Best phone I've ever owned. September 15, 2012

Reviewer:  Gene Wie  (Irvine, CA USA) -

I am a Macbook Air and iPad 3 owner/user, so it comes as a surprise to my colleagues that I'm not enamored with the iPhone. Since I don't use the actual "phone" features of a mobile that much, it's really everything else that matters to me and I wasn't happy with my initial experiences with the iPhone (original and 3GS). I bought my wife an iPhone 4GS and she loves it, it works great for her.

I went down the android path starting with the HTC Hero. While it promised great things, it just ran too darn slow. Once I got rid of it and went to the original EVO, I was hooked. That was an incredible phone for its day and after rooting it and running Cyanogenmod I didn't think the experience could get much better.

However, this new EVO kicks butt, and HTC has done it again. The phone works very well, and the camera and its software are SUPERB. This is really the first time I don't even bother to bring my regular digital camera anywhere with me anymore. I had some minor issues with the system rebooting randomly the first few days, but that was taken care of with a software update. The 720p display is gorgeous, the battery lasts a very long time despite the heavy use I put it through, and Android apps have finally matured to the point where most of the tools I need don't have all the rough edges anymore.

I like phones with big screens, and I don't have a problem holding it with one hand and texting!

Love this SmartPhone! September 15, 2012

Reviewer:  T. Soptick  (Lenexa, KS) -

I upgraded from an EVO Shift in June. I upgraded mainly to get the 4g lte service at work in Kansas City, MO since I could never get 4g Wimax at work. Initially, the service at work was worse, but improved once Sprint lit up the 4g service. I am still getting 3g service at work, but it has improved, though still not 4g. The 4g service in Kansas, where I live, is sporadic, but fantastic when it works! However, I still typically turn on WiFi at home to conserve battery life.
The phone itself is great! Amazingly light, and I love the gorilla glass, which is resistant to scratches. No screen protector is required. The screen is beautiful! The 8 megapixel camera is outstanding and the front-facing camera is adequate for Skyping. The phone is much faster than my EVO Shift and I love the Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. I was really reluctant to give up my Qwerty keyboard on my EVO Shift, but it really is no big deal. The kickstand is great when I want to watch Netflix, YouTube videos or listen to music. Battery life is somewhat better than with my EVO Shift, but not as great as advertised.

HIGHLIGHTS: Speed, Gorilla Glass, Beautiful screen (even in daylight), light weight, 4g service when it works, Sprint unlimited family plan allows me not to worry about limits on data and minutes. Since the battery is built-in, no need to have to open the back, take out the battery, and reboot as I occasionally had to do with my EVO Shift. Instant Access button to the camera.

CONS: Battery life could be better. Not easy to put in a Micro SD card. Sprint 4g Service is sporadic in Kansas City depending upon where you live or work. On/off and volume control buttons could be improved.

WOULD LIKE: Quicker upgrades from Sprint & HTC. I just got the HTC Sense 4.1 upgrade, but still no Jellybean

SUMMARY: I am happy I upgraded from my EVO Shift. I highly recommend this phone!

High-End Device on Sputtering 3G Network! September 8, 2012

Reviewer:  BJ  (Washington, DC United States) -

I purchased this device for myself and my wife. We are both business professionals whom appreciate great design, an intuitive user interface, zippy performance (Apps) and excellent call quality. We were both aware Sprint has yet to deploy LTE in the DMV, however expected network speeds of at least 3mbps. Obviously we have been disappointed.

*PROS*
*Beautiful 4.7" Super LCD screen
*1.5 GHZ processor
*8MP camera w/ great settings
*Great voice clarity
*NFC w/ Android Beam. BTW, Android Beam does not allow transfer of photos like the SGS3.

*CONS*
*Slow 3G Data speeds (AVG. 600kbps via OOKLA App)
*No definitive date when 4G LTE will be deployed in DC
*Lack of removable battery

Price was great at a "penny". We both love viewing photos on the Super LCD screen. Also while watching NETFLIX (via Wi-Fi of course) colors "really pop". The Beats audio adds to the listening experience with certain Hip-hop, Pop and R&B songs, which is primarily what I listen to. I believe it deserves consideration as a "Top 3" device along with the SGS3 and "iPhone 4S" or even "5" when released. If you purchase a TPU case, I suggest the [[ASIN:B00851NV6G Diztronic Matte Back Black Flexible TPU Case for HTC Evo 4G LTE (Sprint) **Only For New 2012 LTE Model** [Diztronic Retail Packaging]]]. Screen protectors I chose [[ASIN:B007X6JQ7W CrazyOnDigital Screen Protector Film Matte (Anti-Glare) for Sprint HTC Evo 4G LTE One (3-pack)]]. Takes great pics, we love the customization options Android offers. E-mail sync works just as good as my old BB Bold 9650. Look forward to LTE arriving, hopefully speeds will increase to 6-8MB/s average and get to keep UNLIMITED data.

