We compare the Apple iPhone 4 vs. the HTC EVO 4G. The gloves are off as Apple’s latest creation goes up against the first 4G smartphone in America.
With the curtain now officially lifted on Apple’s iPhone 4, hoards of Apple devotees have already made plans to ditch their well-worn 3G S models and move onto the next iteration. But if you’re not wearing a heart-shaped locket with Steve Jobs inside, does the move to the iPhone 4 make sense? Where previous iPhone releases have towered over the competition in every way, this year’s release faces stiffer outside competition than ever before. Does Apple still have what it takes to reign supreme in the smartphone market? We stacked the iPhone 4 specs side by side with those of its most intimidating competitor, HTC’s Android-powered EVO 4G, to find out.
Display
Winner: Apple iPhone 4
With this year’s Android offerings moving to ever higher resolutions and screen sizes, it was clear that the iPhone would need a major overhaul to compete. And Apple provided it. The 3.5-inch, 960-by-640-pixel LCD screen on the iPhone 4 quadruples the amount of pixels from the last-gen screen to 614,400. By contrast, the 4.3-inch screen on the HTC EVO 4G is physically larger, but at 480-by-800 pixels, the total pixel count of 384,000 still pales in comparison. More pixels in a smaller screen will also give the iPhone 4 astounding clarity and sharpness due to the pixel density. The bifocal crowd might prefer the EVO 4G for its larger size, but most users will probably prefer the sheer detail and clarity of the iPhone 4.
Portability
Winner: Apple iPhone 4
That 4.3-inch screen naturally boosts the footprint of the EVO 4G significantly, and this size 14 monster can’t compete on any level when it comes down to the denim. Besides being taller and wider, it’s also 0.5 inches thick compared to just 0.37 inches on the iPhone 4, and weighs 6 ounces compared to just 4.8 on the iPhone 4. No contest.
Processor
Winner: Draw
Both the iPhone 4 and EVO 4G sport top-of-the-line processors. The iPhone 4 uses the same capable A4 processor as the iPad, and the EVO 4 uses the hotrod Qualcomm Snapdragon running at an impressive 1GHz. You’ll have to wait for the iPhone 4 release to see head-to-head benchmarks, but AnandTech pitted the iPad against the EVO 4G and found a 37.6 percent real-life performance gain in page load times. Of course, different operating systems and a range of other variables make this far from scientific, and Apple could underclock the model in the iPhone 4 for battery life, further throwing a wrench into the works. Bottom line: Until the iPhone 4 makes it to the wild, it’s too early to tell how it will perform beside the EVO 4G.
Storage
Winner: Apple iPhone 4
We’ve always found Apple’s neglect for microSD expansion slots irritating, and that hasn’t changed with the iPhone 4. But at the end of the day, the iPhone 4 offers the same maximum storage as the EVO 4G, and for less money.
The EVO 4G comes with an 8GB microSD card preinstalled, but you can potentially expand it up to 32GB with a larger card. Unfortunately, 32GB models remain quite rare and you’ll need to drop at least $200 for one. By contrast, the least expensive ($200) iPhone 4 comes with 16GB of built-in memory, and it only costs $100 to upgrade to 32GB. As of press time, a smartphone owner who wanted the maximum memory would pay $300 from Apple, and or $200 from HTC plus $200 from SanDisk for a total of $400. A user who wanted the minimum would pay the same ($200) on both devices, but get 16GB on the iPhone 4 and only 8GB on the EVO 4G. The iPhone 4 wins on all accounts.
Camera
Winner: HTC EVO 4G
Both the iPhone 4 and EVO 4G sport both back cameras for snapping photos and front cameras for video conferencing. The EVO 4G gets the sharper vision on primary cam, shooting at 8 megapixels to Apple’s 5 megapixels, and on the front-facing cam, which shoots 1.3 megapixels to Apple’s VGA (0.3 megapixel) cam. Higher resolution doesn’t always mean a better camera, but we’ll have to give the EVO 4G the upper hand until launch time. The EVO 4G also sports a dual-LED flash rather than a single-LED flash, potentially making it more potent for night-time shooting.
