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HTC EVO 4G gets unlimited WiFi hotspot skills, courtesy of root
The root, the root, the root is on fire! Well, not quite, but you just got another pretty splendiferous reason to hack your EVO: android-wifi-tether, an app doing exactly what its name suggests, has now been confirmed to support HTC's 4G-capable phone. There were apparently some compatibility issues at first, but those have now been ironed out and superuser-empowered folks have been successfully pairing the free app and supersonic phone since. Might as well jump on board with this one -- Google has already said Froyo's native ability to do this might be circumscribed by carriers, meaning Sprint's likely to package any official firmware upgrades in such a way as to keep you paying for hotspot capabilities. And who wants to do that?
HTC EVO 4G overtakes Palm Pre for best-selling launch day on Sprint
Considering the lackluster career that Palm's inaugural webOS duo ultimately endured on Sprint, it's wild to think back to those heady days when the Pre was the carrier's best launch day performer in history -- but alas, no longer. As you might've expected, the mighty EVO 4G has shown the Pre the door to take its own place in the record books, a mark we're not surprised to see considering the activation issues many customers saw on Friday as Sprint's systems buckled under the load. Sprint isn't quoting figures, but it proudly boasts of "temporary shortages of the device at some of the 22,000 sales locations across the United States" that are in the process of being replenished with daily deliveries. Now, the next hurdle is to see whether Sprint's shared WiMAX infrastructure can stand up to the load of its first wildly-successful 4G consumer product, eh? Follow the break for the carrier's press release.
EVO 4G launch day antics: Sprint's computers overwhelmed, Radio Shack listing CDMA iPhones?
You might imagine that we're getting a pretty wild variety of EVO 4G-related tips today, seeing how it's launch day and all -- but a couple really stood out for us: Sprint's activation system is apparently buckling under the pressure, an issue that's giving us nightmarish flashbacks to iPhone launches of days gone by. We've even heard reports of poor shoppers being "turned away" when reps are stymied by the situation. A wildly successful product is both a blessing and curse, is it not? One corporate store clerk says Sprint's system is now entirely down, and employees are being forced to write receipts by hand. "We have sold out (and pretty fast at that), but can't do anything at this point, not even a bill pay," he adds. We've gotten multiple tips saying that Radio Shack now lists a $400 early termination fee in its contract for the iPhone on Verizon and Sprint. Our guess is that this is just some generic verbiage, not a sign of an impending CDMA launch, but you never know. One tipster said his EVO came with a Samsung microSD card, rather than a SanDisk. We don't know what to make of that, as it was far too late for HTC to head off storage bugs at the pass. Keep us updated with your launch day travails, folks! [Thanks to everyone who sent these in]
Word of HTC Evo 4G storage bug couldn't come at a worse time (update: OTA fix)
If you read our review of HTC's awe-inspiring Evo 4G, you might have noticed that we recommended ditching the paltry stock 8GB microSD card and living large by throwing in a 32GB model. We were being a wee bit facetious, but as it turns out the advice was well-founded. We're seeing reports flung far and wide across these great united internets about errors regarding "insufficient file permissions" when attempting to write to that packed-in card, others finding that the phone will simply fail to read the card altogether. Our first suspicion was bogus flash, like the counterfeit ones that plagued the Chumby, but HTC spokesman Keith Nowak indicated they have identified the cause and there's an OTA fix coming "very shortly." We know it's early, and apparently not too many of you have rolled out of bed yet to get your Evo today, but sound off in comments if you're seeing this issue as well. Meanwhile, we're trying to replicate it on ours. Update: Well, that was quick. Dre wrote in to tell us of a 13MB OTA update being pushed already, version 1.32.651.6, that looks to include a number of fixes including, apparently, a solution for this storage bug. We're hearing it also breaks the root path that dropped yesterday, but it sounds like a decent trade-off for now.
HTC EVO 4G launch day line watch
You've had the day circled on your calendar for nearly a month, you've seen its insides, you've seen it rooted, and you've even witnessed Froyo running on its massive 4.3-inch screen. Now the time has finally come to actually own the EVO. As is our time-honored tradition with galactically significant product launches, we're starting up a little photo essay here showing the progression of lines outside Sprint stores through this most auspicious of days. Only the trick here is that you'll be doing our writing for us, a thousand words at a time. Join us after the break for the pictures and don't forget -- a lot of stores will be opening early to sate demand.
