HTC has finally launched the company’s latest flagship smartphone, the HTC Evo 4G LTE, under Sprint. Sprint has chosen its nameplate as it would be the true successor of the HTC Evo 4G. HTC Evo 4G LTE is much closely related with the HTC One X in terms of its hardware and specifications. In addition, it also relived the Evo-style design of HTC with the presence of a decent looking kickstand.
Today, we will reminisce of the features of the opt successor of the Evo 4G, the HTC Evo 3D, and compare it with the latest HTC handset that takes the seat as the true successor of the well renowned Evo 4G, the HTC Evo 4G LTE.
Design
Though the HTC Evo 4G LTE shares several similar specifications with the HTC One X, RIM took emphasis on its design and build to set it apart from other high-end smartphones in the market today. HTC Evo 4G LTE is built with an anodized aluminum body that provides it with a premium look and makes it comfortable to hold. It is also 8.9mm thick which makes it even easier to slip in pockets.
HTC Evo 4G LTE retains the design similar to the One series of having only three capacitive touch sensitive keys to provide more screen space. Along the right side of the device are the volume rocker and the dedicated camera shutter button. The 3.5mm audio jack and the power button is placed on the top of the phone and the microUSB port is placed at the left side of the device to allow the user to charge the phone or connect it to an HDTV even when the kickstand is popped out. Evo 4G LTE has an aluminum body casing which also includes the natural aluminum finish edges of the device that provides contrast to the matte black color.
On the rear of the HTC Evo 4G LTE, it can be noticed that there two tones of black. The upper part is a glossy black sturdy plastic casing that houses the microSD slot and the SIM card slot. It is also said that the NFC chip is placed within this part of the device. The lower portion is made with an anodized aluminum and has a matte black finish. A quarter inch red stripe separates the two portions and also houses the kickstand of the Evo 4G LTE. The kickstand was a trademark feature of the Evo 4G and was it relived in the design of its successor. Improvements were also made with the kickstand wherein the user has the option to change the angle of the device while it sits.
On the other hand, the HTC Evo 3D have made some marked improvements as compared with its sibling, the HTC Evo 4G as it was made thinner and made slightly longer to make it feel less bulky while holding the device. The soft rear matte finish of the Evo 3D slightly improves grip and the red linings on camera makes its distinguishable as an Evo series device. Along the left side of the phone is the microUSB port for charging and transferring data, it also possible to have a high definition output since the port support MHL. On the right side, the volume rocker, 2D/3D camera switch, and the bulky dedicated camera shutter button is placed. The 3.5mm audio jack and the power button can be seen on the top edge of the phone. The rear side of the device presents the dual camera of the device which allows it to take stereoscopic images. It also has dual LED flash placed between the cameras.
While the HTC Evo 3D offers an interesting look with its dual camera, the HTC Evo 4G offers a stunning design and the Evo trademark feature, the kickstand. The downside of the Evo 3D is its capacitive touch keys below the screen which quite crowded. Though it retains the circular ring around the touch keys, placing four keys as compared to the three keys of the Evo 4G LTE often leads to accidentally hitting the home and search keys more often. The aluminum casing of the HTC Evo 4G LTE also provides added protection to everyday wear and tear of daily usage. Thus, the HTC Evo 4G LTE offers more design advantages than the HTC Evo 3G making it the winner of this round.
Display
The HTC Evo 4G LTE houses a 4.7 inch Super IPS LCD2 screen display that is one of the best displays that we have seen so far. It is capable of a display resolution of 720 x 1280p and has a pixel density of 312 PPI which makes it nearly impossible to spot individual pixels. The display also suffers from oversaturation similar to AMOLED screens but at lesser degree to a point that is not that noticeable. It also offers a wider viewing angle due to its IPS technology and it performs well on the outdoors. The screen is also protected with the latest Gorilla Glass 2 technology by Corning.
On the other hand, the HTC Evo 3D uses a 4.3 inch qHD Super LCD display with a resolution of 540 x 960p and a pixel density of 256 PPI. There is marked improvement over other HTC devices however it is inferior over the Evo 4G LTE due to its lack of the IPS technology and often washes out at extreme angles. What makes the HTC Evo 3D unique is its parallax barrier overlay that offers a 3D viewing experience without the need of 3D glasses. However, based on some reviews extended 3D viewing with the phone causes mild headaches but nonetheless the device can perform well on 2D.
By comparing both devices in terms of its 2D HD viewing experience, the HTC Evo 4G LTE provides a better performance than the HTC Evo 3D and the fact that the Evo 4G LTE has an IPS display screen makes it far more superior than the qHD screen. Thus, the HTC Evo 4G LTE is the winner of this round.
