HTC Evo 3D Hands-On Review and Comparison With the Galaxy S II

Physical design

The Evo 3D is close in size to the HTC Sensation and narrower than other 4.3-inch phones, but heavy at 170 g against 116 g for the Galaxy S II. It has a dedicated camera button with two-stage pressure for focus and shooting. The reviewer’s first phone with one. Holding power and pressing home takes a screenshot.

Software

The phone runs HTC Sense 3.0 with simulated 3D effects and many widgets. It also carries bloatware, and Rogers added more. The reviewer said that without rooting the phone, the amount of bloat might have been hard to accept.

Camera and the 3D question

The question asked most often was whether the 3D is a gimmick. The answer depends on the person. The reviewer found the 3D camera a fun toy but impractical every day, while the 3D screen was nice for 3D videos. The dual 5 MP cameras took good pictures, but motion was slightly sluggish when panning compared with the Galaxy S II.

Battery

The Evo 3D has a 1730 mAh battery. With the bloat in place, medium to heavy use drained it before the end of the evening. After rooting and removing the bloat, performance and battery life improved clearly. At 8:45 PM the phone was at 30% after 3 hours 17 minutes of screen time.

Evo 3D versus Galaxy S II

Area	Evo 3D	Galaxy S II
Processor and RAM	1.2 GHz dual core, 1 GB	1.2 GHz dual core, 1 GB
Screen	4.3-inch 3D qHD	4.3-inch Super AMOLED
Camera	Dual 5 MP 3D	8 MP
Battery	1730 mAh	1650 mAh
Data speed	14.4 Mbps	21 Mbps

• Physical design: Evo 3D. It felt sturdier and had a camera button and LED.
• Interface: Evo 3D, since the reviewer preferred Sense to TouchWiz.
• Battery: Galaxy S II before rooting, about even after.
• Camera: Galaxy S II, for smoother panning and crisp pictures.
• Performance: Galaxy S II, with a slightly snappier interface.

These are personal impressions, and other users may disagree.