Evo 4G now for sale at Sprint online
It's here! The Evo 4G is now on sale at Sprint's online webstore. The dual-mode 3G/4G handset with 4.3-inch display, 8 megapixel camera, two-way video calling, and personal WiFi hotspot feature all powered by Android 2.1 on a 1GHz Snapdragon is now for sale for $199 on two year contract (after $150 instant savings and $100 mail-in rebate). Oh, sales are limited to five per customer just in case you're planning to go nuts. Now get out of here, the future is waiting. Update: Official PR added after the break. [Thanks, Tim]
EVO 4G manual goes online, should hold you over for the next few hours
Wouldn't it be embarrassing if you activated your new EVO 4G in the store tomorrow morning and you didn't immediately know how to fire up a Qik video call? You'd be the butt of the joke -- just imagine the hearty laughter and pointing you'd receive from Sprint reps and fellow line-waiters! Don't let this happen to you, friends; come prepared. Read the manual now. [Thanks, Carl]
HTC EVO 4G root tutorial available, and not a moment too soon
We know that you've been champing at the bit ever since you heard that the EVO 4G had been successfully rooted, so we're pleased to tell you that the gang at the XDA-developers forum has gone and posted everything necessary for you to perform the operation yourself. Better yet, Android Central has even posted a step-by-step tutorial. Now you too can perform a semi-obscure operation on an as-yet-unreleased smartphone! Check out the links below to get started.
Sprint EVO 4G celebrates its 'first' commercial
"First is the beginning" -- tautologies notwithstanding, so debuts Sprint's inaugural EVO 4G commercial, now online and airing over broadcast television. Although evoking the same parallel syntax narrative style akin to the "Droid does" campaign -- as well as rocket-propelled imagery -- we gotta say, this one's much more comforting. Like the commercial says, first isn't later, first is... right after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC EVO 4Gs flooding into Best Buys, some Radio Shacks opening at 6AM on Friday
EVO fever -- have you caught it? Things are seriously starting to ramp up in preparation for Friday's festivities, the day that Sprint's EVO 4G hits shelves (though most will likely be sold before they even touch a shelf, truth be told). Radio Shack hit us up with the knowledge earlier today that it'll be opening some locations as early as 6AM -- and what's more, they claim to have "specifically set aside" some units for folks who didn't pre-order, so that might be your best chance. We're also getting a bunch of shots from tipsters who say their Best Buy locations have started taking delivery of the retail units, so at least you'll know they'll be in stock on Friday -- but for how long is another question altogether. [Thanks to everyone who sent these in!] %Gallery-94241%
HTC EVO 4G splayed, found to contain wires, chips
Often, iFixit needs to wait for a product to be released before it can spend a few hundred bucks buying one and tearing it asunder -- but in the case of the EVO 4G, Google's pre-release of units to attendees at IO appears to have been just the kind of event these guys needed to get in the door early. Taking the phone apart is described as a "wonderfully easy" process, and changing the screen's glass is said to be pretty easy as well -- good news considering how easy it'll probably be to crack those 4.3 inches of pure WVGA glory. There aren't any surprises in terms of silicon, but we've got one tip for you, HTC: if you're going to take this color-the-inside-of-the-phone business seriously, would you do us a favor and match the color of the circuit board, too? Seriously guys, go big or go home. Follow the break for iFixit's full rundown of the process.
HTC EVO 4G gets hacked Froyo port, Sense UI be damned
You know what happens when you give EVO 4Gs to a room full of some of the brightest developers the world has to offer? Well, [expletive] is going to go down, that's what -- so it comes as little surprise that the phone's already been blessed with a seemingly functional Froyo port, even though neither the phone nor the operation system have even seen a public release yet. The largest distribution of the EVO so far has come at the hands of Google itself, which provided the Android 2.1- and Sense-equipped handsets to attendees of its recent IO conference; a timely upgrade to Android 2.2 has unquestionably been a big sticking point for would-be buyers, though, so it's good to see that early owners are already hard at work making this happen. Root is naturally required for the 2.2 port to work -- and there will undoubtedly be some hurdles to overcome to make this totally usable -- but we have full faith in these lovely wunderkinds. Follow the break for video evidence of a Froyo'd EVO in the wild.
