EVO 4G

dealnews Predicts When Smartphones Become Free

Buying a new smartphone shouldn't be a major expense. In fact, it shouldn't be an expense at all. dealnews archives reveal that months after a phone's release, you can snag that same handset for free. But which smartphones hit $0 the fastest, and is it ever possible to get an iPhone for free?

dealnews tracked past deals on popular smartphones to predict how long before some of today's hottest models are handed out for free:

Sprint's HTC Evo

The Previous Model: In March of 2010, HTC's Evo 4G became the first 4G smartphone to debut on Sprint's network, and it was sold directly from Sprint for $199.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate). Three months later we posted our first deal on the Evo 4G: $200 with free shipping and no rebate hassles. That following September, the smartphone dropped again to $180, and by Black Friday the phone had already slipped to $100. This June and July we finally saw the Evo 4G hit $0 with no rebates via Wirefly. Overall, it took eight months for the phone to reach 50% off and 16 months for it to hit $0.

The Current Model: HTC's latest iteration of the Evo — the Evo 3D 4G — debuted from Sprint on June 24 with a similar $199.99 price tag. This time, however, the deal didn't necessitate a mail-in rebate. And unlike the original Evo, we actually started seeing deals for the Evo 3D before its release. In fact, 16 days before the phone's official release, both Wirefly and Amazon Wireless offered pre-orders for $180 with free shipping.Read more

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Get the HTC EVO 4G in White Only at Best Buy

by jessica on Thu, 2010-07-01 05:00

Arriving in Best Buy stores on July 11 is the HTC EVO 4G from Sprint in the color white. Exclusive to Best Buy, the white version of the HTC EVO 4G allows you to create your own mobile hotspot and share the Sprint 3G or 4G network with up to 8 Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The smartphone runs on the Android operating system.

Best Buy is taking pre-orders for the white version of the HTC EVO 4G, which is the first 4G smartphone in America. It officially launches in all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores, as well as BestBuy.com/Mobile on July 11. It retails for $199.99 for a new or eligible upgrade with a new two-year agreement on select plan with Premium Data add-on. Read more

HTC EVO 4G Coming to Sprint on June 4

by jessica on Fri, 2010-05-14 05:00

The first 4G phone is coming to Sprint June 4. The HTC EVO 4G comes packed with features including simultaneous voice and data, two cameras, HD video capture and a new video chat service from Qik mobile video chat. That's just the beginning though…

Running Android 2.1, the HTC EVO 4G has access to more than 35,000 apps, as well as tons of features, including:

Simultaneous voice and data capability in 4G and Wi-Fi coverage areas
Offering a new way to search with pictures instead of words, Google Goggles works with everything from books, DVDs and barcodes to landmarks, logos, artwork and wine labels.
1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
Two cameras – an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera.
Built-in mobile hotspot functionality allowing up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 3G or 4G experience on the go with a laptop, camera, music player, game unit, video player, or any other Wi-Fi enabled device.
Integrated HD video capture with the ability to capture and share live video via the Qik Web site, Facebook, YouTube or Twitter™.
Ability to easily watch video with the device on an HDTV via an HDMI cable (sold separately).
Custom Web browser optimized for the 4.3 inch display and Sprint 4G speeds
A handy kickstand built into the back, making it easy to watch videos on-the-go.
Adobe Flash technology ensures that rich Internet content, such as embedded video and animation, are displayed the way they are meant to be seen.
Pinch-to-zoom and automatic text reflowing provide easy Web page views.