HTC’s EVO 4G LTE for Sprint is shaping up to be one of the highlights of the manufacturer’s latest series of Android handsets. The carrier confirmed earlier this week that the smartphone will make its retail debut next Friday, on May 18. Sprint’s got pre-sales of the EVO 4G going for $200 on-contract, but if you’ve put off placing your order, there’s now an even better deal available, with Amazon pre-orders costing $50 less.

Amazon Wireless has the EVO 4G LTE on two-year contract for a hair under $150. Right now the site is showing the phone as backordered in addition to being up for pre-order, so you might not be getting one right on launch day. If you can put up with the risk of a delay, though, this sounds like a good way to keep a little more of your own cash in your pocket. Going off-contract will bring that price up to $550.

In other EVO 4G LTE news, it’s been confirmed that the phone will be supported by HTC’s bootloader unlock tool. In the light of AT&T putting the kibosh on unlocking its One X(L), the EVO 4G’s fate seemed uncertain, but apparently Sprint doesn’t plan on being a jerk about things. Sure, it’s not a full S-Off unlock, but it’s a start, and we’ll take what we can get.

Source: Amazon Wireless, Android Central

Via: Android Spin