HTC EVO View 4G (Sprint)

Here's the deal: We've already reviewed the HTC EVO View 4G, under a different name. This tablet is just a re-packaged, re-branded HTC Flyer, with a few key changes, the addition of Sprint 4G coverage chief among them. If you buy the EVO View, you'll be getting the same Android-plus-Sense-UI experience, the same fast 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor, the same excellent pen input features, and, unfortunately, the same limitations of the non-tablet-specific Android 2.3 ("Gingerbread") that hurt the Flyer. For the in-depth nuts and bolts of you need to know about the EVO View, read our HTC Flyer review. Again, there are some differences, however, so read on if you're interested in the EVO View.

The short version of the Flyer review: It's a very capable tablet that's aimed at a specific type of user. It doesn't run a dual-core, but instead uses a 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor that helps it zip along as fast as any Tegra-powered tablet. The 7-inch touch screen works well, but it's smaller than many of the Honeycomb tablets we've seen so far with 10-inch screens. The biggest upside of the Flyer, and thus the View, is the pen input system, making it a great choice for those who want to draw on their tablets. Powered by a company called N-Trig, the tablet is remarkably detailed and accurate with pen input, and will let you do things like annotate a screenshot, or free-draw, with just the tap of a button.

The main downside of the Flyer/View is that it runs Gingerbread, which means the operating system you're getting is one meant for phones, and not for tablets. HTC's Sense UI covers up some of the glaring issues, but you're still not getting Google's best tablet effort, and without Honeycomb, which is version 3.0, you can't get things like the updated Gmail app or video chat in Google Talk. There are some good apps on the device, like HTC Watch for video and OnLive for gaming, but the browser's performance can be slow and the cameras are nothing special.

Pricing for the Flyer is simple: $499 for a single 32GB, Wi-Fi-only iteration. And there's only one option for the EVO View: $399.99 plus between $29.99 and $89.99 for monthly service. A 4G plan will either cost you $59.99 per month (unlimited 4G, plus 5GB of 3G bandwidth) or $89.99 per month for unlimited 4G and 10GB of 3G. At least for now, unlike with the Flyer, you don't need to pay the extra $80 for the Smart pen accessory, which you don't need to operate the tablet, but is nice to have. It's part of the introductory promotion with the EVO View, which will be available at Sprint stores later this month.

Design Changes

The HTC EVO View 4G is sleeker and more business-like than the Flyer, sticking to the tablet norm of black and dark gray, rather than the more noticeable but more toy-like light gray and white you get with the Flyer. The bezel around the screen is black, and the device's shell is dark gray with lighter gray accents, and the occasional red flourish. It's a very Droid-like color scheme, and the View actually looks like a bigger HTC Droid Incredible 2 ($199.99, 3.5 stars), with the bump-out camera lens and bumpy back. Otherwise, it's the same device in weight and dimensions, and the same 7-inch 1,024-by-600 touch-screen LCD that is so responsive and sensitive to pen input.

New Apps

You get plenty of carrier bloatware with the EVO View. It ranges from shortcuts to websites that you'll probably never use and games you'll likely never play, to apps that let you access your Sprint account or other carrier services. Others, like TeleNav GPS Navigator, might be useful to some, but for many, they'll just take up space in the app drawer. You can't delete them, but you'll learn to ignore them.

There are two important new cellular-coverage-related apps here. First is Sprint Hotspot, which lets you share your 3G or 4G connection as a Wi-Fi network (for a $30 per month fee). It works well as a way to get the whole family online through a single, unlimited 4G connection. The other is Messages, which is a full text-messaging client—pieced together with Google Voice or Skype apps, the EVO View could be a nice full-service phone all by itself. There's an internal mic, but it's not strong, so if you want to use the View as a phone you'll want to pair it with a Bluetooth headset like the Aliph Jawbone Era ($129, 4.5 stars).

