVO for a few weeks while you wait for the white one, but I’m sure that’s a lot better than handing out at Best Buy, drooling over the phone you really want. 

Source: Engadget

White HTC EVO 4G

We could have told you a long time ago that the HTC EVO 4G would be one of the hottest handsets of the summer.  Sprint is not releasing official launch day sales numbers quite yet, but their latest press release gives us a feeling that it did quite well.  Ok, quite well may be a huge understatement since Sprint has declared that the EVO 4G smashed their first day sales record which has been previously held by the Samsung Instinct and last year’s Palm Pre launch.   Everyone knows that the Palm Pre was a big deal for Sprint as launch, but we sure didn’t expect “the total number of HTC EVO 4G devices sold on launch day was three times the number of Samsung Instinct and Palm Pre devices sold over their first three days on the market combined.”

Sprint is currently working to replenish stock of the HTC EVO 4G at their 22,000 sales locations across the country which online retailers like WireFly are willing to take your order and ship the EVO on 5-7 days.  If you’re still in the market for the first 4G handset to hit the U.S. market, your best bet would be to head on over to sprint.com and place your order there. 

So, how many of you helped contribute to the HTC EVO 4G shortage? 

HTC EVO 4G Breaks Sales Records for Sprint on Launch Day; America’s First 4G Phone is a Hit with Customers

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Friday, June 4, was an early morning for thousands of customers who lined up several hours before Sprint (NYSE: S) stores opened their doors in anticipation of the first day of sales for America’s first 3G/4G phone, HTC EVOTM 4G. Customers were anxious to get their hands on HTC EVO 4G providing record sales figures for Sprint stores around the country.

“I woke up and thought it was Christmas. This phone is so innovative and Sprint is so far ahead of everyone else when it comes to innovation. I’m so excited and looking forward to getting to know EVO better.”

Friday sales of HTC EVO 4G marked the largest quantity of a single phone sold in one day ever for Sprint – the record was previously held by both Samsung InstinctTM and Palm PreTM. In addition, the total number of HTC EVO 4G devices sold on launch day was three times the number of Samsung Instinct and Palm Pre devices sold over their first three days on the market combined.

“HTC EVO 4G is a clear winner for customers with the powerful combination of an amazing multimedia experience in 3G coverage areas that becomes even better in our growing number of 4G markets. It is terrific to see customers react so positively to this device and the innovative experience it brings to them,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO.

The record pace of HTC EVO 4G sales led to temporary shortages of the device at some of the 22,000 sales locations across the United States, including Sprint retail stores, national retail partners including RadioShack, Best Buy and Walmart, and indirect dealers. Sprint and HTC are diligently working around the clock to increase inventory in all sales channels. Additional shipments are arriving in retail stores on a regular basis with many stores seeing daily deliveries.

“HTC EVO 4G has more than lived up to our expectations that it would be one of the most anticipated technology products of the year,” said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president – Product Development for Sprint. “We are working closely with our partners at HTC to increase the supply and get EVO 4G into the hands of everyone who wants one as quickly as possible.”

RAVE REVIEWS ROLLING IN

Respected technology and telecommunications media and analysts lavished HTC EVO 4G with praise through its opening weekend:

* “Sprint HTC EVO 4G! There, do we have your attention? Of course we do, it’s hard to ignore the phone that has proven to be the hottest Android kit for the foreseeable future.” –IntoMobile
* “If you want the biggest, brawniest, most ridiculously muscular phone you can buy, it’s the Evo.” – Gizmodo
* “Entertainment – this is where the EVO 4G really shines – there’s so much to do, it can actually be hard to decide; there’s mobile video, games, a fully featured music player, and web browsing at blazing fast speeds.” – Brighthand
* “The HTC EVO 4G represents a huge step forward for both the Android platform and Sprint’s 4G network.” – PC World
* “When it comes to 4G, Sprint is the sheriff in town … EVO 4G is simply the most advanced phone today.” – Ubergizmo
* In the June 4 issue of Investor’s Business Daily, Ken Dulaney, Gartner analyst, commented, “The device is magnificent. It’s a work of technological art.”
* “It will certainly fly off the shelves as one of the most advanced 3G smartphones available… With a 4.3-inch 480 x 800 pixel LCD display and a rear kick stand, the EVO looks more like a mobile TV than a phone. I would not mind watching the Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals on this screen in a pinch.” – Berge Ayvazian, Yankee Group analyst

CNET, LAPTOP Magazine and eWeek gave HTC EVO 4G awards for Best of Show when it was announced at CTIA this spring. It was also recently cited on MobileTechReview’s Best Smartphones and Best Touch Screen Phones lists.

