In the next few days, Sprint will be rolling out some updates for these devices. Most are pretty minimal. The “Security Update” could be to remove the controversial CarrierIQ software. Here’s what’s included in the updates:

HTC Evo 4G
Security Update
Updated Peep client (to align with Twitter)
Battery life improvements

HTC EVO Design 4G
Security Update
Updated Peep and Sprint Zone clients
Battery life improvements
3LM Enterprise Tool Access (no user interface changes)

Samsung Epic 4G
Security update
Speaker feedback fix
The QIK and Asphalt 5 applications are no longer preloaded – when tapping on their icons you will be redirected to the Android market to download them from there.

Source: IntoMobile

This is great news for Sprint customers! Verizon Wireless recently started doing this on most of their smartphones and looks like Sprint caught wind and decided to do it also.

I myself do everything to avoid paying the extra $100 everytime I need to upgrade to another smartphone. It seems Sprint is starting to realize they’re are losing some money on hardware sales by pushing their customers towards other vendors such as Best Buy, Radio Shack, Amazon and a few other to avoid those Rebates.

Is their next step to be more competitive in their hardware pricing?

Geeks, what do you think?  Let us know by responding in that cool white box below.

Source: Phonescoop

The title says it all. If you don’t already know, Honeycomb has been ported for use on the HTC Droid Incredible, HTC Evo 4G and the HTC Desire HD. This isn’t the official update that everyone’s been talking about or hoping for but it’s definitely a start in the right direction. Keep in mind, there are a few bugs to be worked out but hey, it’s available.

Take a look at the videos below of Honeycomb running on the Incredible and the Evo. You will notice a bit of a lag but also you’ll see how the new version of Android fits the phones very nicely.

You can find the download links here and keep in mind if you use this, it’s at your own risk!

via ZoKnowsGaming & Androinica

Not too long ago I felt the longest two seconds of my life when I accidently dropped my Evo and watched it fall to the ground. Thanks to our friends at Otterbox now you never have to worry about it again.

Over the past few weeks I have had the privilege to test and evaluate the all new HTC EVO Commuter Series Case from Otterbox.  The Commuter Series case is now available (after a long anticipated wait) and willing to protect your HTC EVO from the elements to include scratches, dings, dust and bumps while allowing full usability of the device. For $34.95, you get a triple-layer case that comes with a self-adhering protective film and features silicone port plugs, added shock/bump protection, and separate cutouts for the camera, flash, and speaker.

The Commuter provides two-layers of protection, a smooth silicone and a tougher polycarbonate shell that latches on top of the silicone. This will add some considerable bulk and weight, which may not be ideal for users who prefer to keep the phone slim. The extra shell appears very durable and beneficial should the phone be dropped or at risk for scratching.

As I mentioned earlier I have tested this case for about three weeks now and I have to say for the most part I am very satisfied with the product. Within the first few hours of having the case on the phone I accidently dropped the phone on some concrete and to my surprise there was no notable damage to the HTC EVO, the only damage done was a few slight scratches to the phone case that were barely even noticeable. The case is not waterproof but will provide some protection against rain. Using the case day-to-day I have to say I love everything about it, well everything except the awkward chin that covers the USB and HDMI ports. I think this part could have been designed a little bit better. I would have liked to see the silicone shell fit a little snugger. The silicone cover is a little lose and allows dirt and lint to get underneath it along the edges, not to mention the silicone cover is a lint magnet but wipes off pretty easy with any cloth. As I mentioned earlier the case does add some extra bulk and weight to the slim and elegant HTC EVO but in my opinion is worth the protection of the case.

The Commuter Series is the first of several cases OtterBox has planned for the HTC EVO, so this isn’t the last you’ll see of the company here on PPCGeeks.

If you frequently visit this site, then I’m sure you’ve heard of Seidio by now. They make tons of accessories for our favorite smartphones, ranging from extended batteries to cases. Today I got the opportunity to review the Seidio Innocase II Surface for the Sprint HTC Evo 4G.

I previously had the Body Glove case, which can be purchased at a Sprint store. They each have their own unique style and design, and they both have their own pros and cons. We’ll mainly be focusing on the Innocase today though.

