We know our readers: obsessive early adopters who'll stop at nothing to have the latest and greatest software on their handsets. Just like us. Unfortunately, sometimes we get burned in the process. But the community is nothing if not tenacious. Now we've got an apparent "fix" for anyone who updated their EVO 4G to the Android 2.2 Froyo build discovered on HTC's servers, only to find out that they were running a non-final build. User Pojoman over at XDADevelopers just upped the .3 to final .6 RUU from Sprint that should correct any woes. Based on the enthusiastic feedback we're reading we'd say that this is good news. Nevertheless, the usual disclaimers apply before hitting the source link below, especially with HTC already acknowledging that a fix is on the way via official channels. Yeah, we know, blah blah blah.
The HTC EVO 4G was rooted the same day that it was originally released -- and custom ROMs free flowed to the rooted devices shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, after you flash a factory ROM you typically loose your root access. It should come as no surprise, now that the Android 2.2 (Froyo) update is rolling out over-the-air (OTA) it, too, has been rooted.
First off, the following applies only to those who have already rooted their EVO. If you haven't, the following isn't for you. However, if you aren't rooted, but are interested in doing so, you can get all the steps you need at XDA-Developers -- don't worry, it's a very easy, "one-click" process to root your EVO.
Next, I don't have an EVO in-hand to get the precise steps for you (as I've done for G1 and Nexus One step-by-step guides), but the basics are the same for all Android's, only the buttons to be pushed are different.
For those of you who've already rooted, there's a little leg work involved, you will need to change your radios (regular and WiMax) before you apply the rooted Froyo ROM. Some users have reported success without wiping. As always, if you have any problems at all, try wiping.
Applying this ROM is just like any others, boot into recovery, flash the radios (rebooting when prompted), then flash the ROM. Both RA-Recovery and Clockwork have had reported successes.
At long last, the Sprint Evo 4G is getting Android 2.2 -- nicknamed Froyo. It's the second U.S. phone to get it -- behind the Google Nexus One -- and the update will be rolling out over the first week or so of August, or you can give the manual install a try by downloading the file from HTC here, and visiting the forums for installation help.
We've gotten our hands on an official build -- though it's not quite the final build -- and have put it through its paces. The overall experience remains the same. HTC's Sense user interface remains on top of Android and is as speedy as it ever was. There new widgets and apps. A bunch of new features. And, of course, two biggies that come with Froyo -- the Just-in-Time compiler, and Adobe Flash.
So join us after the break as we dive into the Android 2.2 update for the Sprint Evo 4G. What's new in Android 2.2?
First things first: We're using software version 3.25.651.1. That's slightly different than what Sprint has said is coming in the over-the-air download, which is version 3.25.651.3. So far as we know, however, all of the major features are intact.
The Evo feels as speedy as it ever has. That's due in part, well, because Android 2.2 is just plain faster. It employs what's called a just-in-time compiler (or JIT), which gives one hell of a boost to basic processing power.
Overall, though, your general experience isn't going to change all that much. The Sense user interface looks the same, though we have some new apps and widgets to play with.
Let's take a brief spin through the new build, shall we?
OK, really, what's new then?
If you haven't already, check out our monstrous Froyo Features series, where we broke down some of the major improvements in the latest version of Android. As for what's new in Froyo on the Evo 4G? Here's Sprint's official list:
* Ability to share applications * Display events and birthdays from Facebook on Calendar * Use camera LED as flashlight * New user interface for the FM radio * Add unknown users in Facebook as friends in Friend Stream * Photo Gallery supports Facebook comments function * Send contact as vCard using SMS * Addition of MMS slideshow editor * New pre-loaded widgets including Calculator, FM radio, Message list view, Profile settings and Ringtone settings * Camcorder can use camera flash so video can be shot at night or in low light * Flash 10.1 support * Numeric PIN and alpha-numeric passwords to unlock screen * Search widget and search bar able to switch to search in different types (web, specific application, or all) * Adjustable alarm volume * Android Market widget allows installation of applications on SD card
In this video we will take a look at the new "Unrevoked" tool for rooting your HTC Sense loaded Android device. Unrevoked promises a solution to making root easy and painless. By simply downloading the program, the user can connect their device to their computer via USB, and Unrevoked does the rest. Press play below to see just how easy Unrevoked actually is as we test it on our HTC EVO 4G. Will it live up to its claim?
One important element to note here is that using Unrevoked to root your device does grant Superuser Permissions. However, it will NOT give you the ability to flash a custom ROM, such as Cyanogen. Let us know your thoughts on Unrevoked and if you've personally used it!
We're not certain that this date is going to hold -- things like this have an uncanny tendency to slip at the last possible moment -- but we're at least hopeful to see some internal Sprint communication that they're trying to get the EVO 4G updated to Froyo as soon as tomorrow, July 30. It'd be the perfect way to kick off the weekend, wouldn't it? Turns out this is no mere 2.2 upgrade, though -- they're making a bunch of changes, too, including a host of new preloaded widgets, a flashlight mode for the camera's LED flash, light-assisted 720p video, and "improvement" to the quality of said video capture (something we specifically complained about in our review). Unfortunately, it looks like the hotspot hack might be sealed off with this update, but that really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. As we said, we're hopefully the date sticks, because Sprint has identified it as a "high priority for competitive reasons" -- in other words, these guys must be feeling the Droid heat -- but the PR is apparently going to identify the week of August 1 as the first push, so the devices getting the OTA tomorrow might just be a very small, select group to ensure that nothing spectacularly bad happens. We're pulling for you, EVO owners.
