Sprint’s Evo 4G Phone to Bow June 4 at $199
Sprint outlined final details of the launch of the much-anticipated Evo 3G/4G wireless phone at an event in Manhattan co-sponsored by Disney. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse announced a retail price of $199 for the Evo, which hits stores on June 4.
Disney executives were on hand to trumpet the summer release of Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time. Hesse noted that “4G could ultimately change the way entertainment is consumed,” and called Disney “a big believer in how 4G can expand access to entertainment content.” Using a 4G feed from Philadelphia, the closest 4G market to New York that’s currently up and running, Sprint set up a mini cell site at Espace, a venue on Manhattan’s far West side. There, company representatives showed the phone’s Wi-Fi mobile hotspot capability, although none of the demos we saw exploited the promised eight-device hotspot capability.
Company representatives did show several demos of the phone as a mobile hotspot, including one demo with four devices operating over Evo’s Wi-Fi connection simultaneously. Sources included a standard-definition ESPN feed on an iPad streamed from a Slingbox player located in Kansas City, a laptop performing e-mail, a netbook showing live video using Qik Software and a Roku media player showing high-definition movies from Netflix on a big-screen TV.
During the presentation, Sprint representatives demoed the phone performing simultaneous voice and data functions using the phone’s 3G capability for voice and 4G for data. Simultaneous voice and data capability is only available to users covered by a 4G network. The phone can operate as a hotspot in 3G or 4G but gains faster speeds in 4G. The phone also can be used for video chat in either 3G or 4G mode using a pre-loaded Qik application that utilizes Evo’s 8-megapixel camera and 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera--and a built-in kickstand for hands-free video communication.
The 8-megapixel camera shoots HD-quality video, although a company spokesperson couldn’t clarify whether video outputs at 720p or 1080i resolution. The phone packs an HDMI output for connection to a TV. Additional features include an FM radio, digital compass, GPS, 1-GHz Qualcomm processor, 4.3-inch display, and Android 2.1 operating system. 4G average download speeds of 4-6 Mbps are 10 times faster than 3G speeds, Sprint said. Evo has access to more than 35,000 Android apps. Sprint is currently covering 32 markets with 4G and plans to add Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, St. Louis and Washington, D.C., by year-end.
In addition to Sprint outlets, Evo will be available in RadioShack stores -- including RadioShack kiosks in Sam’s Club and Target stores -- as well as at Best Buy and Wal-Mart. The $199 price includes a two-year contract and $100 rebate. Data plans start at $70 per month with a $10 per month bump for a premium data add-on that’s said to provide a “richer data experience.” The Wi-Fi mobile hotspot functionality tacks on an additional $30 per month.