Why I didn't pre-order

[PookiePrancer]

After almost two years with my original Evo, I woke up early to get in on the Evo LTE pre-order action. I agonized in front of the computer for almost an hour...completed most of the check-out process...and then closed the browser window without finishing the order.

I just couldn't do it. Why? To put it simply: the developer community on the original Evo has just spoiled me. The new hardware is awesome, but I'd be giving up too many of the extra perks I currently enjoy from being rooted and using custom roms/apps. I can't go back to bloat-ware either. And there's no telling what kind of developer support Sprint and HTC are going to provide for the Evo LTE. Finally, the SGSIII is supposedly right around the corner. So in the end, I thought about how I use my phone, and realized the Evo LTE would be a down-grade for me AT THIS TIME.

I'm not saying I won't end up buying one anyway as more of my concerns are addressed, but my gut feeling just didn't let me pull the trigger today.

Anyone else in my boat?

 

[GrooveRite]

I'm with you Pookie!

I actually had ordered my Evo around 2 weeks before the original SG1 (Epic 4G) came out. I don't know if you guys/gals remember that the Evo was like sold out everywhere and you basically had to pre-order one to get your hands on one. So I did just that with BestBuy and right before I bought it, I got to play with the Samsung Epic 4G. When I saw that screen, it was basically love at first sight, for me! So, this guy here is waiting for the SGS3! Besides, I'm LOVING ICS on my super duper smooth running Epic 4G!

 

[Crimson]

After recently ordering an ASUS T300 pad with ICS I was sold on dumping my original EVO's as well. ICS is just too smooth and responsive. I've been running CM7 on my EVO for around a year now, but support for things like the video camera and 4g are pretty sketchy it seems yet especially with ICS roms. I think with the latest and greatest phones I'll be happy even with a stock rom running sense and ICS.. I don't want to fight with trying to get stuff to work anymore.

The dev community definitely extended the useful life of my Evo but I think it will probably be at least a year before our phones start falling behind and updates and we need to look to the Dev community for support anyway. With the new Evo being a flagship phone I think it will be updated for a while.

ICS also supports 'disabling' apps which makes them disappear. So other than some space usage for the bloatware they shouldn't have much impact especially with 16GB of space and 32 available via micro sdhc.

In your case if the mod community is the most important thing the Nexus is probably your best choice, but that comes at the price of inferior hardware specs.

 

[PookiePrancer]

I'm with you Pookie!

I actually had ordered my Evo around 2 weeks before the original SG1 (Epic 4G) came out. I don't know if you guys/gals remember that the Evo was like sold out everywhere and you basically had to pre-order one to get your hands on one. So I did just that with BestBuy and right before I bought it, I got to play with the Samsung Epic 4G. When I saw that screen, it was basically love at first sight, for me! So, this guy here is waiting for the SGS3! Besides, I'm LOVING ICS on my super duper smooth running Epic 4G!

I wanted the original Evo as soon as I read about it, months before it was released. It was a game changer, and it's still an awesome phone. The new breed, while better in every way, just doesn't offer enough innovation that I can't wait. Again, not saying I won't end up with one, but just not now. And if it's as locked down as the One X, well, I'll just keep watching CM9 development for my Evo.

 

[Crimson]

I wanted the original Evo as soon as I read about it, months before it was released. It was a game changer, and it's still an awesome phone. The new breed, while better in every way, just doesn't offer enough innovation that I can't wait. Again, not saying I won't end up with one, but just not now. And if it's as locked down as the One X, well, I'll just keep watching CM9 development for my Evo.

I just don't see CM9 development going very far.. and the phone is quite limited with the 512mb ram and 1gb rom anyway. CM7 still doesn't even support the full video camera.. Since I doubt the original Evo will ever see ICS I can't see camera and 4g support coming any time soon for a 2 year old phone.

 

[Saneless]

You'll change the topic to "Why didn't I pre-order?" Soon enough...

Why am I going to?

As much as I like AOSP roms, and as much as I find some Sense things irritating, it still is an overall better and smoother experience with them. HTC made the phone and know what it needs to run. The ROM community can kinda take out some of the parts that suck, introduce new things, yet still keep the overall base that generally works better.

