Official EVO Rumors and Speculation thread

[Gekko]

Good point. We've already been told the OS is fixed for 4g so what is the problem?

maybe -

1. marketing/advertising is still being planned/set up.
2. strategic reasons. product is ready to go but they want to wait until X date for X reasons.

 

[mrk]

there's no excuse for Sprint to keep dicking around and delaying this release date. HTC built the hardware and Google/HTC built the software. the EVO is essentially an Incredible with a bigger display and a 3G/4G chip in a different casing.

Do you know, I hadn't really thought of it like that before? I imagine that they're just really concerned about trying to get the 3G/4G transitions working cleanly and efficiently--that is a big, big deal. Also, they were working on improving 720p quality, too, which is another thing that the Incredible lacks.

 

[billsmed]

The reason why I agreed with your initial point bill is because the support/following that the iPhone has is undeniable and if Verizon were to get the phone all other phone makers could just forget it!! I guarantee many Droid or Incredible users would return theirs for an iPhone. Not because its a better phone but because its the iPhone and has a global reputation as an elite phone.

I would like the EVO to come out first but I do not want an EVO with bugs!! But I get your whole argument. I don't care what kind of media blitz Sprint has for the EVO that media blitz will not get the attention any iPhone would get then add on the announcement of the iPhone going to a new carrier then you have to times that media blitz times two.

Add in if the iPhone were to get 4G with Sprint and the EVO comes out 2 or 3 weeks before it.. How many people would return their EVO 4G for an iPhone 4G. I am sure maybe none of us would but you better believe a lot of Sprint customers who refuse to pay that higher plan price to AT&T would..

The EVO could be released with twice the current specs and people will still go for the iPhone. My point of view deals with a later release date, not to head off potential iPhone or Incredible buyers, but to be able to grab more attention after all the hoopla over the iPhone dies down.

 

[bendispo]

Suck some wind out of their sales after selling over 2 million phones? Not really doing much.

Each day that passes post-Incredible launch without solid details will mean some people go with the Incredible.
Each day closer to June 22nd (when the next iPhone is expected to be unveiled), its a missed opportunity because people will say "I'll just wait to see what the next iPhone is like"

To me, Sprint needs to release the phone ASAP from a business standpoint. They really have a small window of opportunity to attract NEW customers who aren't tech-geeks and salivating over a spec sheet.

I totally agree. The Incredible thread here at android forums has been going crazy, and pre-orders on the Incredible have repeatedly been creating havoc on the Verizon website. People are going with the Incredible because it is here now. If the release dates of the Incredible and the EVO had been switched, a very large portion of those who are going with the Incredible would have ordered the EVO... though perhaps I fail to account for the overzealous Verizon fanboys (there seem to be way too many of them).

To be honest, I've been seriously considering going with the Incredible because of lost patience (The EVO and the Incredible are very closely spec'ed since I'm not really into 720p video recording and since I'm ambivalent about the screen [extra size for the EVO / AMOLED for the Incredible]). Plus, I've been out of contract at Sprint for 5 months now. I've had to restrain myself multiple times, but ultimately what's kept me from going with the Incredible is the value of my Sprint plan, which is much better than anything I could get at Verizon (not even close), and ultimately, the EVO is the better spec'ed phone. I'm just impatient from waiting... In the tech world a day spent waiting for something is a day closer that product nudges towards obsolescence. But, I'm still here, no?

 

[billsmed]

No disrespect, obviously, but I don't know why they couldn't release it "on time" (being early-mid June, though as you say, "on-time" could mean any time in the summer) and then advertise more heavily once they iPhone blitz has died down.

On the other hand, they could still release it in June--the people who were definitely, definitely going to get an iPhone would wind up having gotten it in the range of a few days to a week after release.

I just don't really feel that torturing the people most excited about their new killer device is a good idea. Especially when the aspects that make the device so awesome will not be as special in a few months as they are right now.

EDIT: Wow, this thread moves fast. This was in response to the post of Bill's which starts:

So you're saying go ahead and release the phone in early June (ahead of schedule) to make everyone here happy. We would be like beta testers in a sense - just a small, informed group. Then after all the hoopla dies down, start the major media blitz after Sprint has had a chance to hear from us?

Works for me

 

[stevbl01]

The EVO could be released with twice the current specs and people will still go for the iPhone. My point of view deals with a later release date, not to head off potential iPhone or Incredible buyers, but to be able to grab more attention after all the hoopla over the iPhone dies down.

I agree with your later release date idea... I hope my reply didn't come across like I thought you meant that it would head off potential iPhone or Incredible buyers.

