Sprint’s new 4G phone hits new speeds, but the battery lags, says Walt Mossberg in the WSJ. The Sprint EVO 4G runs Google’s Android operating system and is built by HTC. It will cost $200 after a $100 mail-in rebate, with a two-year contract.
Monthly fees will start at $80 for unlimited data and text messages, 450 talk minutes, and free calls to any mobile phone on any network. That’s a $10 hike from Sprint’s comparable plan for 3G phones.
However, the data speeds I got in my tests weren’t spectacular, or anywhere close to the typical maximum Sprint claims, even in Baltimore, where the company’s 4G network is mature. And, when using 4G, the EVO’s battery runs down alarmingly fast. In my tests, it didn’t last through a full day with 4G turned on.In my tests, in the heart of Baltimore’s popular Inner Harbor district, I averaged 3.4 mbps downstream over 4G, and just under 1 mbps upstream (the upstream speed is capped by Sprint at 1 mbps.) That downstream speed was double the EVO’s speed when using 3G, and the upstream speed was about triple.
If you are hungry for more cellular data speed, and live in a current 4G Sprint city, the EVO may be just what you need, as long as you’re prepared for short battery life.
C/Net says Sprint’s 4G network is limited at this time, making the mandatory $10 premium data add-on tough to swallow for anyone outside of the coverage area.
The smartphone has a front-facing camera for video chats and also comes with an 8-megapixel camera with HD video recording capabilities. The Evo ships with YouTube’s HQ video player, Android 2.1 with HTC Sense, and an HDMI port. Other highlights include an extra-large 4.3-inch touch screen and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor.
