Review: HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint
Apps
Color me surprised. Sprint is taking a new tack with its high-end Android devices moving forward. There's pretty much NO bloatware on the EVO. No NASCAR, no NFL, no Sprint iD, no Sprint TV; none of that garbage. Instead, you'll find the Sprint Zone, a single place on the device that owners can browse to download Sprint-branded apps and services if he or she so chooses. The Sprint Zone also doubles as the portal for controlling user accounts, managing features, paying bills, support, and so on. Good stuff, Sprint. I'm pleased to see this change in direction.
Bluetooth
The EVO's Bluetooth radio works perfectly. It paired with every device I could find. Phone calls were somewhat crackly when sent through my car's speaker. Music sounded very good when sent to stereo Bluetooth headphones. I had no issues pushing files to/from the EVO.
Clock
HTC went overboard with the clock. There are a slew of clock widgets, any of which can be chosen as the home screen clock. The clock on the lock screen, however, is a smallish, digital job that is positioned at the top of the screen. It is readable at an arm's length, but can be hard to see in bright sunlight if you've chosen the wrong scene/skin/wallpaper.
GPS
The GPS worked flawlessly. The EVO's GPS radio was able to lock on my position in less than 10 seconds, and was accurate to within about 25 feet. Paired with Google Maps, which is the only navigation tool on the EVO, the location capabilities are excellent. The one hiccup I encountered was network access. Despite solid GPS performance and processor power, a slow network connection could put the kibosh on navigation features. I had the network hang on me once, which wrecked the timeliness of the app's map.
Wallet
Google Wallet is installed on the EVO, though users can ignore it if they wish. If you want to use it, though, it takes but a moment to set up an account through Google. Once the account is enabled, the EVO can be used for tap-and-go payments at a growing number of retailers.
Hands-On: HTC EVO 4G LTE
Sprint's Latest EVO from HTC Adds 4G LTE, Brings Back Kickstand
HTC EVO 4G LTE