First of all, it has Seidio’s common 2 part design, the top and bottom. You slide one part on the top of the phone and the other over the bottom, then they snap together. They do stay together and haven’t come apart on me yet. It offers good protection around the edges and back of the phone, but nothing for the screen. Most cases for touchscreen devices don’t offer protection for the screen anyway, but some do come with a screen protector.

It offers a better grip than the phone by itself by having a soft coating while still offering protection.

It doesn’t really get in the way of any buttons, but it does make the power button a little difficult to press since the case is close to it. It also doesn’t block any ports or sensors.

For about $25, its not a bad case at all and offers about the same amount of protection as most other cases in its class. For those needing more protection, there are other cases out there, but they usually add more bulk. This is great for those that don’t want to add more bulk but want to add some protection.

There’s been some reports of people getting scratched Evo’s with this case, but Seidio redesigned the case to prevent this from happening. If you have one of the original cases, its recommended that you contact them for a replacement. Since I only had this case for a couple of days, I didn’t notice any scratching with mine and it had a tight fit, so I believe its the newer design. The inside is made of the same material as the outside and there’s a felt padding in the middle of both pieces.

If you don’t already have a case or have one you’re not satisfied with, I would highly recommend giving this one a try.

Find it at the PPCG store today!

http://store.ppcgeeks.com/productaccessories.asp?id=64168&n=Seidio-Innocase-II-Surface

We’re a little late on this story, but better late than never right? Our Evo forums are all a buzz about the news that Froyo (Android 2.2) is officially coming to the Evo starting next week, as early as Tuesday 8/3. There are reports saying that it will be a gradual rollout, with all phones receiving the update by the middle of August.

If you don’t want to wait for the official OTA to download, you can go into your settings and select System Updates > HTC Software Update. There are also rumors saying that this method could start working as early as Sunday, August 1st.

The Google Nexus One is the only other phone to officially sport Froyo, so this is good news for Evo owners considering their phones also run the SenseUI. Froyo features include faster performance (thanks to a JIT compiler in the kernel), voice dialing over bluetooth, a faster browser with full Flash support, and the ability to install apps to the SD card. The Market will also offer automatic updates for your installed apps, which is an individual setting for each app.

Froyo also features a built-in WiFi Hotspot feature to allow wireless tethering. There’s no word on how Sprint will handle this considering they charge extra for their Hotspot app. It could be disabled by Sprint/HTC, or they might allow it. Time will tell on that one.

If you’re rooted and/or using a custom ROM, you should still be able to get the update, but it WILL break root, at least until a new method is found.

Those of you that are rooted or using a custom ROM, will you still install the official update?

Those of you that try to do a manual download/install, please report back once you start having success and report on its performance!

Source: PCMag

There are a few Android updates coming out over the next few days. First of all, the Google Nexus One is finally getting an official update to Froyo, with the official version being FRF83. There’s been two leaked builds over the last few weeks, FRF50 and FRF72, but this one is rumored to be official and is actually coming OTA to those stock users. Google also released their source code and its up on AOSP now.

Here are some more instructions for those who are asking. All these notes pertain to people running an unmodified T-Mobile stock version of Android. No stock update is available for AT&T models at this time. If you have a custom ROM loaded, then refer to developer of that ROM.

Since the update from FRF72 to FRF83 is only about 644Kb, there’s probably not many changes. Unfortunately there’s still no FM radio support, which was rumored to be released with Froyo.

Now onto the Evo, there’s reports showing up that are suggesting another OTA update is coming for it on June 28th. This is said to just be bug fixes and somehow “enhance wifi”, which could mean 802.11n support officially. Its also said to improve battery life and fix some Exchange issues. With Froyo finally becoming official on the Nexus One today, we highly doubt we’ll see it on the Evo by next week, but hopefully within a month or two!

There’s been some reports going around of people experiencing glass separation issues on their new Sprint Evo’s. There’s been some people in our forums discussing this same issue. In the image about, you can see that its usually the lower portion of the screen, and while it may not look bad right now, it would probably get worse over time and allow dust and condensation to get under the glass, which is never good. There’s been no official word from HTC or Sprint yet regarding this issue.

For you Evo owners, have you experienced this yet? If you check the Settings > About > Hardware Information, it appears that there’s two hardware versions of the Evo out there, a 002 and a 003. If you’re experiencing this issue, which hardware revision do you have?

