The HTC Evo 4G (trademarked in capitals as EVO 4G, also marketed as HTC EVO WiMAX ISW11HT in Japan) is a

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whi ...

developed by

HTC Corporation HTC Corporation ( zh, t=宏達國際電子股份有限公司, s=宏达国际电子股份有限公司, p=Hóngdá Guójì Diànzǐ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī, first=t) or High Tech Computer Corporation, (literally ''Hongda International Electron ...

and marketed as Sprint's flagship Android smartphone, running on its

WiMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a family of wireless broadband communication standards based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards, which provide physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) options. The WiMAX ...

network. The smartphone was launched on June 4, 2010. It was the first 4G enabled smartphone released in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

History

During development, the device was known as the HTC "Supersonic", which was leaked through the Internet and was known as a variant of the

HTC HD2 The HTC HD2 (also known as the HTC T8585, HTC T9193 and HTC Leo), is a smartphone in the HTC Touch family designed and manufactured by HTC. The HD2 natively runs the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, and was released in Europe in November 200 ...

running Android. The EVO was released on June 4, 2010 in the United States through Sprint. The device became the top-selling launch day phone on Sprint, surpassing the

Palm Pre The Palm Pre , styled as palm prē, is a multitasking smartphone that was designed and marketed by Palm with a multi-touch screen and a sliding keyboard. The smartphone was the first to use Palm's Linux-based mobile operating system, webOS. ...

, Samsung Instinct and

Motorola Razr V3 The Motorola Razr (styled RAZR, pronounced like "razor"; codenamed Siliqua) is a series of mobile phones by Motorola, part of the 4LTR line. The V3 was the first phone shown in the series and was introduced in December 2003 and released in th ...

Features

The HTC EVO features hardware very similar to the

, a smartphone running Windows Mobile. The device is sometimes referenced as the Android version of the HTC HD2 although a variety of features are only available on the EVO 4G ( video calling for example).

Screen and input

The EVO proved a trendsetter among Android phones. Unlike many other smartphones at the time of its release, the EVO has a large 4.3-inches (480-by-800)

TFT LCD A thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT LCD) is a variant of a liquid-crystal display that uses thin-film-transistor technology to improve image qualities such as addressability and contrast. A TFT LCD is an active matrix LCD, in con ...

capacitive touch screen A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is ofte ...

display with a pixel density of 217 pixels per inch (ppi). Larger sizes are commonplace now, but in mid-2010, this was quite innovative. The display is designed to be used with a bare finger or multiple fingers at one time for

multi-touch In computing, multi-touch is technology that enables a surface (a touchpad or touchscreen) to recognize the presence of more than one point of contact with the surface at the same time. The origins of multitouch began at CERN, MIT, University ...

sensing. Most gloves and styli prevent the necessary electric conductivity needed for use on the capacitive display. The EVO has a balanced hardware-software user interface, featuring seven hardware/touch sensitive buttons, four of which are on the front of the device. Input and interaction with the device is balanced between the hardware and software user interface and in most situations require users to use hardware/touch sensitive buttons often throughout

Android OS Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is developed by a consortium of deve ...

. Like most Gingerbread era Android devices, the EVO features four main touch-sensitive buttons on the front — Home, Menu, Back, and Search. The Home button returns to the Sense Home screen. The Menu button shows menu options in various applications although it can also be used for other purposes, the Back button is used to return to the prior page or screen displayed, and the Search button mainly allows searching through the phone but can be used for other purposes in various applications. Unlike iPhones, the device does not feature a hardware ringer switch. The volume adjustment control is located on the right spine. A multifunction sleep/wake button is located on the top of the device, which serves as the unit's power and sleep button and also controls phone calls. The touchscreen furnishes the remainder of the

user interface In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine f ...