Sprint customers joined in the praise as well:

* “I woke up and thought it was Christmas. This phone is so innovative and Sprint is so far ahead of everyone else when it comes to innovation. I’m so excited and looking forward to getting to know EVO better.” – Peggi Terzakis, Chicago, Ill.
* “I couldn’t wait until the phone was released. I’ve been sitting everyday just counting the days until launch. I’m a musician so I’m most excited to test the sound quality, all of the multimedia capabilities and the front and back-facing cameras. This is one unique device.” – Orlando Williams, Atlanta, Ga.
* “I’ve been using the EVO for two days now and this is the best smart phone I’ve had! Sprint’s 3G network is reliable and it will provide our AfterCollege employees throughout the country with reliable internet access. With Sprint’s network and hotspot feature, we will have significant cost savings.” – Robert Angulo, San Francisco, Calif.
* “I’m excited about this phone. It’s huge and I can finally watch videos.” – Jordan Grinevitch, Phoenix, Ariz.
* “I’m most excited about the 4G speed and the hotspot. I can get rid of my wireless cards!” – Terence Govan, Lewisville, Texas

Customer favorites on HTC EVO 4G’s long list of features include the 4.3-inch screen, dual 8MP video camera capable of capturing HD quality and front-facing 1.3MP camera. They also appreciate the HDMI output jack making it simple to start a movie for your children in the backseat of the car with the phone and then connect to an HDTV to finish it when you arrive at home. 1 Business customers highlight its super-fast 1GHz processor, simultaneous voice and data capability in 4G or Wi-Fi coverage areas enabling Web surfing and more during conversation, and built-in mobile hotspot for up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices.2

AMAZING AT 3G, UNBELIEVABLE AT 4G

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 33 markets. Sprint 4G delivers download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G2, giving HTC EVO 4G the fastest data speeds of any U.S. wireless device available today. HTC EVO 4G’s exciting features and applications are compelling and powerful in a 3G world, but they become even more amazing when experienced with 4G speeds.

Sprint 4G covers 43 million people and expects to have up to 120 million people covered by the end of 2010. Sprint currently offers 4G service in 33 markets: Georgia – Atlanta, Milledgeville; Hawaii – Honolulu, Maui; Idaho – Boise; Illinois – Chicago; Maryland – Baltimore; Missouri – Kansas City; 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 – Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Reading, York; Texas – Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, 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 4G service in multiple markets, including but not limited to, Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

For more details on HTC EVO 4G, please visit www.sprint.com/EVO.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 48 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, and is the first and only wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, Common Cents Mobile and Assurance Wireless and instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. With its customer-focused strategy, you can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

Loyal HTC customers and fans know how much of a struggle the company has gone through to gain the small share of brand recognition that HTC now enjoys.  For years people were buying HTC made handsets that only featured carrier branding.  These days things have changed.  HTC phones seem to capture global headlines on a regular basis and we keep spotting more and more HTC ads on TV and across the web.  Sprint’s new HTC EVO 4G ad campaign has kicked off with their first commercial on YouTube.  The short clip talks about firsts and in the end asks: “what will you do first with EVO, the first 4G phone?” It’s a legitimate question since the HTC EVO 4G has seemingly limitless web potential if you live in one of Sprint’s 4G markets.  So what will you do with the EVO when you pick it up tomorrow?

Short Rant
Since this is still related to the ad, I thought I would keep this all in one place.  The HTC EVO 4G is the most powerful phone currently available in the U.S. market, but the ad campaign does absolutely nothing to highlight any of the handsets mind bending features.  One of HTC’s “YOU” ads could have told a much better story.  Also, sprint needs to check their facts before claiming that the EVO is the “first 4G phone.”  I guess they missed the fact that HTC rolled out the HTC Max 4G more than a year ago.  I’m a little surprised that HTC didn’t catch that one when they reviewed the ad before launch.

Over the past few weeks I have had the privilege of having over a half dozen HTC handsets at my disposal. There are a few highlights in the mix, but none of them stand out like Sprint’s new HTC EVO 4G. Having attended Google I/O two weeks ago, I was among the lucky 5,000 who walked away with a shiny new HTC EVO 4G. I know, free gifts tend to skew reviews, but I promise to give you my fair and unbiased opinion about the handset. For the past week and a half, the HTC EVO 4G has been pulling its weight, serving as my main device on a day-to-day basis. Honestly, the EVO is a huge step up from my trusty T-Mobile G1, but the impressive spec sheet may not be exaclty what the doctor ordered.