YouTube, in partnership with Sundance, Ridley Scott and director Kevin MacDonald, is embarking on an ambitious project on July 24th. The project asks users to take their cameras out and tell a story about their lives and the winning entries will be selected to appear in an edited documentary with footage created by users on their own recording equipment. With modern phones like the HTC EVO 4G, the Motorola Droid X, the iPhone 4, Microsoft KIN Two, and the Galaxy S variants capable of shooting videos in HD, modern geeks would make for great filmmakers. Now, all you need is a story--your life--and an eye for shooting.
According to the project's description, "On July 24, you have 24 hours to capture a glimpse of your life on camera. The most compelling and distinctive footage will be edited into an experimental documentary film, executive produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Kevin."
If you do partake in this social documentary and share your life's story on this ambitious YouTube canvas, let us know and leave us a link to your videos.
If you have a good quality camera or camera phone, that would probably do fine as well, but for those with an HD-capable smartphone, there is little holding you back as you already have the equipment.
The “I am T-Pain” app for the iPhone, whether you’re a fan or not, has been a huge hit. The app has the ability to auto-tune and record your voice according to specific user settings. This allows users to dramatically modify the sound of their voice when singing or speaking. Unfortunately, the I am T-Pain app hasn’t made its way over to Android just yet. However, one Android developer decided to make his own auto-tune app and it’s called MicDroid.
The early version of MicDroid doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the I am T-Pain app, but it’s already showing a lot of promise. Currently, you can only record audio clips that get filtered through the app’s auto-tuner. Hopefully we’ll have the ability to distort the audio in real-time in the future. Watch the video below to see it in action and grab it for free from the Android Market (purchase the donation version for support).
Note: may not work with the G1 or Samsaung Galaxy S.
Gameloft is giving away one of its more popular Android games, Let's Golf HD, to HTC EVO 4G and Nexus One owners. Let's Golf HD is a classic arcade style golfing game, which can be quite fun. It features 63 holes in 4 distinct locations, 4 customizable characters, and advanced/casual control modes. The offer is only available for a limited time, so grab it as soon as you can if you're interested. Visit Gameloft's EVO 4G or Nexus One page to receive your complimentary copy (US only). Check out the short trailer below to see it in action.
Part one of our software comparison between the HTC EVO 4G and the Samsung Galaxy S featured a browser test and a look at the overall speed in general navigation as well.
Next up is our hardware comparison. The HTC EVO 4G features a 4.3” LCD screen and the Samsung Galaxy S is equipped with a 4” Super AMOLED screen. While Super AMOLED does certainly look better, typing on the virtual keyboard is somewhat easier on the EVO’s bigger screen.
The HTC EVO 4G initially received a lot of attention as one of the first devices to feature a Micro HDMI out port. Samsung has taken a different stance by instead implementing DLNA support, which allows users to stream media wirelessly from the Galaxy S to any DLNA supported devices.
Lastly, we take both device outdoors and into direct sunlight to determine which of the two has better outdoor performance. Watch the video below to get all of the juicy details!
If you caught Daniel Webster’s series of videos and final review on the Samsung Galaxy S, you were treated with an abundance of detail about this new device. Sporting a 4” Super AMOLED with a 1 GHz processor, the Galaxy is equipped to impress.
However, the Samsung Galaxy S is not alone in the 4”+ screen size market. I’ve decided to match the Samsung Galaxy S up against my beloved HTC EVO. The EVO has been my primary phone for a little over a month now, and I’ve been nothing but impressed. Over the next few videos, I will put the Galaxy side-by-side with the EVO and run a few comparison tests. How will the Galaxy’s software stack up? Find out below in Part 1 of our software comparison.
Even though we've seen evidence of a hack that circumvents it, we've been able to corroborate a story over at AndroidGuys this week that the HTC EVO 4G's 30fps cap on screen output is a terminal condition -- so says HTC, anyhow. The official story is that the cap was necessitated by the phone's support for HDMI-out, and there's no way the company could craft a software update to nix the limitation. Of course, as usual, we have every faith that the xda-developers community is going to magically take care of this in a way that's easy enough for at least power users to install -- but until then, you'll just need to deal with a frame rate that's just barely perceptible to the human eye. We suspect you'll manage.
If there have ever been two phones that were meant to duke it out, it would be Motorola’s Droid X and HTC’s EVO 4G. Both are the the flagship devices of their carriers (Verizon & Sprint), both sport huge 4.3″ capacitive displays, both have 8MPX camera, both…..you get the idea. This smartphone smackdown series was intended to be one round, but it came out to be over 30 mins of action, so it was clipped into two. In part 1, we cover:
* Screen * Call Quality & Speaker * Battery * Text Entry * Browser * Speed * Operating System Skin
Round 2 will declare a winner and compare:
* Still Camera * Video Camera * Design * Multimedia * Miscellaneous
