iPhone vs. EVO, an Anandtech Review

[MrX8503]

Now Anandtech didn't do a direct review comparison, but he did do two separate reviews for both phones. Even though Anand is late to the game when it comes to reviews, I think his reviews are the best in the business. So I thought it didn't deserve to get lost in an old sticky thread that hasn't been updated where no one would see it.

These reviews are both unbiased and has more in-depth information than that of other popular tech blogs combined.

Apple's iPhone 4: Thoroughly Reviewed - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

The Sprint HTC EVO 4G Review - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

HTC EVO 4G Quote
"I really wanted to love the EVO 4G, but as I just described to a colleague of mine the experience is very bipolar. It ranges from wonderful when watching movies or reading a webpage, to frustrating when it comes to battery life or performance."

iPhone 4 Quote
"The main downside to the iPhone 4 is the obvious lapse in Apple's engineering judgment. The fact that Apple didn't have the foresight to coat the stainless steel antenna band with even a fraction of an ounce worth of non-conductive material either tells us that Apple doesn't care or that it simply doesn't test thoroughly enough."

There's quite an in-depth look at the iPhone's antenna problems and the EVO's performance disparity between the Nexus1/Incredible.

I've been fortunate enough to own both of these frequently out of stock phones, which I think are the best phones coming from Android and obviously iOS. I currently moved onto an iPhone 4, but after owning both, Anand's review hits the nail on the head.

From my experience, ATT's network is pure crap, but when it does work, you'll get really good speeds. On the EVO side, I couldn't live with the lag problems.

I advise those who care a lot about network reliability to stay away from ATT, Sprint's network is way better. In my case I can live with the downgrade in network, but I couldn't live with the EVO's laggy performance.

This thread isn't meant to see what phone is better, but which phone is better for you. I've owned both and I ended up with the iPhone4 because of my own reasons.

Let me know what you think of the articles.

 

[i.have.droid]

The OS lag is distrbing since I have an EVO on order from Sprint. Is this something that can be fixed in an update or are we screwed with a slow phone?

 

[MrX8503]

The OS lag is distrbing since I have an EVO on order from Sprint. Is this something that can be fixed in an update or are we screwed with a slow phone?

The results from XDA looks promising, but I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Currently the EVO has a 30fps cap issue, which may or may not be related to its OS lag. Since the EVO is the only Android phone experiencing this lag, its safe to assume that the 30fps cap is the problem.

Over at XDA, Toast, was able to overcome this 30fps caps, but this requires a few things:

Rooting
Version 003
A certain screen (Not the novatec, I believe)

There's also one last problem, after fixing the 30fps cap, your camera and vsync will no longer function.

So as of right now there is no official fix, but its in the works by XDA and I think HTC is working on it as well. HTC has not sent out an official word that they are fixing it however.

 

[i.have.droid]

That is great news. Thank you.

Because really the review just hated the battery and the lag and that was about it. The battery can be upgraded once a few more options come out, unlike the Iphone, and hopefully the lag can be fixed.

I already prepped for the battery issue by buying an extra wall charger to have in my office. I will have a home charger that comes with the unit and a car charger. So I should be good to go.

 

[MrX8503]

Yup no problem. Yeah I would say battery and performance are the main issues of the EVO. If you can look past that or fix it, then its a great phone.

 

[dr g]

The only device that the Evo can be considered to lag against is an iPhone, which is designed specifically to avoid and/or cover up lag with pretty graphics.

 

[MrX8503]

Compared to the Nexus 1/Incredible, the EVO does lag. Also btw, the iPhone doesn't use pretty graphics to cover up lag. Try scrolling on both devices.

 

[mbell75]

The only device that the Evo can be considered to lag against is an iPhone, which is designed specifically to avoid and/or cover up lag with pretty graphics.

Android was designed and coded to run on as wide an array of hardware as possible. This means that no Android phone uses hardware acceleration on the UI elements. Doing both the loading and graphics processing on the single processor cores in today's cell phones makes the interface appear to lag.

iOS on the other hand was designed to run on specific hardware, meaning it can take advantage of all the features and extra instructions of the cpu to improve speed. Since Apple's hardware engineers work together with the software engineers the phone is already being optimized, not being optimized by third parties after it is released.

 

[dr g]

Compared to the Nexus 1/Incredible, the EVO does lag. Also btw, the iPhone doesn't use pretty graphics to cover up lag. Try scrolling on both devices.

WAY faster on the evo. The iPhone deliberately slows scrolling down to maintain fluidity.

