Evo 3D 'pro' reviews

[Halfbaked]

Bobby, you brought up a great point.

Is it possible these reviewers had radios on while talking on the phone? I get a range of bars in my hotel room because its fortified like Fort Knox. Someone said they could barely hear me on a phone call one day. I looked at my phone and I think I had one bar and my WiFi was on. I cut WiFi off and the person could hear me.

Novox, isn't it possible that these reviewers had voice going with a 3G, 4G, GPS, or WiFi radio on which could have caused the audio/interference problem? I think I have talked on voice and had a radio on at the same time only a few times. Comes in handy when you don't really want to talk to someone or you need to look up something on the internet and pass It to a friend.

I'm going to say the problem they experienced was radio interference coupled with a low CDMA signal. Prove me wrong with my theory guys.

 

[OhioCalling]

Here is their first hands on video review. I expect they will do a more in depth review soon to follow up with better details.

Phil complemented on the speed of the phone and it looks to be true in the video.

Sprint HTC EVO 3D video hands-on | Android Central

 

[bobby2478]

Bobby, you brought up a great point.

Is it possible these reviewers had radios on while talking on the phone? I get a range of bars in my hotel room because its fortified like Fort Knox. Someone said they could barely hear me on a phone call one day. I looked at my phone and I think I had one bar and my WiFi was on. I cut WiFi off and the person could hear me.

Novox, isn't it possible that these reviewers had voice going with a 3G, 4G, GPS, or WiFi radio on which could have caused the audio problem? I think I have talked on voice and had a radio on at the same time only a few times.

I never thought of the different radios and possible interference, that is a great point! It certainly sounds like for their testing they turned on every possible radio in order to test how the batter fares when everything is connected. Another thing to consider is whether they had devices tethered to it, and whether that would have any detriment to the voice call quality as well.

Excellent point, and something worth testing when we can get our hands on it!!

 

[you2]

Conversely isn't it a bit silly to have to explicitly turn off 3g/4g/wifi to make a call ?

I never thought of the different radios and possible interference, that is a great point! It certainly sounds like for their testing they turned on every possible radio in order to test how the batter fares when everything is connected. Another thing to consider is whether they had devices tethered to it, and whether that would have any detriment to the voice call quality as well.

Excellent point, and something worth testing when we can get our hands on it!!

 

[NeoteriX]

Bobby, you brought up a great point.

Is it possible these reviewers had radios on while talking on the phone? I get a range of bars in my hotel room because its fortified like Fort Knox. Someone said they could barely hear me on a phone call one day. I looked at my phone and I think I had one bar and my WiFi was on. I cut WiFi off and the person could hear me.

Novox, isn't it possible that these reviewers had voice going with a 3G, 4G, GPS, or WiFi radio on which could have caused the audio/interference problem? I think I have talked on voice and had a radio on at the same time only a few times. Comes in handy when you don't really want to talk to someone or you need to look up something on the internet and pass It to a friend.

I'm going to say the problem they experienced was radio interference coupled with a low CDMA signal. Prove me wrong with my theory guys.

Even if you were right with your theory, it ultimately wouldn't make a difference -- if the phone was engineered with that kind of cross interference with its own antennas, that would be irresponsible and unacceptable engineering. If other phones with multiple antennas don't have that problem, then it's no excuse for the Evo 3D to have those interference problems.

 

[cobalt]

My only issue now is if the "Kingdom" is going to be dual core or not, or if the 1.2 proc is that new one that has been beating out the Tegra 2.

If it is, and I dont necessarily even need the 3D option, why wouldnt I wait for that phone?

Via 911sniper, it's supposed to be a similar processor/GPU to the EVO Shift -- faster than the original EVO 4G, but slower than the EVO 3D, and single-core:
http://pocketnow.com/android/htc-kingdom-for-sprint-fully-exposed-image

I would love to be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's too soon for the next Snapdragon if the Kingdom is already hitting the FCC, so virtually zero chance of it being faster than the EVO 3D:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/15/htc-kingdom-soars-into-fccs-database-wimax-radio-signals-a-spr/

(Which would, unfortunately, make it a cheaper mid-range phone, not a high-end one.)

