yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] LiquidSolstice:
Hey guys.

Some of you may know me from the Evo 3D section. Recently, my 3D's touchscreen started to fail on me (a known quality-control issue) and I evaluated my options on repairing it and came to the conclusion a new phone is a better investment.

I've been researching the living crap out of the Galaxy Nexus and the 4G LTE (The GS3 is waaaay outside my price point). It seems more and more likely that the 4G LTE is simply a better phone.

So now, this thread. Before I pull the trigger, I want the scoop on this phone from the only users I trust; XDA users. Tell me what you love about this phone, what you hate, what to watch out for, whether or not you regret it, anything. As much detail as possible, please :)

This phone will genuinely have to last me two years (buying it off contract). I need to know that I can count on this in the same way I was able to count on my HTC Hero (which I feel was more dependable than the Evo 3D).

Thanks guys. I look forward to possibly joining you in this forum in the future.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] neopolotin75:
What's up man?! Go ahead and pull the trigger is what I say. I didn't consider it that huge of an upgrade personally but I figured id try it out for 14 days and return then try the GS3 then make my decision. I ended up keeping it and deciding to do so very quickly.Lol. Very 1st thing that got me was the thinness and how great it felt holding.....it felt really nice....and the screen is ike candy for your eyes. My experience with sense 4 and the speed made me question the need to root (blasphemy I know) but I did anyway. I love the camera software and the phone charges fast and really last....the sleeping is incredible. I live everything about it except the shiney black top....other than that in my opion its the best Evo ever and top phone now.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] soopermarkus:
After my first experience with the EVO 3D (3 lemons in under a month), I thought I'd never own an HTC phone again. I went as far as saying I'd never piss on an HTC phone if it was on fire. This phone is making me eat those words. I don't even know why I gave them another chance but I'm glad I did. I wanted a great screen, fast processor, and a relatively "future proofed" phone and this totally fit the bill. It was between this and the Gnex but with the connectivity problems, notoriously weak antennae and glacial charging I rolled the dice on the EVO.

I'm really digging the snappiness overall, running Nova launcher and MeanICS 0.5 ROM. The screen is gorgeous, especially coming from a Photon, and the camera is just about neck and neck with my 4S (work phone). I've been shooting with it for about a week and love love love the pictures it takes.

The only thing I don't like is the car dock has a really finicky usb connector and no sound comes through said connector making it a real bummer when I want to use the phone as an aux music source.

With ROM floodgates starting to open, I heartily endorse this phone to anyone who is in the market. Even stock with Nova launcher works really well, I'm not a fan of Sense but I will admit it was way better than what came stock in the Evo 3D.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] DB13:
Omg we need a Liquid Rom in here! I haven't ran something from you since the HREO CDMA days! Your Sense Rom was the best!
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] cunnyrydah:
I sold my preordered Evo for a pretty penny and bought a Galaxy Nexus for dirt cheap. While the Nexus was good, the battery made it just OK. It just wouldn't last. The screen was nice but put it next to the Evo and nice becomes wtf. The Evo comes with a microSD slot for my 64GB card (huge plus). The battery in the Evo lasts a whole day a whole night and in to the next afternoon. With heavy use, I mean playing with it constantly from games to web to calls it easily can last 12-15 hours. That right there sold me. I had the option for the GS3 as well. I was really thinking I would switch, considering I had the Epic and the Epic Touch. I.couldn't bring.myself.to return it. Too GREAT of a phone. Plus the kickstand is great. I watch a lot of Netflix while waiting for freight. There isn't a single con and a long list of pros. BUY IT!
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] LiquidSolstice:
So it feels solid in your eyes? If I grip my Evo 3D even slightly firmly, I can feel the plastic creak. How are you doing on battery life? I'm an extremely minimal user of my phone.

Heh, I've been considering starting up a project like that again.

That's some very promising battery life, especially for my minimal use :)

Ah, someone who understands the build quality woes of the Evo 3D. In the short year I've owned it, the screen plate near the cap buttons has "sunk" down into the shell, the battery cover has become lose, the outer 'lining' is coming off, and the power button and volume buttons are almost hilariously mushy (never know if they're working).

