Apple iPhone 4 vs. HTC EVO 4G: side by side

Introduction:

It was bound to happen at some point, but being two of the heavy hitters on the block this summer, it was only inevitable before the Apple iPhone 4 and HTC EVO 4G were pitted against one another. Android may have an army of devices in its arsenal, but the HTC EVO 4G proves to rise above the pack right now due to its sheer larger than life presence and packed hardware that will make anyone take notice. On the flip side, the iPhone 4 is the latest iteration of Apple's venerable smartphone which managed to see a major renovation in terms of hardware, design, and software to make it one quite compelling smartphone. Naturally there are plenty of consumers out there torn between their next handset purchase and are eagerly awaiting to see which to go with. Now that these two juggernauts are heading on a collision course towards one another, we'll compare them side by side to give you a better understanding of how they stack up.

Design:

There is a lot of credit given to the design of the HTC HD2 which ultimately was adopted well with the creation of the HTC EVO 4G. The sheer amount of real estate that the handset encompasses can really overcome some individuals who aren't comfortable wielding such a streamlined, but mammoth device. With three years under its belt, we've seen very few design changes in the last two iterations of the iPhone, the 3G & 3GS. Thankfully Apple went back to the drawing board and spruced up the handset a little more with its homage to the nostalgic look which tastefully places a modern dash of elegance to the mix.

Both handsets clearly are beautiful in their own regard, but the iPhone 4's choice of premium feeling material, such as the solid glass-like surface and brushed stainless steel band, outshines the HTC EVO 4G. It's not to say that the Android powered device doesn't hold well on its own, but rather, it continues to be one of the finer looking Android handsets on the market right now. What's even harder to believe about their designs is just how thin they come in at – especially when you consider all of the packed internals inside of them. The larger sized HTC EVO 4G comes in an astonishing 0.50” thick, which is eye catching in itself when you think about its 4.3” display, but Apple further managed to minimize the iPhone 4 to 0.37” thickness.


Even though it may not be a deal breaker for some, the HTC EVO 4G's inclusion of a kickstand does make it appealing – we sometimes find it handy in situations when you just want to watch something while sitting back. Additionally, the HTC EVO 4G's micro HDMI port would allow most people an easier time to share content – although you can accomplish the same on the iPhone 4 by purchasing a proprietary adapter. Finally, both smartphones are constructed well as we don't have any inkling to their durability against the elements over time.


So what kind of displays tickle your fancy? Larger or largest? For the iPhone 4, it's still stuck on the same 3.5” size which was even in use with the original handset. Instead of attacking real estate, Apple decided to employ an LED backlit IPS display with ultra-high resolution of 640x960 pixels, dubbed the “Retina Display,” which drastically improves the quality over the previous versions. Not only is the tiniest of text are crisp and distinguishable to the naked eye, but its support for 16 million colors easily resonates on paper over the HTC EVO 4G's 65k. However, the HTC EVO 4G takes the advantage in terms of size as it comes galloping in at a staggering 4.3”. Combine that massive size with a WVGA resolution, it still manages to be visible compared to the iPhone 4's Retina Display in being able to read out fine text – still, the iPhone 4 has better clarity in this category. Honestly, both handset are quite beautiful and look fantastic in their own regard. Finally, we still like the fact that the iPhone 4's display will look pristine every time you take it out of the pocket thanks to its oleophobic coating.

Software:

When it boils down to it, the HTC EVO 4G has one of the best customized interfaces for Android, while the iOS 4 powered iPhone 4 gradually polishes up some aspects that have limited its depth in the past. HTC Sense UI encapsulates the user with a myriad of services at their disposal and provides a wealth of information which can be accessed directly from the home screen. With the iPhone 4, you can expect one of the most intuitive and straightforward experiences on any handset as iOS 4 breezes through with no lag and simplifies navigation. Still, there is a level of personalization that the HTC EVO 4G presents that the iPhone 4 is clearly missing – such as social networking integration and the fancier looking live wallpapers. Sure you can choose your wallpaper now thank to iOS 4, but getting information such as stock quotes or the weather still requires you to launch an app. But if there is surely something going for iOS 4, it has to be its lightning quick reflexes in loading up apps, transition effects, and overall fluidity. The HTC EVO 4G is still a fast device, but when compared head-on to the iPhone 4, you can visibly sense some lag associated to its interface.



The notification system with the HTC EVO 4G is still light years ahead of what the iPhone 4 presents as you can use the pull down menu to glance at all of the notifications, such as from updates, messages, and email. This is one aspect where iOS 4 needs some polishing, as text message notifications just appear on top of whatever you're doing.

