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HTC Evo or wait?

BETA.

BETA.

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Okay lately i've been on the edge of taking the next step with my wireless ventures. I've been waiting awhile deciding whether I should upgrade to the iPhone 4 or going with Android. Made up my mind and I want the EVO, however the only thing holding me back is, is it a good time to sign up for a new contract/phone right now? Is there a newer bigger and badder line up of phones coming out soon in the Android market?
 
The EVO is going to be higher end for a while, at least 6 months. If anything, wait until Nov 8th, Samsung is making a big announcement of a new phone, rumored to be the Nexus 2.
 
are you on a sprint sero plan ? if yes than get the evo you only pay $50 a month for unlimted data and 500 mins
 
entropism said:
The EVO is going to be higher end for a while, at least 6 months. If anything, wait until Nov 8th, Samsung is making a big announcement of a new phone, rumored to be the Nexus 2.
Click to expand...

Samsung; Nexus 2? Did you mean the Galaxy S2? Well in any case I just went ahead and ordered the HTC Evo from HTC's store for $149. Is that a good deal?

123Lanoix said:
are you on a sprint sero plan ? if yes than get the evo you only pay $50 a month for unlimted data and 500 mins
Click to expand...

Nope, brand new customer here who is leaving AT&T

Psych2l said:
Get evo now and you can update one year later instead of 2
Click to expand...

Hmmm this sounds good.

So, I am expecting my HTC Evo to arrive by Tuesday, I'm so excited :D. What are some good screen protectors to get for the Evo. Cases recommendations are welcome too
 
I've gone through quite a few screen protectors searching for the perfect one, so far, no luck.

Basically they boil down into two categories: soft and hard.

Soft:
Pros - Resilient to scratches, tend to be cheaper, easy to clean
Cons - More rubbery feel, some bad brands have poor clarity, bubbling and edge peeling more prominent, application requires cure time

Hard:
Pros - Many brands feel and look exactly like a naked screen, application is easy and instant
Cons - Tend to be easier to scratch/scuff, grease/oil tends to stick to them more, tends to be more expensive, so clear that even the smallest spec of dust will be prominent if caught under the protector

For soft types, I recommend Clear Coat or Ghost Armor. They are both quite clear and aren't quite as rubbery as many competitors. If properly applied, they won't bubble and are fairly resistant to edge lifting. If you have them at the kiosks in malls they have a nice lifetime guarantee where you can bring it in any time with receipt to have it replaced for a much smaller fee than the original price. They offer either just screen protection or full body protection. I tend to see Ghost Armor being slightly better cut, although it differs from phone to phone.

For hard types I'm bouncing between SGP Ultra and Martin Fields. SGP Ultra is oleophobic so it actually cleans very easily, however it has edge lifting problems. It's not so bad as some soft types though; since it's a hard type of protector, it won't start curling up and cascading into uselessness. Martin Fields is far easier to apply and reapply (it has the best adhesive out of any protector I've ever seen... seriously it's magical; it's impossible to bubble and the edges don't ever peel), and is cut nearly perfectly, however it is far too easy to scuff and nearly impossible to clean. If I could take the precision cut and adhesive technique of the Martin Fields and combine it with the SGP Ultra's oleophobic properties and resilience, I would have the perfect protector.

I've heard some good things about RealLook too, but I haven't had the chance to try them out.

Also, don't bother with the "free" Stealth Guards that popped up in the Hot Deals forum. They're very poorly cut, aren't very clear, and bubble easily. If you're going to be cheap about it, just get the cheapo stuff Sprint/HTC sells; that stuff actually works pretty well.

Cases can also be split up into a few categories:

Leather
Hard shell
Silicone
TPU

Leather is leather. Hard shell is usually some metal or plastic. I tend to dislike it because it doesn't cushion from impacts very well. Silicon is the softest and cushions the best but is also nearly as thick as leather. TPU (thermal plastic polyurethane) is the thinnest and most form-fitting and is a bit more rigid than silicon.

There's some combinations, like the candy shell by Speck, hard shell outside, silicone padding inside.

Amzer tends to make some surprisingly good TPU cases, although they also tend to be rather bland. SPECK probably makes the nicest cases but they specialize in the iPhone 4. Only android phones that they make cases for that I've seen are the Vibrant/Fascinate and the Incredible (and the Incredible one sucks).

