| HTC EVO 4G Android SmartPhone |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Phones | Handheld | |
| Written by Written by Austin Downing - Edited by Allison Downing and Olin Coles | |
| Monday, 02 August 2010 | |
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HTC Sense User InterfaceAlthough many phones use the Android OS, as of now phone manufactures can use their own custom skins. For HTC, this user interface is called Sense, and it comes with seven screens that can be customized to fit your needs.
In the basic setup, this is the home screen. It quickly lets you get to all the information you need showing received mail, messages, and voicemail all in one location. Along the clock you can quickly check the weather for your area (as long as it detects where you are correctly).
This is the basic calendar. It automatically syncs with your Google Calendar, and if you use the HTC Sense Facebook app, it will automatically put everyones birthday's onto your calendar. Along with this view, there are other views you can use. My personal favorite shows each day and and everything that needs to be done in a list view. It is this type of integration that makes the Android OS such a wonder. Throughout the OS you will see it sync your contacts with your Gmail account, you documents with you GDocs, and your Calendar with your Google Calendar. All of this comes together in a way that lets you access much of your needed information in one place.
The Friend Stream integrates with your Facebook and Twitter accounts in a way that you can quickly check for new posts and then quickly tell everyone whats on your mind.
This lets you quickly change between "Scenes" which is HTC's way of breaking up the difference setups you would use on the seven screens. In addition to the default scenes, you can make your custom scenes which you can then save so that you can make your own scenes for different occasions.
On this page you can set your favorite contacts, but far more importantly, you can easily turn on and off the different radios although in my day to day life I find I prefer setting these to the home page so that I can quickly change what radios are on based on what I am doing at the moment.
When it comes to website navigation, I believe that the EVO 4G is the device to beat. Its screen is wonderful for reading news and tech sites, quickly letting you zoom in with a pinch, and, with the upcoming Android 2.2 Froyo update, even bring flash 10.x support.
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Comments
Retired (medical) IT Consultant, Australian Capital Territory
Im not paying that much for a 'smart phone' that takes dumb pics, especially knowing the tech has been around for over 4 years, until someone brings out one that at least matches mine Im keeping my money and my old school phone :(
Yes it takes video etc, but so the hell it should, 4 years is a staggering amount of evolution in the tech world.
Way better is not at all subjective and entirely measurable (which is why it isnt subjective), you would have to be blind not to be able to see the differences on a decent sized monitor of images taken even in good light. At night the flash on the iphone is so useless they shouldnt have even bothered, and only did to sell the phone I suspect. I could EASILY go on about how stupidly over compressed the images are but wont.
I would even settle for a 3mp sensor IF the final image was not compressed to buggery and shot on a decent lens with a real flash and it would still look better than most 8mp - 12mp pics from a phone. Thats never going to happen of course as more = better in the dumb ass consumer world.
Again, I'm certainly willing to believe that the N82's camera is better, possibly way better, but the iPhone 4's camera is still pretty good.
but yes if you travel a lot and dont mind carrying a real camera then its the 'smart' way to go.
but for me, I cant be assed carrying a dedicated camera, and while i dont need much from picture quality for taking pic of my mates at the pub etc I do have some standards....eg for the pic not to be more blurry than my blurry memory of the night before :)