HTC EVO 4G fever too much for HTC
HTC EVO 4G handsets are sold out, according to Sprint – and the carrier isn't saying when a new crop of phones will be ready to go.
The HTC EVO 4G. The EVO 4G has earned stellar marks from reviewers. But don't count on getting your hands on one of the EVO handsets – Sprint lists the phone as sold out, and has not said when more EVOs will go on sale.
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HTC EVO 4G fanatic?
First, the good news: Sprint has unloaded upwards of 300,000 HTC EVO 4G handsets, according to at least one new metric. Now, the bad news: The demand seems to be outpacing the production capabilities of HTC, the Taiwanese company which produces the EVO 4G. On the Sprint website, the EVO 4G is listed as sold out, and no prospective ship date is shown.
The HTC EVO 4G, which was greeted favorably by reviewers, went on sale in June.
HTC rep Keith Nowak told the Wall Street Journal Sunday that the hold-up stems from a shortage of parts – especially a touch screen manufactured by Samsung. HTC says it will add more suppliers, and the company is currently "checking flights to the US to see if it can secure extra, last-minute carrying space."
Over at PC World, Jared Newman notes that the dearth of HTC EVO 4G handsets could be a major opportunity for another much-hyped smartphone. "The supply shortages for HTC's Android phones pave the way for Motorola's Droid X, which launches on Verizon this Thursday," Newman writes. "That's not to say getting a Droid X will be effortless. Best Buy won't guarantee day-one availability, even for pre-orders, and Verizon also expects shortages."
The HTC EVO 4G had earned stellar marks for its software and hardware – and especially the bright, crisp, HD display – but several reviewers were lukewarm on the 4G service. "[D]uring peak hours, the Internet connection dropped several times in an hour and though it would reconnect within a minute or two, it was nonetheless frustrating," the team at CNET noted.