A lot of companies offer combo packs, like a screen protector of some sort coupled with a case. SGP offers a hard type screen protector coupled with a full body soft-type protector (and a lens protector with the full body kit, which is rare; only other one I've ever seen is Martin Fields), which is pretty cool.

I'm currently looking into leather cases with winter approaching.
 
Last edited:
Nice analysis! I've tried both ghost armor and Steinheil's ultra crystal and I'd have to say the crystal is the better of the two. For one it doesn't need water application like the ghost armor so installation is much cleaner, and if dust does happen to get under the protector, they have dust removal stickers that work fine. As for the hard cases, I use the hard seido innocase, its low profile but keeps the camera lens off the ground. It has a rubberized feel that gives you plenty of grip.
 
they won't let you on sero but you can get on erp plan for $55 save you $10 a month
and you get a free upgraded in 1 year
 
izzypizzy said:
Rumor has it, Samsung is coming out with the Nexus 2 this time around, announcement coming on Nov. 8

http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Will_Samsung_Unveil_Nexus_Two_on_November_8/551-113285-893.html
Click to expand...

Interesting, i figured it would be HTC again, guess not.

And thanks for the in-depth post Neuro. I admit that i've tried the stealthguard on my iphone 3g and it does suck.

I'm going to go with the Martin Fields front and camera screen protector. I like the hard screen protectors because they're way easier to apply and the getting dirty part never really affected me much when I was using the cheap apple store variations.

What do you think about this case though?

http://www.amzer.com/Amzer-Silicone-Skin-Jelly-Case-Black-P87765.htm

It's not too appealing, but i'm more concerned with protection. I couldn't find any TPU cases, only the hybrid. Do they even have pure TPU cases @ amzer?

123Lanoix said:
they won't let you on sero but you can get on erp plan for $55 save you $10 a month
and you get a free upgraded in 1 year
Click to expand...

What is this ERP plan you speak of? And is it too late to jump on said plan?

Sprint just approved my credit check and my phone should be shipped out soon.
 
BETA. said:
And thanks for the in-depth post Neuro. I admit that i've tried the stealthguard on my iphone 3g and it does suck.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I tried it on my Captivate. :( However I like having it around for scrap parts.

I'm going to go with the Martin Fields front and camera screen protector. I like the hard screen protectors because they're way easier to apply and the getting dirty part never really affected me much when I was using the cheap apple store variations.
Click to expand...

The dirty part was really second place to the scuffing part. I guess I've been handling my phone fairly rough recently. The dirt part isn't that big a deal, especially if you have microfiber cloth (and/or LCD/glass cleaning solution) to wipe it down occasionally.

Right now I'm using SGP Steinheil Ultra Crystal. It's as easy to clean as soft type. I don't know yet if it's resilient enough for my needs but so far it's been more durable than the Martin Fields. It claims 4H on the Moh's scale, which is something I really wouldn't brag about considering Gorilla Glass is something around 6H I think and quartz (a common culprit of scratches on Gorilla Glass) is 7H.

Do they even have pure TPU cases @ amzer?
Click to expand...
http://www.amzer.com/Amzer-Luxe-Argyle-Skin-Case-Orange-P88256.htm
That's the case style I use at the moment (except mine is for the Captivate, and it's not orange). The Argyle pattern is a little strange but the case itself is very form fitting. There's lots of generic ebay knockoffs which I don't really find too appealing since:
A) Amzer TPU cases are pretty damn cheap already
B) They don't fit as well (although, being TPU, you can hot water treat it to make it fit better sometimes)

It all depends on how much protection you want. TPU cases tend to be very thin, which I like because I got used to my phone being very svelte (it's thinner and lighter than an iPhone 4 while feeling more solid than a Vibrant/Fascinate). If you don't care about extra bulk I highly suggest something more beefy. Like the Otterbox Commuter and Defender cases seem like they're built for war. They are, however, pricey. Note though: I've read many times that the screen protector included with the Commuter/Defender is terrible: it significantly attenuates the capacitive touch screen sensitivity.

Seidio Innocase II is also very popular and well made, which I always find strange since their brand is synonymous with questionable quality batteries.
 
