If you were waiting for some official wording from Sprint about the HTC EVO 4G‘s release date, today’s the day you’ve been waiting for. Sprint held their EVO event tonight, and they spilled the beans on a lot of the handset’s functionality, which included some demonstrations at the event of features that the majority of people are waiting for. Like video calling.
Sprint was happy to announce that their first 3G/WiMax is also one of the first handsets in the US market to fully support live video chats. Folks probably assumed that Skype would have something to do with that, but instead Sprint went with video streaming service Qik, which already features a very popular app for smartphones. Unfortunately, there’s no language on whether or not this feature will be a chargeable one, but as soon as we find out, we’ll pass it on.
Sure enough, though, the EVO 4G can support voice and data at the same time, courtesy of the WiMax coverage. But, as you can expect, you need to be safely within a 4G market to take advantage of it. The EVO 4G is also fully capable of streaming HD video content over the wireless network, so no worrying about searching for that WiFi location. In addition to the video streaming goodness, Sprint wanted everyone to know that their YouTube app on the phone allows for users to watch “high quality” YouTube videos. So, that’s a plus.
As for pricing, you’re looking at $199, after a mail-in rebate. You’ll also need to sign up for a new, two-year contract to get the subsidized pricing. Monthly costs start at $70 for Sprint’s Everything Unlimited plan, and you need to spend an additional $10 per months simply to access the 4G/WiMax network. And yes, that’s mandatory for most 4G devices (including the EVO 4G), whether or not you’re in a 4G coverage area or not. And if you want to take advantage of the EVO 4G’s mobile hotspot feature, which will allow you to connect up to 8 devices at once, you’ll have to pay another $30 per month. You can get all of the Android 2.1 loving, 4.3-inch TFT LCD screen displaying, HTC Sense UI goodness starting on June 4th. So, you know, mark your calendars.
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Press Release:
The world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, exclusively from Sprint, HTC EVO™ 4G, offers a rich mobile Internet experience with a fully integrated suite of services built on the AndroidTM 2.1 platform. HTC EVO 4G includes a blazing-fast 1GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor, the award-winning HTC SenseTM user experience, an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera. HTC EVO supports industry leading features including Simultaneous Voice and Data while in 4G coverage and new Mobile Video Chat, the two-way voice and video service from Qik. The large vibrant 4.3 inch display, built-in kickstand, 3.5 mm headset jack and HDMI output make HTC EVO 4G an unparalleled platform for wireless entertainment. Download music, pictures, files, or videos in seconds – not minutes – and watch streaming video on the go on a network with download speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G speeds.1 With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO 4G also allows up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptop, camera, music player, video player and any other Wi-Fi-enabled device, to enjoy the benefits of 3G/4G speeds on the go.
PRODUCTIVITY
* 3G/4G capability
* Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ QSD8650 (1GHz) processor
* 4.3” capacitive display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedback
* World-class HTML browser – bandwidth and quality that rival that of netbooks
* Android 2.1, with access to more than 35,000 apps on Android Market
* Simultaneous voice and data capability in 4G and Wi-Fi coverage areas, enabling Web surfing and more while talking
* GoogleTM mobile services including Google SearchTM, Google MapsTM, Google TalkTM, GmailTM, YouTubeTM , and syncs with Google CalendarTM
* Access to Google Goggles™ to search with pictures instead of words
* Sprint Navigation, with turn-by-turn driving directions and 3D maps
* Updated HTC Sense, award-winning user experience, which includes Friend Stream to integrate Facebook, Twitter and more into a single flow of updates
* Visual voicemail
* Messaging – personal and business email, IM and text messaging
* 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability – connects up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices
* 4G data speeds (WiMAX) – peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1 Mbps; average download speeds of 3-6 Mbps.
* 3G data speeds (EVDO Rev A.) – peak download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds of 600 kbps-1.4 Mbps.
ENTERTAINMENT
* Video chat service available as an upgrade to the pre-loaded Qik app to enable conversational, interactive, real-time sharing between mobile devices or from mobile-to-desktop
* 8MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash and 1.3MP front-facing camera
* High-quality video streaming and downloads at 3G and 4G data speeds
* Capture and share HD-quality video (720p) from your phone
* Output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (720p) via HDMI cable (sold separately)
* Live video sharing with Qik
* Built-in kickstand for hands-free viewing
* Media player with 3.5mm stereo headset jack
* FM radio and Amazon MP3 store
* Sprint applications including Sprint TV® and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile(SM)
* Bluetooth® 2.1 with A2DP Stereo and EDR
* Built-in WiFi®: 802.11 b/g
* Digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS
* Expandable memory: 8GB microSD card included; supports up to 32GB
SPECIFICATIONS
* Dimensions: 4.8″ x 2.6″ x .5″ (LxWxT)
* Weight: 6 ounces
* Main display: 4.3” WVGA (800×480) 65K colors
* Battery life: 6 hours of talk time. Time may vary depending on 3G/4G coverage and usage.
* Standard removable 1500mAh Lithium (Li-on) battery
* Memory: 1GB ROM, 512MB RAM
[via Sprint]