For video, both cameras are capable of high-def 720p recording, but the iPhone 4 can shoot at a full 30 frames per second while the EVO 4G can only do 25.
Connectivity
Winner: HTC EVO 4G
That “4G” in the EVO’s name isn’t just for kicks, although we happen to think it rolls off the tongue nicely. It’s actually the first phone in North America to ride on a blazing fast 4G network, potentially putting an end to the molasses-slow loading we typically associate with browsing on a mobile phone.
How much faster? HTC claims 10 times, but that’s based on comparing the very slowest end of average 3G speeds (600 Kbps to 1.7 Mbps), to the high end of its own 4G claims (3 to 6 Mbps). We managed to hit 3 Mbps once in a while in our own 4G network tests, but it was the exception, not the rule, and we typically got much slower. PCWorld’s speed tests of the EVO 4G confirmed the same type of network performance on the EVO 4 when testing around the Pacific Northwest.
That said, even 3 Mbps is more than you could ever hope to wring from most 3G phones, and the EVO 4G can do things that the iPhone 4 just won’t, like videoconferencing without a Wi-Fi connection. “Ten times faster” is an obvious marketing exaggeration, but with think most consumers would be plenty happy with “twice as fast,” which is speed you might actually be able to achieve, depending on location.
Even if you discount the 4G capability for its battery life, the EVO 4G also pulls an interesting trick that should leave iPhone 4 owners jealous: it functions as a Wi-Fi hotspot for sharing its connectivity with other devices – like laptops, tablets, and even other cell phones.
Battery Life
Winner: Apple iPhone 4
Battery life has never been a strong point for Apple’s notoriously thirsty smartphone, but the company claims to have improved it this time around, and the same 4G modem that gives the EVO 4G its leg up in connectivity is its Achilles heel here. HTC hasn’t released complete battery life estimates for the EVO 4G, but we managed to get six hours of only on-and-off 4G data usage, while Apple claims the iPhone 4 will do six solid hours on 3G. Talk time also seems to suffer, with HTC claiming 360 minutes on the EVO 4G and Apple claiming 420 on the iPhone 4.
It’s worth noting, of course, that the EVO 4G sports a replaceable battery while the iPhone 4 has a sealed internal battery, eliminating the possibility of battery swaps. Although we don’t know too many cell owners who would carry around a replacement to swap out halfway through the day, long distance travelers who spend plenty of time away from outlets will certainly appreciate the possibility.
Operating System
Winner: Draw
We could run a keyboard into the ground spelling out the differences between the newly dubbed iOS and Android, but we value our previous keys, so let’s just say they each have their own advantages.
Apple’s iOS undoubtedly lacks the flexible open ecosystem of Android, which allows software like game console emulators that Apple has banned, but Apple holds the upper hand in selection, boasting 225,000 third-party apps to Android’s 70,000 or so, at last count. The latest release also alleviates some of the most frequent complaints about previous versions, like the lack of multitasking and folders for apps.
While techies will undoubtedly appreciate the lack of censorship and restrictions on Android, more mainstream consumers will find plenty to like about Apple’s overflowing App Store and ease of use, making this issue largely a matter of taste.
Overall Winner: Apple iPhone 4
Impressive as both phones are, Apple’s iPhone 4 appears to be a better deal coming out of the gate than HTC’s innovative EVO 4G. Why? HTC’s biggest bragging point – 4G connectivity – proves to be less of an advantage in real life than on paper after factoring in real-life network speeds and issues with 4G battery life. It also has a small leg up on the iPhone 4 in camera resolution, but less fluid 25fps HD recording also helps diminish that minimal edge. Meanwhile, the iPhone 4 is substantially smaller, has a higher resolution screen, and offers more storage for the money. We’ll wait to get the iPhone 4 in our hands before issuing a definitive verdict, but based on specs, the iPhone 4 truly does hold the upper hand.
