HTC EVO 4G In Short Supply

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Sprint HTC EVO 4G Smartphone

Due to higher than expected demand, the HTC EVO 4G smartphone is in short supply, said its carrier Sprint Nextel.

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse acknowledged this week that sales of the device, which was launched at the beginning of June and is widely viewed as the carrier's answer to the Apple iPhone 4, have been far greater than they anticipated. Both Hesse and HTC said they believe the issue has more to do with underestimating the demand for the 4G phone than a lack of available components.

"We're certainly doing everything we can to ensure we're supplying devices as quickly as possible. We're seeing greater demand for our products than we ever have in the past," HTC spokesman Keith Nowak said in a statement to Reuters.

The news follows the rocky start the EVO 4G has experienced since its debut on June 4. On Monday, HTC and Sprint began offering an update for the device after reports surfaced about bricked phones. And some users also complained about the device's touchscreen, claiming that it separates from the device and causes light leakage.

Sprint also caught some flak for overestimating early sales, after announcing that the $199.99 phone set a single-day sales record.

The HTC EVO 4G also runs on Sprint's 3G network if the phone is used in places that don't yet have 4G. The Android 2.1-based device has a custom Web browser designed for the 4.3-inch touchscreen.

Its long list of features include simultaneous voice and data capability in 4G or Wi-Fi coverage areas for Web surfing; Google Goggles, which provides the ability to search anything from books and DVDs to barcodes and logos using pictures instead of words; 1-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor; two cameras: an 8.0-megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3-megapixel camera; built-in mobile hotspot functionality allowing up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 3G or 4G speeds; and integrated HD video capture so users can capture and share live video via the Qik Web site and social media sites.

The EVO 4G also comes with the ability to transmit video from the device to an HDTV via a separate HDMI cable; a built-in kickstand in the back to watch videos; Adobe Flash technology; and pinch-to-zoom and automatic text reflowing for Web page views.

HTC's Droid Incredible, sold at Sprint's biggest competitor, Verizon Wireless, is also in short supply, according to Verizon's website, which says that due to high demand the device will ship by July 28.