*UPDATE 1/8/2013*
In the 4 months of ownership my wife's device has had issues. Twice it would not power on after unplugging from charger. Each instance it took 7+ hours of repeated attempts to power on. My device has twice had connectivity issues. And today my device would repeatedly restart. Called Sprint and made an appt for repair. I am hoping for the best. Have some regrets in purchasing a device with non-removable battery.

Even Better than the Original September 6, 2012

Reviewer:  Kenneth C. Mitchell  (Citrus Heights, CA United States) -

The HTC Evo 4G LTE smartphone is even thinner, even bigger, even better than the original.

I thoroughly enjoyed my EVO 4G for the two years than I used it. There were some MINOR problems; limited internal RAM for applications, and the battery was terrible (until I bought an expanded battery).

The new EVO 4G LTE has resolved these problems, and added a couple of great new features. (There wasn't much room for improvement!)

First, the EVO LTE has lots of internal memory, which is LOTS of space for apps and music. Second, the internal battery is far better than the original. My only concern is that there doesn't appear to be a way to replace the battery when it degrades, as every battery does.

Finally, the camera is spectacular, and with one feature that I don't think I've seen mentioned in other reviews. When you hold the phone up in typical camera orientation, there's a new button that is precisely where you might expect a shutter button to be - and that's what it is. Press the shutter button to switch into the camera mode, then press again to take a picture. Press and HOLD the shutter button, and it starts taking 6 pictures per second until you release.

There's even a "Best Picture" button in which the smartphone itself tries to figure out which of these was the "best" picture, and it's pretty accurate.

All in all, a very nice improvement in what was already the best smartphone around!

I EVO_| it! September 2, 2012

Reviewer:  Sean R. Riley "~SRfR~"  (Drexel Hill, PA) -

Camera is definitely the area HTC focused on for improvements in the EVO Brand, but there are so many added capabilities such as the still to come LTE network support, but for now at least the HTC EVO 4G LTE has a WIFI+N (802.11 N backwards compatible with b/g) connectivity and it is noticeably faster than the OG EVO's 802.11 b/g.

Micro-SD support is abit different how ever in Android 4.0 when it comes to installing apps, but the Camera works much faster since it stores to SD instead of the phone.
I do wish it had two gigabytes of ram instead of just one. I just received a update that looks like from what I only could find it changed was the
bluetooth updated to 4.0

The screen brightness is fantastic out in the sun, I can actually see the sensor adjusting the brightness as I move the phone into the shade.

HTC Sense is alittle less intrusive, but I miss the wiper in the weather app.
UPDATE: HTC Sense Version 4 still has the screen wiper animation. Animations are disabled in sense widgets by default.

Hopefully I can get Jellybean to this device as I received from Google on my Motorola Xoom wifi a month after being announced.
UPDATE: I received Jellybean 4.1.1 and HTC Sense 4+ update December 12, 2012 officially OTA from Sprint!

Just keeps getting better August 21, 2012

Reviewer:  Eric J Wise 

This phone took everything thing that was great about the original and made it even better than before. I have really been working this thing hard for almost 2 months now and am not disappointed in the least. The battery life is great and the screen is amazing. Chose mine over the S3 because it felt better (S3 felt cheaper by comparison with all plastic casing).

Does everything and is durable August 21, 2012

Reviewer:  chirish 

Can simply do everything you want. Never lags. Runs many programs at once. Music plays beautifully- better than any other phone I have had. Camera is great and can take multiple pictures in a row guaranteeing at least 1 good picture. HTC interface is easy and fast. Battery life is excellent, lasting all day even though I use tons of data. Love the picture quality of the screen. It is large in my small hand, but the screen makes it worth it and I have adapted to it. Wish amazon sold the white version, but color doesn't matter with a machine like this- its ballsy. It is also a durable machine, feels sturdy but light- a hard combo to find. Makes the iphone look old, small and slow. I would buy another in a second and suggest it to everyone asking about a new phone. HTC makes a quality product and this is top of the line for them.

