HTC EVO 4G - 4G vs 3G, A Tale of The Tape

The EVO 4G was one of the first phones to get an update to Android 2.2, otherwise known as Froyo. This update is significant as it brings additional performance and Adobe Flash media capabilities to the phone. Android 2.2 is said to run two to five times faster than previous versions. Thanks to a new JavaScript engine, the Android browser is suppose to be to two three times faster than the browser found in Android 2.1.

With the Froyo update, HTC EVO 4G users also gain the ability to share a favorite game or application with friends via Twitter, Facebook, Bluetooth, email, or text message. The update also brings targeted search capabilities that let you limit the locations the phone searches for information as well a handful of other tweaks and improvements.

Click to enlarge

In addition to Android 2.2, HTC has included the HTC Sense experience with the phone, providing a consolidated view of social networking updates via the Friend Stream, HTC's seven-screen 'Leap' thumbnail view, and more.  If you've ever used a HTC phone with the Sense UI, you'll definitely notice some familiar features on the EVO 4G.

HTC and Sprint put a number of helpful apps and shortcuts on the various home screens by default. Of course, all of these screens are fully customizable. You can add, remove, or rearrange all links to your liking. HTC also includes various Scenes with the EVO 4G which will customize the EVO 4G with a range of themes. For example, the work Scene presents two clocks, easy access to your calendar and messages, and more.

HTC's 'Leap' thumbnail view is especially helpful for navigating among the various home screens. To access the Leap view, you can pinch the home screen or press the Home button. By pressing and holding the Home button, you'll see a list of eight most recently used applications.

Click to enlarge

The EVO 4G's keyboard is pretty standard fare. Overall, we though the keyboard was usable, though we did find ourselves missing the SWYPE keyboard found on some other Android smartphones. Using the phone in landscape mode, you'll notice that the keyboard takes up quite a bit of screen real estate.

With the phone's 4G capabilities, one of the strengths of the EVO 4G is certainly its web browsing capabilities. The phone's large, 4.3-inch multi-touch screen also adds to the browsing experience. We tested the phone in both 3G and 4G coverage areas and found the overall experience to be a joy. In the coming pages, we'll touch more on the speeds you can expect from the EVO 4G while browsing the web.

Click to enlarge

We've seen quite a bit of bloatware pre-installed on phones recently. Although the HTC EVO 4G isn't an exception to this trend, we are thankful that HTC and Sprint kept the added apps to a minimum. Some of the apps you'll find on the EVO 4G include Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, Sprint Zone, Amazon MP3, NASCAR, Qik, and a few others.