I'm sorely searching for the build quality of HTC that I used to know, from the days of the Hero all the way back to the original Titan and Apache (those things were amazing). It seems you feel that they've recaptured this "Evo" namesake.

How's the screen at repelling fingerprints? I know that it's supposed to come with an oleo-phobic coating, but do you think it would be worth getting a screen protector?
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] Kujila:
Great phone; buy it! :good:
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] firmbiz94:
What's up liquid I think you should go ahead and get it there's nothing better at this point and to build quality is nothing like the evo 3d. My only issue is the lack of multitasking it reloads tabs almost..but I've heard that has been fixed on the hox...great device..makes the 3d look like a fat pig
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] neopolotin75:
The quality is the best I ever felt......no plastic feel or creak like the 3d......When I first held it I was like WOW. I'm a heavy user when on station and I don't feel tethered to a plug.....it does very well but the way it sleeps is the best.....I can have 80 percent and go do 3 runs and several hrs later it still sits at 80......my 3D would have dropped by 20 lol
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] NYG140:
I've been a happy owner of the 3D for the past year, but after flashing the Virgin Mobile FW and finding out from Sprint that I have a free upgrade, I'm picking up the 4G LTE on Monday. I just figure the time is right to make the jump since as of now there's no downgrade for the FW, no official ICS release, and WiMax is dead. Base on this thread, I'm in!
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] ckoadiyn:
The phone is awesome even stock I have no complaints could maybe use a radio update but that's it seeing how these dye radios are new I find signal to be acceptable for myself. Love the camera and I have no problems removed some screens tho since 7 is over kill lol
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] BrianBaker:
Just don't put it in your skinny jeans pocket and you'll be fine. Would love to see your work on my LTE.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] pwrmedia:
Also coming from the 3D, I decided to pull the trigger on this phone earlier this month.

Personal pros: Size, feel, battery life

Cons: Wifi/3G dropout, multitasking (primarily Sense reload)

I rooted immediately, switched to Apex Launcher, and tested a few custom ROMS.

Temp bricked it yesterday w/ the S-OFF method, and returned it to BB to swap out in hopes that it would fix the Wifi/3G dropouts. Wifi seems to be better, 3G dropouts still exist, so I'd imagine it'll be a radio/firmware fix in the future. I'd also imagine the aggressive and clumsy multitasking will also be resolved when source is released from HTC and we can get some custom kernels.

SG3 is released for the public on 7/1 @ BB, so I'll go back to play around w/ it a little bit before my 30 day window of opp. is closed. All in all, I'm leaning towards keeping the LTEvo due to the development community and overall feel of the phone.

Lastly, I was going to go right back and root after getting phone #2, but simply installing Apex over stock everything hasn't been bad. I think until source is released, I can deal with holding off on root. The apps I rely on work w/o root, FoxFi works w/o root (even though pointless w/ slow 3G data, but hey..), and honestly, until we can start overclocking, undervolting, etc., the only true benefit w/ root access is being able to F w/ the build.prop for GW purposes, density, and whatever. Not enough of a factor IMO to root just yet, though the ROMS available right now are promising!

Verdict: Go for the LTEvo. Enjoyed your work during the Hero days as well! :D
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] pogibry:
For the screen, the fingerprints have been less of an issue than my tbolt, but they are still there. I thought the screen really was "scratch proof" until I had it in a bag with my keys and I saw a little scratch right in the effing MIDDLE of the screen! Needless to say, I ordered a matte screen protector and will see if it kills the awesome-ness of how the screen looks and displays.

I honestly cannot agree more with what has already been said about this awesome phone. After coming from my tbolt with a rezound battery (i still use it to this day) and it's crappy battery life to this phone has totally restored my confidence in using smartphones. Instead of thinking "if i play this emulator or watch this video, I'll have to charge it again", I say "I will play this emulator or watch this video and not care because the battery WILL last". I know I sound crazy here, but the battery really is that good. In fact, it's that reason that I haven't rooted and put on a custom ROM because I'm afraid something will happen.

