HTC Evo 4G LTE is Sprint's first handset with HD voice, pre-orders start May 7th for $199.99
The internals are not entirely dissimilar to the One X: a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor with 1GB RAM and 16GB ROM — not Tegra 3 since it lacks LTE support (not yet, at least).
Context & Ripple Effects
The Evo name has been Sprint's Android flagship franchise since the original breakout device, refreshed through the Evo Shift 4G in early 2011 and the EVO 3D hands-on last spring — each iteration adding a headline feature to justify the annual upgrade cycle. The Evo 4G LTE continues that cadence while repositioning the line around network capability rather than gimmicks: HD voice support, a first for any Sprint handset.
The silicon choice matters as much as the branding: HTC went with a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and 1GB of RAM instead of the quad-core Tegra 3 found elsewhere in its lineup, because Nvidia's chip lacks LTE support. The pickup across Engadget, Gizmodo, Ars Technica, VentureBeat and LAPTOP Magazine shows how much attention a single carrier-exclusive flagship could still command in 2012.
First-order effects
- Sprint gains a differentiated marketing claim — its first HD voice handset — plus an LTE-badged flagship at the same $199.99 price point HTC used for the Sensation 4G on T-Mobile in 2011, keeping the Evo line competitive on contract pricing.
- HTC locks the Evo franchise to Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 platform, sharing core internals with the One X family and giving buyers near-flagship performance on Sprint's network.
Second-order effects
- Nvidia's Tegra 3 loses a high-profile US carrier socket specifically because it lacks integrated LTE support, sharpening the pressure on chipmakers to bundle modems or cede LTE-era flagship designs to Qualcomm.
- Rival carriers now face an HD voice arms race: once Sprint advertises call quality as a spec, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile must match the feature on their own flagships or concede a talking point at retail.
Third-order effects
- If LTE support keeps deciding which application processors ship in flagship phones, the smartphone silicon market consolidates around vendors with integrated modems — a structural shift from separate baseband-plus-app-processor designs.
- Carriers increasingly compete on network-layer features like voice quality and data speed rather than handset exclusivity alone, eroding the value of device lock-ins as the same chips appear across every operator.
The trend: US flagship phones are entering an LTE-defined generation where Qualcomm's modem-equipped Snapdragon S4 displaces standalone app processors and carriers turn network features into the new differentiator.