AWESOME Phone August 14, 2012

Reviewer:  Dsk001 

This is by FAR the best android phone I have ever used. I have used the galaxy 2, the original evo and the evo 3d and this blows everything away. It is fast responsive and the camera is super quality. The pictures it takes are amazing. The screen looks great too, and the battery last me all day even though I'm constantly texting and gaming on the device.

htc August 2, 2012

Reviewer:  ipodjc 

this is the best phone i have ever had i love the beats audio but sadly it runs down the battery but who cares because it charges really fast and it has a huge screen i used to have an iphone 4s but i wanted to trade up so? if you want to buy a phone from sprint you should choose this one!

Fantastic July 26, 2012

Reviewer:  Audiophile 

The specs are top-notch on paper, but they perform equally as well in real life.
The screen is gorgeous, the difference between AMOLED and this is hardly even worth considering. Camera is good in full lighting, and better than others even in dark lighting. HTC Sense is cool and easy to navigate. The processor keeps things snappy, and the Adreno GPU keeps the graphics nice.

Impressive performance, giant leap for cellphone technology. July 14, 2012

Reviewer:  Rj7877 

Was looking to replace my Samsung Epic 4G which I had owned for nearly two years. Narrowed my list of choices down to the HTC EVO 4G LTE and the Samsung Galaxy S3. Elected to go with the EVO because it got a better write up from experts and users alike when compared to the Galaxy S3. Delighted I did because the EVOs performance has been nothing less than impressive. Outstanding graphics resolution and blazing processing speeds set this phone apart from it's closest rivals. The beats audio allows the phone to act as it's own equalizer enhancing certain frequencies and sounds and suppressing others so you're left with a very rich, concert-like sound rather than something that has been muddled together in the recording studio.
This is an addenum to my original review for the HTC EVO 4G LTE.

Within recent days I have noticed a loss of 3G connectivity while accessing the internet as many have reported. This is NOT unique to the EVO 4G LTE since I experienced the same problem with my Samsung Epic. Believe the problem is network related due to overcrowding on the two frequency bands that Sprint operates their network on. Would anticipate this issue to be resolved when 4G LTE becomes available within the next couple of years.

Something I feel is noteworthy is that many smartphones with a few exceptions function 100% perfectly right out of the box. Every phone has it's quirks which usually get resolved through firmware and other software updates.Some of the more serious problems get resolved first and usually the rule of thumb is the longer you own your phone the more trouble free it will become. Some of the other issues that many have shared I personally haven't had any similar experiences so I really can't comment on the only advice I can give is if you're thoroughly satisfied with the troubleshooting you have performed yourself and through Sprint then exchange your phone or consider buying another model if that option is available. When the original EVO 4G was first released many customers had to return and exchange them due to a bad batch of phones from HTC which were related to defective soldering on the units.

Major Flaws -- Very Disappointed February 15, 2013

Reviewer:  Donnie who loved bowling 

As a very happy EVO 4G owner, I was so excited to get my hands on the next generation of HTC EVO. After about a month, I'm sorry to say that this phone is HORRIBLE compared to its predecessor.

Let's begin with the biggest issue: Google Navigation does not work. When I open Navigation, it freezes and crashes within a minute. I've tried everything to fix the problem and nothing works. I've done extensive research on the internet and found that this problem has existed since December for a good portion of HTC EVO LTE owners. As far as I can tell, there is no fix. HTC is not working on the problem. Google doesn't seem to be working on it.

Navigation is one of the most basic functions of a smartphone, and it simply doesn't work on this phone. I've downloaded a 3rd party nav app, but that's not really an acceptable work around since I can't navigate straight from an address on a website or even using voice commands.

Secondly, the stock browser is very poor. While in the browser, the notification bar keeps popping down over and over, but there are no notifications. Typing in text fields in the browser is very frustrating because the Swype keyboard starts acting very erratic, making all kinds of corrections, jumping all over the place... it's maddening. The only fix is to download Firefox or Chrome.

I've also had issues with apps like Angry Birds and Calculator crashing.

If you're in the market for a "top of the line" smartphone that has a useless browser, non-functioning navigation, and apps that occasionally just crash for no reason, this is your phone.

I MUST ADD: The reason all of this is so frustrating is because this is a BEAUTIFUL phone with a fast processor, great display, and a GREAT camera. Why make such an incredible piece of hardware and then sell it with STUPID software issues? These are issues that should be EASILY resolved. Until then, I would recommend no one make the mistake of buying this phone like I did.

