For anyone who had been through the entire T-Mobile MyTouch series, the MyTouch 4G represented the clearest leap forward yet. Here’s an honest take from someone who had used every phone in the lineup.
The screen was large, clear, and comfortable for gaming and video. The form factor felt solid and a touch heavy, but not uncomfortably so. One quirk: the phone sat just far enough from the ear during calls that it was occasionally hard to hear.
The front-facing camera was a genuine highlight, both for self-portraits and video chat. Qik received an update shortly after launch that resolved early lag and audio issues, after which video calling with EVO users worked reliably. Tango was a solid third-party alternative for cross-platform video calling.
The phone shipped with Android 2.2, bringing Wi-Fi hotspot and apps-to-SD. T-Mobile notably did not charge extra for tethering at the time. Wi-Fi Calling worked well for coverage dead spots, though it still consumed plan minutes and didn’t seamlessly hand off between Wi-Fi and cellular, which was a step back from older T-Mobile UMA calling plans.
The ScreenShare feature allowed wireless video, music, and photo sharing over the same Wi-Fi network. Bloatware was present but not excessive; the free trial games were reasonable. The FM radio worked when using wired headphones in the desk dock.
Battery life was the standout surprise. With Wi-Fi and GPS always on, email, Twitter, and web browsing throughout the day, the phone still had charge left after 12 hours, which was a significant improvement over previous MyTouch devices.
Camera performance was solid. Speakerphone volume was acceptable, though some users reported it being insufficient.
The MyTouch 4G was a strong recommendation for anyone in the T-Mobile ecosystem.
