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Compare, contrast, opinions: GSIII vs EVO 4G LTE / Sprint-CDMA-S4 only
- Thread starter spridell
- Start date
The plastic and the metal look mint on mine. I got mine via preorder...so been over a month now.
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Mine is protected by a case, my finance's is nude. She has had it for over a month as well. Her evo 4g lte looks as good as mine (which has a tpu case)....and she always carelessly throws it in her purse. I was surprised last night to see her phone was free of an cosmetic damage, looks good as new.
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Yeah that's a nice review, he's a little biased but I like how he didn't pick a "winner". I really liked his conclusion: "So, the big question remains: which device is better? As always we
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I agree. I found it a little more favorable towards HTC, but a very good attempt to be as objective as possible. I used to be a diehard HTC guy...until, Motorola finally offered a superphone through Sprint, in the MoPho, and just like you...completely opened me up to trying out other manufacturers.
That said, I don't know if I'm quite ready to believe that Samsung has turned a corner as far as the issues I had with the original Epic. Even though that wasn't my primary phone, that bad experience has steered me away from Samsung for phones (despite the popularity and support increase of the SGS 2). I'm still considering the SGS 3, but I've been so happy with the MoPho that this is the first year I'm holding out until all of the superphones for Sprint have been released. I've never done that, ever since new phones started releasing every year vs. the standard 2 year minimum that used to exist with Sprint.
Right now, with the LTEvo and SGS 3, I have the LTEvo in the lead for my next upgrade choice based on the Car Dock...LOL. As funny as that may sound, I was born and raised in L.A. and spend a lot of time in the car. Having a great car dock is a huge priority for me (and you know how much I loved Motorola's car dock). As for the actual phones themselves, my choice comes down to kickstand (LTEvo) vs. 32gb internal storage for $50 more (SGS 3). The battery situation doesn't really bother me much, but the SGS 3 would be more in line of what I like to do (e.g. swap OEM batteries every night), and I never use the bulky extended batteries. Samsung would've been the clear winner, if they offered the 64gb internal version. Storage space has always been a key important factor for me, especially with my day job, so having to download big media files through my phone and be able to open those while away from my desk...really important. Having that extra storage helps tremendously (and it would've given me 128gb total...save for the memory that's taken away after formatting).
Nontheless, still a really tough decision right now. LG wait is October. Who knows if Motorola will only have the keyboard phone that's been leaked (hoping for a Sprint version of Razr HD).
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I've come off the fence and will be buying the LTEvo tomorrow. I found myself being lured in by the somewhat superior spec of the Samsung, removable battery being the most significant. What I was forgetting is that my previous Samsung experiences (Moment, Intercept (close friend), Epic and E4GT (wife)) have all been less than satisfactory. The gps on every one of those devices never functioned properly and Samsung is sooooo slow to provide updates or patches compared with HTC. In every previous HTC vs Samsung battle (Hero vs Moment, Epic vs OG Evvo, E4GT vs E3D) Samsung clearly has the better spec, but HTC provided the better overall experience. As we've done with each of my wife's Samsung phones, I say I won't buy a Samsung next time because off previous experience. Then come purchase time we zone out, say "oooh shiny" and buy another Samsung....NOT THIS TIME! The OG Evo was one of if not the the best toy I ever bought, none of the Samsung phones I've owned or used come remotely close to that designation. That alone says that HTC should be rewarded with my $$$ over Samsung.
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Just purchased my EVO today from BB and so far I am very pleased. I checked out the sIII and the design just wasn't for me, though I will miss the replaceable battery
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I stopped by Sprint to do a comparison of the demo models. Both phones are definitely nice. The blue isn't as nice in person as I thought it would look. At some angles, it looks kinda purple, which I don't mind, but still not quite as dark/metallic as I was expecting.