3G and 4G Coverage

The biggest difference between the Flyer and the View is all the G's: the Flyer has none, and the View has 4. Sprint's 4G coverage isn't everywhere yet, but it's growing, and where it's available it's fast. In my tests, in midtown Manhattan, I got 5Mbps down, and 954Kbps up, both about as can be expected from Sprint's WiMAX network. 3G is more reliably available, but not quite as fast.

4G can be toggled on and off with just a tap in the Quick Settings menu, accessible via the pull-down Notifications windowshade; that's key to battery life, because 4G can a serial battery killer. Toggling between 3G and 4G creates about five seconds of disconnect, but that's not a huge problem unless you're on a video call, and it's nice to be able to choose between fast speeds or long life. Our own battery tests are underway, and will be posted here shortly.

Conclusions

The HTC EVO View 4G is a solid tablet, that's bolstered by its excellent pen input, but somewhat hampered by its lack of Google's tablet-specific OS. HTC's Sense UI helps, but it's not a replacement for true tablet Android, which is Honeycomb. Overall, the View/Flyer is neither the best tablet nor even the best Android tablet your money can buy, but if handwriting, drawing and doodling are things that appeal to you, and the 7-inch screen size is right, it might be just the tablet for you. Similarly, if 4G coverage is something you must have, then you must have the EVO View 4G over the Flyer. If you want the best tablet you can buy, the Apple iPad 2 (4.5 stars, $499) still can't be beat. But if it's Android you're after, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer ($399, 3.5 stars) has enough unique features, like a laptop-like docking system, to send it to the head of the Honeycomb class—for now.

PCMag

Motorola ES400S (Sprint)

The Motorola ES400S isn't an ordinary cell phone, or even an ordinary business-class phone. Instead, it's what Motorola calls an Enterprise Digital Assistant, designed for business users in vertical markets, as well as for information sharing across multiple devices. It also meets military specification 810G, meaning that it can survive several foot drops onto concrete as well as extreme wind, rain, dust, and other conditions. Regular consumers should stay away from this phone for a multitude of reasons, but the corporate sector may find what it wants here.

Design, Keyboard, and Call Quality

The ES400S isn't small, but given its rugged design, that's to be expected. It measures 5.1 by 2.4 by 0.7 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.5 ounces with the standard 1540mAh battery. An optional, tremendous 3080mAh extended battery adds an extra ounce and another two tenths of an inch in depth. You'll want this, because the ES400S's paltry talk time of just 3 hours and 25 minutes with the standard battery was a real disappointment. The 3-inch PenTile LCD display is a mixture of old and new technologies. It's plastic and resistive, it offers standard VGA (640-by-480-pixel) resolution, and it's designed to be used with the supplied plastic stylus, all of which makes the screen old tech. But it's also LED-backlit and features haptic feedback, which are two unusual features for a stylus-based display. Regardless, it looks unusually bright and colorful for a plastic screen.

Typing on the four row QWERTY keyboard was easy given the prominently raised plastic keys. The resistive display and prominent keys are designed for workers wearing gloves, Motorola told us when the phone originally launched. Dialing numbers was sluggish, and the tones for each key sounded out of sync with my dialing. A biometric fingerprint scanner resides on the back panel; you can use this in lieu of a password for unlocking the handset, which is very convenient in secure environments.

The ES400S offers dual 3.5G broadband on both GSM (HSDPA) and CDMA (EV-DO Rev A) networks. That means an IT department can manage one pool of identical ES400Ss, and deploy them across the world on just about any network. You can even switch them between networks when necessary, assuming your company has the right service plans in place. The ES400S also includes 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi support. Voice quality was okay for the most part, with one exception: I heard consistent background hiss during all calls. Some handsets emit a little buzz when the screen is lit, but this was a serious hiss coming through the earpiece. Otherwise, voices sounded natural both in the earpiece and through the microphone. Reception was average.

