Sprint will begin selling the first of two WiMax smartphones announced for this year on June 4. The Android device promises blistering download speeds for a relatively modest price, it can be a Wi-Fi hotspot, it carries two cameras, one of them with 8 megapixels, and it delivers video output at 720p on a 4.3” display. Oh, and you can use it to make phone calls, too. The HTC Evo is smartphone overkill at its finest. The question is: Is it good enough? Do you really want a WiMax phone? Will consumers bite and finally give Sprint a glowing flagship device?

Sprint has been waiting for a decent and successful smartphone that can break out of the shadows of the iPhone for quite some time. Remember the Samsung Instinct that was squarely aimed at the iPhone and only received a lukewarm response from U.S. consumers? Or Palm’s Pre and Pixi smartphones that arrives with an expectation that did not translate into actual sales. Sprint tries again – with a vastly different phone and a device that is unique to Sprint: The WiMax powered HTC Evo.

(6 Images)

Scheduled for a June 4 release, the device comes with these features (listing courtesy of Sprint):

• 3G/4G capability
• Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8650 1GHz processor
• 4.3” capacitive display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedbackWVGA (800×480) 65K colors
• Android 2.1
• Simultaneous voice and data capability in 4G and Wi-Fi coverage areas
• 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability – connects up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices
• 4G data speeds (WiMax) – peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1 Mbps; average download speeds of 3-6 Mbps.
• 3G data speeds (EVDO Rev A.) – peak download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds of 600 kbps-1.4 Mbps.
• 8 MP camera with dual LED flash and 1.3MP front-facing camera
• High-quality video streaming and downloads at 3G and 4G data speeds
• Capture and share 720p HD video
• Output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (720p) via HDMI
• FM radio and Amazon MP3 store
• Digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS
• 8GB microSD card included

Seriously, what else could you ask for in a smartphone today?

The main differentiator to other smartphones, of course, is WiMax capability. If you buy the Evo for $300 on June 4 ($100 refunded via mail in rebate), you will have to commit to a 2-year contract as well as a $79.99 per month “premium” all you can eat mobile voice/data plan (this plan only includes unlimited voice minutes to mobile phones; landline phone calls are limited to 450 minutes. An upgrade to 900 minutes inflates the price to $90 and unlimited voice adds another $10.)

At a minimum of $80 per month, you are promised full WiMax access, as long as it is available in your present area. The biggest disadvantage of WiMax is that it is simply not available everywhere – Clearwire, which provides 4G WiMax service to Sprint, says it currently offers WiMax in 32 U.S. markets that theoretically reach 41 million people. This summer, the company wants to add another 19 markets and by the end of the year, it wants to reach 120 million potential customers. Clearwire currently has just under 1 million paying subscribers, but hopes that it will break the 2 million barrier by the end of this year. The HTC Evo will be an interesting experiment as it is clearly marketed as a data device that consumers most likely will use extensively for data downloads and uploads. WiMax backers, including Intel, repeatedly said that WiMax has much more bandwidth available than, for example, AT&T’s 3G service. The Evo will put this claim to the test (Samsung will also roll out an Android-powered WiMax phone later this year.)

There is no question that WiMax devices will become much more interesting as the service becomes much more available. If Sprint can deliver on the promise that the phone can receive data at 10 Mbps speeds, this phone might turn into an interesting alternative and Sprint’s first truly capable and successful smartphone.

No matter how you look at it, using smartphones is expensive. The Evo is no exception. $200 to start and $80 per month, excluding all those tacked on fees and likely overages, you are looking at $2120 over the 2-year service period. Add a tethering service that turns the Evo in a Wi-Fi hotspot that can host up to eight devices, and you look at an extra $720 over the 2-year period, adding up to a not so insignificant $2840. If you are adding those rather annoying fees that come with your bill and you occasionally talk a bit more than your plan allows for, then you should be budgeting for at least $3500 over the next two years.

However, in comparison, Sprint isn’t so expensive. The iPhone is priced at $40 per month for 450 minutes, $30 for the data plan and an extra $20 per month for messaging. The plan alone will cost you at least $2160 over a 2 – year period – and $2880 if you choose the all you can eat plan, tethering and fees not included.

It is not particularly difficult to see that the Evo may be Sprint’s best smartphone yet. It is an attractive package (on paper) that should draw lots of interest. Now we have to wait for the reviews to see how good the device really is. Common sense, however, suggests that this is only a smart phone choice for those who live and mainly stay in geographies that are covered by WiMax service.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.