Engadget Podcast 198 - 05.29.2010
How many executives does it take to screw in a light bulb? Fewer than you would think! How many screens do you need to coordinate your digital life with the cloud? Less than 3, contrary to popular belief. How many Engadget Podcasteers need be present to convey the week's news to you in a succinct 90-minute audio package? Less than five. How many Foxconn employees should consider suicide to bring you a $99 iPhone? That's right, zero. This week, it's all about reductionism on the Engadget Podcast. Let's go on a trip together - to the clean, compact future. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Bullet With Butterfly Wings Hear the podcast 00:04:15 - WSJ: Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division getting a 'shakeup,' J Allard expected to leave 00:04:35 - Microsoft's Robbie Bach and J Allard leaving as part of broader shakeup; Xbox and Windows Phone teams now reporting directly to Ballmer 00:06:00 - Robbie Bach: Project Natal a 'midlife kicker' for Xbox 360, 'absolutely confident' Courier innovations will appear elsewhere 00:08:32 - Apple and Microsoft now neck and neck in market capitalization 00:08:55 - Ballmer downplays Microsoft's shift in market value, says it's a 'long game' 00:30:23 - Windows Phone 7 pops up on a Samsung prototype device, plays Twin Blades 00:32:12 - webOS design mastermind Matias Duarte leaves Palm... and could be headed to Google 00:32:22 - Confirmed: Palm's Matias Duarte joins Google as User Experience Director for Android 00:42:07 - Lenovo kills Skylight OS in favor of Android, U1 Hybrid and Skylight smartbook being shelved 00:51:32 - The next Apple TV revealed: cloud storage and iPhone OS on tap... and a $99 price tag 01:04:00 - Confirmed: Apple's next iPhone will have video chat, feature to be shown in ads directed by Sam Mendes 01:09:53 - Foxconn raising wages, relocating 20 percent of Shenzhen workers closer to home (updated) 00:20:00 - Apple, Dell, and HP comment on suicides as Foxconn CEO shows off the pool 01:29:49 - Introducing Engadget Alt Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
Stores open early June 4th for EVO 4G with mobile hotspot loophole
When you've got the world's most desired** handset, you don't keep people waiting. As such, Sprint is recommending that its "preferred retailers" open extra early on June 4th. That should give you a bit of time to grab the new EVO 4G on the way to the office for some good ol' fashioned bragging rights in the cubicle farm. At least until you remember that one-third of your life is spent working inside of a beige box. Oh and here's a pro tip: according to the official EVO 4G Launch Guide we're staring at, the mobile hotspot functionality that turns your EVO into a WiMax hotspot for up to 8 devices will initially work without paying the $29.99 monthly fee if you're happy with using it on 4G only (no 3G). Sprint expects to correct this sometime in July after which the Sprint Mobile Hotspot add-on will require activation. Read the details for yourself after the break. ** assuming you have WiMax coverage
HTC EVO 4G rooted in record time (video)
We're still a good dozen days away from its public release, but the EVO 4G has already been given a rooting makeover. Google dished out EVO handsets to all the lucky (so lucky!) attendees of its blowout I/O 2010 event, and a trio of those visitors rolled up their sleeves and decided to get down and intimate with the phone over the weekend. The product of their labor is at this stage just a few screenshots and a blurry video after the break, but fear not, we're sure details of the hack will be forthcoming promptly. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
The Engadget Show Live! with Adobe's Kevin Lynch, HTC EVO 4G, and Editor Q&A
Keep your eyes tuned to this post -- because at 5:00 PM ET, we'll be starting The Engadget Show live, with Adobe's Chief Technical Officer Kevin Lynch and special guests, Engadget Editors Laura June and Chris Ziegler. Josh, Nilay, and Paul are back of course, plus we'll have music from minusbaby and visuals from notendo and much, much, more! You seriously don't want to miss it! In the spirit of awesome, we've enabled tweeting directly to the live stream! To be a part of The Engadget Show broadcast, just include the hashtag "#engadgetshow" and watch for your tweet on the ticker at the bottom of the screen. One thing to note, The Engadget Show is a family program, so any single instance of swearing or trolling will force us to turn off the ticker... and it won't come back on. So, keep it clean and have fun!
