Up until Friday, I had been using an iPhone 3G as my only phone. I'm an admitted Apple enthusiast. My girlfriend used to joke that I loved my iPhone more than I loved her. But I was getting a little bored with the OS and uninspired by the new hardware specs that Gizmodo revealed, so I read every review and message board about the EVO that I could find, and I decided to make the jump knowing that I had 30 days to form an opinion and the option to return the phone.
I know that a lot of other iPhone users' contracts are coming up this summer, and you may find yourself in a position similar to the one I was inm so I hope this helps. (Note: I've only been using the EVO since Friday, and this is my first time with an Android device, so I'm still dealing with a learning curve.)
PROS:
- The Screen: it's huge, bright, and simply gorgeous. Hardware-wise, the #1 reason I left the iPhone is because the screen was too small. After using the EVO for three days, I wonder how I even survived on a 3.5" screen. And we know the new iPhone isn't getting any bigger. The EVO's is massive and it's perfect. It makes a world of difference, it really does.
- Notifications: for all the amazing touches on the iPhone OS, it's lack of an elegant notification system is puzzling. The "blue pop-up icon" thing never really did it for me. On the other hand, I think I'm in love with the "window shade" effect on Android. I think it might be my favorite feature, software-wise, on the entire phone. Efficient, elegant, and unobtrusive. In other words, exactly how notifications should be handled.
- Google Integrated Apps: I'm a heavy GMail user, and this mail app is just so much better than what's on the iPhone. Throw in Finance, Goggles, Listen, and Talk (I can't believe I got by with Meebo on the iPhone), and you've got an instant upgrade of core Google apps on your EVO. (There's also Voice, which I never understood the point of since the most annoying thing ever is having to get a new phone number; also, Picasa integration would be nice).
- The "Expose"-like effect of pinching the screen to bring up all of your home screens, easily enabling you to jump from one to another with a single touch. Brilliant.
- Multi-tasking: it's coming to the iPhone, but from what they've shown of it so far, it's not going to be as good as what's on Android.
- Widgets: especially the one for Bookmarks, enabling a quick and easy way of reaching your favorite websites.
- The cameras: to be honest, I don't take my pictures or video, but when I'm on a vacation or something it's nice to have, and from what little I've used of them so far, they seem more than capable on the EVO.
- 4G: we don't have it here yet in Manhattan, and supposedly it's a battery killer, but having that option when it does launch is a nice luxury.
I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting, but again this is just first impressions.
CONS (most of these are just personal preference and not really objective):
- The iPod music player will be tough to replace, let's just put it that way.
- The Browser: I tried the stock browser, and am now using Dolphin HD. Not a deal-breaker or anything, but I found Safari smoother, much more elegant to zoom with, and easier to navigate (having to hit "Menu" in Dolphin to page back, for example).
- Music/photo syncing: again, another personal preference, but I prefer the iTunes-like syncing. I shouldn't have to mount an SD card. I'm going to try DoubleTwist once I upgrade my Mac OS to Snow Leopard and see how it goes.
- The kickstand. I don't know, I think it's kind of tacky and if I keep this phone for the duration of the contract, it's going to start to get loose and maybe poke my leg when the phone is in my pocket. I wish they hadn't included it.
- The voicemail feature should be integrated with the Phone function (or is it, and I just haven't figured it out yet?)
- Software updates: I'm already dreading the wait to get Froyo.
- Overall polish: these are little things that Apple excels at. I miss the bounce-scrolling. The Android icons should all be the same size (I have PDANet right next to Stocks and they look silly because they're sized so differently) and their names shouldn't be cut off (it reads "The Weath" for The Weather Channel). The phone app should load with a list of contacts. Little things like that.
OVERALL:
I did a lot of research into buying the EVO. I knew that I was going to like it before I bought it, but there were three potential reasons why I would return it before the 30-day trial. 1. Battery life; 2. Sprint service in Manhattan; and 3. the phone would be so big that it's unwieldy in one hand.
The only thing I'm still slightly worried about, after using the EVO for three days, is battery life: but these are smart phones that are meant to be used heavily, and I kept a spare charger at work for my iPhone and I'm going to do the same thing for my EVO.