 

[RoboMonkey]

So to sum up what I'm reading from the OP, buy an iPhone4 it has the WiFi's.

 

[Rigmaster]

Which phone is best for you? That question can't be answered on a collective level - it's an individual-specific question. If you want the iPhone experience, get the iPhone 4 since it's their latest, best device. If you want the latest, best non-iPhone Evo's it.

These devices are both phones though so no one can overlook that having a device with a problematic antenna on a skittish network is just asking for trouble. The only fixes proposed as even remotely addressing the problems are: 1) get a case so you don't directly touch your iPhone - wow, that's special and 2) ATT saying they've invested billions in their network yet still showing significant gaps in availability and performance.

We have 2 Evos. I can guarantee you if we didn't get acceptable phone and data network from Sprint or holding the phone affected it to the point of dramatic signal loss or disconnection, we would quickly have returned them and been looking for another carrier. It's astounding that people who bought the iP4 haven't come that that conclusion and taken action.

I also won't understand the "ease of use" argument so much that iPhans continue to preach. My wife is as non-tech as anyone on earth, and she's gotten more capable with her Evo than I am. The best part - we're both going to be learning and using new features that simply aren't and will never be available on iPhones. The article missed that entirely.

 

[karong]

I have a Evo and played with my co-workers iPhone 4 for a while. Obviously both phones have their strengths and weaknesses but I'll take a half sec lag over dropped called, bad reception, and AT&T rate plans any day.

And to the OP maybe its just me but I havent experienced that much lag on my Evo at all. Compared to my Hero this thing is fast. yes the scrolling and transitions on the iphone are smoother but I dont have much lag.

 

[dr g]

I also won't understand the "ease of use" argument so much that iPhans continue to preach. My wife is as non-tech as anyone on earth, and she's gotten more capable with her Evo than I am. The best part - we're both going to be learning and using new features that simply aren't and will never be available on iPhones. The article missed that entirely.

Yup, most if not all reviews miss the tremendous Android capability/utility advantage, and in fact some go so far as to praise iOS as a strength.

 

[MrX8503]

WAY faster on the evo. The iPhone deliberately slows scrolling down to maintain fluidity.

Fast != Smooth

The iPhone is both fast and smooth. The EVO is fast, but its jerky when it transitions from point A to point B.

And to the OP maybe its just me but I havent experienced that much lag on my Evo at all. Compared to my Hero this thing is fast. yes the scrolling and transitions on the iphone are smoother but I dont have much lag.

The Lag is referring to the choppiness, not how fast it gets from point A to point B. Look at videos of the Incredible. Sliding from one homescreen to another is smoother.

I also won't understand the "ease of use" argument so much that iPhans continue to preach. My wife is as non-tech as anyone on earth, and she's gotten more capable with her Evo than I am. The best part - we're both going to be learning and using new features that simply aren't and will never be available on iPhones. The article missed that entirely.

IMO, I think Anand has the most comprehensive reviews out there. He reviews the OS separate from the phone itself. He recently reviewed iOS4 and I believe there is a review of Android as well.

How easy it is to use a device is up for interpretation. Just the other day I saw my 2 year old nephew being able to navigate the iPhone OS all by himself. If a baby can do something like that, that must have some merit.

 

[i.have.droid]

I have had my evo for one day and it is definitley smooth enough for me. I was worried about it, but it is working great so far. I had an Instinct, which was the worst phone of all time. It made me go to a keyboard and use a blackberry for 2 years. The EVO crushes them both.

 

[eric3316]

Fast != Smooth

The iPhone is both fast and smooth. The EVO is fast, but its jerky when it transitions from point A to point B.



The Lag is referring to the choppiness, not how fast it gets from point A to point B. Look at videos of the Incredible. Sliding from one homescreen to another is smoother.



IMO, I think Anand has the most comprehensive reviews out there. He reviews the OS separate from the phone itself. He recently reviewed iOS4 and I believe there is a review of Android as well.

How easy it is to use a device is up for interpretation. Just the other day I saw my 2 year old nephew being able to navigate the iPhone OS all by himself. If a baby can do something like that, that must have some merit.

I am proud to say my 2 year old nephew would not be able to navigate through my EVO. I definitely think that is a good thing. The whole world should not be treated like dumb asses!

 

[Gerbacio_PR]

from Iphone to evo...

Evo all the way..my phone is smooth as butter and as a fast as my first time!!!

nothing but praises ....i love it

 

[i.have.droid]

Yep, it's still nice and smooth for me after getting apps. It does lag up sometimes and need to be restarted, but I am having no issues with smoothness. That being said, I have never owned an Iphone, but this phone is amazing.

