HTC EVO 3D

When HTC came out with the HTC EVO 4G, it was a smashing hit with the masses.  It some ways it still is. Now, HTC EVO 3D has been launched, is it going to be better than the original EVO? Is the HTC EVO 3D going to take away all the fame from the HTC EVO 4G and let the spotlight shine on itself? We shall find out in this review.

Design
One quick glance at the HTC EVO 3D and you might have mistook it for the recently launched HTC Incredible 2.  But when you take a closer look, the phone is a master class of its own.  To begin with, it has a silver 2D/3D mode switch to give it a distinction from the rest. The 5.0 x 2.5 x 0.45 phone is a little bit taller than the HTC EVO 4G but also narrower and a little bit thinner. All these combined, it means it’s a phone that sits snuggly in your hands. On the front is of course the  540 x 960 4.3-inch qHD capacitive touchscreen with the 1.3 megapixel sitting on the top right hand corner. The 4 capacitive buttons as always are there at the bottom. On the top is where the power button and the headphone jack are located while at the bottom is the primary mic. On the left side is where the combined HDMI/microUSB connector is. Finally on the right we find the usual volume rocker together with the 2D/3D mode swich and the huge machined aluminum camera key. Flip the HTC EVO 3D and the first thing you would say is Wow, as would anyone in response to the huge camera pod that houses the twin 5 megapixel autofocus camera.  The pod is housed within a red aluminum rim that also is home to the speaker.

Features
The 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor coupled with the Adreno 220 GPU certainly reminds us of the HTC Sensation but the HTC EVO 3D comes with improved 1GB RAM. With these specs, it was no surprise when Quadrant returned scores in the 2000 region. Running on the Android v.2.3.3 Gingerbread coupled with HTC Sense’s 3.0 is definitely good news for all.

As you might have already figured out, with the power provided by the CPU and the brilliance of the software the HTC EVO 3D runs on, using this phone is an absolute joy ride. For those who love using their phone with style, HTC Sense is your best bet. One of those stylish things is how you can go directly to the camera or your dialer directly from the unlock screen. Although it doesn’t save you too much time, but it’s really cool to use. Going through a gallery with a mix of 2D and 3D pictures is not a problem as the phone is smart enough to differentiate them and display it in the correct format.

The 4.3-inch qHD Super LCD display on the HTC EVO 3D is obviously different from the rest as it supports glass-free 3D content. However, apart from that, it can’t be said to be one of the better displays in the market as we feel even phones like HTC DROID Incredible 2 that comes with a WGVA screen gives a better feel in terms of color and brightness.

For obvious reasons, the camera in this phone is something we have to talk about. The question is, can the twin 5 megapixel autofocus cameras do its job in taking 3D shots? Well both cameras did sync to produce decent pictures even in low-light scenarios.  However, the panel that covers the camera pod seems to be not se well thought as it causes halos in images taken with bright light backgrounds. Also, macro photography seems to be a problem when it comes to close-ups although it works just fine in 3D. Color balance in pictures can however be considered good. A drawback with 3D is that the cameras will refuse to work unless held in the horizontal position and in the landscape orientation. Battery level plays a part too in 3D photography as the cameras don’t work in 3D if you only have 15% of charge left.  Nevertheless, 2D pictures were good and there should be no complains for occasional use.

As always, with mammoths like this, battery life is definitely going to be a major talking point. However, unlike the HTC EVO 4G where the battery life was a serious issue, with the HTC EVO 3D the phone can be used the whole day thanks to the new 1730mAh battery. You could take a bunch of photos (both in 2D and 3D), text, make phone calls and play games and still have some battery life to spare. Call quality was sometimes a problem as it sounded a bit muddy, but the earpiece was definitely loud enough. Connecting to the internet with this phone was an issue as it took quite a bit of effort to be able to log in to the net.

Pros and Cons
The HTC EVO 3D without a shred of doubt is a fast phone.  The 1GB RAM is definitely a standout point as most phones come with 768MB RAM.  It’s also a 3D phone which obviously is a cool feature.  Plus, being an Android powered phone, there is a huge list of software out there for you to pick out from.

The call quality seems to be a little disappointing. Also, the fact that it’s a bit hard to connect to the internet is a definite turn off since it’s a smartphone.  The HTC EVO 3D also needs some work on its 3D camera.

Conclusion
So is the HTC EVO 3D a worthy replacement to the HTC EVO 4G? The answer is a yes, as it can do everything the HTC EVO 4G could, just a whole lot faster. Some say the 3D function is cool, while others say it’s cool. At the end of the day, it’s up to you what you want, 3D or not.