Really like this phone...actually it's a Phablet. May 27, 2012

Reviewer:  Mark 

So...

After being one of the lucky few who pre-ordered and got this phone after the Apple douche-ness, I've had it for a week. And it's simply the greatest mobile device I've ever had.

It's a wow on screen, speed, and the ICS Facial Recognition Unlock is now indispensable to me - I can't believe how much I use it and now I'll never go back to a device that doesn't have it.

Video? Sizzles.

Pictures? Divine

ICS - simply killer.

This phone is so thin, but it feels so solid and it's a beautiful device.
You'll love it if you get one...all I can say is that it's simply amazing!

Amazing phone, Great battery life July 5, 2012

Reviewer:  theniner 

My main concern before buying this was battery life. I was just on a 12 minute phone call with the screen on, with speakerphone, and the battery only went down one percent. It has amazing standby times and the phone is extremely fast and fluid. The phone is way thinner than its predecessors and is lighter than the iPhone too.
Sprint's network works in my area really well.

This phone...not worth it January 25, 2013

Reviewer:  Juan Adame 

After having this phone for 6 months, I have given it up and purchased a samsung galaxy note 2.

The Phone has really really bad battery life (had to send mine into airplane mode in order for it to be enjoyed...with music only. Battery life is about 10% per every 45 minutes without airplane mode

The Phone feels like it was made out of very cheap plastic, mine was bent in half while still in a protective case.

This phone was just one headache over another..I would not recommend it.

Awesome phone August 15, 2012

Reviewer:  lilian 

My mother got this phone and i want it so bad. Great phone so thin and big screen for an phone.

Quality issues July 10, 2012

Reviewer:  Tom C  (Ventura, CA USA) -

This looks like a great phone with some serious early release problems. I ordered this because of how well my previous HTC phone held up over time. The first one I received died after just under one day. It crashed and would not restart, even with Sprint's tech support helping. Amazon's customer service was first rate, and they immediately replaced the phone. The second one arrived DOA. After the second failure, Sprint recommended trying a different phone, so I abandoned the EVO and switched to another model.

Once again, Amazon was great through the entire process, but the phone seems to have quality control problems.

Terrible! January 3, 2013

Reviewer:  Angel.J.H. 

I bought this phone and had it for 5 months,it was the worst phone I've ever had or herd about..you name the problem it had it..Sprint swapped it 3 times and finally got me out of it..now I'm very happy w my galaxy s3..

Make sure you don't buy it from Sprint! June 7, 2012

Reviewer:  K. Leist "GeekyMom"  (Milwaukie, OR) -

The phone itself is pretty good. Be aware however, the battery is internal and you can't change it out yourself. Big bucks for Sprint! It does not come with an SD card and only a wall charger, so there are a lot of accessories you will need to purchase to get your phone to work at it's best. Also, Buy this phone from Amazon or Best Buy, if you decide to buy it. Sprint will not price match or Guarantee their price. I just bought this phone 4 days ago at the Sprint store for $200. They don't treat their customers well. Their response was smug and basically telling me I'm stupid for buying from them. Think twice about dealing with them.

HTC Evo 4G LTE - Nice Processor, Poor Build Quality, Insecure Settings, Terrible Service September 20, 2012

Reviewer:  Mark "Technology, Music and Movies"  (East Coast) -

The [[ASIN:B007ZUN6GS HTC EVO LTE 4G Android Phone (Sprint)]] has potential, but it seems to have been the beneficiary of quick reviews and wishful thinking. If I had written a review of this phone after I just got it, I would have been extremely positive about it too. It has a faster processor and offers better application and web performance speed than the iPhone 4S. It has a memory card slot, which the iPhone does not offer. And it's a lot thinner than the [[ASIN:B00894K248 Samsung Galaxy S III 4G Android Phone, Blue 16GB (Sprint)]] or other similar android smartphones. But it's no longer thinner once you slap a huge case on it, which is unfortunately almost a necessity due to the many flaws that loom with long term use.

This phone has hardware design flaws beyond the lack of a user removable battery. Even while babying this device and using screen protectors, the screen develops tiny hairline scratches very quickly. There are tons of reports of it cracking from simple use, such as texting. While half the back is metal, the other half is a glossy plastic that is neither durable nor attractive. And because this phone is so fragile, you must use a heavy duty case like the [[ASIN:B0043GWDZ2 OtterBox Defender Series Shield for the HTC EVO 4G - Black]]. Like most niche phones, any decent accessories for it are extremely over-priced.