Processor
The HTC Evo 4G LTE is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Krait dual-core processor clocked at 1.5 GHz with 1 GB of installed RAM. The chipset also includes an Adreno 225 GPU that provides superb performance on graphic intensive processes. It scored 5099 in Quadrand standard benchmark test and 6995 on AnTuTu which very impressive, though not as powerful as the Samsung Galaxy S III.
On the other hand, the HTC Evo 3D runs with a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660 dual-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz and also has a 1GB RAM that helps well with the extensive needs of the device to run 3D videos and games. The chipset also includes an Adreno 220.
The HTC Evo 4G LTE clearly provides greater performance capability than the HTC Evo 3D with its newer chipset. Thus, the Evo 4G LTE is the winner of this round.
Camera
The HTC Evo 4G LTE has an 8 megapixel camera that can produce 3264 x 2448p resolution photos and features an LED flash. It also features simultaneous HD video recording and image recording similar to the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III. HD videos are recorded 1080p and its 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera can also record 720p HD videos.
On the other hand, the HTC Evo 3D is installed with two 5 megapixel cameras that can capture images at 2560 x 1920p resolution. The set cameras of the Evo 3D is capable of capturing stereoscopic images and videos, though only at 2 megapixels. HD videos are recorded at 720p resolution and it also has a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera.
Though the HTC Evo 3D is capable of capturing and recording 2D and 3D videos and images, the HTC Evo 4G LTE offers better resolution and photo quality. To some, the 3D feature is not that relevant on a day-to-day basis of usage. With that in mind, we prefer the 8 megapixel camera of the HTC Evo 4G LTE making the smartphone the winner of this round.
Software
HTC Evo 4G LTE runs the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with an overlay of HTC’s latest Sense 4.0 UI. On the other hand, the HTC Evo 3D runs the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS out of the box and is said to be capable of an OTA update to Android 4.0 OS. Evo 3D also has an overlay of HTC Sense 3.0. In this criterion, we choose the HTC Evo 4G LTE as the winner since it runs the on ICS and Sense 4.0. This means less bugs and hassle on the users end.
Data Connectivity
HTC Evo 4G LTE supports LTE network as well as Rev A, Cat3 with speeds up to 50 mbps, and UL that can reach speeds up to 100 mbps. It also supports DLNA, Wi-FI direct, and Wi-FI hotspot. Along with its advanced connectivity features is its NFC support, Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB with MHL.
On the other hand, the HTC Evo 3D supports HSDPA and HSUPA networks, but its lacks the LTE support that Evo 4G LTE has. It also has DLNA and Wi-Fi hotspot feature but lacks the Wi-Fi direct and NFC support. HTC Evo 3D has the same Bluetooth and microUSB as the Evo 4G LTE.
LTE network support have been a major trend nowadays due to its high data speeds, thus the HTC Evo 4G LTE has the advantage making the device the winner of this round.
Memory
HTC Evo 4G LTE comes with an internal memory of 16 GB which a huge advantage over the 1GB storage of the Evo 3D. Both devices also support microSD expansion up to 32 GB. The HTC Evo 3D comes with an 8GB SD card out of the box which smaller than the other device. However, the HTC Evo 4G LTE still has the edge especially when fully maximizing the storage expansion of both devices, the Evo 4G LTE will provide a large storage space. Thus, the HTC Evo 4G LTE the winner of this round.
Battery
HTC Evo 4G LTE is equipped with a 2000 mAh as compared with the 1730 mAh standard battery of the HTC Evo 3D. The stronger battery of the Evo 4G LTE provides its users with increased mobility and longer hours of video and gaming hours which will surely get the interest of consumers. HTC Evo 4G LTE wins this round with ease.
Price
Reports indicate that the HTC Evo 4G LTE will be offered at $199.99 with a contract with Sprint. When the HTC Evo 3D was released two years ago, it also had the same price with the Evo 4G LTE today. With the same price and duration of the contract, the HTC Evo 4G LTE will provide more advanced features, functionality, and performance. HTC Evo 4G LTE wins this round.
Conclusion
Sprint will again cater its subscribers and soon-to-be subscribers one of the most advanced smartphones in the market today as they did in the past years. Its release of bundled packages with the HTC Evo 4G and HTC Evo 3D were a success and had gained popularity for the last two years will again offer an impressive device, the HTC Evo 4G LTE, that dominates over other HTC devices and predecessor. The HTC Evo 4G LTE will provide its users with the top-of-the-line features and performance, though it may come a bit pricey for the common individual. However, we can say that the Evo 4G LTE is a good buy especially when considering the overall package of this device.