Hardware
If you haven’t read through the Sprint HTC EVO 4G’s spec sheet, you’re most likely in the minoroty on this site. The EVO is equipped with a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 1GB of ROM, 512 MB RAM, a huge 4.3 inch screen, and an 8MP camera capable of 720p video recording. The HTC EVO 4G also features a dizzying array of wireless connectivity, including FM radio, Bluetooth® 2.1 with A2DP Stereo and EDR, Bluetooth® 2.1 with A2DP Stereo and EDR, 3G chipset which supports EVDO Rev A , and all important name giving 4G chip for Sprint’s new 4G WiMax network. There’s no doubt that the EVO 4G is one of the most powerful handsets ever built, but how does all that power and long list of impressive features play out in the real world.

Many of you know that I still use my G1 as my regular handset, so moving up to the Sprint HTC EVO 4G presented a whole new world to me. When you first hold the EVO in your hand, the only thing you seem to notice is the 4.3 inch display which dominates the front side of the handset. Right below the screen are hour capacitive buttons (home, menu, back, and search). Above the screen, HTC has has equipped the EVO with proximity and light sensors, along with the 1.3MP front facing camera for video calling. Unlike the majority of HTC’s phones, the EVO 4G lacks and physical directional controls so you wont find a trackball or optical joystick on the front of the device. The top side of the phone features the 3.5mm headphone jack and the power button and on the right side you will find the volume controls. Along the bottom of the EVO is the microphone right next to the microUSB and HDMI ports. Flipping the phone over you will notice the red accented 8MP camera with dual LED flash and speaker near the top, an chrome HTC logo towards the middle. Sprint has placed their 4G logo towards the bottom, right above the brushed aluminum kickstand. Prying off the back cover reveals a bright red interior (similar to the DROID Incredible). Removing the 1500 mAh battery you will be able to access the microSD card which is held in place by an odd latch mechanism.

The overall design of the hardware is uniform and sleek. HTC designed the EVO with slightly sloping sides so that the phone appears less wide on the front than it actually is. This design trick works really well when you place the phone side by side with the Nexus One or the DROID Incredible, but once you hold the phone in your hand you really get a sense of how large the phone really it. As you might imagine, holding a phone with a 4.3 inch display may feel a little awkward, but that feeling soon becomes a distant thought when the screen is on and your flicking through your apps or playing one of the many 3D games from the Android Market. The 1GHz processor definitely has enough power for those looking to take full advantage of the more demanding apps on the Android Market. 3D games are smooth and web page load times are much quicker than what I have been used to with my G1. If you thought that surfing the web on the Nexus One with its 3.7 inch screen was enjoyable, the massive 4.3 inch display on the EVO will simply blow your mind. But video playback is where the massive display really comes into its own. 720p mp4 files are crystal clear and play without a glitch. Lower quality video looks great as well, though there are very few streaming media options in the Market that don’t look heavily pixelated on the large display. But honestly, the display is as much as a negative feature as it is a positive one. Using the EVO 4G is as much of a hassle as it is a pleasure. The beuaty of most handsets is that they can be operated with a single hand, but that is nearly an impossible feat with the HTC EVO 4G. You can manage single hand operation for a few seconds, but once you get into an app, you will find yourself holding the phone with one hand while using the other to navigate the touch screen. Fitting the Sprint EVO into your pocket is also a bit of a hassle. It’s nearly impossible to fit the phone into jeans pockets but a loose pair of Khakis or cargo pants/shorts should do the trick. Due to the large size, I actually found myself carrying the EVO in my hand a lot more since it was less of a hassle than trying to get it in and out of my pockets.

Camera
The HTC EVO 4G is equipped with an 8MP camera with dual LED flash on the back. For the most part, I’m sure that we all know that megapixels does not translate into better pictures, but the EVO does appear to have a leg up over the competition. The auto-focus lens does a great job of giving the user control. HTC’s camera app allows you to touch the screen to indicate what should be in focus. Surprisingly, the lens does good job of focusing on items as close at 4 inches from it. The focus precision allows you create some pretty dramatic images since it throws the background of the images out of focus. Indoor pictures come out sharp as well, but the sensors present high ISO does add in substantial graininess as your interior surroundings get darker.
The dual LED flash that HTC was equipped the EVO 4G with go an average job of lighting up dark subjects. Getting the flash to work just right is a bit hard. In a dark room you want to make sure that your subject is between four and six feet away from the EVO when using the flash. Anything closer than four feet will appear washed out, while anything further than 6 feet will appear too dark. I would recommend using the flash in indoor situations, even if there is enough natural lighting since the extra lights appear to reduce the amount ISO graininess from the sensor.

