HTC EVO 4G's Two-Way Video Chat Service To Be Free

The HTC EVO 4G is going to be the first smartphone widely available in the U.S. with two-way video chat, but there has been some question about whether this will cost extra. Qik, the company that's responsible for this service, has promised that it won't.

A post on the official Qik blog says:

"Rest assured that the core Qik service that lets you communicate live from your phone to other phones, web and desktop will be FREE. Yes - this means that the core capability of doing 2-way Qik video chat will be FREE for Sprint EVO 4G users."

This service will make use of the EVO 4G's front-facing camera, and will be available about a month after the smartphone launches.

Overview of the HTC EVO 4G
With a 4.3-inch WVGA touchscreen, the 4G standard WiMAX and 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the model is going to be among the most advanced smartphones released this year.

On top of Android OS, the EVO 4G will run HTC Sense, the company's alternate user interface that expands on Google's. It will come with Google's standard suite of communication, Web and entertainment software.

It will launch with Android OS 2.1, but HTC says an upgrade to version 2.2 is coming soon.

The device is going to support Sprint's WiMAX network, which should give it peak downlink speeds of up to 12 Mbps, and an average downlink speed of 2-4 Mbps. The 4G service will add $10 to the monthly service fee.

It's also going to have the 3G standard EV-DO, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The smartphone will come with software allowing it to share its wireless Internet connection with eight other devices, but this will cost $30 a month.

It is also going to include an HD video port that can connect to TVs and monitors that support 720p, a GPS receiver, microSD memory card slot, and a kickstand that holds it at an angle when playing movies.

Pricing and Availability
Sprint is going to be the exclusive U.S. provider of the EVO 4G.

The smartphone is going to sell for $200 with contract, and will launch on June 4. Retailers Best Buy and Radio Shack are currently taking pre-orders.

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