Those of you on Sprint awaiting the arrival of the new EVO 4G LTE should be excited about the latest news.  According to Good and EVO, an additional reliable source has confirmed the release date of the EVO 4G LTE is set for May 18th.  This date has been rumored previously, and now almost seems to [...]

For those who keep up with out Twitter feed, you may be seen the myriad of tweets throughout the night with details from the Sprint HTC EVO 4G party in New York City. I arrived at the event, hoping Sprint would be releasing pricing and a launch date for the handset… and they delivered. The Sprint HTC EVO 4G will be launching on June 4th for $199.99 with a new two year agreement. Customers will have to pony up cash for the typical 3G data connection in addition to an extra $10 a month for 4G data access. We talked with a few different Sprint PR reps and they finally came to the conclusion that the $10 add-on for 4G is required (so we’re not sure why it’s an add-on). If you were hoping to take advantage of the EVO 4G’s 8 device mobile hotspot capabilities you will need to add on another service charge of $29.99 per month. The assumption is that the hotspot charge can be added an dropped as desired without any contract infringements. Since I use my G1 to tether my T-Mobile 3G connection quite a bit (using it right now actually), I see tethering an an essential resource for those who need mobile data on the go. However, I’m not sure that it’s actually worth the $29.99 that Sprint is asking for. Palm Pre owners on Verizon get their tethering service for free.

Along with pricing, we got a look at a few of the new features that EVO 4G will offer once it hits the market.

Video chat: the 1.3 MP camera on the front of the EVO 4G can be used with the new Qik app for video chat. Users can use the feature can have video chats or send video voicemails to other Qik users. It’s unclear if the service is compatible with other Android handsets (let’s hope so, or else it’ll be completely useless since not everyone is going to get an EVO), but you can manage the video messages just like you would visual voicemail. We tested the service out and found that there is very little delay in the video stream, though the transmitted resolution for live video chat is capped at VGA.

The launch of the handset will also be accompanied with a new game release from EA, Need for Speed Shift. We didn’t have time to play around with the game, but the demo we saw looked amazing. With more and more Android phones being released with 1GHz processors, I truly believe developers can transform the platform into a true gaming system.

Being the first 4G smartphone of the Sprint network, the HTC EVO 4G will also be the first handset capable of handling simultaneous voice and data connections. They did an extensive demo on stage, but anyone who’s ever used a GSM 3G phone will tell you that this is old news. It’s nice to see new capabilities on a CDMA network, I just wish they didn’t tout it as a new feature to phones.

Overall, I’d have to say that the Sprint HTC EVO 4G is the most capable Android handset I have used to date. Hardware for the device is virtually identical as what we have seen on the HTC HD2 with the exception of the front and rear cameras, kickstand, and WiMax radio. HTC Sense works flawlessly on the Android 2.1 build and the use of Android over Windows Mobile 6.5 is an incredible improvement. Android makes the EVO 4G feel like a completely different phone even when you are holding both of them side-by-side. If people were impressed with the Verizon DROID Incredible, the EVO 4G will be sure to knock their socks off. Stay tuned for another huge success from out friends at HTC.

Sprint will be holding an exclusive invitation-only event on May 12^th to show off the upcoming HTC EVO 4G.  Those lucky enough to get an invitation to the party will be treated to a preview screening of Disney’s  Prince of Persia and may also get a chance mingle with Sprint’s CEO, Dan Hesse.  It’s clear that Sprint will be using the EVO 4G’s large 4.3 inch screen to help promote the multimedia capabilities that the phone has to offer.  There’s still no indication on when Sprint plans to release the HTC EVO 4G to the public or what they will actually be charging for it.  All we can find is another reference to summer 2010. 

Source: AndroidCentral

 I’m sure by now, we’re all rummaging through our closets and looking for all that useless crap that we could probably sell on Craigslist. I need to get my hands on the new Sprint HTC Evo 4G, fast.  We’re still in the dark on a release date for the handset, but Sprint is promising that the HTC Evo 4G will be available sometime this summer.  Initial speculation was that the phone would launch within the next few weeks, but I’m sure Sprint would be more than willing to reveal that information to us if it were true.  We finally got the official word from HTC on the phone, so we thought that you might be interested in seeing the full spec/fact sheet on the HTC Evo 4G along with a few glossy press shots.  It’s a bit eerie how much the Evo looks like the HD2.

The ultimate multimedia experience at Sprint 4G speeds

The world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, exclusively from Sprint, HTC EVO™ 4G, offers a rich mobile Internet experience with a fully integrated suite of services built on the AndroidTM 2.1 platform. HTC EVO 4G includes a blazing-fast 1GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor, the award-winning HTC SenseTM user experience, an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera. The large vibrant 4.3 inch display, built-in kickstand, 3.5 mm headset jack and HDMI output make HTC EVO 4G an unparalleled platform for wireless entertainment. Download music, pictures, files, or videos in seconds – not minutes – and watch streaming video on the go on a network with download speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G speeds.1 With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO 4G also allows up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptop, camera, music player, video player and any other Wi-Fi-enabled device, to enjoy the benefits of 4G speeds on the go.

PRODUCTIVITY

• 3G/4G capability
• Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ QSD8650 (1GHz) processor
• 4.3” capacitive display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedback
• World-class HTML browser – bandwidth and quality that rival that of netbooks
• Android 2.1, with access to more than 30,000 apps on Android Market
• GoogleTM mobile services including Google SearchTM, Google MapsTM, Google TalkTM, GmailTM, YouTubeTM , and syncs with Google CalendarTM
• Access to Google Goggles™ to search with pictures instead of words
• Sprint Navigation, with turn-by-turn driving directions and 3D maps
• Updated HTC Sense, award-winning user experience, which includes Friend Stream to integrate Facebook, Twitter and more into a single flow of updates
• Visual voicemail
• Messaging – personal and business email, IM and text messaging
• 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability – connects up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices
• 4G data speeds (WiMAX) – peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1 Mbps; average download speeds of 3-6 Mbps.
• 3G data speeds (EVDO Rev A.) – peak download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds of 600 kbps-1.4 Mbps.

ENTERTAINMENT

• 8MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash and 1.3MP front-facing camera
• High-quality video streaming and downloads at 3G and 4G data speeds
• Capture and share HD-quality video (720p) from your phone
• Output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (720p) via HDMI cable (sold separately)
• Live video sharing with Qik
• Built-in kickstand for hands-free viewing
• Media player with 3.5mm stereo headset jack
• FM radio and Amazon MP3 store
• Sprint applications including Sprint TV® and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile(SM)
• Bluetooth® 2.1 with A2DP Stereo and EDR
• Built-in WiFi®: 802.11 b/g
• Digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS
• Expandable memory: 8GB microSD card included; supports up to 32GB

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Dimensions: 4.8″ x 2.6″ x .5″ (LxWxT)
• Weight: 6 ounces
• Main display: 4.3” WVGA (800×480) 65K colors
• Standard removable 1500mAh Lithium (Li-on) battery
• Memory: 1GB ROM, 512MB RAM

1 “Up to 10x faster” based on download speed comparison of 3G’s 600 kbps vs. 4G’s 6 Mbps. Industry published 3G avg. speeds (600 kbps-1.7 Mbps); 4G avg. speeds (3-6 Mbps). Actual speeds may vary. Sprint 4G currently available in over 25 markets and counting, and on select devices. See www.sprint.com/4G for details. Not all services available on 4G and coverage may default to 3G/separate network where 4G unavailable.
Note: Device features, specifications, services and applications are subject to change.