 

[billsmed]

not at all stevbl01. I'm mostly just trying to stimulate some conversation and it's nice to hear everyone's opinion. I still think Apple people are going to buy iPhones and Verizon people are going to buy the Incredible. The smart ones will buy the EVO 4G from Sprint. Not only will they have the best phone, but they'll have the best priced plans, so they'll save a lot of money too. I also have to give Sprint's customer service high marks based on personal experience.

 

[hopalee]

I don't care who buys what; I just want an Evo and ASAP! I got a Pre the day it came out, I'm sure I can deal with whatever is "wrong" with the Evo! That's just MY 2 cents!

 

[mrk]

So you're saying go ahead and release the phone in early June (ahead of schedule) to make everyone here happy. We would be like beta testers in a sense - just a small, informed group. Then after all the hoopla dies down, start the major media blitz after Sprint has had a chance to hear from us?

Yep, that's exactly it. And the phone should be ready, so we wouldn't even have the status of beta testers--we'd be using a fully-functioning phone. We would be beta testers in that we could offer useful suggestions to Sprint/HTC, and they could make absolutely sure (rather than just testing-room sure) that the phone would work as intended for the general populace.

However, I think that this plan is too clear-cut to actually happen.

 

[mogulust]

This talk of a later release is ridiculous and pointless! Reliable sources say June 6th and 13th, sprint's little EVO giveaway blogging contest schedule lines up with those dates, there are press events lined up for mid may, they've already lost potential customers who've gone for the Incredible, and the longer they wait the more customers they will lose who will go for the readily available option, no matter what the advertisement strategy is like. I realize some people are just hedging their bets since the stated release was "summer", so that if it is released in early June it's a nice surprise, but be realistic and face the facts: It is not coming in August. It is coming in early June. Why even speculate otherwise?

 

[stevbl01]

not at all stevbl01. I'm mostly just trying to stimulate some conversation and it's nice to hear everyone's opinion. I still think Apple people are going to buy iPhones and Verizon people are going to buy the Incredible. The smart ones will buy the EVO 4G from Sprint. Not only will they have the best phone, but they'll have the best priced plans, so they'll save a lot of money too. I also have to give Sprint's customer service high marks based on personal experience.

I agree Sprints plans are the best and the EVO 4G will be the best phone to date!!!

 

[Norril]

I search and could not find that post. Did you do a step by step?

Man I have a lot to catch up reading, but I have to head for the city so I am sure when I come back there will be another 10 pages.

TS out

I am sure a few times I have discussed how I want to replace my laptop with the Evo. BT kbd, portable monitor (search web on Medl) and Citrix Receiver client for Android. The key is you need to work for a company that uses Citrix for delivering either applications or virtual desktops. If your company doesn't, then you can download a basic XenDesktop setup from Citrix and create your own personal environment. This is not a task for your common end user, but should be left to IT professionals to perform.

I am going to do a full write up on my laptop replacement setup, once I get the Evo and all the pieces working. I will put a link here for the full how to, when I do.

My earlier posts may not have been very specific. Some of the references may also have been in the Incredible thread and also in other Evo threads here.

 

[pablo.station]

Hello everyone, obviously I'm new to this forum.

Just wanted to say that the amount of info that's been given by the members of this forum is great & greatly appreciated.

I am currently with Verizon right now (I wont tell you what phone because im embarrassed) but waiting for the EVO to drop so I can drop VZW. I must admit that when the INC pre orders became available I was very tempted, but I've been following the Supersonic/EVO since last year and made up my mind that if this phone is real then its going to be my next phone. Well we all know its real and my want for the EVO is still as strong. The wait is not very fun though.

 

[bendispo]

Anyway, just as a word of encouragement, I think we can all be fairly certain that the phone (both hardware and software) will be ready to go by the mid/late May. From the limited marketing that's come forth this week, it seems as if Sprint is confident of it too.

The first confirmation of this mid/late May timeframe is the Sprint Premier EVO giveaway. Semifinalists (initial winners of the 10 EVO's) will be notified on May 18th, and will need to have their first blogs about the phone up by May 26th (when voting on the blogs begin to determine the finalists who will go on the vacation trips). So, somewhere between May 18th and 26th, the EVO will need to be in final form and received by the contest semifinalists.

The second confirmation comes through the EVO 4G / Prince of Persia event in New York on the 12th. I think it's fairly safe to assume that Sprint's going to have to show near-final versions of the EVO at the event.