I've decided I'm going to keep the phone, because I love it. iPhone users, if you're hesitant like I was about making the jump, don't be: the EVO is amazing and Sprint has a sure winner on it's hands.
I know that a lot of other iPhone users' contracts are coming up this summer, and you may find yourself in a position similar to the one I was inm so I hope this helps. (Note: I've only been using the EVO since Friday, and this is my first time with an Android device, so I'm still dealing with a learning curve.)
PROS:
- The Screen: it's huge, bright, and simply gorgeous. Hardware-wise, the #1 reason I left the iPhone is because the screen was too small. After using the EVO for three days, I wonder how I even survived on a 3.5" screen. And we know the new iPhone isn't getting any bigger. The EVO's is massive and it's perfect. It makes a world of difference, it really does.
- Notifications: for all the amazing touches on the iPhone OS, it's lack of an elegant notification system is puzzling. The "blue pop-up icon" thing never really did it for me. On the other hand, I think I'm in love with the "window shade" effect on Android. I think it might be my favorite feature, software-wise, on the entire phone. Efficient, elegant, and unobtrusive. In other words, exactly how notifications should be handled.
- Google Integrated Apps: I'm a heavy GMail user, and this mail app is just so much better than what's on the iPhone. Throw in Finance, Goggles, Listen, and Talk (I can't believe I got by with Meebo on the iPhone), and you've got an instant upgrade of core Google apps on your EVO. (There's also Voice, which I never understood the point of since the most annoying thing ever is having to get a new phone number; also, Picasa integration would be nice).
- The "Expose"-like effect of pinching the screen to bring up all of your home screens, easily enabling you to jump from one to another with a single touch. Brilliant.
- Multi-tasking: it's coming to the iPhone, but from what they've shown of it so far, it's not going to be as good as what's on Android.
- Widgets: especially the one for Bookmarks, enabling a quick and easy way of reaching your favorite websites.
- The cameras: to be honest, I don't take my pictures or video, but when I'm on a vacation or something it's nice to have, and from what little I've used of them so far, they seem more than capable on the EVO.
- 4G: we don't have it here yet in Manhattan, and supposedly it's a battery killer, but having that option when it does launch is a nice luxury.
I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting, but again this is just first impressions.
CONS (most of these are just personal preference and not really objective):
- The iPod music player will be tough to replace, let's just put it that way.
- The Browser: I tried the stock browser, and am now using Dolphin HD. Not a deal-breaker or anything, but I found Safari smoother, much more elegant to zoom with, and easier to navigate (having to hit "Menu" in Dolphin to page back, for example).
- Music/photo syncing: again, another personal preference, but I prefer the iTunes-like syncing. I shouldn't have to mount an SD card. I'm going to try DoubleTwist once I upgrade my Mac OS to Snow Leopard and see how it goes.
- The kickstand. I don't know, I think it's kind of tacky and if I keep this phone for the duration of the contract, it's going to start to get loose and maybe poke my leg when the phone is in my pocket. I wish they hadn't included it.
- The voicemail feature should be integrated with the Phone function (or is it, and I just haven't figured it out yet?)
- Software updates: I'm already dreading the wait to get Froyo.
- Overall polish: these are little things that Apple excels at. I miss the bounce-scrolling. The Android icons should all be the same size (I have PDANet right next to Stocks and they look silly because they're sized so differently) and their names shouldn't be cut off (it reads "The Weath" for The Weather Channel). The phone app should load with a list of contacts. Little things like that.
OVERALL:
I did a lot of research into buying the EVO. I knew that I was going to like it before I bought it, but there were three potential reasons why I would return it before the 30-day trial. 1. Battery life; 2. Sprint service in Manhattan; and 3. the phone would be so big that it's unwieldy in one hand.
The only thing I'm still slightly worried about, after using the EVO for three days, is battery life: but these are smart phones that are meant to be used heavily, and I kept a spare charger at work for my iPhone and I'm going to do the same thing for my EVO.
I've decided I'm going to keep the phone, because I love it. iPhone users, if you're hesitant like I was about making the jump, don't be: the EVO is amazing and Sprint has a sure winner on it's hands.
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