Wait for GS2 or get Evo 3D

[jynxd]

I've been waiting since the Atrix (didn't live up to what I wanted) to get an Android and can't decide what to get now. I'm coming from a Blackberry Bold 9000 so I want the best bang for my buck. Should I go for the Evo 3D or get GS2?

Don't really care about 3D, but I do want a good high-end android phone with some battery life on it. I'm also interested in the screen resolution/colors since the Evo 4G looked faded compared to the GS.

What do you guys think?

 

[ArmageddonX]

I recently made the same decision over the course of a few months. Here's a few threads that might help you:

http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-3d...3d-sgs2-photon-same-day-would-you-pick-6.html

http://androidforums.com/android-lounge/337690-samsung-galaxy-s2-vs-htc-evo-3d-comparison-2.html

I personally chose the Evo3D over the SGSII because of a few things.

A.) HTC is renown for their customer service while Samsung is known for having poor customer service.

B.) I prefer the qHD-LCD over the sA+ screen.

C.) HTC build quality, in my opinion, is a step above Samsungs

D.) The HTC community seems to be much more helpful & knowledgeable about their phones.

E.) The biggest factor was in the match up for every phone the last few years Samsung has always had superior specifications & yet the HTC contender always seems to come out on top.

These are just my opinions and should be taken as such. I HIGHLY recommend you go into a store and play with HTC vs Samsung phones and decide for yourself on a personal aesthetic & technical level.

Happy shopping!

 

[jynxd]

Thanks.

My main problem is that I still don't know when the GS2 will come out.

I went and played with an Evo 4G and Galaxy S. Loved the brightness of the colors on the Galaxy but wasn't impressed by the actual phone (looks too much like an iphone for me).

From what I've read, the GS2 out performs the Evo 3D, has more internal memory, and is thinner. Since I've never owned an Android, I wouldn't know if I really need that extra speed the GS2 has, but I do like the fact that it's thinner.

HTC has Sense 3, a nice build, and is coming out earlier than the GS2 (unless I missed their release date somewhere).

I know Samsung had problems updating their phones before, but it seems like they're now trying to keep up.

 

[ArmageddonX]

I'm not going to lie to you, it's a hard choice and one that needs to largely be made on a personal level. I was going back and forth between the two devices in my mind for months...

HTCs customer service, the build quality, & the display type really won me over. The brighter higher resolution qHD-LCD is my personal preference over the more saturated color of the sA+ display.

While I prefer the Touchwiz Launcher, I overall prefer HTC Sense more. Like I said, everything that helped me decide were personal preference things.

Try to figure out a list of *needs* and a list of *wants*. That really helped me decide ultimately what was the best choice for me personally.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

Personally I would get the Samsung Galaxy S2 IF IT WERE AVAILABLE TODAY. Unfortunately there's zero news about when it will be introduced in the US, so the waiting game could be a very long one.

Evo 3D however will be out later this month. So given the facts, I'd just get the Evo 3D.

 

[ArmageddonX]

Late July for Sprint. (Probably)

Sprint Samsung Galaxy S2 Gives HTC EVO 3D 1 Month Headstart [Sprint Source]

AndroidSPIN AS Exlusive: Sprint Source Confirms Late July Release for the Samsung Within (Galaxy S 2)

http://androidforums.com/samsung-function/341197-its-all-speculation.html

http://androidforums.com/samsung-within/339987-release-date-speculation.html

Here is the post that helped me finally decide for the Evo3D:

well from my experience.. here is what I got.

each time HTC and Sammy went head to head.. Sammy ALWAYS brought the big guns.. with specs to die for. each time htc came out on top.

Hero vs Moment ... Hero won
Evo vs Epic ... EVO won
e3d vs GS2... (TBD)

reasons why htc came out on top:
OEM support for the updates and release of code to the dev community.
Huge support from the dev community.
I like Sense.

Also, I was initially a huge fan of the sA display as well until I spent some extended time with it. Somebody on the forums had mentioned they can look like the colors are over-saturated and the next time I visited the store to test the devices it was shockingly noticeable to me.

Another factor was I had learned that the sA displays can be subject to "burn-in" with extended use. Also they may be subject to a yellow or blue color tinge. While on the other hand the qHD-LCD sports a higher resolution & is immune the burn-in issue.

The Evo3D is also coming with what they call a Sharp RGB-Stripe qHD-LCD which should be ever so much more crisp and have slightly more vivid/brighter colors to it.

Besides some minor differences the devices have nearly identical technical specifications on a basic level. I don't think you would go wrong with either, I just want everyone to be able to make informed decisions. As long as it's Android it's all in the family.

Again, I'd highly suggest some serious in-store time to make your own assessment as these are just my personal opinions and observations.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

I respect Dan330's opinions, but I disagree.

The Moment was superior to the Hero. That's even with the lousy Samsung support. The Hero had many problems from the start, which is why my first Android phone was the Moment.

