Size: How big is too big?

One of the comments I have heard about this phone is the matter of physical size. For some, this is a plus. For others, this is a major flaw deterring them (ed. this includes me) from the purchase of the phone. The truth is that this is a matter of personal preference. I like to use my phone to replace a whole host of devices including GPS, a point and shoot camera, a music player, and a daily planner. For me, the size is a plus as it makes it easy to type and read while at the same time making, in my opinion, making a very good media platform for it size.

Even in my relatively small hands hands, I do not find that it is cumbersome even when you add a hard case for protection. One problem you may run into is that if you enjoy wearing skinnier jeans then you may find it difficult to insert this in your pockets.

When you compare the size of the EVO and HTC Hero from the rear, you can see that they don't really have that much difference in thickness. One of the major differences is the EVO's ability to connect with a smaller USB connector and the mini HDMI.

Again from the side, the general size difference is not as apparent. Both phones use a rocker button to control volume, one of the two physical buttons on the EVO (the other being the power button).

From the top, the difference in these phones becomes a bit more apparent. The size of the EVO is kept in check somewhat with it only being slightly larger in physical size then the Hero. This is done by the use of a smaller bezel around the screen, having no roller for menu navigation, and keeping the buttons in line at the bottom.

Battery Life: Management is key

Unfortunately, this is where the EVO is lacking. Even with a 5.5Whr battery, running all out the battery life of the EVO is abysmal managing only to last 4 hours. This is the price you pay to work the best technology, running the fastest possible, on the largest screen you can get right now.

Thankfully, this is only the worst case scenario. With correct management of the systems on this phone, you can easily coax 12+ hours of life out of the phone in a day. One of the big things you need to do is turn off the radios when you are not using them. This means when you are home, use the Wi-Fi connection; when in a 4G area, turn off the 3G line; when in a area with 3G, vice versa. Also, unless necessary, make sure to turn off the GPS. The other major things which will extend you battery life are to shut off unnecessary programs when not in use, and most importantly, slow down the update process of many of the programs that are running. If you have your Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, and other social applications running updates every two minutes, then you will quickly drain the battery by both preventing the system from going to sleep and by using the radios constantly.

If you think that the battery life is still too much of a hindrance but you must have this phone, you can buy a higher capacity battery or a second battery which you can charge while using the one in your phone.

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