PROS
++ Thin and light form-factor compared to alternative smart phones like the iPhone 4S and Galaxy SIII
++ Fairly recent version of Android with tons of features
++ Screen is bright and attractive
++ High end processor provides fast performance for web-tasks and applications
++ Memory card slot accepts up to a 32 GB Micro-SD card for backups and media files
++ Very high quality camera takes good pictures, with a super bright flash
++ Battery life is decent, which is good since the battery is built-in
++ Bluetooth connectivity performs well; update seems to bring it to 4.0
++ Built-in kickstand is a cool, if slightly cheesy, touch

CONS
-- Non-removable battery is inconvenient and limits this phone's useful life-span
-- Poor hardware build-quality
-- Easy to scratch screen with high numbers of reported cracks
-- Phone reception, even 3G, is weaker than alternatives
-- LTE network coverage is almost non-existent, and underwhelming where it is up
-- Speaker phone sound quality was surprisingly poor with my unit
-- Insecure NFC settings out of the box
-- Insecure (unencrypted) application data settings out of the box
-- Hardware & software problems cause the phone to frequently fail & reboot
-- HTC has been slow and unresponsive to issue firmware / software updates
-- HTC has ignored publicly available security flaws and incident reports
-- Sprint service has declined, leaving customers stuck when their phones die
-- Unusually high reported incidents of phones that brick out, requiring replacement
-- Kickstand position has the USB port on the bottom, so you can't charge it while you watch
-- Horizontal use not well thought out; many system screens don't rotate
-- No dedicated talk / end buttons; most touchscreen phones are this way, but it's still a design weakness; Once your touch screen cracks, you are stuck
-- Insurance options are universally over-priced
-- For HTC warrantee replacement, you have to send it in at your own expense, get your own loaner phone and wait for them to send it back to you.
-- Decent accessories are extremely over-priced because of the small market
-- An overpriced case is almost required for this, the "Glass Joe" of smartphones

SOFTWARE & SECURITY PROBLEMS

In addition to hardware problems, HTC and Sprint have introduced configuration problems and security weaknesses. A lot of these criticisms apply to Samsung as well, though Android can be secured with proper setup. This year a presentation at Blackhat demonstrated security problems with the way near field communications (NFC) is implemented on Android phones. Despite this information being in the public domain, HTC never chose to push an update to fix this problem.

Go to >Apps>Settings>More> to uncheck "NFC."

What's worse, NFC is enabled in the factory default build. So if your phone is hacked and you try to do a factory reset to fix the problem, the phone is once again vulnerable until you manually disable this setting!

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are tons of little security settings that have to be manually changed to even have a modestly secure phone.

"TECHNICAL" "SUPPORT"

Sprint has gone down the drain in terms of their policies, procedures and staff training for technical support. Taking my phone into them was a waste of time. I had to help the technician to get my phone soft-booted so that she could then reset it to factory defaults. She didn't know how to get it to turn back on! The only other option she was aware of was to replace my almost new phone, at my expense of course. What's worse, because this phone has a non-removable battery, there is a hard-boot procedure that doesn't require using the touch screen interface. Of course she never thought to use that, because she didn't even know it. It took one Google search for me to discover the power button (held down past soft boot) and volume keystroke combination (then hold volume down button till the 3 Android screen appears) to access the hard-boot screen.

Here's some useful information. For a factory default reset from the touch screen, you have to go to >Apps>Settings>Storage>Factory Data Reset. (This option is at the bottom)

Of course defaulting to factory settings is only really useful if the image has not been corrupted in some way. Sprint technicians told me they have no access to clean phone OS images to re-image units that come into their stores. Since this well-publicized exploit, my phone has been suffering failures and requiring factory default resets every day or so. So if the factory defaults were somehow corrupted, the only real repair option is HTC replacement. And if you need warrantee replacement from the company, you have to get your own loaner phone, send it in at your own expense and wait for them to send it back to you.

CONCLUSION

This phone may offer some nice features and good components. But if HTC does not improve their design, durability and software updates, they will drive users to the competition. Offering a default configuration that is insecure out of the box is not the level of service that users expect after paying more money upfront and higher monthly fees, with a multi-year agreement. The "premium" cell phone service providers need to deliver better phones and service quality before the market leaves them behind. Avoid this model phone for now.