Source: Our forums and Engadget

With many of our users recently upgrading to the Sprint HTC Evo 4G, it looks like there’s going to be another heavy hitter in the Android market, this time for Verizon Wireless. Meet the Motorola Droid Xtreme, or Droid X for short. We’ve heard rumors about it before, but now there’s finally some decent images of the phone, which will feature a 1GHz Snapdragon processor (some reports are saying a 750MHz TI OMAP3630 processor though), a 4.3″ capacitive touchscreen, Android 2.1, possibly an 8MP camera, and a new version of MotoBlur. It should also feature HDMI out and the usual hardware navigation keys.

The rumor is that this is one of two phones Motorola is planning on releasing next month.

The next topic related to this phone is its size. I think we all can agree that the Evo is large, and probably about as large of a phone as most of us want. There’s been a couple of images floating around that show the Droid X is even larger than the Evo because of the bezel around the screen.

Here’s an image of the Droid X, Evo, and iPhone 3Gs…

And here it is against the Droid Eris…

So, given this information, how do you think it stacks up against the Evo?

We all know Verizon is going with LTE for its 4G, but they probably won’t have a device out for it for another year. +1 for the Evo.

If, in fact, the Droid X does have the 750MHz processor, that’s another +1 for the Evo.

What about Motorola vs. HTC? Which manufacturer do you prefer?

If you have Verizon, would you prefer the Droid X, or would you be willing to switch to Sprint for the Evo? If you’re on Sprint, would you be willing to switch to Verizon for the Droid X?

Its probably still too early to answer some of these questions, but the coming months will be interesting for Android, there’s no doubt about that!

Source: GadgetUniversity

Well everyone, today is the big day lots of you have been waiting for. The Sprint HTC Evo 4G is finally available in stores! There’s been plenty happening in our Evo forums here, but we want your feedback!

What has your experience been like with the Evo? Was ordering and purchasing smooth? Are you happy with the hardware? What about those of you that switched from Windows Mobile to Android; are you happy you did?

We’re hearing that the Sprint and retail reps have been informed to perform the OTA update before letting you leave, which might not allow you to root the phone with the current method available. What was your experience with this?

Give us the dirt! Some of our staff will be getting this phone too, but we want to hear from the users!

Now that the Sprint Evo 4G is getting into people’s hands, its come time for someone to do a full teardown of the device, and the folks over at ifixit have done just that.

One of the interesting things to note is that it has the Broadcom BCM4329 chip, which is capable of 802.11n, even though the Evo is only advertised as supporting 802.11g (same as the Nexus One, which is also capable of N speeds), as well as FM connectivity. This is the same chip found in the Nexus One, but the N1’s is labeled as BCM4329EKUBG. This page lists Broadcom’s specs of that chip. Here’s a PDF showing some more details of the Broadcom chip. Note that these features are probably not functional out of the box, but will probably be available at some point, either officially or by the hacking community. Here is some information regarding the new digitizer by Atmel.

(Visit the source below to see high resolution images)

Source: ifixit (Thanks Terry for starting the thread here)

Have you ever been asked to pay for something that you couldn’t receive?  PPCGeeks’ very own blogger explains that the new 4G fee has exposed how Sprint is asking their customers to do exactly that.  Sprint’s new HTC EVO 4G phone comes with a $199 price tag but also tacks on a mandatory $10 monthly fee that they’ve labeled as a “Premium Data” add-on, similar to road-side assistance.

Our blogger has been in contact with Sprint over the last week and has been asking them for one request:  simply explain the fee.

Sprint’s “Premium Data” fee has been described by Sprint as a way of allowing their customers to experience data like never before.  They call this ride a “Richer Data Experience” and the admission cost is $10 per month.  The thing is, though, the blogger directly questioned the definition of “Premium Data” and was told that it is related to the phone’s enhanced features, such as dual HD cameras, Snapdragon processor, 4.3″ touchscreen and even a kickstand.

The obvious question here is if this fee has any relation to Sprint’s new 4G network (currently only in 33 markets).  Sprint’s answer is that it doesn’t matter if you are on your existing 3G network or in one of their new 4G areas – you must pay the fee.  They continue to state that this is related specifically to the phone.  That’s right, customers are being told that this fee will allow them to experience a “Richer Data Experience” even if they’re not in a 4G area!

