G&E reader editorial: What has happened to the EVO franchise?
This guest editorial was written by Harry Hawk. Please contact us if you are interested in submitting your own original content to G&E.
As a customer of Sprint, a fan of HTC, and a long-term user of the HTC EVO 4G (since day one), I'm fearful that the EVO brand has been discarded and tossed aside. Mobile World Congress might yet hold a surprise for EVO fans, but this once first-class franchise lately seems to have been knocked down to the second tier.
Back in June 2010, when HTC and Sprint launched the EVO 4G, it was arguably the best smart phone on the planet: it was the first 4G phone and had a huge screen, the fastest processor, the latest version of Android, the best camera, high tech Gorilla Glass, a WiFi hotspot for up to eight devices, a built-in flash light, an FM radio, and a kickstand. The launch of the EVO gave both Sprint and HTC something big to bring to the party, especially at a time when the iPhone was racking up sales for AT&T.
For me, it was love at first sight. But now that Sprint has promised millions of dollars to Apple in exchange for access to the iPhone, does Sprint still have the money and marketing focus to continue the EVO line?
I like HTC and I want to stay with Sprint. I have been a Sprint customer for fourteen years, and more importantly, I love owning a world class phone. I want a phone that is best in class in every category, including one that innovates with features like NFC and 3D screens and cameras. I want innovation without compromise. Unfortunately, a phone like the EVO 3D didn't do it for me, because its 2D still camera doesn't offer enough resolution.
Wild horses, taken using the EVO 4G camera with zoom.
Pictures I have taken with the 8MP camera on my EVO 4G have been printed in marketing materials, on packaging, and included in major press releases. The camera on the EVO 4G has transformed my life, while other EVO 4G features have made my life more fun. The flash light even saved my life on the Caribbean Island of Vieques!
Another example of the capabilities of the EVO 4G camera.
I was attracted to the EVO 4G because I am a gadget fiend and a geek. But more than that, the arrival of the original EVO gave me something to feel proud about: I was on the best network with the best phone.
Being employed in the consumer electronics sector, I understand that every feature and every option has a price and a compromise, and that products have to sell well and not just look good. There is something aspirational about technology and the desire to "own the best."
Owning a smart home or the world's best car can set you back millions and clearly is available only to the wealthy. However, smart phone ownership is one area where the "best in class" can be owned by people like me – members of the middle class – or even teens and college students who have yet to earn their first paycheck.
If I'm forced to abandon the EVO line, I need to warn Sprint that I may have to abandon them as well. I've tasted the best, and that's what I want. So Sprint, go ahead and sell all the Apple products and other Android phones you want, but please give me an EVO with ICS, Sense 4.0, a fast 4 or 5 core processor, Corning Gorilla Glass, a big and bright AMOLED-like screen, a gig or two of RAM, vast internal storage, a customer accessible battery, 4G LTE, an amazing 10+ MP Camera, a 1080p camcorder, NFC, Beats Audio, and everything else you can think of – including a kickstand.
And while you're at it, give me an HTC tablet that shares the same data plan, with just as many if not more amazing features and options. If you do that I'll be your biggest fan and a customer for life!
This guest editorial was written by Harry Hawk.