So far, white LTEvo is still in the lead for my next upgraded, despite the 32gb SGS 3 (which is another big win, IMO). The "x-factor" so far is the kickstand and car dock for the LTEvo. I really don't care for Sense or Touchwiz and have used a 3rd party launcher for all my time using Android, so I'll likely use one of the ICS launchers (e.g. Apex or Nova)...or I may even stick with Go Launcher Ex which has been flawless on my MoPho without lag.
So far, white LTEvo is still in the lead for my next upgraded, despite the 32gb SGS 3 (which is another big win, IMO). The "x-factor" so far is the kickstand and car dock for the LTEvo. I really don't care for Sense or Touchwiz and have used a 3rd party launcher for all my time using Android, so I'll likely use one of the ICS launchers (e.g. Apex or Nova)...or I may even stick with Go Launcher Ex which has been flawless on my MoPho without lag.
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One thing I noticed when I went into the store that I think I do like better on the SGS 3 is having the Menu button. I have a ton of apps that I use the menu button for often, to get to the settings of the app or settings for a launcher or settings for the actual phone.
How exactly do you do this on LTEvo or any ICS phone that doesn't have a menu button (going with the multi task button instead?
-EDIT-
Another thing that's not a "big" deal to me, but I don't like that I can't long press on the screen and choose a different wallpaper from that function on the LTEvo. I don't get why you need to do that through the notifications drop down and settings.
How exactly do you do this on LTEvo or any ICS phone that doesn't have a menu button (going with the multi task button instead?
-EDIT-
Another thing that's not a "big" deal to me, but I don't like that I can't long press on the screen and choose a different wallpaper from that function on the LTEvo. I don't get why you need to do that through the notifications drop down and settings.
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Formal name for the 3 dot construct in ICS is "the overflow button."
On the LTEvo, it appears on every app page that doesn't already include one - basically, on every app.
Anything that you can't get to on the direct interface of an app is considered overflow. Short version - the 3 dot soft button works the same as the menu button for all legacy apps, every time.
Rooters play games getting rid of the on-screen overflow button (because it's constant) to regain screen real estate and then simply map one of the hard button functions to serve as menu (examples - long-press home=menu, or recent apps become menu and long-press recent apps=recent apps, etc etc).
In Boat Browser, you can layout the app soft buttons however you like. I dropped the browser back button (phone already has a button for that) and added the menu button to the bottom of the app screen instead. Some apps don't even have a menu button now, just swipe to the side to get to the menu/prefs/settings, or change tabs. Some have the menu goodies baked in as buttons along the top, without an overflow button at all.
Point being, as more apps get ICS-savvy, I'd expect more apps to make it all easier to give you options on that.
But until then - yes, the 3 dot button is your menu. If you use it all of the time, then you may prefer HTC's approach and you're all set.
(ps - recent apps aka multitasking button, same thing in my write up)
As for the wallpaper change - Sense 4 changes a lot of things you're used to in earlier Sense. You're likely to prefer some changes, hate others.
See also - http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g-lte/556520-ics-design-compliant-apps-no-dots-menu-bottom.html
Google has called for an end to the menu button altogether, links and details in above thread.
On the LTEvo, it appears on every app page that doesn't already include one - basically, on every app.
Anything that you can't get to on the direct interface of an app is considered overflow. Short version - the 3 dot soft button works the same as the menu button for all legacy apps, every time.
Rooters play games getting rid of the on-screen overflow button (because it's constant) to regain screen real estate and then simply map one of the hard button functions to serve as menu (examples - long-press home=menu, or recent apps become menu and long-press recent apps=recent apps, etc etc).
In Boat Browser, you can layout the app soft buttons however you like. I dropped the browser back button (phone already has a button for that) and added the menu button to the bottom of the app screen instead. Some apps don't even have a menu button now, just swipe to the side to get to the menu/prefs/settings, or change tabs. Some have the menu goodies baked in as buttons along the top, without an overflow button at all.
Point being, as more apps get ICS-savvy, I'd expect more apps to make it all easier to give you options on that.