Since explainthefee.com was created 4 days ago, there have been over 5,000 hits as our blogger has posted his email interactions from Dan@Sprint.com and even emails from Sprint’s Public Relations department.  The site has received numerous emails from people sharing their own stories and providing their supporting comments.

Several days ago, there was a Sprint “HTC EVO 4G Playbook” that was leaked on the Internet that poses “sample” questions that customer’s might ask their sales people.  One question in the playbook was “Why would someone in a 3G market buy an EVO 4G and pay for the $10 Premium Data?” This was answered with the following:

The EVO offers an unparalleled experience on 3G as well as 4G.  The combination of a 4.3 inch screen, built-in-kickstand, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Android 2.1 and the hallmark HTC Sense experience makes HTC EVO 4G a best-in-class 3G phone.  As 4G launches in additional markets, HTC EVO 4G will take a great 3G experience (and great apps created for 3G, especially those using video) and makes it even better on 4G.

As you can see, Sprint doesn’t clearly explain anything.  Again, they try to sell the “Data Add-on” as hardware features of the phone.  Our blogger has recently posted his last update titled “Just answer the questions.”  This is what he wants Sprint to explain:

If the “Premium Data” charge is not for the 3G nor 4G network access and the charge is for the phone features why is it that all of the “Premium Data” features are listed as technical specifications of the HTC EVO 4G phone?  If I were to take this phone to a non-Sprint area, such as the south pole, would those “Premium Data” features work, such as the 4.3″ screen, HD Camera/Camcorder, faster processor, and even kickstand?  Would I be able to use these features in Airplane mode? If I can use those in a non-Sprint area or in Airplane mode, why must I pay $10 a month to use this “add-on” when I’m not using Sprint’s data network?  Can you please explain the fee?

 You can read his ongoing saga and try to bring more attention to this mandatory “add-on” by going to http://explainthefee.com and joining thefacebook.com/explainthefee group. You can also follow the site ontwitter.com/explainthefee.

The HTC EVO 4G provides capabilities never before available on a wireless device.  The $10 Premium Data Add-on will ensure your customers receive a richer data experience and get the most out of their EVO (Not to mention customers get unlimited data on the Sprint network).

Art Work Credit: [sammich]

Sprint likes to advertise that it is leading innovation by starting the nation’s first 4G network with WiMAX, but now it appears that they’re second guessing themselves. With the other three major U.S. carriers confirming they’re going with LTE as their 4G solution, Sprint is probably getting worried about their decision to go with WiMAX, which would leave them the only carrier with that technology as of now. On Wednesday, Sprint issues a Request For Proposal (RFP) from 4G equipment manufacturers, which included LTE.

Sprint’s CEO, Dan Hesse, has even said that Sprint could easily make the switch from WiMAX to LTE if it was necessary. Sprint’s VP of Device and Technology Development, Mathew Oommen, said that Sprint needs to “future proof” its network and that it must “leverage all the assets we have in such a way that offers us the lowest cost per bit” while not becoming “prescriptive to a particular technology.” Their Senior VP of Product Technology, Kevin Packingham, also said “there’s nothing that prevents us from moving to LTE. We’re doing a technology evaluation and making a decision on our core network and how we want to evolve that going forward.”

What do you think? Since Sprint has a partner with Clearwire for WiMAX, they could probably continue to expand WiMAX in niche markets, but use LTE as the upgrade path for their CDMA network. Roaming agreements for LTE also come into play. Since Sprint has the only WiMAX network, there’s nobody to roam with, especially if the other major carriers are going with LTE. As we all know, Sprint has some pretty good roaming agreements with Verizon Wireless and US Cellular for their CDMA network.

Also, what does this mean for the upcoming HTC Evo 4G? We know it will be compatible with their existing CDMA network and their WiMAX network, but what if Sprint decides to go with LTE? Depending on the upgrade path they choose, this device might be out-dated within a year or two because it won’t support LTE. We all know how the smartphone market works though, in a year or two, we all know that there will be a better device than the Evo 4G.

What are your thoughts? What do you think is the best move for Sprint? Will this effect your plans of buying the Evo 4G?

