Following this week's dustup over AT&T's shift to tiered data pricing, Sprint's new HTC EVO 4G is getting a closer look from some existing iPhone users. The good news for anyone considering a switch: Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, the Seattle wireless veteran, reportedly wrote in an email to a customer yesterday that the company has "no current plans" to follow AT&T's lead by shifting away from an unlimited data plan.

But as with most things in the mobile business, there's a lot more to think about. Here's a summary of key things to know about this attention-grabbing new phone, if you're thinking about taking the leap.

The basics: The EVO, running Google's Android 2.1, goes on sale today for $199.99 with a two-year contract, after a $100 mail-in rebate. The most interesting feature, apart from the gigantic 4.3-inch screen, is the phone's ability to connect with the 4G data network from Sprint's partner, Clearwire, the Kirkland-based wireless company.

Key specs: The phone comes with a 1 GHz processor (Snapdragon) and an 8 MP camera (plus a front-facing camera for videoconferencing). At 4.8" x 2.6" x 0.5" and 6 oz., the EVO is taller, wider and heavier than the iPhone 3GS, which is 4.5" x 2.4" x 0.48" and 4.8 ounces.

Service plans: Individual monthly packages range from a $69.99 monthly plan with 450 minutes of calling to a $99.99 "Simply Everything" plan with unlimited calling. All plans include unlimited data. However, Sprint is requiring EVO 4G users to buy its $10/month "Premium Data Add-On, to the dismay of some customers. The company chalks this up to the phone's "premium experience."

Reviews: In short, the geeks love this thing. Shifting into movie-poster mode for a moment here, Engadget calls it "truly one of the best smartphones ever made. Gizmodo says it's "everything we hoped it would be." MG Siegler of TechCrunch offers a more measured take, acknowledging the EVO's selling points but saying it's not an iPhone killer or even the best Android phone he has tried.

4G coverage: In places where 4G mobile broadband is available, Sprint claims speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G. Check this Sprint page to see if it's available in your area. But even if it's available, it isn't necessarily optimal. Mark Sullivan of PC World published an interesting piece earlier this week about his testing of the EVO throughout the Pacific Northwest, Clearwire's home.

"My general impression of 4G service, in the state of Washington at least, is that the service will make the apps you already use run marginally better and faster, but it won’t make possible a whole new class of high-bandwidth mobile apps," he wrote. "Not yet, anyway."

Portable WiFi hotspot: This is one of the coolest features of the phone, but it's going to cost you, as well. For $29.99/month, the phone can double as a WiFi hotspot, allowing users to connect as many as eight other devices. This feature is optional, but if you choose it, the charge is on top of everything else.

Tethering: Not to be confused with the hotspot, tethering is the ability to use the phone's connection to provide Internet access for one PC or other device. The Android and Me blog reports that the EVO can, in fact, be used for free tethering. The video below shows both the WiFi hotspot and tethering features.

Of course, setting aside all those Gizmodo spoilers, the big question is what Steve Jobs will be unveiling next week. That alone will cause many iPhone nuts to hold off on the EVO for now. But in the meantime, here's the question: Are you tempted to switch?

Note: I'll be discussing the Sprint HTC EVO 4G, AT&T's new pricing structure, and other mobile trends tonight on "About The Money" with Josephine Cheng on KCTS-9, airing at 7 p.m. in the Seattle region.