Calls sounded clear through an Aliph Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headset ($99, 4 stars). The Voice Commander app was sluggish to respond, but voice dialing worked fine over Bluetooth. The speakerphone went exceedingly loud. The ES400S also has a programmable push-to-talk button that works with the appropriate Sprint plan, albeit not on the Nextel network.

Hardware, Vertical Markets, and Apps

Under the hood, the ES400S packs a 600 MHz Qualcomm MSM7627 ARM11 processor, GPS, 256MB RAM, and 1GB of storage. The ES400 runs Windows Embedded Handheld, an offshoot of Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Professional, a hoary old mobile OS that Microsoft itself has largely pushed aside in lieu of Windows Phone 7. But Windows Mobile still has a place in the enterprise, because of older line-of-business apps which large businesses want to keep using. IT managers can also design a custom enterprise UI that hides unnecessary apps and features. In this respect, it's a lot like a managed desktop PC.

For example, on the app front, the ES400S supports a wide variety of enterprise applications, including inventory management, barcode scanning, CRM system tie-ins, placing orders, capturing signatures out in the field, and real-time routing information. Typical customers for a phone like this include those in manufacturing, transportation, field sales and service, retail, and healthcare markets. To take the latter as just one example, mobile healthcare workers can use handhelds like the ES400S to check patient histories, verify insurance information, scan medications and equipment, and order new supplies.

With all that in mind, the ES400S can really get down to business. The main screen consists of eight shortcut tiles that hook into e-mail, messaging, calendar, and other tasks; most likely your IT department will lock these to specific apps. While finger scrolling works to swipe between the three home screens in a pinch, you'll need the supplied stylus and plenty of finger pressure to get any real work done.

Despite all its flaws, Windows Mobile 6.5 connects well to business systems, with built-in Microsoft Office, Exchange Server, and Direct Push E-Mail compatibility. You'll have no problems syncing this phone with Microsoft Outlook or editing Word and Excel documents. That said, the preloaded IE6 mobile browser is sluggish; grab a free copy of Opera Mobile if your IT department lets you.

Multimedia, Camera, and Conclusions

The non-standard 2.5mm headphone jack is a downer to begin with, but Windows Mobile's stock music and video player is terrible. You won't want to use the ES400S as a stand-in for an iPod, and it's not meant to be one anyway. The 3.2-megapixel camera has an LED flash but lacks auto-focus. It takes dim photos and records small, choppy video clips. A much better use for the camera is inventory management, given the integrated red line aimer that can scan one and two-dimensional barcodes.

You get the idea. The Motorola ES400S is a business class handheld that's about as unsexy as possible. But it will suit the needs of many businesses running legacy WinMo apps that either in-house or third-party developers aren't porting to another platform any time soon. The primary competition for the ES400, handheld and platform-wise, is over in Research In Motion's camp; enterprise BlackBerry devices also offer comprehensive remote management tools and a slew of vertical market apps. Intermec also makes enterprise Windows Mobile devices very similar to this one, but they're considerably more expensive.

Choosing this handset is more about what service contracts your company signs, and what apps you need to run for your business. From this angle, the ES400S succeeds as a solid enterprise device. It's not at all pleasurable to use; if you're coming from an Android, iOS, or BlackBerry, you'll find this phone bulky, sluggish, and terribly frustrating. But used within its intended limits, the ES400S will get the job done, and it's virtually indestructible to boot.

Benchmarks

Continuous talk time: 3 hours 25 minutes

PCMag

HTC Evo 3D, Evo View 4G on sale June 24 from Sprint

Sprint announced today that the HTC Evo 3D and HTC Evo View 4G will both be available on June 24 for $199.99 and $399.99, respectively, with a two-year contract.

Sprint Premier customers will actually get a bit of a head start, as they'll be able to purchase the Evo 3D (only) online starting June 21 while supplies last. However, anyone can preorder the devices now at any participating Sprint store with the purchase of a $50 Sprint gift card. The carrier will open stores early--8 a.m. local time--on June 24 if you're really anxious to get your hands on the Evo 3D or Evo View 4G.

