What You Need to Know About the HTC EVO 4G

Unable to make a bigger splash in the cell phone market last year with the Palm Pre, Sprint is looking to launch a genuine hit with the HTC EVO 4G. The Android powered phone is scheduled to be on sale starting June 4 for only $200 with a standard two-year contract agreement.

A minimum of $70 per month (with Sprint's "Everything Data Plan") will be required for the HTC EVO 4G, as well as an additional $10 per month for 4G coverage. The additional $10 per month charge is mandatory for all EVO 4G users, regardless of whether you live in a coverage area or not. However, the extra $10 premium data add-on will more than likely mean there will be no data cap for either 3G or WiMAX.

For an excellent overall viewing experience, HTC's EVO 4G features a large 4.3" (800 by 480 pixel) touch screen, an impressive two cameras (8MP camera on the back for photos and HD video; 1.3MP front-facing camera, for video chat and self portraits.), and a kickstand for viewing the phone on a desk or table. Capable of supporting Adobe's Flash video platform, you will also be able to play back 720p video on an external monitor through an HDMI cable.

As many HTC users have become accustomed to, the EVO 4G layers its Sense user interface on top of Android 2.1, but with a new feature called "Leap." This is a multitasking manager that reveals every open program when you pinch anywhere on the phone's home screen.

The HTC EVO 4G has four virtual touch-sensitive navigation buttons (Home x Menu x Back x Search), similar to Google's Nexus phone. It also has a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and can be used as a mobile hotspot, where users will be able to connect up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices. According to Sprint, this feature will cost an additional $30 per month.

On the downside, and what could prove to be the only flaw in this device is the potential battery life. Sprint has yet to provide specific battery life for the smartphone when outside of 4G coverage, but a company spokesman was quoted to estimate the life to be more than five hours.