 

[ddoolin]

I guess since I get such frickin' wonderful speeds with AT&T (Charlotte, NC - second largest AT&T city, I think) that the iPhone is a hugely viable choice for me. Even with the antenna being borked, I'd have 5 bars everywhere except on campus, where no carrier gets service in most of the lecture halls and such, and even then there's Wi-Fi in those halls.

When I go to Florida or Louisiana, I always have great service in those places, too. Always max bars, so I can't complain. The OS is virtually the only complaint I have about the iPhone, which isn't even that bothersome until you compare it to an Android phone. The Apple App Store has much higher quality applications and about 6 times more apps, so there's a ton of variety to choose from. There's more support for accessories, too.

I'm bored. Time for my own personal iPhone vs EVO

EVO:
- Has 4G capabilities and I live in a huge 4G city.
- Larger screen (also a bad thing at the same time).
- Snappier, but also more choppy in it's movements when moving down web pages and apps and such.
- Android (customization is infinite).
- Large, supportive, intelligent, programming community.
- Sprint is cheaper for better (though Sprint service isn't as good as AT&T here).

iPhone:
- Highest quality camera/video camera on the market.
- Smaller screen, but absolutely beautiful "retina" display.
- Not as bulky, fits perfectly in my pockets.
- Battery life.
- Ultimate touchscreen experience is the smoothest out there.
- Apple App. Store has lots of high quality apps (I love the games on the iPhone).
- Uses AT&T (best service in my area and best 3G speeds).
- Large accessory market and interoperability between other Apple products and software.
- Video chatting is less glitchy/choppy on the iPhone, and has good quality comparatively.
- Jailbreaking allows for SOME customization (a lot if you know what you're doing).
- Familiarity (previously owned 3GS).

That said, I practically despise the Apple "fanboy" image and community. Although a lot of respected and intelligent people are fans of and use iPhones and Apple products, they're outnumbered 10 to 1.

 

[v01rider]

i drive a chevy and will always drive a chevy i hate closed minded people.

 

[thelobster]

also forgetting ip4 isnt jailbroken yet

 

[doganddisc]

I'll start this thread with a "please don't flame me" note. So please, don't flame me! I am not as "tech savvy" as many of you and am satisfied by the more simple aspects of smartphones.

I bought an iPhone 3g in 2008. It lasted for almost two years with minimal technical issues. My only major complaint about the iPhone is AT&T- my calls were constantly being dropped. A few months ago, the dropped calls increased dramatically. Since I use my cellphone for my business, I considered the number of client's calls being dropped to be absolutely unacceptable. I did a lot of research on available smartphones. My contract with AT&T will be up in October.

Before my contract ended, I decided to try the iPhone 4 to see if there was a difference in the number of dropped calls. I loved my 3g and, like I said, had no complaints about the functionality of the phone other than the dropped call issue. I bought the iPhone 4 on August 18 and have had two dropped calls thus far (which is a vast improvement over what I was putting up with when I had the 3g).

While I love the sleek design of the iPhone 4, I am unimpressed by how fragile the phone is. I dropped it about a day ago, which resulted in a small scuff mark on the side of the phone. I only dropped from about a foot above the concrete. I had dropped my 3g a number of times (down stairs, into water, on pavement, on wood flooring, even had a dog bite the screen, etc) and never had so much of a scratch on the thing- granted, I also had a Speck case and screen protection on my 3g. The iPhone 4 that I own does not currently have a case or screen protection since I ordered one from Apple's program (rather than pay a ridiculous $30 for a piece of .50 cent plastic). It will not be arriving until two weeks from now.

I love how easy the iPhone is for me to use. I understand how to access the applications, how to use the app store. I have had a few issues with apps crashing on the iPhone 4- but I had the same problem with my 3g. Reloading the apps usually fixed those issues. I also love the camera on the iPhone 4- the video quality is excellent and (though the images could be better) I have no complaints about the photos.

When I purchasing the iPhone 4, it was with the intention of using the 30 day trial to test out whether I really wanted to stay with AT&T, or if I wanted to go to another service provider. I am still indecisive. The only other phone I found real interest in is the HTC Evo 4g. I like how you can customize your homepage by adding widgets. I absolutely love the idea of using the phone as a hotspot. And, of course, the big screen is a big plus.

I'm hesitant, however, for a few reasons.

