Mobility

Review: HTC EVO View 4G Tablet

This device offers more for the enterprise than just a way to watch movies.

Wayne Rash is a longtime technology journalist who has directed product testing centers. He is President of Wayne Rash & Associates, an analysis and editorial services firm located near Washington, D.C. He can be reached at wrash@mindspring.com. You can also follow him on Twitter as @wrash.

Sprint has targeted enterprise users with its HTC EVO View 4G Android tablet. The 7-inch device boasts a number of features that aren't typically present on tablets meant to be used as e-readers or entertainment devices.

The EVO View fits easily in one hand, and with its 1.5-gigahertz Snapdragon processor, it's fast and responsive. The tablet's 1024x600 pixel touch-screen display provides a near high-definition view, accepts multi-touch input and works with the optional electronic stylus, the HTC Scribe.

The tablet has two cameras. The rear camera can record HD-quality video and 5-megapixel still images, while the 1.3MP front-facing camera will work nicely for video calls.

Based on the Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system, the device runs at 4G speeds on Sprint's WiMAX network. It supports EVDO Rev. A 3G data connections and also can act as a Wi-Fi hotspot to share its 4G connection.

End-User Advantages

This is definitely more than a consumer device. The EVO View supports document editing using voice recognition, easy sharing of documents and drawings with the built-in Evernote application, and syncing of a voice recorder with written notes to ease note-taking.

Any user familiar with the operation of an Android phone will already know how to use the EVO View tablet — and if not, there are no surprises in the intuitive touch-screen interface. Applications follow normal Android conventions, and operation is fast.

Users will also like the EVO View's form factor. The device is easy to hold in one hand while typing or writing with the other. The screen is bright and fairly easy to view in daylight, and the screen orientation changes quickly when you rotate the device. The accurate built-in voice recognition simplifies note-taking. Users will also find it simple to sync handwritten notes with recorded speech by tapping the embedded time codes in the recordings.

10 megabits per second Data rate supported by the Sprint HTC EVO View in 4G mode

Why It Works for IT

The EVO View ships with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync preloaded, giving IT managers administrative control over the tablet. They can password-protect the device and remotely wipe it should it be lost or stolen.

A Gmail account is required to initialize the device. The EVO View connects with Gmail as well as Google Apps for Business, Google Plus and other Google applications. The tablet also supports server-based and web-based e-mail.

Disadvantages

Like all Android devices, the Sprint HTC EVO View 4G requires a Gmail account. This can be accomplished through an e-mail account provided through Google Apps, but Gmail may not be compliant with some organizations' privacy, security or regulatory requirements.