Many Android phones have been coming onto the market threatening to take the mighty iPhone off its pedestal, but none so far have prevailed. No phone might ever overtake the iPhone’s overwhelming popularity, but it has not stopped phone makers from trying.

The Evo 4G, which runs exclusively on the Sprint network is giving the iPhone a run for its money with virtually similar hardware with one striking difference, the screen size. The screen size of the Evo 4G is 4.3 inches, while the recent iteration of the iPhone only has a 3.5 inch screen. The resolution of the iPhone is much better though, resulting in a clearer picture. The Evo counters with an 8-megapixel back-facing camera to best the iPhone 4’s 5-megapixel back camera.

Both of these back-facing cameras can record video in 720p, which is great for quick YouTube videos. Both phones also have front facing cameras to use for video chatting, neither of which have notable specifications.

Apart from the internal hardware, these phones vary greatly. Apple’s iPhone 4 runs their self-developed iOS, while the HTC Evo 4G runs the Google created Android operating system. Both of the OSes are similar, but there are pros and cons to each.

Notifications and Messaging

For instance: Android’s notification system (sitting in a pull-down tray at the top) is much more unobtrusive than Apple’s way of, well, getting in the way with pop-overs. SMS on the stock iPhone app is great, and very aesthetically pleasing. Not to say that the stock Android app is not well-done, but it just doesn’t provide the same experience.
The HTC messaging app included on this phone is absolute garbage, though. Shipping with two SMS apps might seem a little tricky to some users, but it allows for them to pick one they like. Plus, there are great alternatives in the Android Market available for free such as goSMS, chompSMS and HandcentSMS.

Gmail

Gmail also integrates fully into the Evo thanks to Android, and it does okay on the iPhone. The iPhone edges out the Evo in performance with other email services, though. But for people who generally use Gmail, which is a whole lot of people, the Evo is great. It can also handle corporate email passably.

Multitasking

Both the Evo 4G and the iPhone 4 claim to offer multi-tasking, but only one of them actually delivers on that claim. The Evo allows multiple apps to run at once, whereas the iPhone only allows users to quickly switch between apps. If apps and services are managed correctly on the Evo, users can be much more productive than their iPhone using counterparts. Most of the performance issues when multi-tasking still lie with developers, but for stock apps, the Evo will fly right by the iPhone 4. HTC’s Sense UI offers a refreshing break from the look of many standard Android interfaces as well as the iOS. Looks really seem to be a matter of preference so long as they don’t affect functionality, which neither of these phones user interfaces do.

Apps and Games

As far as app selection goes, it is pretty even except for games. There has been a recent increase in Android games, but the iPhone’s platform has been around longer and had previously garnered much more interest. So of course, that means people developed games exclusively for the platform. If you are not really all that interested in playing games on your phone, though, the Evo offers apps for basically anything you need thanks to the Android Market.

You can even get emulators to run ROMs (old console games) or even install programs directly from the internet using the source package. With the iPhone, you would have to jailbreak your phone in order to do either of those two things. The YouTube HQ app also takes great advantage of the Evo’s larger screen, showing beautiful video at a great resolution.

Overall, with similar costs, it looks as if HTC and Sprint have finally come out with something to at least really compete with the iPhone. The larger screen and more open operating system allows for much more customization, which many iPhone users only dream about. Maybe Apple should take a page from Google and give people some more choice, but for now, the Evo can give you better hardware, similar apps and tons more options than the iPhone.

This post contributed by Veronica Davis, a freelance writer and internet business columnist. She recommends using online shopping, comparisons and coupons to get the best deal on your new phone. Online Best Buy coupons can help you take advantage of their many special offers on new smart phones.