Another day, another phone is released. With the launch of the HTC EVO Design 4G comes HTCs attempt to cater to two similar crowds, something similar to what they did when the released the EVO 4G and then the EVO Shift a few months later. What sets the EVO 4G design apart from its older 3D sibling? Learn more in this detailed review, including where to buy the HTC Evo Design 4G.
Design and Features
The EVO Design 4G is a smaller version of the EVO 3D, while both phones share similar designs, on the inside, it’s clear to see that the EVO Design 4G is a stripped down version of the EVO 3D.
Starting things off is a 1.2GHz single-core (not dual-core) processor that is paired with a dedicated GPU and 768MB of system RAM and 4GB of internal storage with a microSD slot for cards up to 32GB. The camera has been reduced to a 5 megapixel shooter with LED flash 720p video recording and a 1.3 megapixel camera at front.
The 4-inch screen carries S-LCD technology with 540 x 960 effective pixels. A downgrade in size from the 4.3-inch screen of the EVO 3D, but at least the pixel count has not been reduced.
Moving along we notice that the EVO Design 4G is a world-phone, unlike the EVO3D. There are dual-band CDMA radios, quad-band GSM radios, WiMAX and A-GPS radios with data support for EV-DO Rev.A, UMTS, EDGE and WiMAX. Rounding out the features is Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi with mobile hotspot, microUSB 2.0, DLNA, and OTA Sync.
Performance
With a single core processor, EVO 4G Design performs nicely with your average day to day tasks. We had no problem navigating web pages, checking emails, sending and receiving multimedia texts and of course making calls. It did become apparent that a dual-core processor is better for high definition Flash content and graphically intensive games. We wish that HTC would have at least included a full gigabyte of RAM with the EVO 4G Design.
Our only major issue with the performance involved Sense UI which we believe put undue strain on the processor. Other than that, for the average Joe, there won’t be much you can put against the EVO 4G Design that it won’t be able to handle.
The camera performs well though not exceptional. This after all a 5 megapixel shooter so you shouldn’t expect the best looking photos you’ve ever seen. That being said, we found the quality to be improved over last year’s EVO 4G.
Battery life wasn’t the greatest however and during our tests we averaged just over hours on a continuous battery drain. Real world situations may or may not yield better results depending on humidity and signal strength. Suffice to say, we wouldn’t advise you leaving for the office without your charger, unless of course you have one in your car or at your desk.
The screen, though smaller than that of the EVO 3D, is nicely done and thanks to the same pixel count as it’s bigger brother, images and text are crisp and bright. We had little issues with viewing the screen under direct sunlight even when brightness was not turned all the way up. However, when it came to viewing angles, we son found out that for the most part, viewing angles were limited and not on par with the Galaxy S II line. That said, unless you share your phone with all your friends, this should not be a major issue. Find out where to purchase the HTC Evo Design.
Conclusion
The EVO Design 4G is the perfect phone depending on what you need. If you are adamant about owning an HTC phone, one that is global ready and comes with the latest version of Android, .3.4 to be exact, this phone will be a great choice. It’s not a powerhouse but it should suit the vast majority of users just fine and for $100 on contract, we really cannot complain.
If you are however looking for something a bit more powerful, check out it’s bigger brother, the EVO 3D. Just be forewarned that the battery life doesn’t get much better than this so you may want to think twice before leaving your charger home. Find out where and why to buy the HTC Evo Design by reading the user reviews we’ve provided access to.