What cell phone compares to this model? This is the update to Sprint’s HTC EVO 4G

Why should I get this phone? You want a powerful Android smartphone and like to have the latest features available.

In a nutshell: The HTC EVO 3D is a solid update to the HTC EVO 4G. It’s faster, more powerful, and although it lacks the kickstand found on the EVO 4G, we hardly missed it.

At first glance, the HTC EVO 3D looks a lot like the HTC EVO 4G that came out last year. Once you turn the cell phone over its clear that HTC EVO 3D is a bit different since it doesn’t have a kickstand and instead of one camera lens there are two. The reason for the two lenses on the back of the cell phone is so that you can shoot 3D videos and pictures. The back of the EVO 3D has another noteworthy change; the black rubberized casing has grooves on it to help keep it from sliding around on a slippery surface. We should also note that the lenses aren’t recessed so they may get scratched.

The front of the cell phone resembles most other Android smartphones with a spacious 4.3-inch display and four navigation buttons (Home, Menu, Back, and Search) at the base of the phone. Hidden in the top right-hand corner of the phone is a 1.3-megapixel camera. It has a power button and 3.5mm headset jack on the top of the phone, while the left side sports a microUSB port for charging the smartphone. On the opposite side of the phone you’ll find volume keys, the camera button and a switch for selecting 2D or 3D shots. The display is sharp and bright.

If you’re wondering how you view 3D images without the need for glasses the answer lies in the QHD display. Essentially, when viewing a 3D image or video the screen appears to have a coating on it that’s similar to those found on holograms. If you’re not a fan of this type of coating, no worries, since it only appears when in 3D mode. If you’re using the cell phone for any other feature, the display is vibrant, sharp, and crisp.

There’s a touchscreen QWERTY keyboard with predictive text that can be used in both horizontal and vertical modes. If you prefer SWYPE, that keyboard is also available. (Tip: To switch keyboards simply press and hold down in the message area. You’ll see a small screen appear that says Input Method. Select that to choose between the SWYPE keyboard and Touch Input.)Using the keyboard was acceptable, but we prefer using SWYPE as a method of text input. Overall, the cell phone feels good in the hand and its a bit lighter than the HTC EVO 4G.

Testing the HTC EVO 3D

Making Calls: During calls we could hear callers pretty clearly and callers said they had a similar experience on their end. Regardless of how close you hold the smartphone to your face, the “End Call” button never seems to get “accidentally” hit.

• Volume Adjustment: You can use the side buttons to adjust the volume, but we rarely needed to use them.
• Speakerphone: Call quality is solid when using this feature. We didn’t cut each other off when speaking simultaneously and callers didn’t know we were using the speakerphone.

Operating System: The smartphone comes loaded with the Android 2.3 OS, sports a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, and has an 4GB of internal memory plus an 8GB microSD card pre-installed (Note: You’ll need to remove the battery to switch out the microSD card). This all adds up to one speedy smartphone. You can switch between home screens and launch applications without delay. This also means video playback is smooth and seamless. There’s plenty of room to store files, music, and pictures out-of-the-box. It also supports multitasking and multiple screens with the ability to organize apps just about any way you want. Overall, the user interface is fairly straightforward and icon friendly. The main benefit of the Android 2.3 Ginerbread OS is an overall improved user experience. In short, everything on the phone is much smoother, slicker, and faster.

At the base of the screen are three quick launch buttons for Apps, Phone, and Personalization. There are seven home screens that are all customizable (Tip: To add a shortcut, widget, folder or wallpapers to a homescreen, simply touch and hold the screen until the Personalize window appears and then choose what you’d like added.). Sprint has included a few apps on the cell phone such as the Spider-Man 3D game, Sprint Zone, Sprint TV & Movies, QIK Video, Nascar, and Transfer my Stuff app for migrating contacts, messages and more from an old phone to the HTC EVO 3D. It also has HTC Sense, an overlay that sits on top of the OS that adds more functionality and features to the cell phone. For starters, HTC Sense offers a slue of widgets to help customize the phone’s seven home screens.