Check out our other smartphone comparisons:
iPhone 4 vs. Android’s Best: Spec Face-Off
HTC Incredible vs. Apple iPhone 3GS
Motorola Droid vs. HTC Incredible
Also check out our full HTC EVO 4G Review and Apple iPhone 4 Review.


















Showing 256 comments
RSS(And I do believe in Jesus by the way) so in that regard, I would be in denial too.....lol.
Further, the EVO has expandable storage so it wins that comparison hands down. Storage is always getting cheaper and having the ability to have multiple SD cards trumps the fact that Apple comes with 16GB by default.
Now to the OS. As someone who converted from a IP 3gs to the EVO I can say that Android is far superior! Apple puts too many restrictions in place and makes you jump through hurdles to do anything. Need an update or do you want to add media? Connect you phone to your computer and install Itrash (itunes). Contrast that to Android where you can download zipped and .rar files right to your phone and extract them on the fly and it's clear that Android is superior. Need an update? No problem since everything is done OTA (over the air) on the EVO.
Battery life? Okay, the EVO's battery life is bad but the complaints are exaggerated beyond belief especially when comparing it to similar phones. Good thing is that the battery can be removed and replaced unlike the Iphone.
Winner: HTC EVO
With it's larger screen, better camera, HDMI out and flexibility of an ever evolving Android OS the HTC is the clear winner. Apple is making the same exact mistake they made in the 80's when they tried competing with Microsoft. They limit their OS to their own devices and restrict the hell out of it treating it's users as neanderthals too stupid to know whats best. As smart phones gain market share Android will eclipse iOS in the App department and saturation since they don't take a holier then thou, snobby approach like Apple. Android will be on dozens of devices while Apple will limit iOS to it's few products.
longer battery life than the original battery come with the phone!
http://www.mugen-power-batteries.com/mugen-powe...
Its ok iPhanboys, I will happily use my EVO 4G, and cruise the net at 9Mbps, take snaps at 8MP, and enjoy not being sodomised by Steve Jobs every time I open my apps store.
Oh and also, I have gotten 34 hours out of my EVO 4G, and in the past, 46 out of my HTC hero.. whats that? Your iPhone only lasts a day?.. and ohh? you cant replace the battery?.. ohh no! Should have bought a EVO 4G
"HTC, Quietly brilliant", unlike Apples song and dance about introducing 5 year old technologies to their newest phones! Face to face calling? My SE K800i has been able to do that for the guts of 4 years now!
-An unbiased tech reviewer.
However I don't think so. maybe the HTC EVO 4G and the Apple iPhone 4 will go head to head and battle for summer smartphone dominance, but I'll stick with iPhone and Apple!
I think the iPhone 4 is great but it's going to be facing some extremely stiff competition in the coming months.
Well, the iPhone 4 is a great upgrading from iphone 3G, and its new features really shocked, you can get the list of it: http://www.ifunia.com/iphone-column/a-review-of...
Yeh, and by looking at your comment you blatantly love Htc...
Everyone is entitled to their own, so if you want people to respect your opinion, you have to respect theirs....
Sprint EVO no caps data plan and can video call friends on 3g or 4g connection and same time can VI...DEO CALL anyone with skype on a computer or other devices.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay2OSHkG6Rs&feat...
Sprint EVO no caps data plan and can video call friends on 3g or 4g connection and same time can VI...DEO CALL anyone with skype on a computer or other devices.
link of the video call http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/06/iphone-4...
I mean, there is no other phone that can beat the 3310 when it comes to playing snake !!
Haha, iPhone 4 FTW !
All and all i think the article is "pretty close" when it comes to comparing the speculation. However i think the article was biased in its grading of the evo. Way to go Digitaltrends (also cnet...) of turning yourself into an apple fanboi.
All that being said though.... Compliments to each major carrier having a great smartphone. I personally have verizon now, but sprint is a possible choice when my contract comes up.