With social networking being all the rage right now, we had to go ahead and compare the two in how they offer people the best experience in this category. First and foremost, the HTC EVO 4G's Sense UI perfectly integrates Facebook from the homescreen without having to launch a dedicated application. However, we feel that the iPhone 4's Facebook app is better in terms of presentation and functionality as it meshes well with some of the phone's native apps – like viewing photos and videos. Android's Facebook app is almost a direct port of the site's mobile friendly version and doesn't feel as in-depth as the iPhone 4. Still, you have to hand it to Sense for tightly integrating Facebook into the phone.

People love watching YouTube, and that's the reason why the HTC EVO 4G shines in this regard seeing that it offers users an app that follows closely to what you experience on a desktop. There are a wealth of sub-menus and options to get you down to all the various aspects we love about YouTube. Additionally you can turn on high quality video streams on the HTC EVO 4G through any kind of data connection as opposed to the iPhone 4's requirement of connecting to Wi-Fi to experience better quality videos.



Video chat may be seen a novelty thing right now, but it remains to be seen if it'll catch on as being a mainstream success. Consumers aren't strangers in this arena as Skype on a desktop enables people to video chat, but the concept is still relatively new for mobile handsets here in the US. With both handsets packing front-facing cameras, we were overly impressed by the experience we got out of using FaceTime on the iPhone 4. It's requirement of being connected via Wi-Fi is by far its biggest Achilles Heel, but having in-sync video and audio is much more satisfying than seeing Qik or Fring on the HTC EVO 4G. When using the HTC EVO 4G for video calls, you can definitely notice some lag with video and that there is a noticeable delay when you talk. FaceTime may be held back right now, but we were quite impressed at how usable it is – we rarely found ourselves pausing or repeating conversations.

There's no arguing that Android's Google Maps experience is far superior to anything else out there – even on the iPhone 4. Not only can you find directions to specific locations, but it aptly integrates some of Google's popular services – like Buzz and Latitude. Unfortunately the iPhone 4 still offers the same exact experience that we have witnessed on the previous versions.



Typing away messages is of little concern to these touchscreen only devices as they tack on some of the most responsive on-screen keyboards around to make the experience satisfying and seamless. The iPhone 4 continues to push the envelope as we find it to be a bit more responsive to the touch, plus it adds in one of the best predictive text options, there is no reason why it doesn't continue to enthrall us. On the flip side, the HTC EVO 4G provides for some ample room to accommodate even the largest of fingers – not to mention its completely spacious landscape option which almost eliminates any mistakes when typing.

Data and Connectivity:

More people are relying on their handsets to browse the web and its no wonder why the HTC EVO 4G and iPhone 4 are the cream of the crop in this category. On one side you have the iPhone 4 with its Safari web browser which brought propermobile browsing to the phones with its continuously smooth experience. On the other, the HTC EVO 4G adds certain Flash elements to be displayed in the browser – offering that true desktop like experience. Hands down the iPhone 4 wins when it comes to overall responsiveness as there is no evidence of lag while scrolling and pinch gestures are accurately executed without any disturbances. Add in the fact that the Retina Display makes every little nook and cranny come to life with plenty of detail, it's definitely a lot more pleasing to the auspicious eye. Conversely, the HTC EVO 4G's 4.3” WVGA display makes browsing very easy to the eyes as it automatically rearranges the text layout with each zoom level. Eventually we'll see Flash and all of its glory with Froyo being announced down the road – making the HTC EVO 4G one of the handsets to truly deliver that true to life web browsing experience.



World users will gravitate towards the iPhone 4 because it's a global enabled phone. On the other hand, the HTC EVO 4G supports Sprint's 4G WiMAX network, which is a characteristic that the iPhone 4 cannot offer. In this single respect, it kind of comes down to whether or not you live in a WiMAX area, and whether or not you travel abroad.

If you're a media buff, you may want to chuck the 8GB microSD card that comes preloaded with the HTC EVO 4G with something more ample – say a 32GB one. As much as removable storage can come in handy in certain situations like transferring files, the iPhone 4's choice of either 16GB or 32GB capacities should suffice most people, but you'll always be required to tether it with the USB cable to extract files.

What makes the HTC EVO 4G more complete is its option for Mobile Hotspot on the go – essentially turning the device into a mini Mi-Fi so you can share your data connection. We adore the fact that this function is enabled from the beginning and soon will become a standard with Froyo, but what makes it even more sweet is the fact that you can share 4G speeds. As of right now, you can only tether the iPhone 4 via USB to share your data connection with a computer.

Multimedia:

Looking down into its  music playback capabilities, even after all these years, the iPhone's visually stunning music interface is still regarded as the premier offering. Cover flow continues to be the standard that's always going to be compared to the competition as it makes moving your albums such a breeze to not only your finger, but your eyes as well.

While not as spectacular and intuitive, we can't help but notice that HTC Sense's music player also looks pretty good and does a god job in challenging Cover Flow.