BETA. said:
Interesting, i figured it would be HTC again, guess not.

And thanks for the in-depth post Neuro. I admit that i've tried the stealthguard on my iphone 3g and it does suck.

I'm going to go with the Martin Fields front and camera screen protector. I like the hard screen protectors because they're way easier to apply and the getting dirty part never really affected me much when I was using the cheap apple store variations.

What do you think about this case though?

http://www.amzer.com/Amzer-Silicone-Skin-Jelly-Case-Black-P87765.htm

It's not too appealing, but i'm more concerned with protection. I couldn't find any TPU cases, only the hybrid. Do they even have pure TPU cases @ amzer?



What is this ERP plan you speak of? And is it too late to jump on said plan?

Sprint just approved my credit check and my phone should be shipped out soon.
Click to expand...


i can refer you to the ERP play basically the plan is $10 cheaper than the normal plan

normally you would pay $79 a month with an evo due to the evo tax of $10
but on the ERP you can pay $69 a month

if you want you can pm and i can refer you and we would both get either $25 or $50 visa gift cards.
 
Neurofreeze said:
Right now I'm using SGP Steinheil Ultra Crystal. It's as easy to clean as soft type. I don't know yet if it's resilient enough for my needs but so far it's been more durable than the Martin Fields. It claims 4H on the Moh's scale, which is something I really wouldn't brag about considering Gorilla Glass is something around 6H I think and quartz (a common culprit of scratches on Gorilla Glass) is 7H.
Click to expand...

Durability is what I am looking for, the SGP Ultra crystal is the same price as the Fields, but doesn't include the camera protector. Although there is a full body kit, but that's kind of costly. Do you know if the camera protector is merely a circular cutout for the lens or does it cover a significant amount of area? Also the SGP protector does advertise lifetime warranty so that is a huge plus, does the Martin Fields offer that?


http://www.amzer.com/Amzer-Luxe-Argyle-Skin-Case-Orange-P88256.htm
That's the case style I use at the moment (except mine is for the Captivate, and it's not orange). The Argyle pattern is a little strange but the case itself is very form fitting. There's lots of generic ebay knockoffs which I don't really find too appealing since:
A) Amzer TPU cases are pretty damn cheap already
B) They don't fit as well (although, being TPU, you can hot water treat it to make it fit better sometimes)
Click to expand...

Awww wow, I like the TPU compared to the silicone because like you say it's much more form fitting and thinner too, I can easily tell by comparing pics. But, that argyle style is a big turn off, I was hoping something more solid and plain. I am assuming there's nothing much else to go with as far as Amzer goes? Any other brands if so?

It all depends on how much protection you want. TPU cases tend to be very thin, which I like because I got used to my phone being very svelte (it's thinner and lighter than an iPhone 4 while feeling more solid than a Vibrant/Fascinate). If you don't care about extra bulk I highly suggest something more beefy. Like the Otterbox Commuter and Defender cases seem like they're built for war. They are, however, pricey. Note though: I've read many times that the screen protector included with the Commuter/Defender is terrible: it significantly attenuates the capacitive touch screen sensitivity.

Seidio Innocase II is also very popular and well made, which I always find strange since their brand is synonymous with questionable quality batteries.
Click to expand...

I am definitely considering bigger cases to get, just never know when i'll need it. I'll look into these later because the screen protector and basic body protection is something I wanna install before I even start using the phone.

Anymore suggestions are definitely welcome :D. I am a little behind on this stuff so the more info is the better!

123Lanoix said:
i can refer you to the ERP play basically the plan is $10 cheaper than the normal plan

normally you would pay $79 a month with an evo due to the evo tax of $10
but on the ERP you can pay $69 a month

if you want you can pm and i can refer you and we would both get either $25 or $50 visa gift cards.
Click to expand...

Hey if you can, i'd appreciate it very much! i'll send a PM
 
BETA. said:
Durability is what I am looking for, the SGP Ultra crystal is the same price as the Fields, but doesn't include the camera protector. Although there is a full body kit, but that's kind of costly. Do you know if the camera protector is merely a circular cutout for the lens or does it cover a significant amount of area? Also the SGP protector does advertise lifetime warranty so that is a huge plus, does the Martin Fields offer that?
Click to expand...
Heh, Martin Fields offers nothing in terms of guarantees (you are buying from Hong Kong after all). Their warranty only covers manufacturing defects for like... 30 days. The protector is simply a cutout that covers just the lens. It can't really do more than that as the lens is not flush with the surrounding area, at least it isn't with the Incredible and the Captivate. I don't have much experience with the Evo.