Performance wise, it is just plain sick. It runs the PSXEmulator tons smoother than my TBolt and sense is just awesome. I would consider rooting just for the dual-core mod where the second cpu is always running except for when the screen is off, but again, bye-bye insane battery life (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Physical feel of phone is sweet; the thinness is good and the material is nice; except for that bloody top back shiny cover that drives us OCD guys nuts with fingerprints :O But I did order a case because I'm afraid if I drop it, it will go bye-bye.

I researched heavily this phone and the galaxy nexus and from what I could tell, the nexus didn't have the same power as this phone and because of that, people complained that it ran slower than it should. Also the battery was only so-so.

I have yet to look back and do not regret the money I spent :cool:
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] LiquidSolstice:
I read that this was due to aggressive minfree values to keep Sense running smooth. Custom ROMs have already tweaked it, but I actually see this as a plus. I've always used extremely (read: ludicrous) aggressive minfree and OOM values, because I damn near never multitask, I only ever do one thing at a time.

That is very, VERY nice to hear. I look forward to that :)

Yuck, I'm sorry you had to go through the Virgin FW mess. I thankfully was late in finding out about it and hence managed to see all the problems that came with it before I flashed, so I skipped it. Glad to hear you're getting an upgrade!

Radio update? Are signal woes really a concern?

Heh, no skinny jeans on this boy, don't worry. I might delve back into it again, we'll see.

It seems as though I might not need to root for a while either. I've actually not needed to tether in a long, long time with my 3D. Root was soley for performance desires. These connectivity issues are getting a it worrying though...

And thanks! I didn't realize my Hero ROM had such a reputation haha.

It looks like the battery usage will be insane for me. All these use-cases appear to be with heavy usage and good battery life, so I can't wait to see what my mild usage will result in.

Thanks for the feedback guys, I'm loving reading all these experiences!
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] ckoadiyn:
No signal is fine for me as I'm in a well covered area. I could be a tad stronger but that's about it.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] LiquidSolstice:
My 3D would always kill itself trying to find signal where I live. I'm hoping that won't be an issue with the LTE.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] cruise350:
Amazon has some great prices on this phone in and out of contract.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] neopolotin75:
I'm running the nocturnal Rom and it has the dual core going but honestly I haven't noticed a difference. ....you should check it out.....it's been the smoothest for me so far
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] firmbiz94:
I dont mind the killing of apps as much as I do the tabs in the web browser..sometimes esp. With online banking I run into issues..it happens pretty much instantly..I've adjusted my min free settings as well as flashed about every rom besides aosp and my phone still kills apps like that's its job..I would just like the option to adjust it or have it ignore my web browser as I'm pretty good about closing things out..buts that's my only issue and it will be fixed..the build is bar none and battery is sick..camera is on par with top cell phone cameras and the UI in the camera app is best in class..i never miss a shot ..it will be good to see u in here liquid..to defend against the trolls and fanboys LOL
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] Kyjibo:
The phone itself is solid, but there are a handful of design decisions that HTC made that baffle me.

First, there's the recent apps button instead of the menu button. I can't fathom why they opted for this configuration when you consider the unsightly menu bar that shows up whenever you use a non-ICS app. Why not just implement it as long press on home like almost every other phone? It just feels poorly thought out. This is easily fixed by a custom rom though, so no worries.

The second thing is the placement of the charging port on the side of the phone the kickstand wants to rest on when it's in use. This coupled with the fact that the version of sense they shipped on it does not have landscape enabled makes me think the kickstand was really only added as an afterthought to the device after sprint wanted one included. This problem is also relatively easily ignored - the kickstand supports the phone when it's resting on the opposite side (although this blocks the volume rocker) and sense is easily modified to allow landscape. I do have concerns of how long it will take to wear out the spring in the kickstand setting it in that orientation though.