One of the unique features of the HTC EVO 4G is the inclusion of the 1.3MP front facing camera. QIK will be rolling out an updated version of their app this week which will support two way video calling but you may have hear that Fring beat them to the punch last week with their new Skype video calling integration. While everyone else will be able to do video calling, it’s just a bit awkward when you have to flip your phone back and fourth. The front facing camera will give you the same experience as you get with a web-cam on a computer. We tested out the QIK video calling when in New York city a few weeks back. The quality is much better than what Fring is currently offering, but you’ll be limited to video calling only with other QIK users. Fring’s Skype integration is a lot more practical, but we’re hoping Skype own video calling app update later this year will bring a much needed video quality boost.

Since the HTC EVO 4G is a monster or a phone, the camera wouldn’t be complete without the ability to record 720p video. Now, I’m not going to get into whole debate about quality of HD video, but I will point out that what you get with the HTC EVO 4G is not what you can expect form a dedicated 720p camcorder or even your new little SONY point and shoot camera you got your mom this past Christmas. Daylight video with the HTC EVO 4G comes out nice and clear. Just make sure you have a steady hand and things should come out exactly like you want. The only time you may notice some real quality issues is when you paly back the clips on an HDTV. Indoor video recording is a much different experience. With lower light levels, the EVO’s HD video sensor compensated by increasing the ISO, adding a lot a graininess. The resulting video is still decent, though you will be able to notice the lower quality even when playing back clips on the handset. Unfortunately, the EVO’s HD video recording feature is completely useless is low light situations. Things might have been a little different if HTC added a setting to enable the LED flash while recording video. For now, my recommendation would be to skip video recording when things are a little too dark and simply take a few pictures instead.

Software
As we have come to expect with all new HTC handsets, the Sprint HTC EVO 4G comes with HTC Sense loaded on top of Android 2.1. I know, Android 2.1 is old news these days since Android 2.2 (Froyo) was just unveiled at Google I/O. HTC did announce that they will be bringing Froyo to all their 2010 Android phones before the ned of the year, so all we have to do is wait.

The latest version of HTC Sense has a few new tricks up its sleeve. As always, Sense integrated your Facebook information with your contacts, pulling in pictures, birthdays, and even your friends latest status updates. But in the past, all this information only lived within the contacts or people app. Now, HTC has added a new app and widget called FriendStream which pulls all the latest news from your friends on Facebook and Twitter and aggregates them all in one place. When you’re inside the application you can sort through all the updates and organize them by status update, links, or photos. HTC has also incorporated all your Facebook friends’ birthdays into the calendar.

Sprint TV, Sprint Navigation, and Nascar Sprint Cup Mobile appear to be unchanged form what we seen on the Sprint HTC Hero, but I thought I would mention that the NFL app has now been replaced with Sprint Football Live since Verizon recently signed a deal with the NFL to feature their official app for mobile. The only Sprint app really worth talking about is Sprint Mobile Hotspot. The HTC EVO 4G is Sprint first smartphone with their 4G WiMax integration, so they thought it would only be appropriate to included hotspot functionality so you can share those blazing fast 4G speeds. If you in one of Sprint’s 4g markets, you can connect up to eight devices to your HCT EVO. But is 3G is all you have, Sprint limits the number of connections to two. Not being in a 4G market, I can’t give any details on the reliability of the network or the download speeds, but I have used Sprint Hotspot over 3G quite a bit since I got my hands on the EVO. The first thing I actually used the app for was to download the OTA Android 2.1 update for the DROID Eris since the demo phone didn’t have a data connection. Download speeds over 3G seem to average 1.1 Mbps while uploads are around 350 Kbps. The speeds aren’t any higher than what I’m used to over wired or wireless tethering from my G1 on T-Mobile’s network, though it’s nice to know that the tethering option on the EVO 4G is officially sanctioned by Sprint and not a back door hack. If you do happen to find yourself in a 4G market, you should expect to get an average of 4-6 Mbps download speeds even though Sprint’s network can handle up to 10MBps bursts.

