Apple iPhone 4 (AT&T) vs. HTC Evo 4G (Sprint): Comparison

[FreakyLocz14]

Apple iPhone 4 (AT&T) vs. HTC Evo 4G (Sprint): Comparison

The Top 2 smartphones in the U.S. market are both impressive. I own and HTC Evo 4G and had the chance to play around with an iPhone 4 to do comparisons. If you are having trouble deciding between the two, give this a read. Note that this is independent research done by
me, by you can verify the specifications of both of these devices with a simple Google search if you wish.

Display
The HTC Evo 4G sports a 4.3-inch 480x800 pixel display while iPhone 4 sports its "Retina Display" on its 3.5-inch 960x640 pixel display.
Winner: Apple iPhone 4

Operating System and User Interface
The HTC Evo 4G comes with Android 2.1 out of the box, but is now upgradable to Android 2.2 with the HTC Sense UI. The Apple iPhone 4 comes with iOS 4 (with the iOS 4.0.1 update available to fix some bugs). The iPhone 4's UI is bland. Every screen is just a bunch of icons that are various applications. The HTC Sense UI on the Evo 4G is very customizable with different widgets you can place on the various home screens. There are widgets for social networking streaming straight to your home screen (i.e. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube), a large clock widget that displays the weather and has an animated weather effect play periodically; among other nifty-keen widgets. The iPhone 4 does have the upper hand as far as it having a bigger App Store, but the ability to install third-party applications not available in the App Store helps the Evo 4G keep up.
Winner: HTC Evo 4G

Camera
Both the iPhone 4 and the Evo 4G have cameras on both sides of the phone. The iPhone 4 sports a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and a VGA quality (about 0.3-megapixels) camera on the front of the phone for video chatting and taking self-portraits. The Evo 4G sports an 8-megapixel camera on the on the back of the device with dual-LED flash and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front for video chatting and taking self-portraits. Both can shoot video in 720p HD, but the Evo 4G does so at 25 frames-per-second while the iPhone 4 does so and 30-frames-per-second. This difference was small, if noticeable at all, in my tests, however.
Winner: HTC Evo 4G

Call Quality and Video Calling
As far as call quality goes, the iPhone 4 suffers due to a flaw that makes the device lose signal (and sometimes drop calls) if the device is held in a way that covers up certain spots on the exo-antenna. Despite Apple's claims, the Evo 4G nor any other smartphone I've used has suffered from such a problem. Since the Evo 4G runs on a CDMA network, it gets as good call quality on 2G (CDMA 2000 1x-RTT) as the iPhone 4 does on a 3G call. As far as video calling goes, the iPhone 4 uses software called FaceTime than allows one to video chat with another iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi. The HTC Evo 4G uses a special version of the Qik application to allow video chatting with any device capable of doing so (save the iPhone 4), even with computer users. Also note that while one must be on Wi-Fi to use the iPhone 4's FaceTime, Evo 4G users can video chat over 3G, 4G, as a well as Wi-Fi. Things can look a bit sluggish when video chatting over 3G, but the option to do so is still nice.
Winner: HTC Evo 4G

Device and Plan Pricing
Both devices run for $199 with a 2-year contract with their respective carriers (the iPhone 4 also has a 32 GB option for $299). Prices can vary if purchased elsewhere. As far as plan pricing goes, the HTC Evo 4G by default runs on Sprint's Everything Data 450 plan for $79.99/mo. In the his plan, you get Unlimited calling to ANY mobile phone on ANY NETWORK, unlimited messaging, unlimited web access, GPS services, and includes a subscription to Sprint TV for no extra charge (unless you want premium channels). It also includes 450 minutes for calls to landlines with unlimited landline calls available on nights and weekends (7pm-7am). You can upgrade to Unlimited calling all-round (including landlines) for $30 extra ($109.99/mo.) To get similar services on the iPhone 4 (AT&T) it will cost you $69.99/mo. for Unlimited calling, plus an additional $20/mo. for unlimited messaging, and $25/mo. for 2 GB of data access (there is no longer an unlimited data plan on AT&T). Also, there are additional charges for AT&T Navigator ($9.99/mo.) and AT&T Mobile TV ($9.99/mo.) That comes out to $134.97 a month!
Winner: HTC Evo 4G

Battery Life
As great as the Evo 4G is, one of the cons it suffers is mediocre battery life. While most people can get through the day if they give it a midday charge or keep it on a car charger while driving, those in 4G markets will see further strain on the battery when using 4G data. Using its Sprint Mobile Hotspot feature also strains the battery, so it's best to only do this quickly or keep the device plugged in when doing so. The Evo can only get about 3-5 hours on average of web usage on 3G depending on what you are doing online. I'm not in a 4G area but from what I've read you can get a good couple of hours of 4G surfing out of the Evo. The Evo has good talk time though (approximately 6 hours) since CDMA networks do not call over 3G, using 3G only for data transmission. The iPhone 4, on the other hand has respectable battery life for a high-end smartphone. I was able to get at least good 6 hours of talk time out of it (you can get more on 2G, but at the cost of call quality. 3G web surfing is about 6 hours, depending on what you are doing online.
Winner: Apple iPhone 4

