As some of you have already noticed, the HTC EVO reviews are starting to hit the web. We will soon have our own review of this phone up, but in the meantime we want to quickly talk about a review from the Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg. If you would like to read his full review you can head on over to his personal blog and check it out. We just did, and we found something a little alarming regarding the phone.
According to Walt, the data speeds I got in my tests weren’t spectacular, or anywhere close to the typical maximum Sprint claims, even in Baltimore, where the company’s 4G network is mature. And, when using 4G, the EVO’s battery runs down alarmingly fast. In my tests, it didn’t last through a full day with 4G turned on. The carrier, in fact, is thinking of advising users to turn off the 4G network access when they don’t think they need it, to save battery life. This undercuts the whole idea of faster cellular speeds.
Now to be honest, we sort of expected that the 4G network wasn’t going to be that great, simply due to the fact that 4G is still brand new technology. The part of the quote we are most concerned with is the fact the battery life doesn’t last all day. The HTC EVO comes with a 1500mAh battery. This is a bigger battery than what the HTC Incredible comes with, and we all know that everyone has had problems with that battery life.
In the end, the biggest hassle was the battery, which often died after four to five hours of usage. Granted, I spent a lot of time taking pictures, using the video camera, checking e-mail and tinkering with the phone — more than I would after the honeymoon phase ended. Sprint says the phone can be used for six hours of talking, but doesn’t specify battery life for “obsessive e-mail checking and apps use.” The company also said I might have gotten more time had I turned off the 4G system when I was in 3G-only areas.
This comes as a huge concern to us and it should to you as well. As phones get better and better, what are the manufacturers going to do about battery life? If the phone doesn’t last all day without turning off certain features of your phone isn’t is pretty much useless? Sure we can probably buy an aftermarket 1750mAh battery, but how much longer is that going to last us? Look, if I’m buying a new phone, please don’t tell me the only way I can use it for a full day is to turn 4G off, it’s the main reason I bought the phone to begin with!
We have yet to get our hands on this phone, so without us actually testing it all we can do for now is go by what Walt and others are saying. Engadget.com also released its own review of the phone, but they never discuss the battery life of the phone. I’m sure we all know why, as they don’t want to give the phone a bad review in anyway. Can we blame them? I’m sure Sprint/HTC pays a pretty penny to them to get a good review.
Let us know what you think about these latest revelations. Is this going to cause you to reconsider your move to Sprint for the EVO, or if you are already on Sprint will it hinder your thoughts on buying one?