Announced at CTIA 2011, the HTC Evo 3D is the first glasses-free 3D 4G device for the U.S. and features a 4.3-inch qHD 3D display and a 5-megapixel camera that is capable of shooting 3D pictures and video. The Android 2.3 Gingerbread handset also offers a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and 4GB of internal memory.

Meanwhile, the HTC Evo View 4G is basically a 4G version of the HTC Flyer. The 7-inch tablet will ship running Android 2.3 Gingerbread but will be updated to Android 3.0 Honeycomb in the future.

The unique thing about the Evo View 4G is the HTC Scribe digital pen, which you can use to take notes (including audio) and draw right on the tablet, and for a limited time, Sprint will include the pen with the purchase of the Evo View 4G at no extra charge. Sprint did not specify how long it will run the promotion, but we'd jump on that deal because once it ends, the stylus will cost an extra $79.99.

Data plans for the Evo View 4G will start at $34.99 per month for 3GB of 3G data and unlimited 4G data. Unlimited text and multimedia messaging is included, and the carrier will offer additional 3G-only data plans. The Evo 3D will require an Everything Data plan (starts at $69.99 per month), plus the required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. Both devices can be used a mobile hot spot for up to eight devices for an additional $29.99 per month.

Update: RadioShack is also taking preorders for the HTC Evo 3D, and to entice customers, the electronics retailer is throwing in a preloaded full-length version of "Green Hornet" in 3D and a free download of the Black Eyed Peas' song, "Phenomenon."

Cnet

Nexus S 4G from Google (Sprint)

With its untouched version of Google's Android Gingerbread OS, Sprint's elegant Nexus S 4G for Sprint ($199.99 with contract) will appeal to Android purists and software developers. But otherwise, it falls short of smartphone category leaders in almost every way, making it a good try, but not a winner.

Physical Design, Calling, and Internet

Sprint's Nexus S 4G looks exactly like the T-Mobile Nexus S ($199, 4 stars) we reviewed back in December, and it's a very handsome phone. A slim, smooth black slab, the 4.6-ounce Nexus measures 4.9 by 2.5 by .44 inches (HWD), with no visible buttons on its face and a rich 4-inch, 800-by-480 Super AMOLED screen. The display looks terrific, with pure blacks and deep colors, but Samsung's current top-of-the-line phones such as the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II ($799, 4 stars) come with Super AMOLED Plus screens, with even better colors.

Press the Power button on the side, and the standard four Android action buttons light up near the bottom of the handset. The phone has a very slight "chin" at the bottom that curves up towards your face, and the back is smooth, black plastic. It's quality plastic, though, and the build feels very solid all around.

The Nexus S 4G is a surprisingly poor voice phone. Its biggest problem is RF reception: I consistently got weaker reception on this phone than on a Samsung Epic 4G ($249, 4 stars) in the same location. Voice quality was harsh, with the occasional dropout and a very quiet speakerphone. Transmissions through the mic sounded a bit thready, and the speakerphone sounded tinny. At least the phone worked very well with my Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth headset ($129, 4.5 stars), including activating voice dialing.

The reception problem carries over to Internet speeds, too. The Nexus S 4G works on Sprint's 3G and 4G networks, and it's licked the standby battery-life problem that the first generation of 4G WiMAX phones had; In my tests, I was able to eke out 6 hours and 6 minutes of talk time on the phone and well more than a day of standby. The phone also works as a tethered modem and a Wi-Fi hotspot. But download speeds were noticeably slower than the Epic 4G. Testing with the Ookla Speedtest app, I got an average of 2.12Mbps down and 610Kbps up on the Nexus, and 6.23Mbps down and 475Kbps up on the Epic.

The reception problems are a pity, because the Nexus's Google Voice integration is pretty neat. You can port your Sprint number directly to Google Voice to get voicemail transcriptions and make international calls at discounted rates. Google's Talk app now includes video chat which works with the 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, but I found it to be full of hiccups and audio/video sync issues when we tested it. But none of this matters if you can't connect at all.

