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Nokia (N9 / N8-01?) prototype sized up against iPhone 4 and EVO 4G on video
Setting aside the naming confusion, this Nokia prototype procured by Negri Electronics just keeps attracting our attention. Though we saw plenty of it in an earlier video, this latest rendezvous between Finnish hardware and camera lens includes a few familiar suspects to offer us the best size comparison we've had so far. Squaring up against a 3.5-inch iPhone 4, the QWERTY slider from Nokia seems barely any larger from the front though quite a bit thicker from the side -- an expansion justified by its inclusion of a physical keyboard. It does a lot better when compared to the EVO 4G and the departing iPhone 3GS, looking only marginally chunkier than those keyboard-less devices. Don't take our word for it though -- skip past the break and see for yourself. P.S. -- The UI on this device looks to us a lot more like Symbian^3 than the S60 the narrator believes it's running, leading us to think that this is most likely a keyboard-equipped variant of the N8. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Latest EVO 4G update is back online, presumably won't brick your phone this time
That didn't take too long, did it? That pulled EVO 4G update promising a handful of fixes for WiFi, Exchange, and battery life (no Froyo yet, sorry) is back online according to our contacts at Sprint -- and indeed, we're getting prompted on our own unit, so that's that. Go forth, readers; get your update on, now with less brick than ever before. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: To be clear, you don't need to apply this update if you already have done so successfully -- the only change that we're aware of here is that attempting to apply the update multiple times won't kill the phone.
Sprint halts EVO 4G update due to reports of it bricking phones
Uh oh. There's been a tiny little hitch in the latest EVO 4G update, which has resulted in a number of people finding their superphones becoming unusable. Aside from rooted handsets having their predictable woes with new official software, some users have found that applying the update twice bricked their phones, stock OS and all. That's pretty worrying, particularly when you consider that checking for updates after a successful install gives you the option to apply it all over again. Sprint and HTC have acted quickly to pull the OTA for the moment, and promise to restore it as soon as its lethal streak has been ironed out: While the vast majority of consumers successfully downloaded and installed the most recent HTC EVO 4G software update, we have received a handful of reports from customers having some issues with the update. In light of this, HTC and Sprint have decided to temporarily halt distribution of this software release until we can investigate further. We expect to be able to resume software updates shortly. In the mean time, let's all just sit, wait, and hope the sky doesn't fall on our heads.
HTC EVO 4G gets an OTA software update
We don't know exactly what's included, but Sprint's sending out that rumored over-the-air Android software update to HTC EVO 4G devices this morning. It's labeled as version 1.47.651.1, and it's just 21.43MB, so we're guessing it's just mostly bug fixes, but word on the street was that it would "enhance" WiFi, so there's a chance it could enable the EVO's 802.11n support, and we're also hoping for some improved battery life. We'll update you once we see some release notes, but in the meantime let us know how it goes, yeah? Update: Release notes have been posted, and they're just as expected -- and unfortunately, we still don't have confirmation on whether "improvements to WiFi performance" means 802.11n. Check the full notes after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iPhone 4 or EVO 4G: which one should you get?
Hoo boy. This is a tough one, isn't it? In our years at Engadget, we've rarely seen such deafening debate and adulation for a pair of devices. In one corner we have the iPhone 4, coming off a few relatively easy rounds atop the smartphone mind share heap. However, the Droid and its ilk have weakened Apple's spot, and here comes the HTC EVO 4G in for the kill, sporting a larger screen, 4G data, and all manner of HTC sexy. If the devices themselves weren't enough, the debate has turned into something larger and metaphorical, with Apple representing tight restrictions and a singular top down vision, while Google's Android stands for something perhaps a bit more haphazard but democratizing. The gloves come off after the break.
Sprint: EVO 4G users getting Android 2.2 'in the near future' (Update: No upgrade for Moment, Hero)
It looks like EVO 4G users will soon have one more thing to smile about, as Sprint has just announced that an Android 2.2 (aka Froyo) upgrade will indeed be coming to the "superphone." With the Android 2.2 upgrade, customers can expect improvements to include the following benefits: updates to user interface, improved EAS Support, improved browser performance, including Flash 10x Support, voice dialing over Bluetooth and application storage on external memory. No word on a timeframe yet, but you'll know as soon as we do -- promise. Update: According to this tweet from the carrier: "HTC EVO will be updated to Android 2.2; Samsung Moment & HTC Hero will not. Future devices launching w/ 2.1 will be also be updated to 2.2."
HTC EVO 4G getting over-the-air update next week?