. The device responds to four sensors. A

proximity sensor A proximity sensor is a sensor able to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. A proximity sensor often emits an electromagnetic field or a beam of electromagnetic radiation (infrared, for instance), and looks for ...

deactivates the display and touchscreen when the device is brought near the face during a call. This is done to save battery power and to prevent inadvertent inputs via users' faces and ears. An

ambient light sensor An ambient light sensor is a component in smartphones, notebooks, other mobile devices, automotive displays and LCD TVs. It is a photodetector that is used to sense the amount of ambient light present, and appropriately dim the device's screen ...

adjusts the display brightness, which in turn saves battery power. A 3-axis

accelerometer An accelerometer is a tool that measures proper acceleration. Proper acceleration is the acceleration (the rate of change of velocity) of a body in its own instantaneous rest frame; this is different from coordinate acceleration, which is acce ...

senses the orientation of the phone and changes the screen accordingly, allowing users to easily switch between page orientation modes. A geomagnetism sensor provides orientation with respect to Earth's magnetic field. The proximity sensor and the accelerometer can also be used to control and/or interact with third party apps, notably games. The device also contains a temperature sensor used for monitoring the temperature of the battery. The device also features a GPS chip, allowing applications (with user permission) to report device location allowing for

location-based service A location-based service (LBS) is a general term denoting software services which use geographic data and information to provide services or information to users. LBS can be used in a variety of contexts, such as health, indoor object search, en ...

s and can also be useful to

turn-by-turn navigation Turn-by-turn Navigation is a feature of some satellite navigation devices where directions for a selected route are continually presented to the user in the form of spoken or visual instructions. The system keeps the user up-to-date about the best ...

apps.

Processor and memory

The EVO is powered by the Qualcomm QSD8650 chipset that contains a Snapdragon Scorpion microprocessor clocked at 1 GHz and an embedded Adreno 200 graphics chip capable of up to 22 million triangles per second. It features 512 MB of eDRAM, which allows for a smoother experience with Android OS, applications, and the HTC Sense user interface. The device also features 1024 MB of built-in ROM that is mainly used for the system software.

Cameras

The EVO features a rear-facing

backside illumination Comparison of simplified back-illuminated and front-illuminated pixel cross-sections A back-illuminated sensor, also known as backside illumination (BI) sensor, is a type of digital image sensor that uses a novel arrangement of the imaging elemen ...

8-megapixel camera capable of recording videos in 720p at 30 frames per second and dual photoflash, which helps to illuminate objects in low-light conditions. In addition, the EVO has a 1.3-megapixel camera on front of the device designed for use with video calling and for taking portrait images, although it can also be used in other applications. The front facing camera does not work on any versions of Android higher than 2.3.7 Gingerbread.

Storage

Like many other Android mobile devices, the HTC EVO 4G features a microSD slot in addition to the built-in ROM that allows for user-expandable storage. The device supports microSD cards of sizes up to 32 GB. With Android version 2.2+ (Froyo) available as an over-the-air upgrade, the OS supports applications that permit themselves to be installed on the SD card. The device comes pre-installed with an 8 GB microSDHC card of Class 2 or 4.

Audio and output

The rear of the EVO sports a speaker that is used for most applications like music, applications, and such as the main speaker. A loudspeaker that serves as an earpiece is located above the screen. The microphone is featured on the bottom of the phone and is used for phone calls and voice-commands, although it can also be used in many other third-party applications. The unit has an HDMI-out ( type D, micro connector) port, which allows sending content to an HD television set. The Sprint Mobile Hotspot application allows sharing the device's mobile broadband with up to eight devices.

Smartphone connectivity

The EVO features a

CDMA Code-division multiple access (CDMA) is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. CDMA is an example of multiple access, where several transmitters can send information simultaneously over a single communicatio ...

cellular radio that supports 3G EVDO, Revisions 0, A, and the yet-undeployed B allowing faster download and upload speeds, greater power efficiency; and WiMAX, a protocol known as 802.16e, featuring speeds of up to 10 Mbit/s on the downlink and 1.5 Mbit/s on the uplink. The device is marketed as a 4G phone,

is considered to be a 4G technology based on 4G standards recently set by

ITU-R The ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) is one of the three sectors (divisions or units) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and is responsible for radio communications. Its role is to manage the international radio-frequency ...

. 4G for this device does not work on Android versions above 2.3.7 Gingerbread.

Battery and power

The device comes pre-installed with a 1500 mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery that is designed to be user-replaceable. The battery is interchangeable with batteries from the

HTC Incredible The HTC Droid Incredible (ADR6300) (also known as the HTC Incredible) is a smartphone manufactured by HTC Corporation using the Android operating system. It was released on April 29, 2010, and is available through Verizon Wireless only. The dev ...