The Nexus S 4G also integrates Near field communication (NFC), a fairly useless technology (at least in the U.S.) that banks and credit card companies have been promising would be part of a mobile-payment system for years. So far, it hasn't happened.

Android, Multimedia, and Conclusions

The Nexus S 4G runs Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" on a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, the same CPU used in the Samsung Epic 4G. That's cutting-edge, for last year. The current state of the art is moving to dual-core phones such as Sprint's upcoming HTC EVO 3D. Gingerbread didn't seem to offer much of a performance boost over the Froyo OS on the Epic, but that's fine; the phone feels sprightly.

As a Nexus phone, this handset should get updates from Google more quickly than other Android devices. That remains to be seen, of course; Sprint still has to approve the updates, but at least they don't have to go through a phone manufacturer. The Nexus runs more than 150,000 Android apps, and it's refreshingly totally free of bloatware, even from Sprint.

The Nexus S 4G has no memory card slot, instead relying on about 14GB of on-board storage. The video player lacks XVID and DIVX support, and won't play HD videos even in supported MPEG4 and AAC file formats. Our H.264 sample file looked jerky during playback. I had more luck with the elegant music player, which handles all the expected, unprotected formats over wired or Bluetooth headphones.

The 5-megapixel camera takes sharp, but washed-out-looking photos with blown-out bright areas. Indoors, there's some blur caused by slow (0.8-second) shutter speeds. The camcorder mode captures smooth 720-by-480 video indoors and out.

If you're looking for a top-of-the-line, full-touch-screen Sprint Android phone, wait for the HTC EVO 3D. If you prefer a QWERTY keyboard, the HTC Evo Shift 4G ($199, 4 stars) and Samsung Epic 4G are both excellent choices. Just getting started with Android? The LG Optimus S (Free, 4 stars) is a great pick, and it's free with a contract.

There are still reasons to get the Nexus S 4G, especially if you're an Android software developer who requires the latest, purest version of the OS. But the Nexus S 4G is neither a budget phone nor top-of-the-line, and its poor voice and data performance left me uneasy in the end.

PCmag

Novatel MiFi 3 G/4 G Sprint review 4.100

Introduction and design:
Novatel MiFi 2220 was a groundbreaking device, since it began, but it is almost two years of the device of the Mobile HotSpot 3 G hit the market first.  Since then, Sierra stolen more than the market, with an active 4 G able top gear Overdrive mobile point.  Merry is back with Novatel 3 G/4 G WiMax MiFi 4.100, add support for memory cards.  Comes with the MiFi 3 G 4 G, gives you a microUSB cable, AC adapter, bag and a large battery 1530mAh up packing slip.

We had seen always displayed in the original 2200 MiFi. It was a slim, stylish device and looked just as good in silver DARTS and Verizon black.  This time the MiFi is black with chrome accents (Verizon 4 G variant shares color scheme) and seems very sharp.  MiFi 3 G, 4 G is significantly thicker battery 1530mAh thanks to a significant jump from that available in 1150mAh 2200.

Another major difference is the addition of a small LCD with button hollow-chrome below.  The operation is very basic, letting you know your signal and battery strength, GPS status and how many devices are connected to the MiFi.  There is a LINK at the bottom of the MiFi 3 G/4 G with the indication of the network you are using: green for 3 G, 4 G to blue or orange if you do not have the service.
At the bottom is also a microSD slot, microUSB charging port and a WPS button to enable this security.  We appreciate the addition of the microSD slot.  With the introduction of a card (supports up to 32 GB), you can enable caching in network between up to five connected devices on the MiFi 3 G/4 G.  This is not a new feature (we have seen top gear Overdrive), but

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Samsung Galaxy S II coming to US by AT&T, Verizon, Sprint

Plans to bring the Samsung Galaxy S II to the US have been independently supported by an accessory maker's posting of a silicone case. Lining up with USPTO trademarks, the mention from Wireless Xcessories Group has the dual-core Android 2.3 device coming to AT&T as the Attain, the Function at Verizon, and the Within at Sprint. T-Mobile is unusually exempt and may either go without or have a delayed version.