 

[bobby2478]

Conversely isn't it a bit silly to have to explicitly turn off 3g/4g/wifi to make a call ?

I think he means the culprit being Wifi. Personally, I NEVER connect to Wifi unless I can't get a 3G or 4G connection. So I would NEVER have Wifi on, at the same time I was already connected to a 4G or 3G network. Having said that however, I do realize that some people will connect to both 3G and Wifi so they can talk and use data simultaneously. Personally, that isn't the case for me, and my Wifi remains off 99.9% of the time.

So if having Wifi on while I was connected to 3G or 4G was the culprit, I simply would leave Wifi off and thus not experience any issues.

Of course this is all speculation until we can physically use the phone for ourselves.

 

[bobby2478]

Even if you were right with your theory, it ultimately wouldn't make a difference -- if the phone was engineered with that kind of cross interference with its own antennas, that would be irresponsible and unacceptable engineering. If other phones with multiple antennas don't have that problem, then it's no excuse for the Evo 3D to have those interference problems.

Considering the 3D isn't released yet, then the experience that Halfbaked refers to obviously occured on another device, which was experiencing some interference between the Wifi and 3G/4G radios, since when they disabled Wifi the interference went away.

So this interference is obviously an issue on other devices outside of the 3D. The question remains, if after we test the device for ourselves is there in fact a poor call quality as referenced by the reviews? If so, what is the culprit? Wifi is one possibility provided that the reviews are accurate and there is in fact poor call quality.

 

[NeoteriX]

I think he means the culprit being Wifi. Personally, I NEVER connect to Wifi unless I can't get a 3G or 4G connection. So I would NEVER have Wifi on, at the same time I was already connected to a 4G or 3G network. Having said that however, I do realize that some people will connect to both 3G and Wifi so they can talk and use data simultaneously. Personally, that isn't the case for me, and my Wifi remains off 99.9% of the time.

So if having Wifi on while I was connected to 3G or 4G was the culprit, I simply would leave Wifi off and thus not experience any issues.

Of course this is all speculation until we can physically use the phone for ourselves.

As a technical matter, I believe that if you're connected via WIFI, you're simply not connected to 3G or 4G, as the WIFI connection takes precedence over them. Voice calls are made over 2G, and all of the phone's data needs take place over WIFI.

I'll also add that you're missing out on battery life savings, as WIFI data transfers consume considerably less power than that over 3G and especially 4G.

 

[kenn]

Given the multiple "call quality" mentions in various reviews, I'm going to pick up a used EVO4G today and root it. I'm going to wait until there are several user reviews from around the country considering call quality. Once I'm sure, I'll sell the EVO and get a 3D. I really want the dual core processor and Sense 3.0... The 3D and 4G not so much. Call quality is really important to me, however, and that could be a complete deal breaker.

 

[ArmageddonX]

I feel like there is a lot of prejudice against the phone because it has 3D on it. I think the reviews would actually have been better had it been called the Evo 2 and as a side-feature it also had 3D. Making the phone revolve around a relatively new technology that most people are not fond of was a bad decision, in my opinion.

Gizmodo & Engadget pretty much slammed the phone solely because of it's 3D features and didn't really touch on the device as a phone. Everything else they said was quick and responsive. There are some call quality concerns but the majority of the negative reviews focus on the 3D feature. Which is a shame...

Like I said, the reviews should be reviewing the phone first and it's features second. They are making this a review on 3D mobile technology and not the HTC Evo3D as a entire phone package. I was concerned this would happen several weeks ago. I really feel they should have just called it the Evo 2 and let it stand on it's own.