My last quibble is going to be one of personal preference. The phone is much taller than it is wide, more so than the Evo 4G or Evo 3D. The power button is difficult to reach and I have to stretch my thumb a bit to pull down the notification menu. More than anything this makes me understand why Google wants to ditch the hardware buttons on future phones. Losing half an inch off the bottom would really help things.

TL;DR

Recent apps button is silly when considering software menu.

Landscape Mode and Kickstand seem to be an afterthought.

Phone's size may be problematic for people with small hands.

Still a great phone and the best phone available on Sprint though.

Also +1 to Sense Reload Issues, such an enormous pain in the ass.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] SoraX64:
You won't regret getting this phone. This phone reminds me a lot of the OG Evo and less of the 3D, which I wasn't a huge fan of. The screen size is something that you get used to very quickly, and you start to enjoy the extra space when watching videos and browsing.

The performance is great. I'll tell you this: I'm still completely stock. I've decided to wait until there is something truly worth rooting for, because this is the best stock experience I have ever had with a cellphone. Sense 4.0 is truly the best version of Sense yet, by far. And if you aren't a fan of Sense, I'm sure CM9 will look stunning on this screen. And if it's smooth now, imagine how it will be once we get JB going with Project Butter. It will be great.

The phone is built in a great way. It's thin and light, yet it still feels durable and sturdy. The design is very pleasing to behold, even if it is a little strange at first with the different materials. The metal ring around the phone looks really nice as well.

The kickstand is the best I've used. It is leagues better than the OG Evo, and much smaller than the one on the Thunderbolt, but still much more functional.

The camera is good enough. It doesn't take amazing pictures, but it takes them FAST. It takes as long as it takes you to press the button to the take picture; it feels nearly instant. It is a very nice feature of an already feature filled phone.

Battery life is much better than the 3D as well. Remember, I'm still stock. I'm currently sitting at 63% with about two hours of screen on time over a span of 16 hours. I always use auto brightness, so I could probably get even better life by turning it down.

All in all, I can say that this is the best phone I have ever owned. The screen is beautiful, everything is well built, and it's even a joy to run stock. On top of that we are very likely to get JB on this phone, and there are already unofficial ports started out. We seem to have a very promising development community beginning to flourish. I know that this thread has a lot of replies already, but I felt like giving my thoughts as someone who is still stock. You don't need to root this phone to enjoy it, and this is coming from someone who rooted both of his previous phones and flashed countless ROMs on them, sometimes multiple a day.

If you're still undecided, I hope this post helps. And for anyone else who is unsure, I hope this post helps. This phone isn't perfect, but it's the closest I've ever seen a phone become.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] cobraboy85:
Solstice,

I was very skeptical to upgrade my 3D to this device. It really had mostly to do with the fact that it meant giving up 4G as I have wimax pretty much everywhere I go. I had an upgrade on my line, and after doing a lot of careful review of user reviews and technical information I decided that simply due to the hardware and capability of the device overall, I would get it.

Not one ounce of regret. Sure the data speeds have been knocked back a bit… 15 mB down now is 2 or so… but still reasonably good. The screen and camera are unlike anything I have seen on a device thus far, it is slim and super light yet still manages to have that robust feel that I have always enjoyed about HTC products. And there is not much to say about the s4 processor other than it is FAST! The architecture of the chip set is unmatched right now in the mobile handset arena. A15 > A9… sure you probably don’t need to be told that, but wait till you get your hands on one and can feel it. It will blow your testicles back, son. For real.

Here are some interesting bits of info about the chip, and a few other things. If this doesn’t convince you, not sure what will.

Good luck

Here is a quad score

LOOK at the mem and IO scores compared to the “top notch” devices

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t0tk3uplczbf1lt/2012-06-28_10-26-06.png

28 nm semiconductor, rated at 1.5-1.7 gHz by qualcom (meaning this thing will blow passed 2 gHz with no problems… 2.5?? 0_o ), and the modem simply rapes the tegra 3- flat out. 500mHz multi point rendering GPU……… do I need to say anymore??