Awww wow, I like the TPU compared to the silicone because like you say it's much more form fitting and thinner too, I can easily tell by comparing pics. But, that argyle style is a big turn off, I was hoping something more solid and plain. I am assuming there's nothing much else to go with as far as Amzer goes? Any other brands if so?
Click to expand...
Other brands do offer plain TPU cases but I can't speak for their quality as I don't own any other TPU cases for my phone. They actually do offer solid red or solid black TPU cases for the Incredible (they are too shiny for my tastes though; it looks like one giant grease and finger print magnet), but not our phones.
 
You're going to love the Evo. I switched from Verizon just to get it. Fortunately for me, I get 19% off because my company has a contract with Sprint for over 1000 handsets. One of which is assigned to me (not an Evo). And Sprint works better than Verizon where my mom lives (NE Pennsylvania). My Verizon phone would die in a couple of hours trying to lock in a better signal.
 
Neurofreeze said:
Heh, Martin Fields offers nothing in terms of guarantees (you are buying from Hong Kong after all). Their warranty only covers manufacturing defects for like... 30 days. The protector is simply a cutout that covers just the lens. It can't really do more than that as the lens is not flush with the surrounding area, at least it isn't with the Incredible and the Captivate. I don't have much experience with the Evo.


Other brands do offer plain TPU cases but I can't speak for their quality as I don't own any other TPU cases for my phone. They actually do offer solid red or solid black TPU cases for the Incredible (they are too shiny for my tastes though; it looks like one giant grease and finger print magnet), but not our phones.
Click to expand...

I went with the SGP Ultra Crystal front screen only for now and I decided to get the silicon case I posted as well as one of those TPU's you linked me to in smoked grey(was the best looking out of all of them). Now, I just need my EVO arrive(as well as the protective stuff) and i'll be one my way with it:D

Thanks for the suggestions and help everyone, I very much appreciate it as for the past 4 years i've been with the various iPhones and haven't paid enough attention to anything else in the market.

Is there any useful site that'll guide me with rooting my EVO as well? :D
 
I love sprint but when my Hero throws in the towel I'm going to get the Epic because I don't like all touchscreen phones. I love my Hero and all but if the moment wasn't a POS I would have gotten that.
 
BETA. said:
I went with the SGP Ultra Crystal front screen only for now and I decided to get the silicon case I posted as well as one of those TPU's you linked me to in smoked grey(was the best looking out of all of them). Now, I just need my EVO arrive(as well as the protective stuff) and i'll be one my way with it:D

Thanks for the suggestions and help everyone, I very much appreciate it as for the past 4 years i've been with the various iPhones and haven't paid enough attention to anything else in the market.

Is there any useful site that'll guide me with rooting my EVO as well? :D
Click to expand...

All you need is here http://www.xda-developers.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=653
CM6.1 just went to RC-1 and it's been working great for me.
 
I think i'm good to go with my EVO. I got my contract properly set up and now I have a little bit more minutes + paying $10 less, got the EVo for $150. Picked out some screen protectors and cases... now I just need to get the actual phone and start applying the protective stuff and root my phone.

Thanks a bunch everyone I think i'm standing on my own two feet now with the new carrier and new mobile platform after leaving AT&T and the iPhone for 3-4 years now.
 
here's some pics of what I did with mine. I needed a full cover case and use a 3500mah battery.. no one makes a full yet so I had to rig one up.. (seidio does make a partial cover case though but it's also $$$)

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1556355&highlight=seidio+evo

I'm still happy with my Evo.. and my only complaint is battery life.. but that's a given and I've pretty much solved it with the 3500mah battery.
 
I got my EVO and I love it! I rooted it and it's way more diverse than the iPhone

Anyways, I wanna start of squeaky clean though.

Can someone point me in the right direction on how to go Stock Sense with the EVO and still able to have root after a full wipe?
 
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