Anyway, I'm fairly confident that the EVO will be ready by mid/late May... which means that if Sprint doesn't delay the phone for marketing reasons, we should definitely be on track to buy them early June.

 

[mogulust]

Anyway, just as a word of encouragement, I think we can all be fairly certain that the phone (both hardware and software) will be ready to go by the mid/late May. From the limited marketing that's come forth this week, it seems as if Sprint is confident of it too.

The first confirmation of this mid/late May timeframe is the Sprint Premier EVO giveaway. Semifinalists (initial winners of the 10 EVO's) will be notified on May 18th, and will need to have their first blogs about the phone up by May 26th (when voting on the blogs begin to determine the finalists who will go on the vacation trips). So, somewhere between May 18th and 26th, the EVO will need to be in final form and received by the contest semifinalists.

The second confirmation comes through the EVO 4G / Prince of Persia event in New York on the 12th. I think it's fairly safe to assume that Sprint's going to have to show near-final versions of the EVO at the event.

Anyway, I'm fairly confident that the EVO will be ready by mid/late May... which means that if Sprint doesn't delay the phone for marketing reasons, we should definitely be on track to buy them early June.

Exactly.

 

[travisr528]

, but to be able to grab more attention after all the hoopla over the iPhone dies down.

I don't think the hoopla will die down by July / August, it will only grow as more and more devices are release to compete with Apple. I believe it would be in Sprint's best interest to get a jump on the Iphone ad's like a month before and win over some customers now. I almost can't look at engadget, why because it is full of Iphone stuff and were are still two months away from the release of it. I don't care how much Sprint test this phone it will still have bugs. I do not believe ANYONE here has or has owned a Palm,WinMo, or Android phone bug free. I think they need to look at the 4G aspect of it and make sure it doesn't have the Nexus one 3G issue and worry about the small potatoes later. If released in May there only competition is the outdated Droid ad's, and Incredible ad's, sure and the Nexus One, two of three competition phones have been out for almost 6+ months. Now is the time to capitalize in the smart phone market, just before Summer when everyone is out of school, people are going on vacations and traveling. This is a good time to show what "The EVO DOES" instead of what Droid will do slower. Lol. Just my two sense on the subject.

 

[bigr97]

Sprint need to use media blitz next month for good pr. One they can give all of the media types a free demo phone with most things working and tell them all, we are not scared, worried, or even bothered, that verizon has the new incredible or a couple weeks after our phone drops the new iphone will be released. The HTC EVO 4G is and will be the go to phone, their phones are good but ours is better. They could sale that, our phone makes their phone web browsing more enjoyable. We do not know all of the facts for the EVO but what we do know, man oh man I would not be worried let apple drop the new phone we may not be able to get all the new iphone customers but the ones we do get will get a phone that is so much more than just a phone it is an experiance.

Just what I was sitting here thinking while I read through the forum. Word of mouth is going to be key, I went to the barber shop earlier today and u know the buzz was all about the iphone. Well I put in my two cents and started talking about the EVO, barbers and customers were like no way could not believe the the specs I kept telling them it is going to be a monster, and all they could say was we will see. The worry in there eyes was funny that something that powerful could take down the next iphone they would not hear it. Ok I am starting to blablabllabl. Till next time.

 

[Gekko]

i think the EVO is ready now. i think Sprint knows the price and the release date and all other product details.

they are now just simply following their preplanned marketing/launch timeline.

 

[Gekko]

IMO Sprint really should have called this phone the "Supersonic 4G". it has so much more sizzle and marketing value than "EVO 4G". Joe Blow doesn't know what 4G means. but Joe Blow knows that "Supersonic" means FAST and SPEED.

 

[mrk]

That's a good point, bendispo, and I'm surprised I didn't think of it before.

If the Evo is being given out to these people to play with, ostensibly to have them blog up a storm about the phone and get people excited about it, it damn well better be ready for them to use, or their plan could and would backfire. If the phone is ready then, why not release it then? Sprint would still be doing the winners and themselves a favor--they'd still get publicity from giving away free phones and service, as well as having an official channel through which these people could rave about their experiences with the phone, and the winners would still get, well, free phones and free service, as well as the vacation-packages they're offering.

Sure, the blogs wouldn't be as big a deal if everybody could go out and buy the phone, but I still feel that they'd certainly be helpful. On the whole, I think it would be a better business decision to release it when it's ready, advertise as much as possible, let the iPhone wave break over them, and then go into a full marketing frenzy.

Then again, I'm not studying business, and physicists aren't exactly known for their business prowess (cough, Tesla, cough). These are just my thoughts, right off the top of my head, with little filter applied. Feel free to point out some glaringly obvious error that I may have made in my assumptions, if you find one.

