Battle of the Most Advanced Smartphones - iPhone 4 vs HTC EVO 4G
Features
We go straight to the point and compare the features of the iPhone 4 and the HTC EVO 4G. This comparison is based on how both phones are being marketed by their respective companies.
The HTC EVO 4G’s major features include the following - 4G speed, HDMI Out, Android 2.1, Dual camera and Mobile Hotspots. While the iPhone 4’s major features include - Facetime, Retina Display, Multitasking, HD Video Recording and Editing, and 5 Megapixel Camera with LED Flash.
If you will take a closer look at these major features you can’t really decide which one has the better specs. Both smartphones are capable of streaming HD video as well as recording HD video using their cameras. The HTC EVO 4G and the iPhone 4 can record up to 720p HD video. However, the HTC EVO 4G has a built-in port HDMI output which makes it easier to display HD video to your HDTV. For the iPhone 4, you will have to use those Apple HDMI adapters to effectively display video in its true-HD quality.
Both iPhone 4 and HTC EVO 4G are equipped with dual cameras with one front-facing for video calls and video conferencing. What will set these two phones apart in this aspect is the carrier support for these type of calls. But once again, the HTC EVO 4G has one upped the iPhone 4 in terms of camera power. The HTC EVO 4G is equipped with an 8-megapixel main camera while the iPhone 4 only has a 5-megapixel camera.
One feature which the iPhone 4 has edge over the HTC EVO 4G is video editing without needing to download the video to a computer. Through the iMovie app for iPhone 4, you can instantly edit a video you have recorded and share it as soon as you finish editing. But then, I’m pretty sure an Android app will come out on the Android Market which will give the same feature to the HTC EVO 4G.
The remaining feature, multi-tasking is moot and academic to discuss anymore. Multi-tasking has been a part of most Android phones, thanks to the Android’s capability for this. For the iPhone, this is a big feature simply because it has been wanted by iPhone users since the first generation iPhone. The lack of multi-tasking has long been one of the major criticisms of the iPhone. So, finally Apple is delivering with the iPhone 4.
So, in terms of their major features, which of these smartphones is better? Clearly, the HTC EVO 4G is more powerful than the iPhone 4.
iPhone 4 vs HTC EVO 4G - Major Specs Compared
Let’s see if drilling down into the two smartphones’ specs and other important features will put decide the iPhone 4 vs HTC EVO 4G battle. First, the smartphones’ screen and display features. The iPhone 4 has a 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch display at 960 x 640 pixel resolution with Retina technology. According to Apple, this makes the iPhone 4 capable of displaying the sharpest, most vibrant, highest resolution phone screen ever with four times the pixel count of previous iPhone models. The iPhone 4’s pixel density is so high that the human eye will not be able to distinguish individual pixels providing crisp and stunningly sharp images. In short, the iPhone 4 display is almost on a par with those Super AMOLED screens offered by other Android phones. This is where the HTC EVO 4G got beaten by the iPhone 4. It could only offer a 4.3-inch TFT LCD at 480 x 800 pixel resolution.
Next we take a look at the two phones’ processors and RAM. The HTC EVO 4G is equipped with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor with 512MB of RAM. Until recently Apple will not reveal the iPhone 4’s RAM which was reported to be 512MB as well. Unfortunately Apple would not reveal the clockspeed of the ARM processor that the iPhone 4 will have. But since both of these phones have the same RAM, their clockspeed will most likely be the same as well.
Another important feature is storage capacity. The HTC Phone clearly has the advantage here since, aside from its 1GB internal storage, it also supports microSD cards for expandable storage. The iPhone 4, as we all know, doesn’t have this feature and its internal flash storage is up to 32GB only.
Finally, we have multi-touch capability. This is one feature which the iPhone has become popular for. The iPhone 4’s multi-touch capability is improved in the new release by a new technology which Apple calls Gyro, and it teams up with another of the iPhone’s best features, which is the accelerometer. Together these three features make the iPhone 4’s control functionality better than the HTC EVO 4G’s capacitive multi-touch.
iPhone 4 vs HTC EVO 4G - Design and Form Factor
The first time I saw the official photos of the HTC EVO 4G, my initial reaction was - it’s huge. For a smartphone, the HTC EVO 4G looks more masculine with solid edges and a glossy black bezel with blood-red detailing. It’s also a bit larger than most smartphones available on the market today, including the iPhone 4. The HTC EVO 4G measures 4.8 x 2.6 x 0.5 inches. On the front of the phone are the familiar 4 navigation buttons which are common on all HTC smartphones. Fortunately, HTC decided to make these buttons part of the screen display and not separate buttons like those on the Nexus One and other Android phones.
The first time I saw the official photos of the iPhone 4, my initial reaction was - it’s simply beautiful. And by that I mean, the iPhone 4’s design, look and form factor epitomize what a classy-looking phone is. It’s vintage Apple design. Its looks alone will make you want the iPhone 4 so badly. Veering away from the familiar plastic back of the iPhone 3G and 3GS, Apple made the iPhone 4’s front and back optical glass to make it even more scratch resistant. To remedy the perennial problem of the current iPhone being a magnet for smudges, the iPhone 4 will now have an oleophobic coating.
The other important feature of the iPhone 4’s design is the steel band rings that surrounds the phone. These metal bands also double up as antenna.
If you think that the HTC EVO 4G is thin, well the iPhone 4 is even thinner at 0.37 inches dimension depth. Its full dimensions are 4.5 x 2.31 x 0.37 inches. Obviously it’s thinner and smaller than the HTC EVO 4G. Some may like this for their smartphone but others would prefer the more robust looking HTC EVO 4G.
In terms of design and form factor, the iPhone 4 is definitely the winner.
iPhone 4 vs HTC EVO 4G - Which is the Better Smartphone?
I’ll be straight to the point and declare a winner in this two smartphone match-up - it’s the iPhone 4. While many would disagree with me and say that the HTC EVO 4G has more powerful features and is even the first smartphone with 4G or WiMAX capability, those are not enough to beat the iPhone 4. Why? One reason is the fact that the HTC EVO 4G is just one of the many Android phones. The Android ecosystem as compared with the iPhone is disintegrated. Too many Android phones could hurt the Android platform. It’s not a problem for Apple and the iPhone. Once Apple release the iPhone 4, all marketing and promotional and technical support will be given to the iPhone 4. They can do so with flare because there is currently only one iPhone 4 to market.
The iPhone has established itself as a tremendous force in the smartphone market and the iPhone 4 will strengthen Apple’s stronghold even further.
