HTC EVO 3D beats LG Thrill to the punch as first glasses-free 3D smartphone in US
The race to be the first company to release a glasses-free 3D phone in the U.S. is over, and HTC has come out triumphant. We’ve heard talk about the HTC EVO 3D and the LG Thrill 4G for months, and it was said that the LG phone would be the first to come out. However, HTC swooped ahead and made the HTC EVO 3D available today on Sprint.
The EVO 3D is similar to HTC’s Sensation phone that came out earlier this month. The main difference is that the EVO 3D adds, well, 3D. The phone features a sizable 4.3-inch screen, which is the same as the T-Mobile Sensation. Both phones have the same resolution at 540 x 960. The EVO 3D boasts a 1.2GHz dual-core processor (same as the Sensation), and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
The phone has dual 5-megapixel cameras, which we’re a little disappointed about–we were hoping the rear-facing camera would have an 8-megapixel lens like some of the competition (and possibly the iPhone 5). The rear camera does record video in 720p, although the Sensation records in 1080p. The EVO 3D will use Sprint’s 4G network which gives it reasonably fast upload and download speeds.
As for the 3D aspect, having had a few minutes of hands-on time with the phone recently, I can attest that the viewing angles definitely have a “sweet spot” where it doesn’t look quite right if you’re viewing it from a different angle other than straight ahead. I also checked out the LG Thrill 4G and noticed the same problem, so it might just be a kink the new technology has to work out on mobile phones. That being said, looking at them straight on was pretty cool. I watched about a minute of a YouTube video in 3D before I started feeling a little bit nauseas. However, I’m prone to feeling queasy easily, so most people will probably be fine with it.
A huge advantage to this phone is that, unlike most Android phones, EVO 3D owners are able to remove nearly all of the pre-installed apps. The apps can be removed just like any other third-party content so your phone doesn’t have to stay full of bloatware. The only app you have to keep on is the Sprint ID app.
Also on sale today is the EVO View 4G, HTC’s 7-inch Android tablet. It boasts a 1.2GHz Snapdragon dual-core processor which is very fast. The tablet also has a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, dual mics, and dual speakers, so you can easily Skype with all your friends. The feature that stands out the most, though, is the stylus. Included with the tablet, the Scribe Pen lets you treat your tablet as a pad of paper and doodle, take notes, or highlight while you’re reading an e-book.
The HTC EVO 3D is available now at Sprint stores, Best Buy, and Radio Shack for $199 with a two-year contract. The HTC EVO View 4G sells for $400 with a two-year contract. Do you want 3D on your smartphone, or will you save the 3D experience for a trip to the movie theater? Also, will you go with the HTC version, or will you wait for LG to launch its Thrill phone for AT&T?
0 Response to "HTC EVO 3D beats LG Thrill to the punch as first glasses-free 3D smartphone in US"
Post a Comment