HTC Evo 3D: Unbel-EVO-ble Jeff!

Following all the hoo-haa that surrounded the launch of the LG Optimus 3D way back when in May of last year, things seem to have gone a bit quiet on the 3D front, well, in the world of mobile at least. Yes, Vegas-based techstravaganza CES threw up a couple of third-dimensional tellys and tablets, but other than that, there’s not been a lot to shout about. Conveniently for those in the office hankering for a bit of 3D smartphonery, we remembered that there was a rather neat device nestling in the back of our cupboard that could sate our desires – the HTC Evo 3D. Now this bit of kit was launched the other side of Christmas but kind of shuffled by unnoticed for reasons that are yet to become clear. However, we wouldn’t be doing our duty as intrepid mobile reviewers if we were to let this one pass without giving it the once over so without further ado, let’s have a peek to see if this stealthily launched HTC-er is worth a bigger shout than it’s had, or whether it’s just a HTC Sensation with a PHD in visual imaging.

Key Features

• Android 2.3

• HTC Sense 3.0 UI

• 1.2GHz  dual-core processor

• 1GB of RAM

• 4.3-inch 3D stereoscopic 540 x 960 (qHD) capacitive display with 3D capabilities

• 720p 2D and 3D video recording

Design & Hardware

HTC are no slouches when it comes to designing phones and have in fact acquired a bit of a rep for creating some “Wow!” inducing bits of kit. Those of you who’re familiar with the Taiwanese smartphone moguls’ recent spate of high-end devices – namely the Sensation and its Beats Audio-infused spin-offs the Sensations XE and XL - will know that on the exterior, they look the business. Thankfully for those of you who appreciate a well-built and stylish unit, HTC have continued with their knack of knocking out futuristic, plush-looking handsets with the Evo 3D. Featuring that characteristic unibody casing, the Evo 3D does look the business, however, it is a bit chunky (apparently, it’s the thickest smartphone on the market at 12 mm!). That’s not to say that it’s slow though, but we’ll get on to the impressive innards further down the page.

The Evo’s frame, whilst a little on the bulky side, is in no way cumbersome and will fit into a pocket without hindrance and the added girth actually makes it feel quite sturdy. That said, it’s worth pointing out that the militaristic outer shell is not constructed from lightweight aluminium as exhibited by the Sensation devices it so obviously draws from and is in fact made from a tough moulded plastic – on the rear at least (the tiny bit of visible frame that houses the expansive 4.3-inch qHD screen is actually metal).

On the back are the two special lenses that make all the 3D magic happen, housed in a splendid-looking mounting thing with a dual-LED flash placed smack bang in the middle of the two. These lenses combine to produce the spangly 3D photos and video footage this thing can capture which can then be enjoyed on that lovely screen, and can be coerced into action using the precision engineered camera activation button that sits on the top edge of the phone. Those HTC chaps obviously knew that Evo owners would be clamouring to snap away in 3D hence the inclusion of this substantial, easy-to-reach button, as well as the convenient switch positioned next to it that allows users to toggle between your bog standard 2D capture and the all-singing, all-dancing this-is-what-the-future-looks-like-and-it-looks-slightly-nearer-to-you-than-it-did-before, 3D wonderment mode.

That 3D technology, as we mentioned earlier, is only possible as a result of a clever little thing that goes by the name of a parallax-barrier, which is a kind of special layer incorporated into the screen that fools your eyes into thinking the two images captured by those dual lenses are in fact one (and a 3D one at that). For some reason though, this snazzy 3D tech only works when the device is in landscape mode, so forget about having an immersive visual experience if you like holding things in an upright fashion. However, the 3D images it offers up are quite impressive and go some way towards making up for the enforced landscape orientated usage. Of course, all the requisite bits and bobs to make this stuff work (that’ll be the 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and a special Adreno graphics accelerator then?- Ed) are nestling under the hood.

Software & Multimedia

Considering that this Evo contraption has ’3D’in its name, you’d expect it to be flexing its digital muscles all over the shop when it comes to third dimension visuals. And you’d be right. The 3D element of this device is essentially what sets it apart from the Sensation handsets we’ve used as a reference point in this here review and mightily impressive it is too. The camera app is, as with most Android-powered phones, nicely laid out and easy to use and the decision to stick an actual tactile switch to toggle between 2D and 3D capture modes is a good one as it helps no end when you say to yourself “Hey, that’d look good in 3D” whilst snapping away. One deft flick and you’re sorted. The camera captures in 2D at 5 MP but when those dual lenses combine to get 3D mode going, you’ll get a 2MP snap. However, this is no bad thing as you’re actually getting two 2 megapixel images layered on top of each other to create a lovely 3D image. Cool eh?

Rather bizarrely though, HTC haven’t made it easy for users to find all the 3D business contained within and it could be that the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer has missed a trick in not making the capabilities more prominent within the device by having a dedicated 3D menu like the one that showed up on LG’s 3D effort. Yes, the 720p video shooting and 3D photography is more than a bit good as is the ability to watch 3D content without the need to don those stupid glasses and the ease in which it can be connected to a 3D via HDMI, but we can’t help but think that the whole 3D shebang could have been showcased that little bit better had a smidgen more thought gone into it. The LG Optimus 3D makes sure users get the most out of the 3D elements by clearly signposting them (there’s a dedicated YouTube 3D widget for example), and whilst the Evo 3D more than matches this device for 3D chops – there’s nothing stopping you from navigating to YouTube 3D yourself and enjoying what it has to offer – it could have been afforded a higher billing.

Anyway, enough of our bellyaching because this phone really is a decent bit of kit when it comes to the old multimedia side of things. It being an Android device (2.3 Gingerbread if you’re interested), the usual Google suspects crop up and that means that you’ll never be left wanting when it comes to Gmail, Locations, search and all the rest of it. A capable media player is included as is a swift Flash-enabled browser and of course, the wonderful HTC Sense UI which makes the moribund action of tootling about the digital nooks and crannies within the phone an absolute joy (we still love those weather animations y’know, even after all this time). HTC also add an extra bit of garnish in the form of its homegrown movie rental service HTC Watch, which we’re told will soon have some 3D content available to download, and there’s also whispers that mobile gaming types Gameloft are in the process of magicking up some 3D titles for the Evo. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Performance & Verdict

General performance offered by the Evo 3D was no more, nor less than what we’d previously managed to squeeze out of devices of a similar stature. The dual-core processor and HTC’s Sense UI combine to offer a slick and responsive user experience with no glitches and a commendable lack of lag when playing resource sapping 3D games and streaming 3D content. Battery longevity wasn’t the best, but just shy of a day’s usage from one charge was perhaps to be expected, especially as we were working it like a dog, squeezing every last drop of 3D goodness out of it.

To dismiss the Evo as the Sensation’s bigger, smartarse brother would be extremely lazy on our part and doing this handset a massive disservice for the Evo 3D s much more than a flagship HTC with 3D tacked on the end. Ok, so the thing is extremely similar both in design and functionality as the Sensation devices, but the 3D side of things are what really set it apart. The 3D part could perhaps have been touted as the key feature and a bit more could have been done to get the most out of it (such as including a dedicated 3D area stuffed full of games and content), but if you take the Evo 3D as a high end device with the associated functionality and the added bonus of third dimensional imaging capabilities, you’ve got a right bit of tech on your hands.

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