, HTC Touch Pro 2, HTC Arrive, and

HTC Hero HTC Hero (marketed as T-Mobile G2 Touch by T-Mobile in the UK, Austria, Germany, Croatia, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Hungary; and as Era G2 Touch in Poland) is the third phone manufactured by HTC running the Android platform, announced on Ju ...

(CDMA). Stand by for the pre installed battery is 146 hr. and talk time is 5hr.12 min.

Software

The device sports the

HTC Sense HTC Sense is a software suite developed by HTC, used primarily on the company's Android-based devices. Serving as a successor to HTC's TouchFLO 3D software for Windows Mobile, Sense modifies many aspects of the Android user experience, incor ...

user interface that runs on top of the

Android operating system Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is developed by a consortium of d ...

and presents information through the Android desktop widgets and application, and includes launchers, app drawer, and lock screen replacements. Sense also brings a modified browser and home screen as well. The device first came with Android OS 2.1 "Eclair" although Android OS 2.2 "Froyo" has since been rolled out through OTA (Over-The-Air) making it the third device to officially run "Froyo" and the first to be officially rolled out by a US network. Exactly a year after the phone's official release, the EVO received an update to Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread). The software could be manually installed by searching for a software update, and began being pushed to HTC EVOs across Sprint on June 6, 2011. Improvements aside from the upgraded Android OS include a fix for battery issues, increases battery life, includes the ability to sync multiple Gmail accounts, and a few user interface tweaks. A second update was pushed by Sprint on June 20, 2011, fixing magnetometer (compass) issues,

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

streaming, voicemail notifications, and hearing aid compatibility. The Phone (like many of the phones from this year) did NOT officially get the

Android Ice Cream Sandwich Android Ice Cream Sandwich (or Android 4.0) is the 9th major version of the Android mobile operating system developed by Google. Unveiled on October 19, 2011, Android 4.0 builds upon the significant changes made by the tablet-only release Andro ...

Update. Only getting the 2010 versions of Android. The EVO has also seen support from the developer community with Android versions including

Ice Cream Sandwich An ice cream sandwich is a frozen dessert consisting of ice cream between two biscuits, skins, wafers, or cookies. The ingredients are different around the world, with Ireland and Israel using wafers, and North America using chocolate cooki ...

4.0,

Jelly Bean Jelly beans are small bean shaped sugar candies with soft candy shells and thick gel interiors (see gelatin and jelly). The confection is primarily made of sugar and sold in a wide variety of colors and flavors. History It has been clai ...

4.1 - 4.3, and finally

KitKat Kit Kat (stylised as KitKat in various countries) is a chocolate-covered wafer bar confection created by Rowntree's of York, United Kingdom, and is now produced globally by Nestlé (which acquired Rowntree's in 1988), except in the United S ...

4.4, some of which are available with HTC Sense while other available versions are based on stock Android. As of the end of 2016, there is very little, if any, support from the community due to the age of the device and the fact that it is nearly impossible to run newer versions of Android (5.0+) on this device.

Interface

In HTC Sense, the interface is based around home screen panels which in total are seven panels that allows user-customization. By default, the center home screen panel features a digital clock located on the top of the screen and weather animations of the current weather in the device's location, the remaining space in the bottom can be customized to user preferences. The launcher, located at the bottom of the screen, displays icons to open the App Drawer, Phone application, and the ability to add widgets on the Android desktop, and is shown throughout all seven home screen panels. Users can switch from one panel to another by sliding left or right. A small bar that sits on top of the launcher represents the current panel the device is viewing. Pinching the home screen (or pressing the home button if the user is on the center panel) brings up Leap screen, showing thumbnail views of all the home screen panels and allowing users to "leap" to another home screen panel easily. Unlike other custom user interfaces for the Android OS like Samsung's

TouchWiz TouchWiz was a user interface developed by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd with partners, featuring a full touch user interface. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as an operating system. TouchWiz is used internally by Samsung for smartphones, ...

UI, HTC Sense does not allow disabling or removing a panel. Most of the input on the device is given through the touchscreen, which understands complex gestures using

. Android's

interaction techniques An interaction technique, user interface technique or input technique is a combination of hardware and software elements that provides a way for computer users to accomplish a single task. For example, one can go back to the previously visited p ...

enable moving up or down by a touch-drag motion of the finger. However the buttons on the front of the device will also require frequent use throughout various applications in Android OS as the buttons play an important part in the user interface.

