Sprint cuts back EVO sales estimates

Early sales of the EVO are significantly less than Sprint's first estimates

Sprint has issued a correction that dramatically cuts the reported sales numbers of the HTC EVO handset.

The company said that sales of the EVO in its first three days matched the combined sales of the Palm Pre and Samsung Instinct, the two previous top sellers in their first three days.

While still the top selling handset in its first three days, the actual number is far less than Sprint's original claim.

"We inadvertently erred in the comparison. The total number of HTC EVO 4G devices sold on launch day was in line with the number of Samsung Instinct and Palm Pre devices sold over their first three days combined," the firm said.

Walter Piecyk, an analyst at BTIG Research, said that estimated sales of the device in the first three days are 150,000 rather than 300,000.

However, Forrester Research principal analyst Charles Golvin suggested that the sales figure mix-up is the least of Sprint's concerns, and that it should be more worried about shortages.

"Sprint said that it had sold out in a couple of locations," he said. "That was one of the problems with the Pre. They didn't have the capacity to meet demand."

Golvin also warned that Sprint should keep a close eye on where the sales of the device are coming from.

In order for the EVO to be a success for the company, the handset will need to serve as an upgrade for current customers, and lure new customers from other carriers.

One place where Sprint should not be looking to lure people away is the iPhone customer base, said Golvin.

The analyst said that, with the growth of mobile applications and marketplace services such as the App Store, switching to a new platform and leaving data and purchased apps would be a tough sell.

"What is happening today is that consumers are investing more into their phones," Golvin explained.

"You are increasingly locked in, and it is going to be harder and harder to liberate those users."

Rather than aiming to be an 'iPhone killer', Colvin said that the EVO could hold more of a draw for people looking to move from platforms such as BlackBerry and Windows Mobile to a newer touch-screen device.