by: John Destacamento
THE FIRST 4G SMARTPHONE.
THE FIRST 4G SMARTPHONE.
First of all, I've owned a Palm Pre for almost exactly one year. I still love my Pre but if there is another phone that can significantly help improve my business it's time for an upgrade. Today, I took the HTC EVO 4G for a test run. I only had a short time to play with it and I only tested features that were important to me. If you are curious on features not listed here, see the link below.
==4G SPEED==
Well, it's fast! Searches on Google and YouTube are the fastest I've experienced. Loading a YouTube video was practically automatic. It's seemed even faster than my DSL at the office.
==PROCESSOR SPEED==
Applications open up very fast and operate fast. The 1 Ghz processor really whips ass.
==CAM/VIDEO==
The Evo 4G claims to be a nice 720p HD video, but I won't judge the quality until I see it on a PC. Cam with 8-megapixels with a flash, cool but nothing thrilling these days. Smart phones cameras still need improvement such as shutter speed and lense consistency on angles.
==MULTI-TASKING ==
Android 2.1 is great, but Palm WebOS still seems to be significantly more friendly. I can't be too judgemental because I don't have enough user time with android. WebOS multi-tasking on the Pre is more straight forward and easier to navigate from app to app and remember you can open up about 50 applications on the Pre Plus.
==DISPLAY==
800x480 screen is beautiful, this definitely outshines my Pre. Not sure if I want to put this bulky thing in my pocket all the time though.
==TETHERING==
They claim you can connect up to 8 devices to this 4G cell phone and share the wireless connection.
==VIDEO CONFERENCING==
"The next big thing" Well both the new iPhone 4 and the EVO 4G supposed to be the current leaders in this area, however the EVO 4G uses a 3rd party app called "Qik." Rumors state that there is a problem with this software and it's the biggest complaint on the EVO 4G so far. I'm sure it will be fixed very soon.
So far I think Apple will win in this category. They seem to know multimedia well.
==KEYBOARD==
Physical keyboards still rule. I got use to my Pre's keyboard and type about 35wpm with very little errors. I noticed that people with Blackberries & Palm Pre's communicate more frequently using their email application on their phone. That's because it's fast!
==NETWORK==
I previously had Verizon and AT&T but now on Sprint for about a year. Sprint has been good to me. I have no complaints. I don't think I've ever had a dropped call. Well, maybe one. If you consider data prices especially on smart phones, Sprint is the best value at $80 a month for unlimited data including insurance. YUP! That's all I've been paying for a year now. $80 bucks a month for my Palm Pre unlimited data plan.
==================MY CONCLUSION================
Well, I haven't decided whether to trade in my Palm Pre for the EVO4 yet. Definitely, the EVO 4G is overall a better phone than my 1 year old Pre however I don't see enough key features for me to fork up another $200 plus.
iPhone 4 ?
Remember this is NOT a 4G phone (Apple sure knows how to make it sound like one) The new iPhone is going to be great and I'm sure it will sell millions, but do your homework people! Read specs, read reviews such as the one I've posted below. iPhone 4 VS. EVO 4G
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/06/iphone-4-vs-htc-evo-4g/
==4G SPEED==
Well, it's fast! Searches on Google and YouTube are the fastest I've experienced. Loading a YouTube video was practically automatic. It's seemed even faster than my DSL at the office.
==PROCESSOR SPEED==
Applications open up very fast and operate fast. The 1 Ghz processor really whips ass.
==CAM/VIDEO==
The Evo 4G claims to be a nice 720p HD video, but I won't judge the quality until I see it on a PC. Cam with 8-megapixels with a flash, cool but nothing thrilling these days. Smart phones cameras still need improvement such as shutter speed and lense consistency on angles.
==MULTI-TASKING ==
Android 2.1 is great, but Palm WebOS still seems to be significantly more friendly. I can't be too judgemental because I don't have enough user time with android. WebOS multi-tasking on the Pre is more straight forward and easier to navigate from app to app and remember you can open up about 50 applications on the Pre Plus.
==DISPLAY==
800x480 screen is beautiful, this definitely outshines my Pre. Not sure if I want to put this bulky thing in my pocket all the time though.
==TETHERING==
They claim you can connect up to 8 devices to this 4G cell phone and share the wireless connection.
==VIDEO CONFERENCING==
"The next big thing" Well both the new iPhone 4 and the EVO 4G supposed to be the current leaders in this area, however the EVO 4G uses a 3rd party app called "Qik." Rumors state that there is a problem with this software and it's the biggest complaint on the EVO 4G so far. I'm sure it will be fixed very soon.
So far I think Apple will win in this category. They seem to know multimedia well.
==KEYBOARD==
Physical keyboards still rule. I got use to my Pre's keyboard and type about 35wpm with very little errors. I noticed that people with Blackberries & Palm Pre's communicate more frequently using their email application on their phone. That's because it's fast!
==NETWORK==
I previously had Verizon and AT&T but now on Sprint for about a year. Sprint has been good to me. I have no complaints. I don't think I've ever had a dropped call. Well, maybe one. If you consider data prices especially on smart phones, Sprint is the best value at $80 a month for unlimited data including insurance. YUP! That's all I've been paying for a year now. $80 bucks a month for my Palm Pre unlimited data plan.
==================MY CONCLUSION================
Well, I haven't decided whether to trade in my Palm Pre for the EVO4 yet. Definitely, the EVO 4G is overall a better phone than my 1 year old Pre however I don't see enough key features for me to fork up another $200 plus.
iPhone 4 ?
Remember this is NOT a 4G phone (Apple sure knows how to make it sound like one) The new iPhone is going to be great and I'm sure it will sell millions, but do your homework people! Read specs, read reviews such as the one I've posted below. iPhone 4 VS. EVO 4G
http://www.wired.com/gadge