What a "POS" this iphone I will never buy an iphone even if it was free, My $$$ will never go to the iphone.
www.anonymity-online.net.tc
So you telling me you carry around a bunch of extra EVO batteries? Sad.
Never trust a fanboy.
The idea that I have to pay $200 for an SD card is an insult to my MUM - I can put a 32 gig card into any standard 8 gig SD slot - how do i know - becuase I was doing it on my n95 6 years ago - still have that phone and it still multi- tasks.
Nokia are released Battery Charge via radio signal - they have full dolby digital surround, full HDMI out, FULL 12 mega pixel camera with resized capacity for accepting the data, I have seen Mac osx, windows vista, android and of course Ubuntu all ported directly to the devices and ACTUALLY WORKING.
Nokia is the ONLY phone with true multi tasking - ok !
You people with your FASHION phones need to sit down and STFU - they do not compare , not even close to to nokia.
"There's an important caveat to the claim that 4G will be faster, as well. It will definitely be faster than the 3G networks of Sprint and Verizon Wireless — about four times faster, initially. But the other two national carriers, AT&T and T-Mobile, are upgrading their 3G networks to offer data-transfer speeds that will actually be higher than the speeds 4G networks will reach this year or next.
That means that rather than focusing on real speeds, Sprint and Verizon will try to frame their marketing around the "4G" term, said Dan Hays, who focuses on telecommunications at management consulting firm PRTM.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/economy/95220...
I got just as many dropped calls on my Blackberry as I do on my iPhone infact. I don't think it's the phone, it's AT&Ts service that is dropping the calls.
it is obvious that EVO is better, i hate to see people arguing about battery and connectivity and network.
Sprint really steped up to the plate with this one and again its the ONE AND ONLY 4g smartphone in the US.
Iphone you can have as many pixels as you want but i seriously think that 4g just sounds....umm GRREAT.
go ahead and call and use your web browser and take a picture with your only 5mp camera or videochat on 3g while the rest of us are surfing at tops speed and taking high resolution pics to share on BIG SCREENS so everybody cant say my screen is big as F... lol
"When MG reviewed the new HTC EVO, which is now selling out in the U.S., I wasn’t surprised he gave it a thumbs down. The device was too big in his opinion, the software too flaky. And the battery life isn’t just bad, it’s 90′s laptop bad. You need to be near a power source at all times."
http://now.sprint.com/firsts/evo4g/#/apps/
iPhone 4 release to see head-to-head benchmarks, but AnandTech pitted the iPad against the EVO 4G and found a 37.6 percent real-life performance gain in page load times
-------------------------
just to be clear, that is the iPad with the same processor as the iPhone 4, besting the Evo by 37.6%... THAT is how out of league the EVO and by association the Android phones are.
All the Android fans who keep blathering on about Apple folks gulping down Kool Aid seem to have quite a taste for Google's store brand fruit punch. Yea, the article doesn't mention EVERY SINGLE pro and con of both devices but it hits every major category, and for every tiny pro left off the list for the Evo there are pros left off the iPhone 4 too, like ohhhh 225,000 apps to Android's 35,000?
When it comes to calls and messaging iPhone is just about perfect, but I do expect more functionality from a handheld computer then just that.
I want my own computer at hand readily ajustable to the last point, and not a terminal locked to a certain shop that wants money for every other step.
In my humble opinion, the only real win for the new iPhone is the display - it kicks but. Other than that, both phones are very close in comparison with basic specs and capability. However, I do live in a Sprint 4g area. So, I'd nudge the EVO up a notch for network speed and coverage because I have access to both a 3g and 4g network. The iPhone is only on a 3g network.
http://www.iphone-droid.com/iphone-4-vs-htc-evo...
http://www.iphone-droid.com/iphone-4g-vs-droid-...
Navigation, Kickstand, TV, 4.3" Screen, $199.00 at Bestbuy, AND Radioshack, 1.3 front Camera VS vga... FM Radio, 4G, NO Wifi requirement for Video chat, LIVE WALLPAPERS, Speech to text, you tube HD, HDMI out, USB out, ETC, Etc, etc... And I have seen 32gb Micros on on Ebay for around $30... who ever writes these "apple" bias reviews should do some research next time...