 

[billsmed]

This talk of a later release is ridiculous and pointless! Reliable sources say June 6th and 13th, sprint's little EVO giveaway blogging contest schedule lines up with those dates, there are press events lined up for mid may, they've already lost potential customers who've gone for the Incredible, and the longer they wait the more customers they will lose who will go for the readily available option, no matter what the advertisement strategy is like. I realize some people are just hedging their bets since the stated release was "summer", so that if it is released in early June it's a nice surprise, but be realistic and face the facts: It is not coming in August. It is coming in early June. Why even speculate otherwise?

Well, Sprint announced a summer release, not spring. Everything else so far is just rumors, mostly from Jackson and he gets his information from someone that gets it from someone else (no Jackson bashing intended, I love the guy too). If Sprint says it will be released in the spring instead, great. I'm all for it.

Look, I've been hanging around in this forum since last November. I was a lurker for awhile, but then registered so I could see some of the pictures that were being posted in the Nexus One forum. I believe it was January when the first rumor about the Supersonic (EVO 4G) surfaced and I've been on that bandwagon ever since. Believe me, I'm antsy too, but the phone isn't even ready yet, according to what Self Praise said today.

I'm just saying, some people are calling for a "May" release, but we know that's not going to happen. Then in June, ALL of the media attention is going to center around the iPhone. As much as I want the EVO right now, I want them to have it in perfect working order before they release it. If the phone has problems, the iPhone media (which is most media organizations) is going to have a hay day with it. They'll be unmerciful!!

Since Sprint is still saying "summer", that's what I'm betting on. I've waited all this time for it, what's a couple of more months?

 

[travisr528]

I just realized there are alot of people from Austin in here, Texas in general. If going to pre-order at bestbuy stay away from the one off of I-H35 and SH-45 lol. Just kidding I am not sure if I am willing to go stand and wait at bestbuy at 5 in the morning for the Evo yet.

 

[PyroSporker]

That's a good point, bendispo, and I'm surprised I didn't think of it before.

If the Evo is being given out to these people to play with, ostensibly to have them blog up a storm about the phone and get people excited about it, it damn well better be ready for them to use, or their plan could and would backfire. If the phone is ready then, why not release it then? Sprint would still be doing the winners and themselves a favor--they'd still get publicity from giving away free phones and service, as well as having an official channel through which these people could rave about their experiences with the phone, and the winners would still get, well, free phones and free service, as well as the vacation-packages they're offering.

Sure, the blogs wouldn't be as big a deal if everybody could go out and buy the phone, but I still feel that they'd certainly be helpful. On the whole, I think it would be a better business decision to release it when it's ready, advertise as much as possible, let the iPhone wave break over them, and then go into a full marketing frenzy.

Then again, I'm not studying business, and physicists aren't exactly known for their business prowess (cough, Tesla, cough). These are just my thoughts, right off the top of my head, with little filter applied. Feel free to point out some glaringly obvious error that I may have made in my assumptions, if you find one.

Mrk and Bendispo, please refer to my post from last night. 1 page back.

Maybe stores are going to get prototypes or dummy phones to display before the actual release date? Maybe that could be why a few are reporting the rumor of the phone coming in May? Or maybe it is because the special New York event and advertising blitz will begin in May? The "buzz" will begin in May?

Based upon the recently posted contest from Sprint for the "Blaze Across America with 4G" campaign, I believe that a May release is unlikely, rather, we remain on steady track for an early June release.

I am getting these dates below from the official rules from the Sprint Blaze Across America Contest.

The contest entry period ends Sunday, 05/09/10, and the 10 semi-finalists will be contacted Tuesday, 05/18/10. The stipulation is that the 10 semi-finalists will get the phone prior to the street date and have an opportunity to blog about the phone and "create a buzz". So between 05/18/10 and 05/26/10 the winning semi-finalists will likely receive their phone, and post a blog about the phone that will be posted and voted on by the public starting Wednesday, 05/26/10. I do not think that Sprint would release the phone prior to the public voting (05/26/10) for these blogs since it would deafeat the purpose of having the contest entirely.

Assuming a Sunday release date, that leaves only Sunday, 05/30/10 for a possible May release day, and I believe that is too close to the public release of the semi-finalist blogs. While it is technically possible to have a May release, I deem it rather unlikely. I realize that word on the net moves quickly, but 3-4 days does not seem long enough for those blogs to be fully realized by the public voting for them. Word needs to travel farther than just the internet and "buzz" the general populace as well for it to be a worthwhile contest and ad campaign.