The appearance of one case for three carriers suggests the US version will, unlike the original Galaxy S, carry largely the same design from carrier to carrier. Samsung may either have gained more influence or else decided it was necessary to speed up the launch.

No mention has been made of when these phones would release, but Samsung is holding an event on May 24 that could mark the US debut. A Verizon roadmap has put a "Galaxy 2" on the launch schedule for May and could see the phone available very quickly.

Electronista

Rumor: New "iPhone 4S" Launching on T-Mobile and Sprint, Too?

Apple rumormongering: Go! A new research note from Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek suggests that Apple isn't going to be performing a significant upgrade to the connection capabilities of its new, to-be-released iPhone—namely, no 4G LTE support.

Whenever the next version of Apple's smartphone hits the market—we're already nearing the one-year anniversary of the iPhone 4's launch with no hint of a new product in sight—Misek suggests that the device will only have incremental upgrades compared to the iPhone 4's specifications. Heck, it's practically keeping the same name.

"We believe the likelihood of the iPhone 5 launch in September including LTE [Long-Term Evolution] is now remote," wrote Misek in a research note on May 13. "According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ [EvolvedHigh-Speed Packet Access] support."

The bigger news on Apple's side is Misek's suggestion that the company will be pursuing an expanded carrier lineup for its iPhones. His "industry checks" indicate that Apple will be launching the iPhone on both Sprint and T-Mobile in time for the holidays—remember, although the latter is in the process of being purchased by AT&T, T-Mobile currently remains a separate company from the larger carrier. In other words, no iPhone… yet.

As for when the new iPhone is expected to actually hit the market—looking cosmetically similar to the iPhone 4, as indicated by current rumors—that's anyone's guess. While anonymous sources speaking to Reuters in an April 2011 article suggest that the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4S) is expected to drop in September of this year, other rumors peg the next version of Apple's smartphone to ship just in time for the holidays.

So why new carriers, but not LTE support for the new iPhone-whatever? In actuality, Apple was allegedly planning to support full-fledged LTE in the iPhone via a Qualcomm chipset, but Misek says that chip yields just haven't been strong enough for Apple to be able bring LTE support into the picture just yet. While not explicitly stated by Misek, the iPhone 4S seems like it was Apple's "backup plan" in case a full LTE-enhanced iPhone couldn't come to pass.

PCmag

Analyst claims iPhone 4S due with HSPA+ 3G, Sprint version

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek claimed in a research note Friday that claimed to know details of the next iPhone. Saying that the phone was now called the iPhone 4S, he referred to "industry checks" that supported what had been rumored so far but also mentioned HSPA+ 3G support on GSM networks, implying 21Mbps. He was also told network support would expand to carriers that had been actively seeking it, including Sprint's CDMA network, T-Mobile's uncommon HSPA+ bands, and China Mobile's unique TD-SCDMA.

Most else of what he mentioned was mentioned in the past, such as better cameras, the dual-core A5 processor, and a design that could be just a minor revision of the iPhone 4. Apple wanted to include an LTE chipset, according to Misek, but wasn't ready.

Analyst claims of inside knowledge are frequently mixed and can be inaccurate. Most of what was said in the Jefferies note, however, matches with more concrete claims. HSPA+ 3G is now a common feature on HTC and Samsung phones and was already coming to phones from RIM and others. An iPhone 4-like prototype was already seen (above) running on T-Mobile USA's 3G, and talk has repeatedly surfaced of a deal with China Mobile.

Sprint is less certain, but it's technically capable of using CDMA. The company has been elusive on the subject but has always alluded to there being talks. Verizon has emphasized that it doesn't have an exclusive and may have just had the advantage of an early deal.

Electronista