1) I am in the habit of keeping my cellphone in my back pocket. I did this with my 3g for two years and it never damaged the phone. But I noticed that the Evo 4g has a plastic case, which makes me wonder if it would hold up to being sat on all day. Do any of you keep your Evos in your back pocket?

2) Does anyone have an issue with dropped calls on Sprint's network? And is the unlimited data *really* unlimited? I am currently on AT&T's unlimited data plan because I signed up for it before they switched over to charging for data usage- and I get to keep that unlimited plan until I stop renewing my contract. I use an excessive amount of data, so this is pretty important for me.

3) How well does the hotspot feature work? One of the main reasons I want the Evo is for its hotspot capabilities. Does the connection drop in and out? Do you need to be on a 4g network, or can you use your 3g network? Everything I have read online says that you can use your 3g network- just making sure .

4) How susceptible is the Evo to viruses? I have seen people complaining about downloading apps that wreak havoc on their phone. Is this a common issue?

5) I get to stop using iTunes to put music on my phone- right!?

Thank you for your patience!

 

[EarlyMon]

1) I am in the habit of keeping my cellphone in my back pocket. I did this with my 3g for two years and it never damaged the phone. But I noticed that the Evo 4g has a plastic case, which makes me wonder if it would hold up to being sat on all day. Do any of you keep your Evos in your back pocket?

I certainly don't - and not just because of the plastic case. The screen is _much_ larger on the Evo, so you'll have the chance to apply more leverage on the glass from the bottom of the screen to the top - not good.

2) Does anyone have an issue with dropped calls on Sprint's network? And is the unlimited data *really* unlimited? I am currently on AT&T's unlimited data plan because I signed up for it before they switched over to charging for data usage- and I get to keep that unlimited plan until I stop renewing my contract. I use an excessive amount of data, so this is pretty important for me.

With Sprint, I've found no hidden charges compared to when I used AT&T. Call quality is better in every place in the US I've travelled to compared to AT&T and dropped calls is don't-worry.

Call quality has _nothing_ to do with number of bars - it's a binary, you have the call or you don't - and that's fab.

If you travel internationally, the CDMA-only phone may be an issue, tho.

4) How susceptible is the Evo to viruses? I have seen people complaining about downloading apps that wreak havoc on their phone. Is this a common issue?

So far the general weakness seems to be malware - apps that you allow to have too many privileges on install (these are listed upon installation choice) should be _very_ suspect.

It's not common - but it only takes one.

5) I get to stop using iTunes to put music on my phone- right!?

Ja wohl.

If you're a Mac user with that iPhone, I can provide other tips&tricks for that.

 

[One Beast]

Yea i wouldnt intentionally sit on my EVO not a good idea....You will probably crack the protruding camera lens in the first day

 

[WUESTSIDER]

I am no Phone “Techy” of any sort; however, to answer your questions regarding my experiences, here are my opinions on the subject:

1) I don’t care what type of phone I have, I would never put it in my back pocket thats just my opinion. I believe due to the size of the EVO no matter what it is made out of, you will have some damage issues with it being placed in your back pocket and sat on.

2) I’ve been with Sprint for over 1 1/2 (while using the Instinct, HERO, and now EVO), and I have never experienced a dropped call, at least that I can blame on Sprints service. As for "Unlimited Data", yes so far. I am always on the internet with all my phones and was never charged an extra fee. I am on a Family 1500 min. a month, unlimited data, unlimited mobile to mobile (any provider), unlimited texting (video and picture), and now adding the new $10 extra a month charge for the EVO 4G data thing...lol and I only pay approximately $139 a month (Including a 20% Law Enforcement Discount) for two phones (HERO and EVO).

3) The hotspot works great for me. I don’t have 4G where I am at right now, but it runs great on 3G.

4) I have never got a virus on my HERO or EVO (Knock on wood). You just have to pay attention to what type of apps you load from the market. I personally don’t load any app that has less then 4 stars. Additionally, I always read the comments regarding each app before I choose to load it.

5) Now regarding music... This is a plus for all android phones. We are not slaves to Itunes. We can load music from any source just as long as you can load it on your SD Card. Additionally, unlike Iphone, we have many apps that will give you the ability to manipulate the duration of any song on your phone and save them as ringtones, Notification tones, or simply resave them on your music player, all from your phone (ie. Ringdroid app) There is an android app that is similar to LimeWire and/or Frostwire (regarding mp3 downloads), this app allows you to search through its data base for any song you want to have and/or hear. Once you have found the song you want (like limewire / Frostwire) you simply download it to your phone for FREE!!! and its now yours to do with it what ever you want.

I hope I have answered your questions.