Our friends at HTC were kind enough to send us a demo unit of the HTC EVO Design 4G. Rather than have you wait a week or two to write up a detailed review on the phone, we thought we’d share our initial thought of the device since we know a few of you may be interested in purchasing the phone.
The HTC EVO Design 4G is the latest WiMax enabled device from Sprint. The phone features a 4-inch qHD display, single-core 1.2 GHz processor, 5 megapixel camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera (capable of HD video chat with Qik), GSM global roaming and runs on Android 2.3.4 with HTC Sense 3.0.
While the HTC EVO Design 4G’s specs put it below phones like the HTC Amaze 4G or the EVO 3D – we’re not quite ready to categorize it as a mid-range phone. The high-resolution display is gorgeous in the 4-inch size and the 1.2 GHz processor has enough power for user to breeze through all their apps and even tackle 3D games like the new Wind-up Knight.
The phone feels solid with a black aluminum casing which surrounds the screen and wraps around the back of the phone. While many may scoff at a 4-inch display, it allows people with normal sized hands to reach the screen’s far corners with their thumbs without having to readjust the phone or compromise their grip.
The camera on the EVO Design has been limited to 5 megapixels, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing since we all know that more megapixels don’t always translate into a better picture. Due to the lower megapixel count, HTC was able to implement their instant-capture technology which enables the phone to snap a picture as soon as the shutter button is pressed. The Design doesn’t have the back-lit image sensor found in the Amaze 4G, but it still produces some decent picture with the flash or in well lit area.
The HTC EVO Design 4G isn’t a mid-range phone from HTC, but Sprint has given it a mid-range price. You can pick up the phone for just $99 with a new two-year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate. Not bad at all considering that the original EVO 4G is still selling for $99 even though it’s not half as good as the new EVO Design 4G.
We’ll be bringing you guys a full handset review within the next week. Until then, let us know what you think about the new phone. Is the HTC EVO Design 4G good enough for you or do you only care about the cutting edge technology found in new flagship phones?