Battery
The 1500mAh battery can definitely keep up with medium to heavy usage.  For me, an average day with an android phone includes 1 hour of music, 30-40 minutes of web browsing, one or two 22 minute TV shows, 20 minutes for gaming (I am really enjoying Home Run Battle 3D), 30 minutes of phone calls, 10-15 sms, and Twitter and Gmail access throughout the day.  I typically unplug the phone at 7am and found that I still had 15-25% battery life when plugging it back in at 8pm.  Keep in mind that I am not in a 4G market and that I manually se my screen brightness to 15%.  If you use the preset brightness options with the Power Control widget you will notice a significant increase in power consumption from the display. 

Conclusion
It’s really not an easy job, looking at the Sprint HTC EVO 4G with a critical eye. The phone has some much to offer, so much to love, but that does not mean it’s perfect in every way. For me, 4G and the 4.3 inch display are the two best selling point for the phone, but when you hold the EVO 4G in your hand, the benefits of the two features seem to melt away. The promise of 4G speeds on a mobile device is almost like a dream come true, but for most of us 4G is still a dream. Sprint is aggressively rolling out 4G in new markets right now, but their roll-out of new markets will still leave the majority of their U.S customers in 3G by the end of the year. On top of that, Sprint plans on charging an extra $10 for data service on the EVO since it has the potential to consume more data than standard 3G smartphones. Sprint is also planning on charging an additional $29.99 for the Hotspot app if you really want it.

The EVO 4G’s screen is both a blessing and a curse. Media, apps, and the internet look stunning on the huge display, but the EVO feels more like a small tablet than a phone. Apparently, HTC knew that people wouldn’t want to hold the phone all the time, so they included a kickstand for when the EVO gets a little too heavy. But if you can get past those two issues, the HTC EVO 4G offers one of the most amazing Android experiences available. Compare the HTC EVO to the original HTC Desire or the Nexus One and you can clearly see that the EVO is in a league of its own.

Maybe we should think of the HTC EVO 4G as a mythical monster. It’s incredibly fast and has some amazing powers that no one has ever seen before. It’s size is impressive, but unfortunately there is nothing you can do to tame the beast. Many will shy away from something this amazing simply because of the size, but there are those who are willing to take on the challenge and be known to others as the one who tried to tame the beast.

For most people, beauty is what you can see on the outside.  But we’re not most people, so please forgive us if we get excited when we heard about pictures which show off the interior components of and HTC phone.  The latest phone to show off its inner beauty is the upcoming Sprint HTC EVO 4G.  The images come courtesy of iFixit.com where you can find complete instructions on how to take apart HTC’s latest masterpiece. 

Over the years, we have disassembles out fair share of HTC phones, but it looks like HTC has been working hard at keeping their handset interiors as simple as possible.  Back in the day, it took nearly 25 different steps to remove all the components from the HTC Magician.  Compared to that, the 15 steps needed to dismantle the EVO seems like child’s play. 

Just a reminder, if you do choose to try things out on your own, your manufacturer’s warranty from HTC will be null and void.  If your phone’s in need of repair and you’re still within your first year, head on over to the closest Sprint store or give HTC a call.

We know that the launch of the myTouch 3G Slide is coming before the EVO 4G hits Sprint stores, but we thought we would cover a bit more EVO news since all the myTouch Slide news came in more than a month ago and it feels like the phone has already been on the market for a while.  That being said, Android and Me has just posted a video, showing how the HDMI connection on the HTC EVO 4G works.  For those hoping to get the same functionality as the VGA output on the DROID Incredible or the older Touch Pro models from HTC, you might be a little disappointed.  The HDMI output on the EVO 4G only seems to work with the video and gallery apps on the Android phone. 

Commenters pointed out that developers could add in a few hacks to enable “VideoView” in their applications, but it sounds like it may be a little more hassle than what it’s worth.  Honestly, users could gain a whole lot more functionality if HTC removed that HDMI port and added DLNA support to users could browser and share pictures, music, and video over their home network. 

Source: Android and Me

Those of you who have been saving up the extra cash to purchase the Sprint HTC EVO 4G may be a little disappointed to hear that video calling with the new Qik application will set you back an additional $5 a month.  An image of the Sprint training documents just surfaced on AndroidGuys which reveals that the video calling feature will not be covered for the extra $10 Sprint is charging for 4G connectivity. Payment for the Qik video calling feature will be handled through PayPal which leads up be believe that Qik will be collecting that extra $5 from you, not Sprint.  Though video calling is a nice new feature coming to Android, the Qik service is not the only option out there.  Fring just added a video calling feature with Skype integration yesterday and now we’re getting word that Skype is planning on rolling out their Skype Mobile add to all Android phones and will be bringing video conferencing to mobile before the end of the year. 