Source: Phonescoop

We all know the HTC Evo 4G is coming to Sprint this summer, but now the latest rumor is that it will hit stores around mid-June, more specifically June 13th.

The other rumor is that the WiMax (4G) will be a $10-$20 add-on, which would include the device’s 8-device HotSpot capability. There is some confusion with this. Some are saying that 4G will be included in the current data plans (kylelerner even confirmed this with a rep) and that the add-on will only be for the HotSpot service. Only time will tell!

Source: Engadget

Next up is a little thing that we like to call Skyfire, the widely popular Internet browser currently available for Windows Mobile and Nokia Series 60 phones. Skyfire has announced that they have entered the Alpha stage of testing for their release of Skyfire for Android. They are currently looking for users willing to test their app on devices running Android 1.5 or higher and space is limited. For more information on their Alpha program, and to get on the list to try Skyfire for Android, head over to their site.

Lastly, it is noteworthy to mention that prior to their official release, the HTC Legend and Desire have already been rooted. Root access allows a user to have full access and control over Android’s system files and resources, thereby giving them the freedom to remove carrier bloatware and run apps requiring root access. It is not certain yet how HTC will answer to the root access on the Desire and Legend but rumor has it that they are already looking for a fix.

That’s all the Android news that we have for the moment, but rest assured that our eyes are open for more. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Remember this post we had last week about the HTC Supersonic being announced at CTIA? Well, it has arrived and wow! This device is quite a sight to see! Officially named the HTC Evo 4G, this super smartphone runs Android 2.1 on a 480 x 800 4.3-inch TFT LCD screen that is as crisp as the lettuce at the local market. The magic behind the display is a Snapdragon QSD8650 1GHz processor, paired with 1GB of built-in memory and 512MB of RAM – specs that exceed most devices currently on the market.

If you are an avid photographer, then the Evo’s camera may have you leaving your cheap digital camera behind as a paper weight. The Evo boasts a 8 Megapixel auto-focus camera with dual-LED flash on the rear of the device. The most enticing quality of the camera is, however, that it can also record HD (720p) video and play it back through the HDMI-output (adapter sold seperately). The device also features a 1.3 MP front-facing camera – a first for any U.S. CDMA phone. The standard 802.11b/g WiFi connectivity is present as is an 8GB microSD card. Even the battery is maxed out, with a capacity that exceeds that of the HD2.

One of the best features in terms of competition is something that catapults the HTC Evo above the Apple iPhone, the Motorola Droid, and even the HTC HD2 – 4G network connectivity via it’s Wi-Max chip. With the speeds that Wi-Max will allow, this smart phone will be able to upload and download all types of goodies faster than you can open them. No more waiting for those epic Facebook pictures to upload or waiting half-a-day for Avatar to finish downloading.

As we all know, sharing is caring, and when you have access to 4G speeds, then sharing that capability makes you on par with a Care Bear. Luckily for your friends, the Evo has built-in mobile hotspot functionality that allows for eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 4G experience.

Additionally, since this device is dual CDMA/Wi-Max (with calls going over the CDMA network and data being handled via EVDO/Wi-Max), the ability to make voice calls and have a live data stream running concurrently is possible. As of right now Sprint says this feature is still in the testing phase. If the testing is successful, then Sprint will be the only CDMA carrier to have this feature available in the U.S. Market and it will also kill those AT&T ad’s that laugh at Verizon and Sprint’s incapability to run dual data and voice streams.

Sprint has committed to no specific release date, but has said the Evo will be ready by this summer. Device and plan pricing also have not been given, but expect an additional charge for Wi-Max access. You can pre-register for the device here.

Overall, this is the flagship device that Sprint has so desperately needed. Not only does it boast top-level specifications, it helps promote the carrier’s fledgling 4G network in a way that nothing previously has been able to do. The Evo finally gives the average consumer a reason to sign up for Wi-Max. Before now, the only way to access their 4G network was with  a Wi-Max capable mobile router or a dongle to plug into a laptop. But now that there is an actual phone capable of accessing Wi-Max, the hassle of setting up another electronic device is gone. Just turn the phone on and it is super fast internet access, no extra work required.

Do you live in an area with a Wi-Max network, or are you on the list to get a Wi-Max network sometime this year? If so, will you be getting this device when it becomes avaiable?

Sprint Press Release