Unveiling the HTC EVO 4G at the high-profile CTIA Wireless conference in Las Vegas, Sprint’s chief executive Dan Hesse told the CTIA audience that the company’s investment in WiMax for its 4G technology largely resulted from its need to get into the 4G market at the earliest.

During his keynote address at the CTIA conference, Hesse said that LTE will likely be a bigger 4G standard than WiMax, but added: “WiMax was a tried, true, tested 4G technology. LTE will most likely be the larger of the two 4G standards, but for us, we couldn't wait. Because of our spectrum position, we have the option to add other technologies later, but this allows us to get into this technology quickly.”

The 4G-capable EVO – a phone which the HTC CEO Peter Chou describes as “the world's first fully integrated 4G consumer handset” - runs on Google’s Android 2.1 operating system; and its 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen boasts the capability of displaying high-definition video and other multimedia.

The EVO also features two cameras – one of which is an 8-megapixel module with auto-focus and an HD-capable camcorder, while the other is a front-facing 1.3-megapixel lens.

Commenting on Sprint’s unveiling of the EVO handset, analyst Mike Roberts of Informa Telecoms & Media said that the HTC device would probably give Sprint a leading edge both in attracting as well as retaining high-value smartphone customers.