• Web Navigation: Surfing the web is actually pretty fast on this cell phone via a 3G connection, we didn’t need to access a WiFI connection or turn on 4G connectivity. It also shows the full web site in a single view. You can zoom in and out of a page, set bookmarks, manage multiple windows and view history. We did also appreciate that you can have multiple browser windows open simultaneously and easily navigate between them. (Tip: To see the web sites you have open on the HTC EVO 3D, select the Menu option at the base of the phone and then choose Windows.) The cell phone does support Adobe FlashPlayer.

• Social Media: Since this cell phone has HTC Sense it’s loaded with the company’s social media apps such as Peep, HTC’s Twitter client. It also has HTC’s Friend Stream feature that lets you view all the updates (including pictures, Facebook updates, and more) for your contacts in one place. That means you don’t need to go to the Facebook app to look for just a few updates. If you want access to more social networking options you can easily download them from the Android Market.

Camera Features: The HTC EVO 3D has three camera lenses, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat and snapping self-portraits, and two rear-facing 5-megapixel camera. You can use the cameras on the back to shoot either a 2D or 3D pictures and videos. To select which type of image you want to capture simply use the silver slide button located next to the camera button on the side of the phone to choose either 2D or 3D. When capturing 3D images you’ll only be able to see them on the phone or on another 3D capable device, which means if you send a 3D image to someone with a cell phone that doesn’t support 3D they won’t be able to see the image in a 3D format.

• Shutter Speed: We found the shutter speed on the HTC EVO 3D a bit slow, so you won’t be able to use it to capture action shots. Additionally, once you click to take a picture you shouldn’t move the phone until you hear a click or the image will be blurry.
• Picture Quality: We found colors to be true and details clear in 2D and the we could definitely detect a bit of depth in the 3D pictures and video.
• Photo Settings: You can control the flash, focus, exposure, contrast, saturation, sharpness, ISO, review time, face detection, resolution, white balance, set location, and effects (normal, distortion, vignette, depth of field, dots, vintage, vintage warm, vintage cold, grayscale, mono, negative, solarize, posterize, aqua, and sepia.
• Video Features: You can record both 3D and 720p HD video with this Android cell phone. We found quality was acceptable. If you don’t want to shoot your own videos, you can also watch movies downloaded from the included HTC Watch and Blockbuster apps. Additionally, the phone comes loaded with the Green Hornet 3D movie.

Music Features: Playback of music through the HTC EVO 3D speaker is solid; songs sounded loud, but not distorted or too tinny. The cell phone comes with a shortcut to Sprint Radio, an Android app that offers over 60 channels of music, and is preloaded with seven songs from various artists.

• Formats Supported: We were able to play MP3, and unprotected AAC (Apple’s audio format), unprotected WMA (Microsoft’s audio format) music files.
• Features: Repeat, Shuffle, and Playlists (you can even create playlists on the cell phone). You can update album art, find related videos on YouTube, share music (send via Bluetooth, e-mail, or text messages), ehance sound and save tunes stored in your cell phone as a ringtone or set as an alarm..

Connectivity: The HTC EVO 3D works with Sprint’s 3G and 4G networks.

• Bluetooth: The cell phone worked seamlessly with the Motorola Roadster and callers didn’t know we were using a Bluetooth connection. We were also able to connect the HTC EVO 3D with a MacBook Pro and transfer contacts, pictures, and music.
• WiFi: It has 802.11 b/g/n WiFi (that’s pretty secure) and we were able to log onto available WiFi networks to surf the Web or send/receive e-mail. It just takes moments to set up. The only thing you need is the WiFi network you want to use and password if needed. You can also share the phone’s 4G or 3G data connection with up to eight WiFi-enabled devices.

Battery Life: The HTC EVO 3D has a larger battery than the original HTC EVO 4G. As such, we found that battery life was slightly better. We were able to go a full day before needing to recharge the cell phone, when we had the cell phone’s screen set at full brightness and used it to check e-mail, surf the web, listen to music, play games, and take a few pictures.Overall, the HTC EVO 3D is a solid smartphone and a worthy update to the HTC EVO 4G. The phone’s 1.2GHZ dual-core processor and Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS offer impressive performance, while the integration of the 3D functionality is a nice bonus feature that doesn’t detract from the overall experience.