And maybe it's just because the company made it harder with slower releases of source code, or more complicated pieces, but I feel beyond my Nexus One, rom hack projects just left too much to be desired most of the time. Buggy, jerky, and just sometimes incomplete.

I figured I'd be ok with whatever HTC put together and what minor tweaks some developer threw together (Think something like ZR3D for the EVO 3D).

And if I'm wrong and I despise it, well, I can always sell it when the next nexus comes out (I don't like the current one at all).

 

[PookiePrancer]

I agree that CM9 development hasn't gone very far, and I doubt it ever will. That's why I'll be keeping an eye on it, as I said, but I wasn't really even referring to that on my OG Evo. Roms like CM 7.2 and AlterRom are ultra-lean, fast, and fully functional (yes, "full" video isn't supported on CM7, but I never found it particularly impressive with the stock rom to begin with, and there is AlterRom if you must have it).

I'm hoping we'll start hearing about hacks for the Evo LTE soon enough, but having been burned by lack of dev support on Verizon's original Galaxy Tab 7, I never want to go through those headaches again. So far, I'm not seeing much positive from devs at XDA on the Evo LTE.

 

[Hurleygm]

After recently ordering an ASUS T300 pad with ICS I was sold on dumping my original EVO's as well. ICS is just too smooth and responsive. I've been running CM7 on my EVO for around a year now, but support for things like the video camera and 4g are pretty sketchy it seems yet especially with ICS roms. I think with the latest and greatest phones I'll be happy even with a stock rom running sense and ICS.. I don't want to fight with trying to get stuff to work anymore.

The dev community definitely extended the useful life of my Evo but I think it will probably be at least a year before our phones start falling behind and updates and we need to look to the Dev community for support anyway. With the new Evo being a flagship phone I think it will be updated for a while.

ICS also supports 'disabling' apps which makes them disappear. So other than some space usage for the bloatware they shouldn't have much impact especially with 16GB of space and 32 available via micro sdhc.

In your case if the mod community is the most important thing the Nexus is probably your best choice, but that comes at the price of inferior hardware specs.

+1 Rooting is great, but it's nice to have something that just works out of the box! Who cares about bloatware if you have a lighting fast phone with plenty of storage and memory?

 

[PookiePrancer]

+1 Rooting is great, but it's nice to have something that just works out of the box! Who cares about bloatware if you have a lighting fast phone with plenty of storage and memory?

Remember all the hoopla over CIQ? That wasn't an issue for me (and other rooted users on appropriate roms) over a year before it became one for everyone else. And plenty of storage and memory can always be better with bloatware gone. I kind of care

Edit: Just read an interesting idea from someone else: buy the device, but hold off on activation. That way, you have it in case supply issues arise, but you don't begin your return window. Service rep just confirmed that's a definite option. Your thoughts?

 

[Saneless]

Edit: Just read an interesting idea from someone else: buy the device, but hold off on activation. That way, you have it in case supply issues arise, but you don't begin your return window. Service rep just confirmed that's a definite option. Your thoughts?

I assume you'd just wait to see if everyone else had issues for a few days?

If you were truly worried about that I suppose that would be the only reason. Otherwise, I would call you a liar if you were going to tell me that you were just going to sit around and not use the phone while you were out. Maybe if you just used wifi at home for a few days but otherwise you know you'd activate it

 

[PookiePrancer]

I assume you'd just wait to see if everyone else had issues for a few days?

If you were truly worried about that I suppose that would be the only reason. Otherwise, I would call you a liar if you were going to tell me that you were just going to sit around and not use the phone while you were out. Maybe if you just used wifi at home for a few days but otherwise you know you'd activate it

I can afford to wait, obviously, so yes: just sit on it while I start seeing initial feedback from users and devs. Any itch to activate it would be tempered by the fact I'll be away from home for a week by the time the phone will probably arrive. But if initial reaction is good, it would be waiting for me when I got back. Just a thought based on what someone else wrote. The rep said I could sit on it as long as I wanted.

 

[Quis89]

I think this whole "I can't do bloatware" crap is stupid. Our devices are far better than the HTC hero days. Why the hell are we still worried about that? There is nothing the dev community can do that will make the original evo as beastly as this new one. I say go for it. You'll be alright.

 

[kinster02]

I didn't pre order because I'm waiting for a better price and Wirefly has come through with $119.

HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint - Wirefly Friends and Family Store