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news from around the web from people addicted to tech

Sprint has announced that this summer it will be releasing the HTC Evo, a 4G Android phone. It seems like people have given up on an “iPhone killer” but this is quite a powerful phone.

[UPDATE: Sprint has not yet announced pricing.]

Android 2.1 isn’t the only cool thing this phone comes with. The HTC EVO 4G will arrive with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, DUAL cameras – 8 megapixels for shooting forward and 1.3 megapixels for shooting backward. The forward facing camera will be able to do stills as well as HD video.

In terms of wireless yes, it’s a 4G phone, it’s got Wi-Fi, AND it has the built in ability to act as a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight, read again, EIGHT, devices.

Much to Apple’s dismay it will also come with, gasp, a Flash player and pinch to zoom. The jury is literally still out on whether Apple will let HTC keep the latter.

What’s the deal with 4G? Well, Sprint claims that their 4G at 6 megabytes per second is up to 10 times faster than 3g, if that’s the case it’s blazing fast. Equally as fast as most home services but alas, no 4g in my neighborhood yet.

According to Sprint, “Sprint currently offers 4G service in 27 markets, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., San Antonio and Seattle. Following is a comprehensive list of markets by state where Sprint 4G is currently offered: Georgia – Atlanta, Milledgeville; Hawaii – Honolulu, Maui; Idaho – Boise; Illinois – Chicago; Maryland – Baltimore; Nevada – Las Vegas; North Carolina – Charlotte, Greensboro, (along with High Point and Winston-Salem), Raleigh (along with Cary, Chapel Hill and Durham); Oregon – Portland, Salem; Pennsylvania – Philadelphia; Texas – Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, San Antonio, Waco, Wichita Falls; Washington – Bellingham, Seattle. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/4G. ”

Hopefully you can find some 4G-ness around you so you can really take advantage of the speed, I can’t.

Lastly here are some of the more interesting specs on the phone:

• 3G/4G capability
• Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 1GHz processor
• 4.3” capacitive display with pinch-to-zoom
• Android 2.1
• Sprint Navigation turn-by-turn driving directions and 3D maps
• Visual voicemail
• 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability for up to eight devices
• 8MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash and 1.3MP front-facing camera
• 720p capture
• Output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (720p) via HDMI cable (sold separately)
• Live video sharing with Qik
• Built-in kickstand
• FM radio and Amazon MP3 store
• Bluetooth® 2.1 with A2DP Stereo and EDR
• Built-in WiFi®: 802.11 b/g
• Digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS
• Expandable memory: 8GB microSD card included; supports up to 32GB
• Main display: 4.3” WVGA (800×480) 65K colors