AT&T’s first 4G smartphone, which actually runs on the carrier’s upgraded 3G network, is a winner.
The HTC Inspire is similar to Sprint’s first 4G smartphone, the popular HTC Evo, but costs less at $100 with a two-year service contract.
Though considered an entry-level smartphone because of the lower price, the Inspire’s functionality is comparable to the Evo and other top-tier devices. Released a week ago, the Inspire features a beautiful 4.3-inch screen, 8-megapixel camera with flash, 1 gigahertz Snapdragon processor, 4 gigabytes of internal memory and an 8 gigabyte removable micro SD card. It runs on the Android 2.2 operating system.
The HTC user interface is attractive, featuring seven-pane display that each can be customized with widgets. The device comes preloaded with six “scenes,” or pre-customized themes. For example, the “work” theme prominently places e-mail, calendar and stock-chart widgets on three of the seven panes. Switching from theme to theme is a cinch.
Battery life is much better than the Evo’s and Motorola Droid X’s. I left the Inspire unplugged for about 12 hours and put it through normal usage — occasional phone calls, text messaging and Web browsing — before the battery notification bar showed a low level.
The phone is big, but doesn’t feel too bulky in your hand.
Now for the 4G claim. AT&T, following in T-Mobile’s footsteps, decided last year to rebrand its upgraded 3G network as 4G, a term that promises broadband-like Internet speeds.
While AT&T said speeds can reach 6 megabits per second on the upgraded network, I never got to close that, reaching 2 Mbps a couple of times. While the speeds are faster than regular 3G, they’re not what I would expect from a 4G phone.
AT&T is expected to light up its faster Long Term Evolution network in a few months, but the Inspire will not be compatible with that network.
If you really want 4G speeds right now, go with Sprint or Verizon, which is set to release its first 4G LTE smartphone, the Thunderbolt, this week.
Some early Inspire users have reported problems with the calibration, where programs would remain in landscape or portrait mode regardless of the way the device is held. I also ran into this issue, but powering off the phone and removing the battery seemed to correct the problem.
Removing the battery on the Inspire is a pain and a much more difficult task than it should be. Unlike the Evo, the Inspire doesn’t feature a kickstand or front-facing camera. Those are minor knocks for an otherwise stellar device.
Andy Vuong: 303-954-1209, avuong@denverpost.com or