I have both the Evo / Epic, I can't say one is the winner over the other. I really love both. To say Evo won is false.

Sure there's plenty of after-market support for Evo, but there's a good community for Epic as well, and the Moment too while we're at it. I was able to load Froyo on Moment even though Sprint does not officially support it.

To just judge the phones by some "after-market" support is faulty. There are many other aspects to the phone ownership. Heck, most people probably will never even visit XDA while owning these phones.

I actually like Touchwiz better than HTC Sense, but I like stock Android the best, without any interference from the manufacturers, so Sense / Touchwiz doesn't topple one another imho.

Bottom line is, after owning half a dozen Android phones, I drool over the Samsung Galaxy S2. I like the Evo 3D, but 3D is a gimmick imho. I'll probably buy ghe Evo 3D just to try out, and then pick up the Galaxy S2 and have that be my main phone goinig forward.

Thanks for the links on the S2 speculation. I'm still waiting for more official sources to hear.

 

[ArmageddonX]

@AndroidSPCS
Out of curiosity, which phone do you use on a daily basis?

 

[MyNamesTooLong]

I absolutely love samsung phones...The only type I like more is HTC. In all honesty samsung phones are generally good, but the overall HTC experience is better. That being said its more personal preference which is why I usually suggest some hands on time in a store, but in this case you might want to consider a used android to use during the wait and help you get acquainted with android.

 

[Shocky]

People need to drop the poor software support comments, the Galaxy S is on Gingerbread, is the Desire officially on Gingerbread? No, it's not.

Also the Samsung phones are completely unlocked so they receive fantastic support from the community, can't say the same for the latest from HTC can we.

Build quality is highly subjective, both have very good build quality but have different ways of going about it.

The biggest factor was in the match up for every phone the last few years Samsung has always had superior specifications & yet the HTC contender always seems to come out on top.

Say what? Galaxy S is faster than the Desire, SGX540 vs Adreno 200, no contest.

Galaxy S II is faster than Evo 3D and Sensation, faster CPU and GPU and better screen, all they have over the Galaxy S II is 3D(Evo 3D) and resolution.

The Moment was superior to the Hero. That's even with the lousy Samsung support. The Hero had many problems from the start, which is why my first Android phone was the Moment.

Also don't forget the Samsung i8910 using Symbian, 8mp camera with flash and first phone to do 720p video recording, 3.7" amoled screen and very capable CPU/GPU.

Only let down by the fact it used Symbian but a great phone otherwise.

 

[ArmageddonX]

People need to drop the poor software support comments.

I think most Sprint users are referring to the issues with the Epic 4G and getting Froyo basically right before 2.3 came out.

Also the Samsung phones are completely unlocked so they receive fantastic support from the community, can't say the same for the latest from HTC can we.

I'm fairly sure you haven't heard about this then:
HTC: No more locked bootloaders | Android Central

Galaxy S II is faster than Evo 3D and Sensation, faster CPU and GPU

Do you have any links to benchmark tests of the Evo3D specifically which would show it's speed compared to the SGSII? Just for my own personally verification of this claim. Thank you.

Build quality is highly subjective, both have very good build quality but have different ways of going about it.

Display preference is also highly subjective but later you state:

and better screen

Which is a highly subjective statement especially as right after saying that you say:

all they have over the Galaxy S II is 3D(Evo 3D) and resolution.

So the SGSII has a better screen but the resolution is better on the Evo3D? Doesn't having a higher resolution and 3D capability make the Evo3D's screen better in certain ways over the SGSII. Just as the SGSII has better color saturation?

I'm not trying to diminish the sA+ display; just trying to be reasonable. Not everyone has the same opinion as you. Some people have different preferences and I think making blanket statements of an opinion as fact is bad practice when giving advice.

The best advice I could give the OP is to go into the store and spend 30 minutes to an hour with each device he/she might be interested in and make a personal informed choice. Mainly because the Evo3D and SGSII are so close when it comes to technical specifications it's going to be all the little details like display type, interface, and build quality that will make the final decision.

 

[Shocky]

I'm fairly sure you haven't heard about this then:
HTC: No more locked bootloaders | Android Central

Do you have any links to benchmark tests of the Evo3D specifically which would show it's speed compared to the SGSII? Just for my own personally verification of this claim. Thank you.

Good to see HTC changed that, don't know what they were thinking, as for US versions of the phone, yes they had to wait a bit longer but that's what happens when you have to make different versions for every network, you get delays I guess. But they will have have Gingerbread soon enough, betas are already available.

So the SGSII has a better screen but the resolution is better on the Evo3D? Doesn't having a higher resolution and 3D capability make the Evo3D's screen better in certain ways over the SGSII. Just as the SGSII has better color saturation?

I'm not trying to diminish the sA+ display; just trying to be reasonable. Not everyone has the same opinion as you. Some people have different preferences and I think making blanket statements of an opinion as fact is bad practice when giving advice.