 

[apinkel]

I'm really surprised by how varied the reviewers opinions are. Some (like the gizmodo piece) got side tracked by the 3D feature and forgot to review the phone but it's odd that in one review they say the call quality is great and the next it's bad. One the screen is great, the next it's bad. One the battery is great, the next it's bad.

I'll just wait for anandtech to come out with their review.

 

[BlackDynamite]

I love how they say the Evo 3D has better battery life than the Evo 4G, and then proceed to rip the battery life on the 3D.

Battery life should not even be an issue. If it's better than the Evo 4G, which is what they all seem to be saying, then it's not something we need to worry about.

By the way, there is no unbiased or factual review. What one person considers "good" might be what the next person considers "bad." Plus, we need to know what they are basing that opinion on. If some reviewer carries the best phone for voice quality ever made, and then they say the Evo 3D has bad voice quality, we know we can take that with a grain of salt.

If Samsung gave some reviewer a free Galaxy S 2 for their personal use, and Sprint only lent them a review unit Evo 3D, then we need to take it with a grain of salt when they talk about the Galaxy S 2.

If some reviewer is a die hard Apple customer, and only uses an iPhone for their personal phone, for the past several years, then we need to take their Evo 3D review with a grain of salt.

I personally have an Evo 4G. So if someone else bought their Evo 4G on launch day, and have used it as their main device ever since, then I would give their review more credit than the rest. But when I see someone say the battery life is better than the Evo 4g, and then proceed to rip the battery life, I know I can just close that review right then and there.

Since this phone is designed to replace the Evo 4G, every review out there should be comparing it to the Evo 4G. This supposedly bad call quality, is it better than the Evo 4G call quality? Because I have no complaints with my Evo 4G.

 

[RAdroider]

I feel like there is a lot of prejudice against the phone because it has 3D on it. I think the reviews would actually have been better had it been called the Evo 2 and as a side-feature it also had 3D. ..

Everyone is pretty much rehashing my point from 2-3 pages ago on this thread. Bingo.

You name a phone 3D and its being marketed heavily for its 3D, the reviews are going to be dependent on how the 3D feature is enjoyed. I too agree this phone would have done wayyyyy, better if it was called the Evo 2 and downplayed the 3D component. People would be talking about how much greatly its improved from the EVO, and add in "and the 3D aspect is pretty cool too". Rather than focusing on the 3D and downplaying the actual positives.

Marketing fail IMO. I plan to use this phone for browsing, apps, text, and calls mostly and just show off the 3D once in a while. I mean seriously whose taking pictures to show off (only on their phone) the 3D aspect. How many people really are buying this phone to watch 3D movies? How many people are really looking forward to getting this phone to play 3D games? I will probably do all of these three in very small amounts to the point where Sense 3.0 (for someone who doesnt root) is more of a selling point to me that 3D.

 

[bobby2478]

As a technical matter, I believe that if you're connected via WIFI, you're simply not connected to 3G or 4G, as the WIFI connection takes precedence over them. Voice calls are made over 2G, and all of the phone's data needs take place over WIFI.

I'll also add that you're missing out on battery life savings, as WIFI data transfers consume considerably less power than that over 3G and especially 4G.

I wasn't aware that when you are connected via 3G that all voice transmission actually occurs over 2G, and 3G is only used for data. I thought that 3G CDMA simply couldn't handle simultaneous voice and data transmission (unlike 3G GSM which can do both), I didn't realize the 3G CDMA simply can't handle voice transmission period, which is why I'm assuming it would use 2G for voice. Of course 4G handles both voice and data simultaneously, so slightly different there. I was aware however that when using data, WIFI takes precedence over 3G or 4G.

