HTC EVO 4G LTE Android Smartphone Review

In many ways, you can tell the EVO 4G LTE is part of the EVO family. This phone has a look and style that resembles its older brothers, including red accents. One of the most-liked features from previous HTC EVO smartphones is the kickstand which props up the phone on your desk for viewing images, videos, and web pages. After removing the kickstand from the HTC EVO 3D, the manufacturer has brought back the kickstand with the EVO 4G LTE.

Click to enlarge

The kickstand is nice and solid and props the phone in landscape mode on your desk. You can also use the kickstand to prop the phone in portrait mode, but it won't be nearly as steady. When not in use, the kickstand is flush with the back of the device so you'll need to use your fingernail to pull it open.

The EVO 4G LTE is competitive in terms of both weight and footprint. As you can see from the chart below, the EVO 4G LTE is just slightly heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S III and lighter than the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

 
The 4.7-inch HD 720p super LCD (1280 x 720) display covers the bulk of the front of the smartphone. Below the display, you'll find three touch-sensitive buttons (Back, Home, and Recent Apps) that are flush with the phone's face. The front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera is located above the display to the right of the narrow speaker grill.

On the left side of the EVO 4G LTE, you'll see the microUSB port near the red stripe that houses the kickstand on the back of the phone. The right edge of the phone houses a dedicated camera button as well as the volume rocker. A power button and headset jack is located on the top edge of the phone.

Click to enlarge

When you turn the EVO 4G LTE over, you'll immediately notice the red metallic kickstand which divides the back of the phone. Above this kickstand, you'll see the rear-facing 8-megapixel camera as well as an LED flash. You can remove the shiny cover above the kickstand to reveal the phone's microSD card slot. One thing to note about the shiny cover above the kickstand is that it will attract fingerprints.

The battery and SIM card are located below the kickstand which does not have a removable cover. This lower portion of the back of the phone has a matte finish that doesn't attract fingerprints. While the EVO 4G LTE's 2000 mAh battery should be enough to get many users through a day depending on how much they demand from the phone, we wish HTC would have made it possible for users to swap batteries and SIM cards.

Click to enlarge