OLED is greater than LCD, this isnt an opinion, it's a fact. The contrast ratio is much higher, viewing angles are fantastic and colours are more vibrant.

LCD screens look washed out in direct comparision, resolution doesnt make up for this especially since Samsung increased the number of sub pixels.

Some information below about the differences between the two.

TV OLED - OLED vs LCD TV Comparison
http://oled-yo.com/oled-vs-lcd/
http://oledbuyingguide.com/oled-tv-articles/oled-tv-vs-lcd-tv.html

The best advice I could give the OP is to go into the store and spend 30 minutes to an hour with each device he/she might be interested in and make a personal informed choice. Mainly because the Evo3D and SGSII are so close when it comes to technical specifications it's going to be all the little details like display type, interface, and build quality that will make the final decision.

I agree he should look at the phones in the shop, that is sound advice. They have simalar specs but the Galaxy S II is faster, just check the Sensation benchmarks, CPU performance is lower as is the gaming performance.

 

[novox77]

OLED is greater than LCD, this isnt an opinion, it's a fact. The contrast ratio is much higher, viewing angles are fantastic and colours are more vibrant.

LCD screens look washed out in direct comparision, resolution doesnt make up for this especially since Samsung increased the number of sub pixels.

What you tout as advantages for the SAMOLED and disadvantages of the LCD are purely subjective. They both objectively serve the purpose of conveying information. Neither are so poor that they can't convey that information. The rest is pure subjectivity. If I prefer black and white displays, I could say that both color display technologies are inferior. It all depends on your personal tastes and requirements for a screen.

So... Let's end this subjective bickering NOW, or this thread is headed for a lock. Thanks.

 

[Shocky]

What you tout as advantages for the SAMOLED Plus and disadvantages of the LCD are purely subjective. .

That's like saying the difference between an IPS LCD and TN LCD is subjective when comparing image quality, well it's not and neither is this.

But that's just my point of view, clearly you know better.

 

[stlc8tr]

OLED is greater than LCD, this isnt an opinion, it's a fact. The contrast ratio is much higher, viewing angles are fantastic and colours are more vibrant.

But you didn't address his point that for some folks, SLCD is "good enough" as far as contrast ratio, viewing angle, and color reproduction goes and that the higher resolution (35% more pixels) and 3D are more important? That would make the Evo 3D's screen "better" than the GS2's screen.

 

[novox77]

That's like saying the difference between an IPS LCD and TN LCD is subjective when comparing image quality, well it's not and neither is this.

But that's just my point of view, clearly you know better.

In fact, TN screens have faster refresh rates, which gamers put as first priority. So actually, once again, your preference of IPS over TN is subjective, since refresh rate affects image quality as well (ghosting).

 

[Shocky]

In fact, TN screens have faster refresh rates, which gamers put as first priority. So actually, once again, your preference of IPS over TN is subjective, since refresh rate affects image quality as well (ghosting).

For any professional who needs the images to be accurate there is only one choice here, I'm a gamer myself, I can't stand TN panels and I’ve tried quite a few including the 120hz displays, terrible contrast and colour accuracy and brightness never seems to be uniform which isn’t limited to TN panels but does always seem much worse with them.

Not everyone will notice the difference between 60hz and 120hz and there isn’t a massive difference in the response times, 2ms vs 6ms? Both are fine for gaming, so no I still don't agree with you.

For gaming TN does have an advantage but you have to take a compromise in image quality.

Waiting for OLED desktop displays which will provide the best of both, however we will probably have to wait until next year for them.

 

[SirKronan]

For any professional who needs the images to be accurate there is only one choice here, I'm a gamer myself, I can't stand TN panels and I

 

[ardchoille]

I'd have to see the full specs on both. The specs are one of the things that I use to base my purchase on.. the other being the availability of root/ROMs.

 

[novox77]

For any professional who needs the images to be accurate there is only one choice here, I'm a gamer myself, I can't stand TN panels and I

 

[Shocky]

I, like you, actually prefer IPS over TN. I work with photos, and color reproduction is more important to me than refresh rate. So for me, IPS is "better" than TN. My point all along is that this is subjective, because there are plenty of people out there that value the faster refresh over color reproduction. Just like you said how 6ms is "good enough," someone else will say that the color reproduction on a TN is "good enough."

Sometimes it's good to take a step back and see why others might have an opposing view. I can assure you that when it comes to SAMOLED vs LCD, there is no universal agreement on which is "better," even if there's a clear-cut winner for you.

I totally agree that depending on what you intend to use them for each has an advantage but they are very specific, IPS has an advantage for image quality which is what I'm most concerned with and TN has an advantage when it comes to gaming mainly due to ability to use higher refresh rates.

120hz displays are marketed at competitive/pro gamers, theres also 3D gaming but that's just a gimmick.

I think we just have to agree to disagree, I look at overall specifications and I see a clear cut winner for whatever situation be it gaming or image quality, I don't really see much of a grey area.