-R
________________________________
http://www.phonedog.com/2010/06/08/poll-how-s-t...
Display:
You can't really say one display is better than the other definitively. The iPhones display is a higher resolution, and some people will prefer that. The Evos display is larger, and others will prefer that. I personally love the Evos large display.
Storage:
You can get 32gb microSD cards for around $100 nowadays. Don't just look up the MSRP on a product and think that is it's universal selling price.
So at that price the storage category is relatively a draw.
http://www.phonedog.com/2010/06/08/htc-evo-4g-s...
Navigation, Kickstand, TV, 4.3" Screen, $199.00 at Bestbuy, AND Radioshack, 1.3 front Camera VS vga... FM Radio, 4G, NO Wifi requirement for Video chat, LIVE WALLPAPERS, Speech to text, you tube HD, ETC, Etc, etc... who ever writes your stuff should do some research next time...
-R
________________________________
GPS Yes Yes
Multitasking Yes Yes
Adobe Flash support No Yes
Maps Google Maps with Satellite Maps with Satellite View, Traffic, Street View,
View, Traffic, and Street View. and,Navigation
No free Navigation
HDMI output No Yes
Wi-Fi mobile No Yes
hot spot capability
Does these points matter???????
As far as where I live and travel, all the carriers worked well, so the carrier is a non issue. Since 4G isn't even offered in my state that doesn't factor in to my decision.
Yeah, camera's are nice, but if I want to take a great photo, I am reaching for my digital SLR not my camera phone. Yes, I can't replace the battery on my iPhone, but I haven't had to, where on my G1, I had to replace it before the end of the first year.
So, there are features on every phone that make it "better" then the other, but the one thing that Apple has done that has put it above the rest is the App Store. The selection of apps is without question what makes the iPhone superior for me. Being in the IT field, I am always looking for whatever can make my job easier, and the iPhone App Store has done that better than any other smartphone I have tried.
So to those who say anyone who buys Apple is overpaying, maybe that is true, but I am buying it because it's what I want and I can afford it. I paid more for my car because I wanted a specific color. It doesn't drive any different or have any more features than the other colors, but I bought because it's what I wanted and I could afford it.
So, instead of bashing someone for liking one phone over the other, how about just stating what you like about your phone and let everyone make their own decision...
Just my 2 cents... Getting off the soap box now.
-Rich
Plus Sprint sucks. AT&T sucks too, but not as much as Sprint.
The iPhone 4 is slimmer in every dimension, weights less, has more battery life, and a higher resolution screen. The iPhone is the easy choice no need to handle the phones.
Now I am not restricted to what Apple wants me to do with my phone. Like Flash websites and more. Android rules.
Randy has the best comment yet. The Evo guys can't compare the two since they have not had a chance to play with it yet.
Simply put, iPhone SUCKS.
HTC EVO 4G IS MUCH SUPERIOR TO ANY iPHone, including the FAKE 4iPhone.
EVO 4G is SUPER FAST, iPhone is SLOW AND OLD it's still the same old iPhone.
EVO 4G IS SOLDOUT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, NONE LEFT
HTC EVO 4G is MUCH MUCH SUPERIOR TO iPhone4 (FAKE 4, because iPHone is not capable of running on 4G network)
iPhone front camara is 0.3mp vs 1.3mp EVO 4G. EVO is MUCH MUCH SUPERIOR, yet another Blogger goes...."ummm....But.....However....But....we have to give iPhone ....little more time....But...However"
iPhone COMPLETLY MALFUNCTIONED on video chatting, even on WiFi....iPhone is Garbage being pushed down the throat of consumers by the some AAPLHead blogger.
HTC EVO 4G is better and the best by far.
1)EVO 4G video chats over 3G and 4G, and over WiFi. EVO 4G is superior. iPHone4 ONLY chats over Wifi. iPhone SUCKS bigtime.