Web Speeds and Content
The iPhone 4 runs on AT&T's 3G HSPA network, which has a theoretical maximum of 7.2 Mbps (megabits-per-second) downlink data speed. In reality, you are lucky to get half that amount, though no network usually goes up to its theoretical data speed max. The Evo 4G runs on Sprint's 3G EV-DO Rev. A network, which has a theoretical max of 3.1 Mbps downlink. In reality, AT&T's 3G network performs only slightly faster than Sprint's on the downlink (both averaging 1-2 Mbps downlink with lucky bursts in the 3.X Mbps range), though it has a significant uplink advantage. The Evo 4G also runs on a 4G network (hence the name), while the iPhone 4 does not (despite pre-release name fails). Sprint uses a mobile WiMax 4G network that maxes out at 60 Mbps downlink, but in reality averages 3-6 Mbps, with surprisingly frequent bursts of up to 10 Mbps if you have full 4G signal. Even if you don't live in a 4G market, the Evo 4G still has the upper hand as far as web surfing is concerned because it has Adobe Flash support, which the iPhone 4 does not. Since most of the internet uses some sort of Flash content, that is a significant advantage. As far as non-Flash web content goes, both devices are fairly similar, though the iPhone 4's retina display is nice for zooming in on things.
Winner: HTC Evo 4G

Additional Features
Both devices can tether data, but on the iPhone 4, you are limited to 2 GB that is shared between your phone and tethered devices while on the Evo 4G, you get a 5 GB limit on 3G but this is kept separate from the unlimited 3G/4G data on your phone, and unlimited tethering on 4G. The Evo 4G also has HDMI out, which can be used to play your 720p HD videos on your HD television. One thing the iPhone 4 has that the Evo 4G does not is the ability to edit videos you've taken with an app on the device.
Winner: HTC Evo 4G
Discuss.

 

[Serene Grace]

Is this a fair, scientific review or just your opinion? Because, honestly, some of the conclusions you've come up with are unjustified.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Is this a fair, scientific review or just your opinion? Because, honestly, some of the conclusions you've come up with are unjustified.

Please, elaborate. I did this review with both phones in my possesion.

 

[Serene Grace]

Operating System and User Interface
The HTC Evo 4G comes with Android 2.1 out of the box, but is now upgradable to Android 2.2 with the HTC Sense UI. The Apple iPhone 4 comes with iOS 4 (with the iOS 4.0.1 update available to fix some bugs). The iPhone 4's UI is bland. Every screen is just a bunch of icons that are various applications. The HTC Sense UI on the Evo 4G is very customizable with different widgets you can place on the various home screens. There are widgets for social networking streaming straight to your home screen (i.e. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube), a large clock widget that displays the weather and has an animated weather effect play periodically; among other nifty-keen widgets. The iPhone 4 does have the upper hand as far as it having a bigger App Store, but the ability to install third-party applications not available in the App Store helps the Evo 4G keep up.
Winner: HTC Evo 4G

I'm pretty sure the saving grace, even for people who hate the iPhone and would never buy one, is the fact that the UI was absolutley beautifully designed and, because it was made specifically for the iPhone, it should worked better with the hardware. Unlike Android which is still a beautiful OS (keeping in mind I have an Android phone) but it just doesn't look as good as the iPhone's. As for the apps - I actually think that the Android marketplace has a 'freer' feel to the way they distribute their apps but, that's just me I guess.

Call Quality and Video Calling
As far as call quality goes, the iPhone 4 suffers due to a flaw that makes the device lose signal (and sometimes drop calls) if the device is held in a way that covers up certain spots on the exo-antenna. Despite Apple's claims, the Evo 4G nor any other smartphone I've used has suffered from such a problem. Since the Evo 4G runs on a CDMA network, it gets as good call quality on 2G (CDMA 2000 1x-RTT) as the iPhone 4 does on a 3G call. As far as video calling goes, the iPhone 4 uses software called FaceTime than allows one to video chat with another iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi. The HTC Evo 4G uses a special version of the Qik application to allow video chatting with any device capable of doing so (save the iPhone 4), even with computer users. Also note that while one must be on Wi-Fi to use the iPhone 4's FaceTime, Evo 4G users can video chat over 3G, 4G, as a well as Wi-Fi. Things can look a bit sluggish when video chatting over 3G, but the option to do so is still nice.
Winner: HTC Evo 4G

I have to admit, the iPhone signal loss flaw is quite a big one, however, have you tried making calls when the iPhone has a case (therefore eliminating the signal loss failure.) I happened to borrow my friend's phone and the call quality was great. The noise cancelling microphone (which you failed to note) means that you hear everything the person you're calling is saying and they don't hear any background noise very crisp at that (a feature most modern phones don't have, including the EVO). Also, the web speeds is irrelevant here. The fact that the EVO utilises 4G means nothing as no mobile provider supports 4G speeds fully.

