Here’s the deal: We’ve already reviewed the HTC EVO View 4G, under a different name. This tablet is just a re-packaged, re-branded HTC Flyer, with a few key changes, the addition of Sprint 4G coverage chief among them. If you buy the EVO View, you’ll be getting the same Android-plus-Sense-UI experience, the same fast 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor, the same excellent pen input features, and, unfortunately, the same limitations of the non-tablet-specific Android 2.3 (“Gingerbread”) that hurt the Flyer. For the in-depth nuts and bolts of you need to know about the EVO View, read our HTC Flyer review. Again, there are some differences, however, so read on if you’re interested in the EVO View.
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The short version of the Flyer review: It’s a very capable tablet that’s aimed at a specific type of user. It doesn’t run a dual-core, but instead uses a 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor that helps it zip along as fast as any Tegra-powered tablet. The 7-inch touch screen works well, but it’s smaller than many of the Honeycomb tablets we’ve seen so far with 10-inch screens. The biggest upside of the Flyer, and thus the View, is the pen input system, making it a great choice for those who want to draw on their tablets. Powered by a company called N-Trig, the tablet is remarkably detailed and accurate with pen input, and will let you do things like annotate a screenshot, or free-draw, with just the tap of a button.
The main downside of the Flyer/View is that it runs Gingerbread, which means the operating system you’re getting is one meant for phones, and not for tablets. HTC’s Sense UI covers up some of the glaring issues, but you’re still not getting Google’s best tablet effort, and without Honeycomb, which is version 3.0, you can’t get things like the updated Gmail app or video chat in Google Talk. There are some good apps on the device, like HTC Watch for video and OnLive for gaming, but the browser’s performance can be slow and the cameras are nothing special.
Pricing for the Flyer is simple: $499 for a single 32GB, Wi-Fi-only iteration. And there’s only one option for the EVO View: $399.99 plus between $29.99 and $89.99 for monthly service. A 4G plan will either cost you $59.99 per month (unlimited 4G, plus 5GB of 3G bandwidth) or $89.99 per month for unlimited 4G and 10GB of 3G. At least for now, unlike with the Flyer, you don’t need to pay the extra $80 for the Smart pen accessory, which you don’t need to operate the tablet, but is nice to have. It’s part of the introductory promotion with the EVO View, which will be available at Sprint stores later this month.
Specifications
CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8655
Operating System Google Android 2.3 or earlier
Screen Size 7 inches
Storage Capacity (as Tested) 32 GB
Dimensions 7.7 x 4.8 x 0.5 inches
Networking Options Wi-Fi, 4G
Service Provider Sprint
Design Changes
The HTC EVO View 4G is sleeker and more business-like than the Flyer, sticking to the tablet norm of black and dark gray, rather than the more noticeable but more toy-like light gray and white you get with the Flyer. The bezel around the screen is black, and the device’s shell is dark gray with lighter gray accents, and the occasional red flourish. It’s a very Droid-like color scheme, and the View actually looks like a bigger HTC Droid Incredible 2 ($199.99, 3.5 stars), with the bump-out camera lens and bumpy back. Otherwise, it’s the same device in weight and dimensions, and the same 7-inch 1,024-by-600 touch-screen LCD that is so responsive and sensitive to pen input.
New Apps
You get plenty of carrier bloatware with the EVO View. It ranges from shortcuts to websites that you’ll probably never use and games you’ll likely never play, to apps that let you access your Sprint account or other carrier services. Others, like TeleNav GPS Navigator, might be useful to some, but for many, they’ll just take up space in the app drawer. You can’t delete them, but you’ll learn to ignore them.
There are two important new cellular-coverage-related apps here. First is Sprint Hotspot, which lets you share your 3G or 4G connection as a Wi-Fi network (for a $30 per month fee). It works well as a way to get the whole family online through a single, unlimited 4G connection. The other is Messages, which is a full text-messaging client—pieced together with Google Voice or Skype apps, the EVO View could be a nice full-service phone all by itself. There’s an internal mic, but it’s not strong, so if you want to use the View as a phone you’ll want to pair it with a Bluetooth headset like the Aliph Jawbone Era ($129, 4.5 stars).
3G and 4G Coverage
The biggest difference between the Flyer and the View is all the G’s: the Flyer has none, and the View has 4. Sprint’s 4G coverage isn’t everywhere yet, but it’s growing, and where it’s available it’s fast. In my tests, in midtown Manhattan, I got 5Mbps down, and 954Kbps up, both about as can be expected from Sprint’s WiMAX network. 3G is more reliably available, but not quite as fast.
4G can be toggled on and off with just a tap in the Quick Settings menu, accessible via the pull-down Notifications windowshade; that’s key to battery life, because 4G can a serial battery killer. Toggling between 3G and 4G creates about five seconds of disconnect, but that’s not a huge problem unless you’re on a video call, and it’s nice to be able to choose between fast speeds or long life. Our own battery tests are underway, and will be posted here shortly.
Conclusions
The EVO View 4G is a solid tablet, that’s bolstered by its excellent pen input, but somewhat hampered by its lack of Google’s tablet-specific OS. HTC’s Sense UI helps, but it’s not a replacement for true tablet Android, which is Honeycomb. Overall, the View/Flyer is neither the best tablet nor even the best Android tablet your money can buy, but if handwriting, drawing and doodling are things that appeal to you, and the 7-inch screen size is right, it might be just the tablet for you. Similarly, if 4G coverage is something you must have, then you must have the EVO View 4G over the Flyer. If you want the best tablet you can buy, the Apple iPad 2 (4.5 stars, $499) still can’t be beat. But if it’s Android you’re after, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer ($399, 3.5 stars) has enough unique features, like a laptop-like docking system, to send it to the head of the Honeycomb class—for now.