PSA: Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE up for pre-order today, May 18th release date hinted at Wirefly

Posted on 07/05/2012 by Edgar Alvarez

In case you took a pass on that Sprint-branded GNex or the LG Viper 4G in order to wait it out for HTC's EVO 4G LTE, well, now's the time to get your wallet ready and unleash the cash. As promised, The Now Network has the LTE-friendly EVO priced at $199.99 (50 bucks less on Wirefly) with a beloved two-year contract, while those ineligible for an upgrade will have to shell out around $550. That being said, chances are you won't get to surf those Long Term Evolution waves when you get device, but at least you'll be all set once the rollout finally commences. While Sprint's yet to give an official release date, Wirefly (somewhat reliable in the past) does say the ICS / Sense 4 slab will be shipping on May 18th. Be sure to hit either of the source links below to get your pre-order on.

Update: And just like that, Wirefly's May 18th date has mysteriously vanished. What does it mean?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading PSA: Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE up for pre-order today, May 18th release date hinted at Wirefly

PSA: Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE up for pre-order today, May 18th release date hinted at Wirefly originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 12:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC exec: we didn’t have much time with ICS when making Sense 4, but our skin is still better

Posted on 04/05/2012 by Sharif Sakr

HTC's Drew Bamford is a long-time defender of the Sense UI, but in a fresh interview he's switched tactics and rushed headlong at the competition. He told Laptop that Sense 4 beats native Android 4 (as seen on the GNex) on a number of fronts, possessing a more inviting look, greater personalization of the lockscreen and wallpaper, plus faster camera performance. Of course, he would say that, but having spent many balmy evenings with both the One S and the One X we're inclined to agree that the latest version of the skin is lighter-footed and, actually, pretty nice. What's perhaps more revealing is Bamford's statement that HTC's software guys had "not a lot of time" with ICS before they released Sense 4, and had to build key components in isolation from the new OS. This could explain why HTC was forced to see sense (ahem) and tone down its custom layer. More broadly, if manufacturers are struggling to keep their handset launch schedules in sync with Google's in-house development, it's no wonder that Android skins seem so unsympathetic to the green robot's natural complexion.

HTC exec: we didn't have much time with ICS when making Sense 4, but our skin is still better originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 May 2012 08:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC One S shows up on T-Mobile’s site, reveals its $599 price (update: $200 on-contract at Best Buy)

Posted on 18/04/2012 by Edgar Alvarez

We know T-Mo's got a special HTC One S event in the works for later today, but it seems like someone's a tad bit trigger happy and decided to out the handset ahead of time. Currently posing freely on the carrier's site, this "Gradient Blue" flavor of the One S is showing a hefty $599 retail price, though surely will be lower with a subsidized deal in place. Aside from revealing how much damage it'll do if you take the no-contract route, T-Mobile's page is also listing the full set of features and specs packed within the One Series member. All the details should be officially unveiled soon, but until then you can head over to the source below, where you can add your name to the "Notify me" list if you plan on snatching one of these Sense 4-packing beasts.

Update: Well, that didn't take long. The phone has now also turned up on Best Buy's website, where it's listed with a slightly lower $550 off-contract price or the usual $200 on a two-year term. Orders are expected to ship after April 25th.

Update 2: It appears that a certain big box retailer just got a bit greedy. A tipster has pointed out that Best Buy has boosted the off-contract price of the One S to a full $650. [Thanks, Michael]

[Thanks, Will]

HTC One S shows up on T-Mobile's site, reveals its $599 price (update: $200 on-contract at Best Buy) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is that a 3D prototype in HTC’s EVO 4G LTE making of video? (update: nope)

Posted on 05/04/2012 by Zach Honig

An HTC Evo 4G LTE with dual cameras could only mean one thing, right? It's unclear whether the 3D rig in the company's intro video is simply a design mock-up, or a functional prototype of a model to come, but there's definitely something of the sort floating around HTC's labs. The device in question looks identical to the Evo we saw at yesterday's Sprint launch event -- kickstand and all -- save for that unique dual-lens design. And if such a smartphone did come to fruition, what could we expect for a name? Sprint HTC EVO 4G 3D LTE? We sure hope not. We've reached out to HTC to get a better idea of what we're looking at, but for now, this clip will have to do. You'll find the video in its entirety just past the break, but you'll want to skip to the 25 second mark for the 3D proto.

Update: Well, we just heard back from HTC and the company confirmed that it's not a prototype of any future device. Apparently, it's just an early design when HTC and Sprint were considering carrying over the 3D feature, but it didn't make the cut. Mystery solved!

Continue reading Is that a 3D prototype in HTC's EVO 4G LTE making of video? (update: nope)

Is that a 3D prototype in HTC's EVO 4G LTE making of video? (update: nope) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ears-on with HD Voice on the Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE

Posted on 04/04/2012 by Zach Honig

So this definitely isn't your ordinary hands-on -- there's really no way to accurately capture audio coming through the earpiece in a mobile phone -- so, well, we'll just have to use our words. Sprint's just-announced HTC EVO 4G LTE is the first device to feature what the carrier has coined "HD Voice." The smartphone uses dual microphones, along with encoders and decoders to capture and transmit your voice from one equipped device to another -- that's right, for now, you and another caller will both need to be using this specific handset, paired with compatible network access points, which Sprint will begin rolling out shortly as part of its "Network Vision." We know what you're thinking: I don't use my phone as a phone. Sprint claims otherwise, however, saying that the network will handle 500 billion voice minutes this year alone. If you happen to account for any of those calls, there's certainly no harm in sharing your spoken word in 'HD.'

We hopped into a steamy sound booth at Sprint's NYC launch event today, speaking to an employee using HD Voice on the LTE EVO. The difference was clear, especially once he turned up the "background noise" on a demo music track, which we couldn't hear at all until the handset was moved within an inch or two of the speaker -- we can only imagine how this will play out on the audibly cluttered streets of New York City, which are definitely suited more for text than voice. The HD Voice experience was the same without any background noise at all, and just as impressive. You'll of course still be susceptible to ambient noise on the listening end -- after all, we needed to be in a near-silent booth to block out the sound around. Stay tuned for more detailed impressions in our full review closer to the device's May 7th pre-order date -- we patiently await an opportunity to listen more closely.

Ears-on with HD Voice on the Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE preview (video)

Posted on 04/04/2012 by Brian Heater

What was the exciting new collaboration that HTC and Sprint's bigwigs just couldn't wait to tell us about? Anyone who's been following the smartphone scene at all as of late surely won't be surprised to find out that the one-time Nextel bedfellow is getting a member of the One family to call its own. It's just the precise name of the device that wasn't too predictable.

When the handset goes on sale sometime in Q2 for $199 it'll be saddled with the decidedly unwieldy moniker HTC EVO 4G LTE -- a rather clunky title for such a svelte device. What the name does offer, however, is a direct connection to the original EVO 4G. That phone, which arrived in consumer hands way back in June 2010, was branded as Sprint's first "4G" handset, courtesy of the carrier's WiMAX network. It's understandable, then, that its spiritual successor would carry that redundant 4G LTE moniker. The companies also clearly wanted to retain some of those happy memories, while setting the phone apart from those other One handsets on the market. How'd they do such a thing? Meet us after the break where we lay it all out.

Gallery: Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE hands-on