Is the HTC EVO Worth the Hype?

The long awaited 4G phone, the HTC EVO was released by Sprint on June 4th. The phone was quickly flying off of the shelves all day. With the speed that 4G has to offer and the Android operating system, this phone has been the toy that many people have been drooling over this year so far. But is it worth all the hype? With all of the different applications and features that it offers, this phone may be the one to beat the IPhone.

One of the first things that got my attention about this phone is the large HD screen. For those of you who currently have an Android phone, the screen size rivals that of the Hero or the Moment. The clarity of the screen, combined with the 8 megapixel camera on the back of the phone, promises many high quality pictures and a true enjoyment of Youtube videos and Sprint TV. The added plus that truly sells the quality of the screen: live action screen savers. This feature of the Android 2.1 operating system blows the old standard screen savers away. Imagine a screen saver of a tree full of autumn foliage. Now imagine random leaves from that tree falling off while you are going through your menu options. While this is truly an amazing feature, this is not the only thing to sell me on this phone.

I've already mentioned the 8 megapixel camera at the back of the phone. There is also a 1.3 megapixel camera at the front of the phone as well. Why two cameras? Well it all comes down to Quik. Quik is a website that allows you to stream video to be viewed by others. Imagine you're at your son's baseball game and your grandmother, who's not able to get to the game, wants to see little Billy on the field. Grandma can go to the Quik website and watch the game being streamed live to the website. Good bye Super 8 camera, hello 8 megapixel high definition video! Not only can Quik be used for things like this. It can also be used for video conferencing. This is where the front camera comes into play. Not only is this phone good for play, but it is handy for work as well.

Speaking of work and play, the EVO comes with another useful feature. The phone has internet hot spot capabilities that can support up to eight different devices at the same time. Since the phone is 4G capable, if you are in a 4G area, all of your devices can connect to at least 3 megabyte download speeds. If you're not in a 4G area, don't worry, you can connect at 3G speed. While 1 megabyte download speed is not a speed demon, it is still not anything to sneeze at. To use this feature, there is a $29.99 a month charge, however it is currently free for the first couple of months while the phone is in its new release phase. Also, forget worrying about how much internet you are using. While AT&T is introducing caps to its internet usage, you get the hot spot with unlimited data for both 3G and 4G.

How about one more reason to get the phone? The phone comes with an HDMI output connection. For the techno beginners, this means that you can hook your phone up to your high definition television and stream your videos, movies, and other items to your television with no problem. Imagine, you've downloaded a movie to your phone and want to see it on a bigger screen. Get a small output cable from Walmart, hook your phone up to your television, and now your small screen just got a lot bigger. Got a power point presentation, but no laptop? Hook your phone up to your company flat screen, and you're good to go.

The HTC EVO has a lot of different features: fast internet speeds, high definition screen, hot spot capabilities, streaming video, and HDMI output, just to name a few things. While the phone may seem larger than normal, it is still slim and light. With these sorts of features, this phone may be the hottest tech item to come out this year. Sprint has dealt the first blow to Apple this year as the IPhone 4G has yet to be released. This is definitely the phone of the year.