So… how many of you will be willing to hand over $5 a month to Qik for a video calling feature that you might only use a few times a month?

Those of you in the market for a new Android phone from HTC are probably saving up your cash to get your hands on the HTC EVO 4G which will be launching on Sprint’s network in a little over a week.  With a new two year contract, the EVO 4G will be setting you back $199.99, but you might consider setting aside a little extra cash for the accessories that HTC is looking to pair with the EVO. New images show that Best Buy is planning on carrying a Micro HDMI docking station for the EVO which would allow you to sue the EVO 4G’s Micro HDMI output to connect your phone to your HDTV.

Reports from PCMag show that there may be some incompatibility between the HTC EVO 4G’s HDMI 1.4 technology and older HDMI connections (some TV’s only recognized a 480p signal instead of 1080p).  Also, don’t be surprised if apps like Sprint TV simply don’t work over HDMI.  Last week at Google I/O, we had a long talk with the team from mobitv (Spint TV is a rebranded version of their software) and they mentioned that their app will not work over HDMI due to content licensing agreements. 

Pricing and release date on the HTC EVO 4G Micros HDMI dock are still not available, though I’m sure we will be seeing more information once the June 4^th launch date for the EVO 4G arrives.

Source: Android and Me

Those of you in the market for a new Android phone from HTC are probably saving up your cash to get your hands on the HTC EVO 4G which will be launching on Sprint’s network in a little over a week.  With a new two year contract, the EVO 4G will be setting you back $199.99, but you might consider setting aside a little extra cash for the accessories that HTC is looking to pair with the EVO. New images show that Best Buy is planning on carrying a Micro HDMI docking station for the EVO which would allow you to sue the EVO 4G’s Micro HDMI output to connect your phone to your HDTV.

Reports from PCMag show that there may be some incompatibility between the HTC EVO 4G’s HDMI 1.4 technology and older HDMI connections (some TV’s only recognized a 480p signal instead of 1080p).  Also, don’t be surprised if apps like Sprint TV simply don’t work over HDMI.  Last week at Google I/O, we had a long talk with the team from mobitv (Spint TV is a rebranded version of their software) and they mentioned that their app will not work over HDMI due to content licensing agreements. 

Pricing and release date on the HTC EVO 4G Micros HDMI dock are still not available, though I’m sure we will be seeing more information once the June 4^th launch date for the EVO 4G arrives.

Source: Android and Me

What happens when Google hands out the yet to be released Sprint HTC EVO 4G to nearly five thousand developers at their I/O conference? I’m sure Google was hoping that it would be a nice incentive for developers to create new games and apps for the Android platform, but Matt Mastracci and a group of friends though it might be a little more fun if they simply rooted the handset. After a few hours of work, their effort paid off. It’s pretty amazing how dedicated that the hacking/developer community is dedicated to HTC device. Unfortunately, Matt does not think the same rooting method will work on the HTC DROID Incredible.

Details and instructions of the rooting process for the HTC EVO 4G have not been released, but they have posted up a few pictures on grack.com to prove that they have actually achieved what they are claiming.

Google I/O has been one of the best events I have been to this year, but things got even better this morning when they announced that everyone in attendance would be getting a Sprint HTC EVO 4G. Google had already sent out the Motorola DROID or Nexus One to developers who are attending the conference, but the announcement of the EVO 4G was a nice surprise. As you know, we got to play around with the HTC EVO 4G last week in New York, but this was our first time actually using a retail model of the phone and seeing it in its final packaging. We’ll be covering the handset in full detail once we have adequate time with it, but we thought we’d share a few pictures of the EVO 4G unboxing, to give you an idea of what to expect once it hits store shelves. The packaging itself looks a lot like a frozen dinner box and does appear to be pretty cheap. We’re thinking that Sprint is trying to reduce as much cost as possible since they are selling the HTC EVO 4G for $199 with a two year contract. Like most of the other HTC devices hitting carriers in the U.S market, the EVO 4G only comes with a USB cable a wall adapter. If you were hoping for a hands-free headset, you’ll have to choose from Sprint’s in store selection.

Be sure to check out the pictures below and let us know what you think.