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CNET Prizefight: iPhone 4 vs. HTC Evo 4G

2010-07-13
what's up prized by fans i'm brian tong and this is the number one most requested prize fight that you the people have been asking for it's an epic prize by battle royale between the iphone 4 and the HTC EVO 4G now we've given enough time for these phones to show us what they're working with in the real world so we're bringing the best judging this prize fight our senior editor Bonnie boom boom chop senior editor Kent kg German and Brian's boom Shakalaka Tom now we'll take all three judges blind scores and average them out to the nearest tenth each round the final prize fight score will be an average of all rounds using the same decimal system this prize fight is as big as it can get so let's get it out round one is sexiness and durability the iPhone 4 brings a whole new design with a curved bezel but a flat back and sharper edges its Retina display is clearer than crystal clear but we're all questioning how durable it's all glass body really is the Evo 4G smooth things out with a gorgeous 4.3 inch screen and a slim figure to match its soft touch backside is nice but this is still a bigger phone and it might be a little too big for some people the Evo 4G might be more durable but the iPhone 4 still has the sex appeal Apple takes this round with a 4.7 and the Evo 4G gets a 4 next rounds controls and user interface the iPhone 4 brings new features like multitasking and dropping multiple apps into folders with iOS 4 Android has always had these but the new additions don't subtract from the fact that pinching and zooming swiping and double tapping make this the easiest and most accessible mobile interface on the planet the Evo 4G featuring HTC Sense UI is our favorite Android interface you have seven home screens with a pinch custom layouts depending on how you want to use the phone and widget customization that can't be matched but there's a learning curve with Android even if you get more control the iPhone 4 gets a perfect 5 and the Evo 4G gets a 4.3 so after averaging two rounds Apple takes a commanding lead sprinting 7/10 of a point ahead of HTC the evo 4G we'll have to make it up round three is features both phones are packed with 3G Wi-Fi GPS and Bluetooth but heavy hitters like these guys have to bring more to the table than that the iPhone has finally caught up with multitasking folders and email enhancements even if Android users think they were so last year the app store makes this device more than a phone and it also makes this the best gaming phone we've ever seen we haven't even talked about FaceTime it's one of the iPhone 4s killer features it's integration is seamless but the evo 4G can do that too without forcing you to be on Wi-Fi only now if you're talking features the evo 4G is the most feature packed phone on the market with its 4G connectivity you can use the phone as a mobile hotspot let's just throw in some kickstand action and it's Android Marketplace is respectable as well plus don't forget it's Android staples like the notifications pull down turn by turn GPS directions ask my stock its unmatched voice search Thai restaurant and text messages by voice let's crack in homie the evo 4G is just a beast and it takes around three with the perfect 5 and the iPhone 4 get up for next round is web browsing to multimedia Safari on the iPhone is still considered to be the best mobile web experience even without flash the iPhone 4 still has the best media player on a mobile device and it's iTunes integration get you access to loads of music and video content that still looks even better on its Retina display it's 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p video takes excellent pictures and if you want to dabble with editing movies directly on the device Apple's iMovie will satisfy the iPhone 4 is the definition of a multimedia phone now the HTC EVO 4G s web browser is on par with Safari with its smooth running multi-touch flashlight support is here with full flash coming soon Amazon's mp3 store and doubleTwist will take care of your media syncing but the lack of a video store hurts a little the HTC Sense UI also gives us the best Android media player plus its 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p video also takes great-looking pics the larger screen really allows media to shine and then you add in the kickstand and an HDMI out port ACC has stepped up its multimedia game both phones have made media of focus and we're calling this round a tie at four point seven points a piece so after averaging out four rounds the iPhone 4 leads by just one tenth of a point HTC has closed the gap and the final round that decides it all is called quality and performance the iPhone 4 features it's a floor processor and the phone is snappy call quality has improved and it's the best sounding iPhone we've heard but it's just a hair behind the Evo 4G but then you get to the antenna issue in our test audio quality completely disappeared or became garbled when we covered the magic spot and we know it doesn't affect everyone but this is a big deal and a $30 bumper or a software update isn't a real fix to any of us the saving grace is that Apple's improved battery life makes up for it and we squeezed out almost eight hours of talktime over 3G and that's impressive now HTC is Evo 4G one gigahertz Snapdragon processor makes this a smooth-running phone as long as you're not running too many apps it also has some of the best call quality I've ever heard it was crisp clean and clear for all three judges with no drop calls running on 4G just kills this battery and you're lucky to get it through a day but running it on 3G still drains a good amount because of the screen the like Bonnie says at least you can replace the battery we were able to get five and a half hours of talktime over 3G which is respectable but one drawback is paying the additional $10 premium even if you don't have 4G coverage in your area in the final round the evo 4G gets a 4.3 and the iPhone 4 gets a three point three so let's average out all five rounds and in a battle where the iPhone 4 led from the start the evo 4G cloud back to close the gap and finish with a final round below to take this epic battle four point five to four point three and is your prize fight winner both of these phones are the cream of the crop but it was the Evo 4 G's features and some of the iPhone 4s flaws that made all the difference I'm Brian Tong thanks for watching we'll catch you guys next time for another prize bye
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