Maybe The Droid Does, But Clearly The Evo 4G Doesn't!

When it comes to reviews on various different Android phones, the one thing that you can count on is that a lot of rabid Android fan boys will be virtually guaranteed to post their opinions, one way or the other, in the various readers comment sections.

And you can also be guaranteed, that while doing so, they will use every opportunity to bash, dice and slice the iPhone, while, at the same time, waxing poetically on just how fabulous, liberating and great the Android's platform is over that of the iPhone. Trust me, it never fails.

Well, since these rabid Android fan boys love attacking anyone or anything that would even dare to point out any of Android's flaws or short comings, then I can only fear for poor New York Times tech columnist, David Pogue. You see, Mr. Pogue recently wrote a very balanced review of the Evo 4G, and even though it praises its strengths, what the Android fan boys are going to zero in on is that this review also just happens to point out the Evo 4G's many shortcomings, and this is surely is going to grate on their nerves big time. Even though this review points out some of the few Evo 4G's strengths, it also points out its many flaws.

In other words, when it comes to Android phones, well: maybe the Droid does, but clearly the Evo 4G doesn't!

Yes, as nice as some of these iPhone copy cat Android phones are, including the Evo 4G, David Pogue's recent review of the current Android king-of-the-hill has got to be a big slap in the face for a lot of the Android fan boys out there. Yes, as Mr. Pogue points out, the Evo 4G is a one hell of a sexy little thing, with its huge 4.3 inch screen, video messaging capabilities, Google's nifty voice navigation and its ability to run Flash, as well as the fact that it is the vey first mobile device capable of running on the 4G network, but first appearances, as they say, can be deceiving, as is the case with many Android phones, and clearly the Evo 4G in particular.

For starters, Mr. Pogue points out that the battery life on this thing is really, really terrible, if not even downright atrocious!. Maybe, if your lucky, you might be expected to get a measly hour of usage out of the thing before its battery ups and lies down on the job!

When it comes to its boast of having Flash, well, apparently, sometimes it works, but in many cases it simply doesn't.

Video calling is also a time consuming hassle and works very poorly on the Evo 4G, but the biggest and number one complaint of all is that the new 4G network only works in a few cities, and currently limited to only 32, most of which are small and out of the way places such as Wichita Falls, Texas; Milledgeville, Georgia; High Point, N.C. Most of the major cities in the country like Boston, LA and the Big Apple itself are simply out of luck and completely excluded! Way to go Sprint! No doubt this will improve over time, but for the here and now, it's of very limited use indeed, benefiting only a very limited number of customers.

David's review also points out that as far as the 4G networks speed was concerned, well, it was indeed impressive when it worked, but according to a friend, who actually has an Evo 4G, he notes that it was "spottier than a kennel of Dalmatians." Also, as far as Sprint's 4G network goes, this friend also further notes that:

"At his house, he sees four to five signal bars, but two blocks away there is no reception at all. Furthermore, it takes 20 seconds for the phone to recognize that a 4G signal is available, then six minutes to connect for the first time.

Meanwhile, Sprint charges you a $10 monthly surcharge to own this phone (on top of the $70 minimum a month for calling, texting and Internet), even if you don’t live in a 4G area and can’t use it. (Sprint points out that this package, with its unlimited data, texting and calls to other cellphones, is still a better deal than Verizon’s or AT&T’s.)"

David's review of the Evo 4G is a great read and highly recommended, as is his accompanying video review, and that goes especially if your interested in buying this otherwise great phone. All I will say, in conclusion, however, is that it's probably a good thing that the NYT doesn't allow reader comments in its articles, because, otherwise, all of those rabid Android fan boys out would be seething and all over the place, attacking both the author and his review as much as they love attacking and bashing the iPhone, even though their platform of choice has deliberately decided to clone itself into the very spitting image of the iPhone!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, June 18, 2010