Criticism

30 frames per second cap

Some users have experienced noticeable graphics lag and/or slowness while using the phone. Various reports throughout the Internet indicated that the device may have a 30

frames per second A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

cap. An HTC representative announced that it was a hardware cap, not subject to software updates. Despite the repeated claims regarding the supposed hardware cap, HTC released an update on September 22, 2010 that, among other things, removed the 30 FPS cap. Evo 4g Screen Defects

Screen

There have been many problems with the screen. Some of the first customers complained of screen separation; HTC acknowledged the problem and was able to limit the number of affected units. Another problem with the screen is a bright spot in the lower area of the screen. This is commonly referred to as the 'B-spot' or 'B-spot problem' due to the bright spot sitting at the location of the B key on the default on-screen

QWERTY QWERTY () is a keyboard layout for Latin-script alphabets. The name comes from the order of the first six keys on the top left letter row of the keyboard ( ). The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden ty ...

keyboard. The bright spot is only noticeable when the screen's brightness is turned up and the content is light/white. This 'B-spot' may also become visible when the display is set to automatic brightness.

Device clock reference

The device clock is 15 seconds faster than

Coordinated Universal Time Coordinated Universal Time or UTC is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is within about one second of Solar time#Mean solar time, mean solar time (such as Universal Time, UT1) at 0° longitude (at the I ...

(UTC), either with Android 2.1, 2.2 or 2.3; a manual clock setting does not override seconds, and root authority would be needed to overcome issue using

Network Time Protocol The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a networking protocol for clock synchronization between computer systems over packet-switched, variable- latency data networks. In operation since before 1985, NTP is one of the oldest Internet protocols in ...

(ntp) software. The 15-second offset hints the number of leap seconds introduced since GPS inception in 1980 rather than an

epoch In chronology and periodization, an epoch or reference epoch is an instant in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era. The "epoch" serves as a reference point from which time is measured. The moment of epoch is usually decided ...

issue and was reported as an Android bug on Dec 16, 2009. Certain phones running Android including Samsung EPIC do not exhibit the issue, possibly because firmware fetches UTC value rather than GPS from Network time, or subtracts leap second offset. Sprint, HTC, OHA, Google and goodandevo.net were informed of the aforesaid issue earlier than October 2010, reported as Android bug 5485. HTC update 3.70.651.1 released on 2010-12-15 still did not overcome the issue, and neither did build 4.22.651.2 (Android 2.3.3) released on 2011-06-03. Finally, on 2012-01-19, HTC software update 4.67.651.3 overcame the issue, just a week before the

end of life End-of-life may refer to: * End-of-life (product), a term used with respect to terminating the sale or support of goods and services * End-of-life care End-of-life care (EoLC) refers to health care provided in the time leading up to a person's dea ...

for the EVO was announced.

Battery life

Users have complained that the battery life for the Evo is inadequate and incapable of lasting one day of normal use. This has spawned the creation of pages dedicated to explaining how to optimize the battery life, and even an aftermarket extra large battery that enlarges the unit. In addition, there is a software error that causes a severely depleted battery to become unable to be charged in the phone. The OTA upgrade to Android 2.3.3 fixes this issue along with improving device battery life on the whole.

Design

The EVO's design is derived from its Windows Mobile-based brother, the

, which also has a multi-touch capacitive touchscreen, nearly the same slim profile, and the same placements of most general components and buttons. Although similar, the EVO has features that distinguish it from the HTC HD2 including the front-facing camera, the circular-shaped rear camera, an integrated Kickstand, and touch-sensitive buttons instead of hardware buttons. Another feature is Android-specific buttons. The device has nearly the same dimensions, namely
high
wide
deep.

Warranty

The phone comes with a one-year warranty, which does not cover scratches, cracks, smudge marks, liquid damage, and other forms of physical damage. Sending phones for repair is typically handled by the phone service provider, rather than through HTC.

References

External links

HTC EVO 4G PC World Review

HTC EVO 4G Specs

HTC EVO 4G LTE Specs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Htc Evo 4g Mobile phones introduced in 2010 Discontinued smartphones EVO Android (operating system) devices Mobile phones with user-replaceable battery