The next Sunday after 05/30/10 is 06/06/10, and coincides with the well substantiated rumors for a pre-registration/pre-release of the phone. 10 days is long enough for "buzz" to take place and the blog contest to pay it's dividends. Also, if you look out one more week to 06/13/10, that gives about 17 days of marketplace "buzz" to take place.

I know it is a stretch for me to put on the hat of Sprint Marketing, and pretend like I know what they would/should do, but the timeline looks pretty well laid out to me, and right in line with the June rumor that has been out there for months. I have no inside sources and nothing to go on other than the info that has been given to us by way of the contest, my own logic, and my intuition,; Plus the June rumor that has been circulating since before we knew what the phone was called.

I think that the official contest info is the most solid evidence we have seen to date, and should be well considered.

(The only thing I haven't/can't account for is other retailers selling the phone, but I would think that it would/should be closely in complinance with Sprint. Maybe Sprint will for some reason give Best Buy the go ahead to sell on 05/30/10 3-4 days after the blog voting starts?)

 

[Norril]

When I said earlier that Sprint might be better off waiting until July or August to release the EVO, it drew some positive, but mostly negative posts. I'm sure this is one of the things Sprint is wrestling with everyday.

My post was mostly in regards RiverOfIce statement when she said "But trust me sprint, if you release the evo against the iphone, and the iphone is on another carrier, you are going to get creamed".

Self Praise told us awhile ago that the software part of the phone isn't finished yet. I don't know about you guys, but I don't want a phone with bugs. That would certainly hurt Sprint's chances with a really great phone on their hands.

From what Jackson and others are saying, the soonest the phone can drop is June and that could mean big trouble, because Apple will be sucking all the news and the EVO will go unnoticed. No matter what, the EVO sales figures have no chance of being what the iPhone sales are going to be. A couple of weeks ago, I posted a graphic in this thread, showing in February of this year, iPhone sales equaled all other smartphone sales combined and they were double that of all Android phones combined.

When I said a July or August release could suck some air out of Apple's sails, I only meant that after all the pro-Apple media events die down, would Sprint have a good chance of capturing the attention with the EVO 4G. There's no way the EVO can compete in the month of June against Apple. Look at how much attention the iPhone is getting already compared to almost none for the EVO.

I know a lot of you will disagree with me, because you want the phone so bad, but so do I. I'm just willing to wait longer for the iPhone explosion to die down first, because I think the EVO will have a better chance by then and we'll have more WiMAX in service by then too. If it's an August release, it's still summer and Sprint saves face. I can't help but think it would be the smart thing to do. I'm certainly not going to jump ship and there's no way I'll be buying an iPhone.

The only exception to this I can see, is a huge media blitz by Sprint and to some extent, it looks like that could happen. Still, I think Sprint's chances improve greatly with a July or August release. Since we haven't heard anything officially, I think it could happen. I'm just saying... I'm just being the messenger, so please don't hate me.

Bah! Nobody hates the honorable Bill

I agree with you and disagree with you. Swinging iPhone users over is going to be hard to do. Apple folks are not easily swayed. Talk to an iPhone user about multitasking and they say "but it is comming soon!" and tell them it is really just app standby adn they say "but I can listen to iTunes and do one other app at same time supposedly", so it is a battle we aren't really going to win.

Someone else commented that the Incredible and Verizon is who we ought to be most concerned with and that I completely agree with. Based on that, we need this Evo out ASAP. I went to Best Buy yesterday to show my GF what her new phone was going to look like and she loved it - Incredible. Hey, if it weren't for the Evo, I'd have Incredible on pre-order myself.

If we take incredible out of the picture and this is a competition against the iGroan, then I would completely agree with Bill. I just think we have to fight the Incredible battle first.

HTC execs would probably agree with Bill and want to hold off. Sprint execs would disagree in my opinion.

Finally. PLEASE DO NOT release the Evo with bugs. I use my phone for business and can't afford to have a buggy turd in my pocket, no matter how pretty it is. The Palm Pre is a phone I really wanted to work, but it was so completely unready for release that I had to can it. Today, the phone has every single problem worked out, but it is just too late. When you go out on a first date and the date completely blows (in a bad way), do you set a second date, or dump and move on?

 

[Lindseybp]

The biggest problem I see if they would decide not to release until July or August is just the speed with which other carriers could bring new products to market. By July or August there could be a phone ready for Verizon or AT&T that could have the same or better specs than the EVO. Several months is a long time when dealing with technology.