Engadget Podcast 197 - 05.22.2010
Google may not rule the universe quite yet, but it certainly rules the hearts and minds of the Engadget Podcasteers this week, in one way or another. Featuring the world debut of the dramatic musical theater segment Nilay's Niggles.Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul MillerSpecial guests: Chris Ziegler, Ben DrawbaughProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Valpo Usta - BabyHear the podcast00:02:35 - HTC EVO 4G review00:18:46 - Android 2.2 Froyo: everything you ever wanted to know00:19:22 - Google I/O recap: more web than you can shake a frozen dessert at00:20:30 - Live from the Google I/O 2010 day 2 keynote!00:20:40 - Google adding over-the-air app installation and iTunes streaming to Android00:21:08 - Google claims Froyo has the world's fastest mobile browser00:23:10 - Flash 10.1 for Android beta unveiled: Hulu a no-show, Froyo now a minimum requirement00:38:38 - Google TV: everything you ever wanted to know00:39:30 - Google TV turns on at I/O: runs Android and Flash, partnered with Sony, Logitech, and Intel00:40:09 - Logitech's Google TV companion box includes smartphone apps, we go eyes-on (updated: video!)00:40:30 - Sony Internet TV, DISH first with Google TV this fall; Adobe, Logitech and others along for the ride01:00:45 - Sad Violin01:16:08 - The Engadget Show returns, this Saturday, May 22nd with Sprint's Evo 4G, Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch, and an Engadget editors Q&A!Subscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Contact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
Radio Shack stores getting WiMAX upgrades ahead of Evo launch?
While there's certainly plenty to love about HTC's EVO 4G, that 4G in the title is certainly one of the major draws. We're guessing it'll be a little easier to sell the things if customers can experience the wonders of WiMAX for themselves, so that's probably why RadioShack is (according to our tipster) installing these Clearwire WiMAX repeaters in at least some of its stores ahead of the May 30 June 4 launch of the phone there. This will effectively turn The Shack into 4G hotspots and, while we're not sure of the range of these bad boys, this is a good thing even if it extends the reach of WiMAX just a few feet further into our lives. Another picture after the break. Update: Oops, the phone is of course launching on June 4. It's 4G that's going live in this tipster's home city on May 30. [Thanks, Markus]
Shipping HTC EVO 4G ROM released into the wild
Can't wait to get your hands on an EVO 4G? Then it looks like you can now at least settle for the next best thing that's not actually anything like the real thing: the final, shipping version of the EVO 4G ROM. That's just been released into the wild courtesy of Conflipper, and is ready to be downloaded for use however you like -- and at your own risk, of course. Hit up the source link below for the download link, and let us know in comments if you manage to work any magic with it. [Thanks, Marcos]
HTC EVO 4G review
As a mobile platform, the EVO 4G's Android foundation is still an infant -- well, okay, perhaps it's a tweener -- but in its two-odd years in the public spotlight, the list of truly revolutionary devices to use it has been a significant one: the G1 for being the first to market; the Nexus One for ushering in a new (and subsequently killed) retail model; perhaps the CLIQ for introducing Motorola to the platform or the Droid for bringing the company some desperately needed, long overdue success. For the moment, anyway, a whopping fraction of the world's most important phones are running Google's little experiment. Needless to say, Sprint, HTC, and quite frankly, many of us have come to expect the EVO 4G to join that short list for some obvious reasons. Put simply, its magnificent list of specs reads as though it was scribbled on a napkin after a merry band of gadget nerds got tipsy at the watering hole and started riffing about their idea of the ultimate mobile device: a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 4.3-inch WVGA display, 8 megapixel camera with 720p video recording, HDMI-out, and WiMAX compatibility. Of course, the list of potential deal-breakers for a phone is as long as the EVO 4G's display is wide; to put it another way, there are countless ways HTC, Sprint, or even Google could've screwed this thing up. So does this moderately intimidating black slab of pure engineering and marketing -- this high-profile bet on Sprint's future -- deliver the goods? Read on. %Gallery-93334%