Web Speeds and Content
The iPhone 4 runs on AT&T's 3G HSPA network, which has a theoretical maximum of 7.2 Mbps (megabits-per-second) downlink data speed. In reality, you are lucky to get half that amount, though no network usually goes up to its theoretical data speed max. The Evo 4G runs on Sprint's 3G EV-DO Rev. A network, which has a theoretical max of 3.1 Mbps downlink. In reality, AT&T's 3G network performs only slightly faster than Sprint's on the downlink (both averaging 1-2 Mbps downlink with lucky bursts in the 3.X Mbps range), though it has a significant uplink advantage. The Evo 4G also runs on a 4G network (hence the name), while the iPhone 4 does not (despite pre-release name fails). Sprint uses a mobile WiMax 4G network that maxes out at 60 Mbps downlink, but in reality averages 3-6 Mbps, with surprisingly frequent bursts of up to 10 Mbps if you have full 4G signal. Even if you don't live in a 4G market, the Evo 4G still has the upper hand as far as web surfing is concerned because it has Adobe Flash support, which the iPhone 4 does not. Since most of the internet uses some sort of Flash content, that is a significant advantage. As far as non-Flash web content goes, both devices are fairly similar, though the iPhone 4's retina display is nice for zooming in on things.
Winner: HTC Evo 4G

Nope, the 4G speeds won't get you a 'frequent' burst of 10 Mbps. You'll be lucky even if you get about 6, which is a good average for the reports. And, like I said above, most mobile service providers don't fully support 4G as the market is still too minimal.

However, I completley agree with you on Flash content - iPhone needs to have support in it. But, for mobile web browsing. The iPhone is absolutley beautiful and unmatched (well, except maybe the HTC Hero).

That's about it really, the others I didn't quote mean that I agree with you on those but the ones above I really don't think is right. But, you don't really have to listen to me, just stating my opinion is all.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

I'm pretty sure the saving grace, even for people who hate the iPhone and would never buy one, is the fact that the UI was absolutley beautifully designed and, because it was made specifically for the iPhone, it should worked better with the hardware. Unlike Android which is still a beautiful OS (keeping in mind I have an Android phone) but it just doesn't look as good as the iPhone's. As for the apps - I actually think that the Android marketplace has a 'freer' feel to the way they distribute their apps but, that's just me I guess.


I have to admit, the iPhone signal loss flaw is quite a big one, however, have you tried making calls when the iPhone has a case (therefore eliminating the signal loss failure.) I happened to borrow my friend's phone and the call quality was great. The noise cancelling microphone (which you failed to note) means that you hear everything the person you're calling is saying and they don't hear any background noise very crisp at that (a feature most modern phones don't have, including the EVO). Also, the web speeds is irrelevant here. The fact that the EVO utilises 4G means nothing as no mobile provider supports 4G speeds fully.


Nope, the 4G speeds won't get you a 'frequent' burst of 10 Mbps. You'll be lucky even if you get about 6, which is a good average for the reports. And, like I said above, most mobile service providers don't fully support 4G as the market is still too minimal.

However, I completley agree with you on Flash content - iPhone needs to have support in it. But, for mobile web browsing. The iPhone is absolutley beautiful and unmatched (well, except maybe the HTC Hero).

That's about it really, the others I didn't quote mean that I agree with you on those but the ones above I really don't think is right. But, you don't really have to listen to me, just stating my opinion is all.

I'll agree the UI is pretty but not as practical at the HTC Sense UI used on the Evo more practical widgets vs. just a bunch of icons on a screen, and more homescreens to utilize these widgets is very useful.

Why should you need a case for a product that's supposed to be "the best"? It should work fine right out of the box. I can't really measure call quality coming from my end of the phone, but measured it based on the person I was talking too's end. Though now that Apple is giving out free cases, that should mitigate, the problem but, it's still worth mentioning.

The fact that the Evo has 4G is actually very significant. There is 4G in some markets already and even when widely avaliable on both AT&T and Sprint, the Evo will benefit while the iPhone 4 won't (perhaps a new iPhone will be out next year that is 4G-capable?). The burts of 10 Mbps was a claim made by Sprint. They stated that their theoretical max is 60 Mbps but the max burts you'll see in reality are up to 10 Mbps.

Lastly, Adobe Flash support is also a biggie. Do you not know how much of the internet uses Flash? People don't buy smartphones like these to browse mobile web pages, they buy them for a full HTML PC-like web experience and without Adobe Flash support, that experience is crippled.

To be honest, I don't full-out hate the iPhone, it's a nice, attractive device despite not having have Flash support (which was the one of the main reasons I chose to Evo instead). Even if a Flash-enabled iPhone came out, I would want it to be avaliable on other networks other than AT&T. Even if they don't make a CDMA version and just release it on T-Mobile I might bite, since T-Mobile's plan pricing is a lot more affordable. I used to have AT&T; I owned a Quickfire, a Pantech Matrix, and finally, an HTC Tilt 2 before ditching AT&T due to how expensive they got. I then went prepaid for awhile until getting the Evo on Sprint.

 

[twocows]

Perhaps you should state at the top that this is original research and not a peer-reviewed study?