I also didn't realize that using WIFI for all data transmission would save power over using 3G. I know that 4G is a power hog, which is why if I'm not actively using data I turn that off and just use 3G, in an effort to save power. On my Evo 4G turning off 4G alone saved a lot of battery, I had no complaints about battery life on my Evo 4G based on how I used it. Quite simply I don't use a whole ton of data on my phone anyway, so connecting to WIFI to save power on very limited data transmission simply wouldn't be a huge net positive for me.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Bluefyre]

After reading the reviews I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a Sensation instead. I havent exactly been thrilled with Sprint dragging along with WiMax anyway and the T-Mobile "4G" is really fast here. I quoted 4G because I know that their term for 4G is questionable. But it is still really fast. So I am happy. I wish you guys going for the 3D the best of luck and hope it works out great for you.

 

[Halfbaked]

No, some of you missed my point. If you have one bar of signal and you have 3G, 4G, or WiFi on could be the culprit. Read what I wrote in its entirety! Low signal plus 3G, 4G, or WiFi on means interference. Hence one reviewer was in a poor coverage area when he had the audio/interference problem.

If I experience the same problem on the EVO 4G how is someone on this forum going to say HTC should know better? Hell, not a lot of people use voice and data at the same time in a low signal area. Come on guys think about that one.

Only time I'm using voice and data at the same time is when I'm talking to someone I don't really want to speak with. And just so you know if you are using voice and data at the same time your battery wont last a very long time whether you are on WiFi or 4G.

Just so everyone knows you can only do voice and data over 4G or WiFi while talking VIA voice. I'm not an engineer but I think my theory makes sense from a technical standpoint. Thx for the backup Bobby! You led me to this theory. Let's see if Early or Novox will shoot it down now.

 

[sikclown]

I wasn't aware that when you are connected via 3G that all voice transmission actually occurs over 2G, and 3G is only used for data. I thought that 3G CDMA simply couldn't handle simultaneous voice and data transmission (unlike 3G GSM which can do both), I didn't realize the 3G CDMA simply can't handle voice transmission period, which is why I'm assuming it would use 2G for voice. Of course 4G handles both voice and data simultaneously, so slightly different there. I was aware however that when using data, WIFI takes precedence over 3G or 4G.

I also didn't realize that using WIFI for all data transmission would save power over using 3G. I know that 4G is a power hog, which is why if I'm not actively using data I turn that off and just use 3G, in an effort to save power. On my Evo 4G turning off 4G alone saved a lot of battery, I had no complaints about battery life on my Evo 4G based on how I used it. Quite simply I don't use a whole ton of data on my phone anyway, so connecting to WIFI to save power on very limited data transmission simply wouldn't be a huge net positive for me.

Thanks for the info.

Yup 3G, especially in a lower coverage area, can be a battery hog. It seems counterintuitive but WiFi eats less battery. The basic nuts and bolts of it (to my understanding) are that the WiFi radio is nowhere near as strong as the 3g radio and uses less power. Also I have to think that the 3g radio is constantly looking for a better signal or tower where as the Wifi stops looking once it is connected (until you rescan for another hotspot)... Educated guess on my part with this one.

 

[Skullbussa]

Did you actually read their review? Their biggest complaint was when they mentioned they had all the radios on except for bluetooth while taking about 80 pictures and 4 videos. I mean seriously, what better way to rape your battery? Also, they stated that with all the radios on the phone lasted 14 hours and 44 minutes with typical use. Seriously? That sounds like a huge improvement to me. With my current evo I can easily get through a whole day with typical use but with the wimax on, lets face it that time is gonna get butchered in half. So if they can get almost 15 hours with wimax on then the evo 3d definitely sounds like a 2-day phone with light use with wimax off, not to mention other reviewers have already stated that with moderate to heavy use with wimax off the phone will last the whole day. Again sounds like a huge improvement to me.

I'm sorry, I do not buy electronics to only disable MAJOR FEATURES of the device in order to make it usable for more than a few scant hours. If I want a 3G phone, I'll buy a 3G phone. I want a 4G phone, however, and I expect to be able to use my phone, to the full extent of its capabilities, without having it constantly plugged into the charger.