Word on the street is that Sprint and HTC are hard at work on a software update for the EVO 4G that would start rolling out on the 28th, next Monday. If true, this would be the phone's second update overall -- the first was pushed in concert with the launch in order to fix microSD issues -- and like the first, this one is designed to squash bugs, it seems. We're told this one will "enhance" WiFi (whether that means 802.11n will be enabled, we're not sure), fix some Exchange issues, and improve battery life, all of which would be welcome changes. Of course, a Froyo update would be even more welcome, but we're just going to have to keep our expectations in check here for the time being.
EVO 4G gets 802.11n WiFi by changing two lines of code
The EVO 4G has a lot of weight in the smartphone arena thanks to WiMAX and that 4.3-inch screen, but though its Broadcom BCM4329 silicon also technically supports 802.11n WiFi over 2.4GHz, the protocol was disabled for some reason. Thankfully it's just a matter of ten characters to enable greater throughput, as the fine folks at xda-developers recently discovered. Better yet, you don't even have to edit those characters yourself -- if your EVO's nice and rooted and the word "brick" doesn't inspire fear, you'll find instructions and flash-ready ZIP files at our source link.
EVO 4G loses 30fps limit thanks to devoted community (video)
Whatever the reason HTC instituted that 30fps cap on the EVO's graphical output, the issue has just been remedied by -- surprise, surprise -- coders over at xda-developers. We've come across video evidence of the EVO 4G rolling along at a swift 54fps average clip, and another motion picture reel shows the positive effect this has had on the touch-tracking of the handset. Check them both out after the break and hit the source to get educated on how to make this happen on your own EVO. You should be warned that there are still some issues to resolve before the whole thing's buttery smooth, but hey, it's still a lot better than waiting for HTC to do it. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC EVO 4G sold out online once again
It's happened before, and it's happening again: the EVO 4G's getting hard to find. We're sure you'd be able to track it down locally, but the option that requires the least dreadful physical movement -- ordering online -- isn't an option for now, with Sprint saying "this device is so hot we can't keep it on our virtual shelves." We imagine the situation will clear itself up shortly, but it makes you wonder -- could the screen separation fix on the assembly line be the culprit behind the shortage? [Thanks, James]
3G video call on Fring for Android: bringing HTC EVO 4G and Dell Streak together (hands-on)
Consider this: you may have an Android phone with a front-facing camera, and so do your distant loved ones (yes, friends count too). Now slap that free IM app Fring onto your phone, and the once-dormant chat camera shall finally come to life -- right now only the Streak and EVO 4G are supported, whereas the others (like the X10) will have to rely on their main cameras. Still, Fring also supports dual-camera Symbian devices plus Skype video calls to and from computers, and since it isn't locked down to any particular connection method, users with unlimited data allowance get to make free 3G video calls! Take that, FaceTime. Read on to watch our very own transatlantic banter.
HTC has fix in the works for EVO 4G screen sensitivity; separation problems are minor
We've just been tipped off on a couple feel-good items for EVO 4G owners that should end your Friday on a bright note: The glass separation issues are real, but said to be super minor and have no effect on the usability of the phone apart from a nearly imperceptible "give" to the touch. That said, HTC has made some assembly changes that should reduce or eliminate the problem going forward, and it'll keep an eye on the situation. This is really interesting: the screen sensitivity problems are also real and are apparently far more prevalent in arid climates, but it can be fixed with a software patch alone. That patch will be rolling out to EVOs soon. See? Told you it was feel-good news. More on this stuff as we get it.
White HTC EVO 4G coming exclusively to Best Buy on July 11th, pre-orders start today
Jumpin' Jehosaphat! Just when you thought America's first 4G phone couldn't get any hotter, along comes this: a striking white version of the HTC EVO 4G (so much for that unavailable white iPhone 4, eh?). We've received confirmation that this here handset will be sold exclusively through Best Buy (as in, don't even bother heading to your local Sprint store), with the official launch date set for July 11th. We're told that Sprint will eventually gain access on August 8th, with other retailers snapping it up in September. If you somehow managed to hold off on snagging the existing black EVO 4G, you can get your pre-order in starting on June 18th -- yeah, today, Junior! We're assuming the price will remain at $199.99 on a 2-year contract, but be sure to drop us a line if you wander in and find out otherwise. Update: And it's official; the presser is after the break confirming the same $199.99-on-a-2-year-contract price as well as the dates mentioned already. Update 2: Turns out this thing was around way back at Google I/O! Head on past the break and mash play -- that's definitely a white-backed EVO 4G on stage. Thanks, Omar! [Thanks, Anonymous] %Gallery-95638%
Sprint's WiMAX service teases EVO 4G-toting New Yorkers (update: LA and SF, too)
We'd figured that Sprint and partner Clearwire were going to have a devil of a time rolling out WiMAX this year in New York City; urban canyons are always tricky, of course, but their oddball 2500MHz spectrum allocation isn't the best at penetrating buildings and other structures, either. On that note, we'd been tipped earlier this week that a reader was seeing some weak WiMAX reception for the first time on his EVO 4G near Coney Island (see a shot after the break), and now, we've been able to independently confirm it on one of our own units -- in saturated Midtown, no less -- though we weren't able to do much with it beyond get a notification that a "4G network is available." Clearly this isn't ready for primetime use, but it's a good sign that these guys have officially started lighting up a few cells here and there. 1080p streaming, anyone? [Thanks, r0ckstar_23] Update: We're getting tipped that folks are seeing some occasional 4G action in LA and San Francisco, so keep a close eye on those EVOs!