Now this is where it becomes a tad more complicated since the last time, as we compared the iPhone 3GS to the HTC EVO 4G, but the iPhone 4 comes packing more heat with its Retina Display. No one can argue that both handsets are fantastic when it comes to watching video – on one side you have the ample sized HTC EVO 4G and the other being the pixel packing iPhone 4. Even though videos played smoothly on either handsets, larger is generally the path that most people tend to take, so that's where the HTC EVO 4G has the advantage. Additionally, you've got the kickstand to sweeten the experience to  allow you to sit back and watch everything. However, we do like the fact that the iPhone 4 provides for better viewing angles and that it can even play videos in both landscape and portrait – the EVO 4G's native video player only allows for landscape playback.

This time around there is less of a gap between the iPhone 4's 5-megapixel shooter versus the HTC EVO 4G's 8-megapixel one. During our last comparison between the 3GS and EVO 4G. The EVO provided some fantastic looking images as it also managed to capture better images in low lit conditions thanks to its LED flash. Interestingly enough, the iPhone 4 produced overall better looking images in every lighting condition we put it through. Outdoor shots on the iPhone 4 looked extremely more vibrant as the colors were a lot more natural looking and we were overly impressed by how much more detailed they looked compared to the HTC EVO 4G. In addition, images captured in lower lighting conditions were far better on the iPhone 4, plus add in the LED flash, we preferred holding onto the iPhone 4 for capturing those precious moments.









Front facing cameras can come in handy in certain situations, especially when trying to take those all too standard self shots. The HTC EVO 4G's 1.3-megapixel front facing one on paper is better than the 0.3-megapixel shooter on the iPhone 4. To tell you the truth, both front-facing cams produced similar looking images – quite grainy and lacking correct color tones.

High definition video recording is on-board with both handsets, but the iPhone 4's 30fps capture rate makes it look a ton more smoother than the 23fps on the HTC EVO 4G. The extra seven frames per second significantly improve the playback in terms of smoothness,  however the iPhone 4 also had some wacky looking white balances when it tried to automatically adjust to certain lighting conditions. On the other hand, the HTC EVO 4G's color tones remained consistent while shooting consecutively – although you can see the less smoothly looking visuals compared to the iPhone 4.

Performance:

There's no arguing that the main speaker on the HTC EVO 4G was not only stronger with sharper sounding voices, but there was little to no evidence of any background noises. Although you can hear some static sound in the background during phone calls on the iPhone 4, our callers did say that our voices were more prominent whenever we started out sentences thanks to the noise cancellation microphone in use. Speaker phone quality still goes to the EVO 4G as voices were slightly more natural and louder.

By now everyone has heard about the reports that some iPhone 4 units are experiencing reception issues when holding it in a particular way, and we did witness the same experience on our handset. Reception can be spotty on the iPhone 4 and we just found the HTC EVO 4G to perform much better at keeping a solid connection to the network at any given time.

Now that the iPhone 4 has a larger battery in place, it's the handset of choice to go with if you're looking for longevity between charges. The HTC EVO 4G will last you a solid 8 hours of work on heavy usage, but it's a power hungry device that will require charges whenever you have time. As for the iPhone 4, we were able to use it normally for almost a day and a half before charging it again – which is more than ample in getting you by on a daily basis.

Conclusion:

You can't fathom the impact that both handsets have unleashed thus far as the bitter rivalry between Apple and Google continues to heat up. There can be many arguments as to which device reigns supreme, but consumers should know that the Apple iPhone 4 and HTC EVO 4G are the two most well rounded devices that are available in the market right now.

However, the Apple iPhone 4 once again showcases Apple's stance on crafting a near spot-on device that exudes a polished exterior and intuitive platform. It clearly benefits from the wealth of applications being developed for the OS, which are far more in-depth and polished versus their Android counterparts. This means that gamers will also gravitate towards the iPhone 4 with its quality looking titles that can easily rival those found on standard portable consoles. Finally its software platform is very straightforward and simple, letting just about everyone figure it out in no time.

The HTC EVO 4G, on the other hand, may appeal more to the heaviest internet and multimedia users, thanks to its larger screen, WiMAX connectivity (where available) and upcoming Flash support. Its interface is also pretty good looking and polished, although not as easy and intuitive. Applications are another area where Google's pride and joy has yet to catch up.

With that in mind, consumers will have to think about all of the bevy of features that each smartphone packs along its back. Both handsets are obviously priced exactly at $199.99 on-contract, but siding with the HTC EVO 4G would save you a considerable amount of money over the course of two years. However, you can't count out the iPhone as it boasts a solid exterior that matches its platform prowess and a far superior performance in battery life. These two handsets represent the epitome of near perfection in what most people look for in a smartphone, and there is no arguing that they push the limits of features, build, quality, and workmanship that people adore in premier smartphones.

Apple iPhone 4 and HTC EVO 4G Video Comparison: