CONFIRMED: HTC Evo 4G battery life fixed with OTA update

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Initially, the HTC Evo 4G was reviewed harshly by users as having unacceptable battery life, but otherwise a great phone. Well there is some great news for Evo owners. It appears that the over the air update that was recently released has fixed the battery life problems. With this update, users can now expect their device to last up to a day and a half (expect more like 1 day, but much better than early reports with users stating 4-5 hours of moderate to heavy use).

With this update however, this helps the Evo pull ahead in the smartphone race, and this device is now clearly as good or better than the Droid X. The question now is, when is the Evo 4G going to be available again?

Smartphone Showdown: Apple iPhone 4 vs HTC Evo 4g vs Motorola Droid X vs HTC Droid Incredible

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This year has truly become the summer to buy a smartphone. So many great choices, but which one to get? Lets break it down in a summary here:

Apple iPhone 4 (AT&T): Ah, the ever so popular iPhone. This year, the iPhone has a bit more competition than in the past. The iPhone 4 comes in either 16gb or 32gb (not expandable), 5 megapixel camera, VGA front facing camera, and an impressive 3.5 inch retina display. The iPhone runs iOS4, and has access to Apple's App Store. The iPhone is powered by Apple's A4 processor (unknown clock speed, reports say 1ghz).

*There are reports of signal issues if held a certain way. Apple is giving away free bumpers to help issue.

HTC Evo 4G (Sprint): This amazing device has a spec sheet to dream of. The only phone on this list that can run on a 4G network, which makes its mobile hotspot feature (in which you can connect up to 8 devices) very useful and effective. It also sports a 8 megapixel rear facing camera, as well as a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera (useful for video conferencing). This device also has a 4.3 inch screen, and a speedy 1ghz Snapdragon processor. This phone runs Android 2.1 with HTC Sense. Other notable features include an HDMI port and a kickstand. It comes with 1gb internal memory, and an 8gb micro sd card (expandable up to 32gb).

*Many users report poor battery life, over the air update may have partially/fully fixed this.

Motorola Droid X (Verizon): This smartphone is very similiar to the Evo, with a few differences. To begin with, it has a 4.3 inch screen, just like that Evo, but it is thinner and taller (screen size is measured diagonally). The Droid X also has an 8 megalpixel camera, but no front facing camera. This phone features a 1ghz ARMv7 processor. This phone also runs Android 2.1 with Motorblur. The Motoblur software has been greatly improved, but HTC Sense is still superior. The Droid also supports a mobile hotspot feature for up to 5 devices. This device also includes an HDMI port. This phone comes with 8gb of internal memory and a 16gb micro sd card (expandable up to 32gb).

*Reports say it cannot be modified, hackers and power users will not like this.

HTC Droid Incredible (Verizon): This speedy phone has a 1ghz Snapdragon processor, an 8 megapixel camera, 3.7 inch screen, and has 8gb of internal memory, with a micro sd slot that supports cards up to 32gb. This smartphone runs Android 2.1 with HTC Sense. An overall impressive phone.

Conclusion:

Best Smartphone: HTC Evo 4G

2nd place: Apple iPhone 4

3rd place: Motorola Droid X

4th place: HTC Droid Incredible

In my comparison, the winner is the HTC Evo 4G. However all of these phones are great phones, and it really is up to personal preference. For some users, the Evo's lack of battery life (most likely will last 1 day at most) will make the phone impractical. However, with Apple's signal issues, and the lack of a front facing camera on the Droid X and Incredible, I feel confident that the Evo 4G is currently the best phone on the market. Please, let me know what you think!

Good luck getting your hands on any of these!

Apple to give free iPhone 4 bumpers/cases

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Finally! In an effort to keep customers happy after complaints about the new iPhone's attenna problem, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would send free bumpers/cases to current owners and future consumers who buy the phone through September 30th.

The bumper solves a problem in which holding the phone a certain way resulted in the user causing a short in the attenna, causing a drastic loss in reception.

In addition, Jobs stated that unhappy iPhone users may return their undamaged iPhone within 30 days for a full refund. Apple will also give refunds to customers who have already purchased bumpers from Apple.

Hopefully for Apple, this solution will appease consumers and they will continue to buy the wildly popular iPhone 4.

Verizon's Droid X newest smartphone to experience low supplies

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Verizon's newest addition to their lineup, the Motorola Droid X, is nearly sold out in some regions after the first day of sales, with the next available shipping date online July 23rd. However, the Droid X is currently faring better than competitors such as the HTC Evo 4G (Sprint), as the Droid X is still available to be shipped. Demand was expected to be high with this device, especially with the shortages with the Evo and with issues plaguing the Apple iPhone 4. Verizon has been doing its best to handle the demand, and has avoided any shortages caused by suppliers thus far.


As Verizon's newest addition to the Android family, the Droid X will one of this summers elite "superphones" and will continue to be talked about in the months to come as consumers try to get their hands on this exciting new smartphone.

HTC Evo still facing supply shortages

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The HTC Evo 4G Smartphone (Sprint) has seen some huge demand since its early June release. Such large demand in fact, that once again the widely popular handheld device is out of stock at sprint and nearly every other retailer selling the device. Even Best Buy is out of stock according to their website, stating that shipping is not available for the item. As of just a few days ago, the exclusive to Best Buy white version of the device was still available, and with that model no longer in stock, the wait for an HTC Evo has caused frustration among customers and caused some to purchase the newly released Motorola Droid X (Verizon) or the Apple iPhone 4 (AT&T).

Customers are not the only ones upset with the shortage however, Sprint is equally upset. Sprint expected to have a larger lead on the 4g coverage race, but due to shortages for various parts, namely the touchscreens, of the Evo, Sprint is quickly losing that advantage. With no available phone to access the 4G network, few customers are able to experience the service.

Hopefully HTC finds a way to get parts suppliers to make more of the needed parts, that way customers will once again be able to get the hands on this hot device.