HTC EVO 4G safely overclocked past 1.2GHz, battery begs for mercy
With root obtained for the EVO 4G, it was just a matter of time before the overclocking hilarity ensued -- and as it turns out, that Snapdragon core was ready and waiting to fulfill your wildest desires. The root-only SetCPU app is in full effect on the EVO, churning out speeds of well over 1.2GHz -- apparently with no effect on stability, though it'll require a bump in voltage. The change results in a linpack improvement of over 25 percent, over 8.8 MFLOPS all told, which means your processor is finally worthy of the speedy 4G radio. Now let's get cracking on that 3,000mAh battery, alright? Follow the break for video. [Thanks, Mike]
HTC EVO 4G fully rooted, freedom loving people everywhere rejoice
You've undoubtedly been following the story -- hell, maybe you've even partaking in some serious WiFi tethering. Well, the Android Police (not an actual police force) are reporting that the EVO 4G has finally been rooted, fully and completely. What's this mean? Well, for starters, enterprising individuals will soon be writing to /system from within the OS, removing Sprint's apps and flashing from custom ROMs. Pretty sweet, right? Hit up the source link to get started! But please, don't brick your phone. For real.
Sprint fires employee who leaked weak EVO 4G sales numbers
You know the backstory by now: Sprint boasted that the EVO 4G was its fastest selling phone ever a couple of days after hitting the American market, before abruptly correcting itself and admitting that the EVO's sales were in fact in line with those achieved by the Pre last summer. What you, and we, didn't know till now, however, is that Sprint's self-correction was sparked off by an employee with a curious mind and posting privileges over on the xda-developers forum. On June 6, according to MobileCrunch, this unnamed hero of truthiness browsed Sprint's internal inventory system and nailed down a figure of 65,500 sold units from Sprint's own stores -- a stat far south from what Sprint would announce a day later. That number ultimately found its way onto the message board, and though it obviously shouldn't be taken as authoritative (or exhaustive), it was enough to get Sprint to hit the auto-correct button and part ways with the activist member of staff. Harsh. [Thanks, Carol]
HTC EVO 4G and Droid Incredible suffering from unresponsive screen issues
Uh oh: on top of reports that the EVO 4G suffers screen-detachment issues, we're also starting to hear that the touchscreen sensor is inconsistent, particularly when the phone isn't grounded. We've seen more than one report and video purporting to show the EVO's touchscreen failing to smoothly register touches when the phone isn't being handheld (and thus grounded). We haven't been able to reproduce the issues ourselves, but trust us when we say we've heard from enough unhappy EVO owners to believe that the problem is real. What's more, there's also an older video showing the same problem on three different Droid Incredibles, which obviously shares strong family ties to the EVO. We've pinged HTC, we'll let you know what we hear -- for now, get your sad faces on and watch the videos after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
EVO 4G receives a Palm Pre inductive charging transplant (video)
Oh yes, an HTC EVO has been modded with the inductive charging coil ripped from the still beating heart of a Palm Pre. The 30 minute soldering project does have the side effect of rendering compass apps useless while creating a slight bulge in the battery cover. Other than that, it just works -- or so says the creator. See the modded EVO get busy with a Palm Touchstone and do what yours can't in the video after the break. [Thanks, Brody White]
HTC EVO suffering from glass separation issues?
Potential bad news for EVO owners: we're seeing plenty of reports from folks having issues with the lower portions of their screens. Conspiracy theories say that the adhesive holding the glass is failing, causing the screen to peel up a bit and embark on a very slow journey to capacitive independence. This separation is causing excessive light leakage from below, a problem that we noted in our review but apparently gets continually worse as users spend more time massaging their screens -- even those not being as hard on theirs as this guy was. No official response from HTC yet and we're not sure just what a fix could be, but we have seen people do some wonderful things with duct tape. Update: Still no word from HTC, but Troy, a Sprint employee, e-mailed us to say he's not seen any phones being brought in for this issue at his store. He also indicated the phone is a "repairable device" so, if indeed this is something HTC deems worthy of repair it could be something able to be fixed without requiring a replacement. Here's to hoping... [Thanks, Brandon; image courtesy of Ryan/Selfdestruct]