---------- Post added at 09:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 AM ----------

EDIT*** oh btw, the quad score was stock..... out of the box.....
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] LiquidSolstice:
Yeah, you guys are awesome. I'm convinced.

Just pulled the trigger. I'll be joining this forum sometime next week when it arrives at my doorstep.

One last question; for those of you coming from the 3D and on a family plan, were there any hoops to jump through in activating? I read that some people were having issues. Although I don't need to be, I chose to stay on my parents plan because it's so much cheaper, but my father would be greatly annoyed if this phone changes the price of the plan at all.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] cobraboy85:
I am on a family plan with my brother. Mine is the main line....

insurance is higher, there was a 36 dollar "activation" bull****... but other than that, no.

Also, insurance to replace this device is 150... not 100...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fvTxv46ano
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] pogibry:
Sweet! I'll be stoked to see what ROMs your crazy mind can create. Good choice, my friend! :good:
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] motcher41:
I just got rid of my Nexus for this and Sprint service. Best move I ever made.

I personally am happier with this phone. It is very snappy even with sense hooging things. Smartbench scores, if int that, are pretty equivalent.

The Gnex is a thicker phone and the curved screen drove me kinda nuts. Lack of the back, home and recent apps buttons was a pain too. I know they are in AOSP but I like real dedicated buttons.

Not sure with sprint but VZW gnexs had a question on signal strength interpretations. It uses a different formula for calculating signal then other phones and well I dont think it will be repeated again lol.

I don't think you can go wrong either way but I would have to say the EVO. I had the option of the Sprint Gnex when I signed up and well here I am.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] LiquidSolstice:
Hm. I don't do insurance. But what is this "activation" fee? I've never needed to do that before, I just logged in online and swapped the lines out.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] Teamscrooge:
The EVO is amazing... There is no comparison in quality and technology between the 4g LTE and nexus... Had EVO since launch and I highly recommend it... :)
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] geniustheanimal:
Typically, Sprint tacks on a $36 activation/upgrade fee when renewing your contract. As you're buying off contract, you may not need to pay it.

In terms of opinions of the phone, it's definitely the best smartphone I've owned thus far, and unquestionably the best HTC phone I've had (previously owned a Mogul, TP2, Diamond, OG Evo, and Evo 3D). The aluminum unibody lends it an awesome, solid, quality feel, the screen is phenomenal, the battery is bananas, and its way powerful. I've taken issue with the recent apps button (I know it's an ICS design choice, but I don't like it), the 'SmartSync' overnight data disconnects, and some sluggishness that comes with the Sense territory.

However, I've running flex360's 'Stock with Goodies', and the phone has felt snappier, smoother, and even more responsive than usual. Plus, I've had even better battery life (last night when I plugged it in, I as 16hrs off battery with 5hrs 15mins screen on time, and still had over 25% left). Glad to see you joining the pack!
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] jelive:
Family plan...came over from Og EVO no problem. Was off contract but was renewed for 2 yrs and $36 activation fee. Definitely worth it tho.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] LiquidSolstice:
My father isn't really interested in renewing, he wants to go month-to-month. I assume because of that, I shouldn't have to deal with any activation fee, right? I ask because I kind of allocated $400 for this purchase in total, and all $400 was used buying the phone.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] hitzand:
Everything Scaryghoul said is spot on.I'll

add that I love the camera speed, burst mode, and photos while taking video (or later out of a video). We now grab my phone instead of my wife's iPhone 4s to capture those precious moments.
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] Riff76:
Yes we need a liquid solstice rom and have kifno kang it

Sent via XDA Premium
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] DB13:
Them were the days!
[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] LiquidSolstice:
I <3 you. Detailed information kicks ass. Thank you for your comprehensive post, it looks like I won't be able to put off rooting, but ay, the team just came out with an official unbricker, so maybe my fears are just unfounded.

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate all the feedback and information. It looks like my phone will be here Tuesday at earliest, Thursday at latest. Can't wait :)