2)EVO 4G operates over 3G network and 4G network. iPhone ONLY 3G. Again HTC EVO 4G is superior.
3)EVO 4G allows 8 laptops to connect to the internet through it's hotspot. iPhone connects ZEROOOOOO laptops, NO CONNECTIONS AT ALL. Again HTC EVO 4G is Superior.
4)EVO 4G has HDMI outlet, iPhone does NOT. EVO 4G is again Superior.
5)EVO 4G battery can be changed in a second, iPhone can't replace battery. Again EVO 4G is superior.
5)EVO 4G 8mp camarra, iPhone 5mp camarra. Again HTC EVO 4G Superior. Stop the BUT, BUT...BUT...nonsense. Proof is in the facts we can see and feel not in iPhone excuses by the fanboys.
6)EVO 4G email is the best, iPhone email is a mixup and confusion. Again EVO 4G is superior.
7)EVO 4G many GPS choices FREE, iPhone pay $99. Again EVO 4G is superior.
iPphone superiority can't be stated, can't be seen, can't be red, can't be put on paper, it's only in the fanboys' statement, i.e., "Android 8mp, iPhone 5mp, BUT....BUT....BUT THEN AGAIN...HOWEVER...BUT...UMMM...HOWEVER....UMMM..."
LMAO at the aaplheads, that are paying higher price for very inferior product that is iPhone4. AAPL made $800 million just from servicing garbage quality iPhone battery.
That being said I don't see any thing wrong with either platform. I loved my iPhone but felt I was ready for some thing new... I tried out a Nexus One for 3 months and other than T-Mobile's spotty service I loved messing around with Android.
Any review comparing the iPhone 4 to the EVO or any thing else is absurd... This guy has not had an iPhone 4 in his pocket for the last 24 hours to where he can TRULY give one an advantage over the other. from a spec sheet your looking at two (three if you want to include the Droid Incredible) very similar devices with very similar specs and options. There is no way possible you can say one is WAY better than the other... At best you have two heavyweights going at it with each winning 6 rounds each in a 12 round fight... One judge might be able to say one won 7 to 5 either way but there is no way possible to have one or the other winning by a large margin. PERIOD!!!!
Apple is on track to sell 40 million iPhones but Android out sold iPhone 28% to 21% in the first quarter of 2010..... Look it up.... if I lived in a better AT&T coverage area I would have probably waited for the new iPhone but AT&T just has real spotty coverage where I work, travel, live and play. I tested out Sprint for 3 weeks with a Hero before trading it up for an EVO (Love the fact Sprint now gives you 30 days to test them out basically for free if you don't like it) and Sprint works better for me.. No way I would have invested 2 years and all that money on a spotty network again. Been there done that....
FYI by the way, Apple is on track to sell 40 million iPhones in 2010. That's WAY more tan all HTC devices combined. HTC is doing good but get real, okay? Instead of being a mindless droid endlessly repeating how everyone else is sheep.
That said the iPhone, Droid Incedible and EVO 4G are almost on par with each other and I don't think you can make a TRUE clear cut advantage with one or the other. No way.... The EVO is going to be too big for a good chunk of people... It's a big device PERIOD, Apple will continue to live off their very strong and loyal fan base who are willing to overpay for an Apple product and Apple likes it that way. iPhone OS vs Android OS is going to go down like Microsoft vs Mac back in the late 1980 and early 1990.... Android is going to going to quickly take over because they are open and you can get it on any network and on a ton of different size and flavor devices from different MFG's Apple will stick to high margin loyal customers and keep their total 100% control they love so much and that is just fine with Apple...... For all this Biotching Blackberry is still the number one smart phone maker.....LOL...
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/thread
You don't mention that 70% of the top 100 sites use flash.
You don't mention some people want Open Standards.
Maybe you felt you needed to suck up to get into WWDC next year, either way, weak review.
I just got the 10% battery notification on my phone, 31.5 hours since last plugging it in. I'm sorry, where's this lack of battery life again?