Sprint to launch Gingerbread smartphone and tablet on June 24

By Clint Boulton
2011-06-07

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Sprint will ship the 4.3-inch HTC Evo 3D 4G smartphone and seven-inch HTC Evo View 4G tablet on June 24 for $200 and $400, respectively. Both devices run Android 2.3, and offer the latest Sense UI layer -- which is now supported with a new HTCdev developer site and an OpenSense SDK to tap the Evo 3D 4G's 3D capabilities and the Evo View 4G's Scribe pen technology.

Sprint, which has been pushing out Android products at a speedy rate of late, will begin selling the HTC Evo 3D smartphone and HTC Evo View 4G tablet June 24. The carrier, which recently launched the Kyocera Echo and Samsung Nexus S 4G Android smartphones, is selling the Evo 3D 4G for $200 with a two-year contract. HTC's seven-inch Evo View 4G tablet will cost $400 with a two-year data deal, says the carrier.

Both devices, which were first announced in March, will ship with Android 2.3 ("Gingerbread"), plus the usual high-end Google apps and mobile services, and the latest version of Sprint's Sense UI layer.

HTC Evo View 4G (left) and Evo 3D (right)

Last week, HTC announced a new OpenSense SDK (software development kit) for Sense, as well as a new HTCdev developer community and website for the UI layer. The OpenSense SDK is said to include open APIs to provide access to HTC’s Scribe Pen API, available with the View 4G (see below), as well as HTC’s 3D API for exploiting the capabilities of 3D devices such as the Evo 3D 4G, says HTC.

Evo 3D 4G

HTC's Evo 3D 4G sports a 4.3-inch, quarter high-definition (qHD) display with 960 x 540 resolution, says Sprint. This stereoscopic upgrade to the HTC Evo 4G is said to let users view content in 3D without requiring special 3D glasses.

The handset (pictured at right) drew rave reviews at the CTIA show in March, when it was announced under the name "Evo 3D." The name has now been expanded to show off the phone's 4G WiMAX connection.

Powered by the new 1.2GHz, dual-core version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the Evo 3D 4G ships with a 1GB RAM and 4GB internal flash memory. The phone also has a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera and dual five-megapixel cameras that can be used in unison to take stereoscopic 3D pictures, says Sprint.

The 5.0 x 2.6 x 0.48-inch phone weighs six ounces and runs on a 1730mAh battery, says the carrier. Other features are said to include 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, and HDMI connections.

The Evo 3D 4G is further equipped with a microSD slot, 3.5mm headset jack, micro-USB port, and FM radio, says Sprint. The phone is also said to feature a digital compass and a full slate of sensors.

Evo View 4G

The Evo View 4G is more or less the HTC Flyer tablet the company unveiled at Mobile World Congress in February. The View 4G (pictured at left) also offers the same HTC Scribe digital pen accessory, which lets users draw on and mark up documents or web pages, including highlighting documents, circling and notating parts of web pages, and even switching colors.

Fitted with a seven-inch, 1024 x 600 resolution display, the tablet is powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The Evo View 4G supplies 1GB RAM and 32GB of internal flash memory, as well as a microSD slot, says Sprint.

The tablet is said to offer a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera and a single five-megapixel rear-facing camera. The Evo View 4G is further equipped with 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and GPS, says Sprint.

Like the Evo 3D, the tablet can operate on Sprint's 3G and 4G WiMAX networks. Other features are said to include a 3.5mm headset jack, micro-USB port, a digital compass and the usual sensors.

Measuring 7.7 x 4.4 x 0.5 inches, the Evo View 4G weighs 14.9 ounces (421.8 grams), says Sprint. The tablet is said to run on a 4000mAh battery.

Evo View 4G

The Evo View is something of a tweener tablet. While most Android tablets today are launching with the tablet-tailored Android 3.0 ("Honeycomb") build, this slate will launch with Gingerbread. However, Sprint said it will be updated over the air to Honeycomb when it is available for a seven-inch gadget form factor.

Availability

Customers can pre-order HTC Evo 3D or HTC Evo View 4G at any participating Sprint store with the purchase of a $50 Sprint gift card for each device. Sprint stores will open at 8 a.m. local time nationwide June 24.

The HTC Evo 3D 4G is available for $200 with a two-year contract, with availability beginning June 24, says Sprint. The phone requires activation on one of Sprint's Everything Data plans, which start at $70 a month, plus a required $10 premium data charge. Consumers may opt for the mobile hotspot option for an additional $30 per month to connect up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices to share the 4G bandwidth. Premier customers can purchase the Evo 3D online three days before the national launch while supplies last.

More information and pre-orders may be found at Sprint's HTC Evo 3D page, which still hasn't been updated with the new 4G name addendum.

HTC's Evo View 4G tablet will cost $400 with a two-year data deal, with availability beginning June 24. Rate plans for the HTC Evo View start at $35 per month for 3GB of 3G data and unlimited 4G data usage on the Sprint WiMAX network. Unlimited text, picture, and video messaging are included at no charge. Consumers may purchase 3G-only plans if they wish.

Consumers may add GPS Navigation for $3 per day or $10 per month. As with the Evo 3D, the mobile hotspot option is available for $30 per month. For a limited time, customers who purchase the Evo View 4G will receive the HTC Scribe digital pen, which usually sells for $80, at no charge with a two-year service agreement.

More information and pre-orders may be found at Sprint's HTC Evo View 4G page.

Clint Boulton is a writer for eWEEK.

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