Based on some feedback from a very respected source, I’ve decided to update the format of this side by side comparison. Keep in mind that these ratings are simply “my humble opinion”.
Form Factor
The Evo (manufactured by HTC) is also very handsome. It is much larger than most Smartphones; which can be a bit of a turn off for most people. However, it doesn’t feel like a brick in your pocket. In fact, it fits really comfortably in your pocket and hand. It doesn’t feel as nice as the iPhone when holding it, but it is very close.
Winner= iPhone 4
Screen
The iPhone has a much higher resolution and the screen is a thing of beauty. The lack of real-estate hurts the iPhone in this category.
Winner = DRAW
Interface
The Evo’s interface is pretty slick and intuitive. I found myself navigating and exploring the apps with no problem. All of the gestures that I’m used to doing worked well. In fact, the Dolphin browser allows you to use your own gestures to navigate web sites. Pretty cool. The Evo has support for animated and static background pictures. It also supports multi-tasking so you can have multiple apps going at once.
The interface is the familiar iPhone interface that we are all used to. Very responsive and very slick. There are some minor improvements such as support for background pictures and multi-tasking. One thing to note about multi-tasking is that the iPhone app has to be written to support it. Most of the iPhone apps out today do not support this. I’m sure this will change over time.
Winner = DRAW
Killer Features
Out of the box, the Evo has a few features that are really exciting:
1. Mobile Hot Spot
2. Live Television
3. Integration to Facebook
4. Support for widgets
5. HDMI output
The Mobile Hot Spot is really cool and is almost a must have for me. I like the idea of sharing my data plan with my laptop and having instant and secure Internet access anywhere I have data coverage. Sprint’s 4G network is also a whole lot faster than AT&T’s 3G.
Live Television is also very cool. The coworker that owns this particular Evo is watching the World Cup on his phone! How awesome is that?!! And the image looks great! The phone even has a little kick stand so that you can set it on your desk and watch comfortably. Very cool.
Integration to Facebook is a nice surprise. It ports over your contacts and shows their status without login into a Facebook app.
Widgets are cool. Widgets are apps that are always on. No need to open an app to interact with it. To use the Facebook widget, you simply glance at your phone to get an update.
HDMI output on the Evo means you can plug into your TV and watch videos you’ve recorded or Sprint TV on the big screen.
The iPhones biggest strength is its massive library of apps. We’ve all heard the term “there’s an app for that”. Well, it’s true. Integration with iTunes is either a plus or minus, depending on who you talk to.
Winner = Evo
Camera: Pictures and Video
The camera on the iPhone is lower in resolution (5 mp) than the Evo camera (8 mp). Both phones support video chat. However, the iPhone only supports video chat when it is connected to wifi. The Evo requires that you be connected to the 4G network. Both phones support HD video recording.
Battery Life
Personally, I don’t own either of the phones so I can’t speak on experience. I can only base this comparison on what people are reporting. So far, people say that the battery life on the Evo sucks. The faster 4G network and TV watching comes at a price. Fortunately, the Evo gives you the option to upgrade the battery. Not sure how much this will help, and I’m sure it will add more bulk to an already bulky phone. The iPhone 4 has better battery life.
Winner = iPhone
Network
The 4G network is definitely something to get excited about. It uses the Clear 4G network and it is much faster than the any of the existing 3G networks. The issue with it is that it is not available everywhere. You have to check and see if your city is covered. If it isn’t, you will only be able to run in 3G mode.
The AT&T service can be pretty bad at times. Again, this totally depends on the coverage. In my area, the service is pretty crappy. I have a lot of dropped calls. The data network is pretty solid and I haven’t had too many issues with it. My only gripe with it is that it can be slow at times.
Winner = Sprint (but it totally depends)
And the winner is…
Ultimately, both phones are very good options and you will most likely be happy with either purchase. If form factor is more important than 4G speeds, I suggest you go with the iPhone. If a fast network, TV and Mobile Hot Spot is are must have features for you, go with the Evo.
Final thoughts… There are a couple of factors you have to consider before making your selection and signing up for a 2 year contract.
1. Keep in mind that the Droid’s app library is growing. There will soon “be an app for that” on the Droid app store too.
2. There are other very exciting phones coming to a store near you very soon. The Windows Phones will soon be here and it looks like they will offer some very cool features like Social Networking integration and better enterprise/business support.
3. AT&T and Verizon will soon introduce their version of the 4G network. From what I’ve learned, the technology is far superior than Sprint’s. It will have bigger coverage than 3G and will penetrate buildings better due to its lower frequency. It also promises to be faster.
Windows Phone 7 teaser video… Here’s a preview of Windows Phone 7. Watch it to find out why I’m excited about this phone.
Point-by-point:
ReplyDelete1. True, AT&T sucks ass, but Sprint sucks ass too. You can ask Min about that one. Verizon has the best coverage, followed by T-mobile.
2. and 3. Tethering is not free on the iPhone, but it isn't free on the EVO either. In order to use the mobile hotspot feature will cost you $30 extra a month.
4. I'm not sure of the TV capabilities of the EVO, but I use my slingbox to stream live TV to my iPhone. What I do like about the EVO is the HDMI port.
5. It's true the camera isn't as high in megapixels as the EVO, but the screen is much higher resolution and much sharper than the EVO. Also the iPhone is 5.0 megapixels vs. EVO 8.0 megapixels, neither is supposed to be a camera replacement, just a convenience.
6. Not quite sure how I would use social networking integration into my phone other than what is current available inside the app. I would have to think about this one.
Note: It appears the rumors about Apple's design flaw are true. Touching the metal outer edge of the iPhone reduces the signal. I bought a bumper case for mine just in case I drop it and it seems to have also taken care of this problem.
IMHO the iPhone is the better buy, slightly. Then again I haven't had it long enough to find anything I don't like about it. I played around with Min's EVO yesterday, definitely a solid phone but too bulky for me, plus battery life on it is horrible.
UPDATE: After much thought and evaluation, I have decided to return my iPhone 4. Although the phone has many advanced features and the screen is the best display I've ever seen on any device, the reception issue is a deal breaker.
ReplyDeleteI bought the bumper case to keep my all-glass treasure safe and found blog sites saying how it could reduce the reception attenuation issue. I found this to be somewhat true. However, the issue still occurs with the bumper case on.
As far as I am concerned, you should be able to hold your phone any way you want and still use it. Would you buy a car that you could only drive if your hands were in the 10-2 position? For all it's beauty and technical advances, it is more of a internet device and iPod with limited calling ability.
I'm switching back to my iPhone 3G and going to wait out my contract until either Apple comes up with a solution to this or the iPhone for Verizon comes out. Truly disappointing.