Mobile operator Sprint has had high hopes for its first WiMax-capable handset, the HTC EVO 4G, and if launch day is any indication, those hopes may have been well-founded. Without citing specific sales figures, Sprint claims that the HTC EVO 4G has had the strongest launch day sales of any phone the carrier has offered. In fact, HTC EVO 4G sales were so good that its launch day sales were triple the number of Samsung Instincts and Palm Pres the company sold over their first three days of availability.
Prior to the HTV EVO 4G, the Palm Pre and the Samsung Instinct jointly held Sprint’s one-day sales record.
“HTC EVO 4G is a clear winner for customers with the powerful combination of an amazing multimedia experience in 3G coverage areas that becomes even better in our growing number of 4G markets,” said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, in a statement. “It is terrific to see customers react so positively to this device and the innovative experience it brings to them.”
Sprint says the strong sales have led to temporary shortages as some of the 22,000 U.S. locations where the phone is on sale, including Sprint’s own retail stores and major retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and RadioShack. The company says it’s working hard to make inventory available to customers.
The HTC EVO 4G went on sale Friday, June 4. It is the first handset to be able to tap into WiMax 4G mobile broadband service. (In markets where 4G WiMax service is not available, the phone drops back to 3G connectivity.) The HTC EVO 4G runs Android 2.1 and features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, an 8 megapixel video-capable camera, a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera for video conferencing, HDMI output for connecting to a big screen, integrated GPS and Wi-Fi, and the capability to act as a mobile hotspot for up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices.