I'm not talking about constantly streaming Netflix or web browsing, I'm talking simply standby time.

 

[trance728]

I dont feel that Sprint went wrong by marketing the 3D, the majority of people that will buy this phone don't read all these reviews, they will see it as a cool feature and then wow this phone is pretty damn fast. The 3D may be a gimmick but its a gimmick that will pull a lot of people towards it. So I think Sprint was completely right in highlighting the 3D, and the people that buy it whether they are happy with the 3D or not will be happy with the overall phone as it should be.

The only bad part is that the 3D technology isnt quite there yet to provide a universally enjoyable experience.

 

[Halfbaked]

I'm sorry, I do not buy electronics to only disable MAJOR FEATURES of the device in order to make it usable for more than a few scant hours. If I want a 3G phone, I'll buy a 3G phone. I want a 4G phone, however, and I expect to be able to use my phone, to the full extent of its capabilities, without having it constantly plugged into the charger.

I'm not talking about constantly streaming Netflix or web browsing, I'm talking simply standby time.

Do you know what standby time is? The 3D gets 355 hrs of standby time compared to the EVO 4G which is 146 hours. In a different country with no CDMA signal I would get 246 hours of standby time with my 1750mah battery.

 

[Skullbussa]

I read each of the reviews sourced from here this morning, and I have to say, there wasn't much good news. Prevalent across the reviewers were issues with radio strength and call quality (even over bluetooth). If the phone cannot pick up and lock on a signal then its value greatly diminishes, and if a phone cannot function as a phone then its useless to me. I don't much care about 4G - despite paying for the privilege its not available in my area, but 3G (and wifi, not mentioned in any review yet) and call quality are my bread and butter.

I expected a mixed bag of comments on 3D and video capabilities, that's just the nature of the technology, and overall none of the comments warrant dismissal of the new Evo based purely on 3D. I was pleased with high marks given to performance, build quality (although the camera lenses seem to be iffy at this point), Sense 3.0 and the display, which seemed to be consistent as well.

I had high hopes for the Evo 3D to take the place that my Evo 4G has reliably served the past year, but I'm going to be in "wait and see" mode while Sprint and HTC determine why their radios are not performing.

I must say, I'm alarmed at the dismissal of these professional reviews and reviewers within the comments in this thread. Its great that you may still buy the device despite shortcomings but remember, we are the consumers of these products, we are the ones who should insist on high quality. We should be complaining rather than going into denial. Think about the difference between what you covet and potentially two years of fighting with an inferior device, especially before you make that purchase.

This is the best post in this entire thread and I wonder if anybody else even bothered to read it.

There is a very heavy dose of denial and fanboyism in this thread. A host of largely mediocre-to-bad reviews and people seem more obsessed with making fun of the way a female journalist looks rather than being upset at HTC's sophomoric mistakes.

 

[markgbe]

HTC EVO 3D (Sprint) Review & Rating | PCMag.com

Pretty terrible IMO... This dude actually recommends people interested in the Evo 3D buy the Epic 4G instead... brilliant indeed.

 

[deltatko]

Personally, until some of the "android centric" sites start putting up reviews, I don't care much about what is being said. Places like AC and Phandroid won't have that Apple bias that many believe is effecting the reviews.

 

[Halfbaked]

This is the best post in this entire thread and I wonder if anybody else even bothered to read it.

There is a very heavy dose of denial and fanboyism in this thread. A host of largely mediocre-to-bad reviews and people seem more obsessed with making fun of the way a female journalist looks rather than being upset at HTC's sophomoric mistakes.

You are saying I should be able to plug 4 usb powered devices into my laptop with the screen set to max brightness and WiFi on. But the laptop should still last 2 hours on one charge?

So the 3D should not experience interference with Bluetooth, WiFi, and making a voice call while in a low signal area? Please bring science back into schools people.

With all those radios going do you think you won't experience any battery drainage? It's going to eat your battery to hell.