But until then - yes, the 3 dot button is your menu. If you use it all of the time, then you may prefer HTC's approach and you're all set.
(ps - recent apps aka multitasking button, same thing in my write up)
As for the wallpaper change - Sense 4 changes a lot of things you're used to in earlier Sense. You're likely to prefer some changes, hate others.
See also - http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g-lte/556520-ics-design-compliant-apps-no-dots-menu-bottom.html
Google has called for an end to the menu button altogether, links and details in above thread.
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By the way - phone settings on the HTC are now a notification bar button. Personalize shows up in the middle of the resulting page, you can set wallpapers from there.
In the Nova laucher, the overflow button is at the top right of the app drawer - you can access the Play Store, Manage apps, or get to Nova settings from there.
Just other examples of the changes embraced for ICS.
I've little doubt that TouchWiz fans can show similar enhancements on the SGS3.
And - I don't think it's a shortcoming that the HTC needed rooting to change that all around, although at first, I was convinced they screwed up.
I worked the Galaxy Nexus release here, and the first thing many did there was root and change their soft buttons to something more familiar.
I set my menu button for a while to a less-convenient long-press on the home button - and to my surprise, I found that I didn't always use it as much as I originally thought that I had.
The hard buttons on the HTC match the stock soft buttons on the Nexus. So, there was a certain logic to the move.
Android - change is constant.
In the Nova laucher, the overflow button is at the top right of the app drawer - you can access the Play Store, Manage apps, or get to Nova settings from there.
Just other examples of the changes embraced for ICS.
I've little doubt that TouchWiz fans can show similar enhancements on the SGS3.
And - I don't think it's a shortcoming that the HTC needed rooting to change that all around, although at first, I was convinced they screwed up.
I worked the Galaxy Nexus release here, and the first thing many did there was root and change their soft buttons to something more familiar.
I set my menu button for a while to a less-convenient long-press on the home button - and to my surprise, I found that I didn't always use it as much as I originally thought that I had.
The hard buttons on the HTC match the stock soft buttons on the Nexus. So, there was a certain logic to the move.
Android - change is constant.
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I bought the EVO 4G LTE last week. VERY unhappy with the EXTREMELY poor signal reception in Kansas City area (which I never had in previous phones and friends with previous EVO don't have while sitting next to me now). My experience mirrors what many have described in a post on Sprint forums called "Sprint Community: Alerted the media about the HTC EVO 4G LTE signal reception issues." So frustrated at having no signal (for NINE HOURS one day!), dropped calls, etc, that I'm ready to return the phone. IF it worked as it should, it would be a great phone.
In addition to the horrible signal issues, the GPS Nav seems to have problems - takes a long time to lock satellites, then Google maps sends me to the wrong place. Friends using previous EVO (and other phones) with same version of Google maps in same car at same time don't have that prob.
Also, the time keeps popping up an alert asking me to select time zone, then switches me to a different time zone. I finally turned off auto updating to stop the annoyance.
The speaker phone also has a crackly, static-y sound when on higher volume. And the high volume isn't even that loud, compared to my old phones.
The insurmountable problem for me is the extremely poor signal reception. I will add a link to the Sprint forum post I mentioned above (can't add a link in my first post) so you'll see discussion and side-by-side tests that show that the LTE definitely has much lower signal reception level than previous models.
SOOOOOO disappointed. Again, if it worked, it would be a great phone. But without good signal reception, it's never going to work for me.
In addition to the horrible signal issues, the GPS Nav seems to have problems - takes a long time to lock satellites, then Google maps sends me to the wrong place. Friends using previous EVO (and other phones) with same version of Google maps in same car at same time don't have that prob.
Also, the time keeps popping up an alert asking me to select time zone, then switches me to a different time zone. I finally turned off auto updating to stop the annoyance.
The speaker phone also has a crackly, static-y sound when on higher volume. And the high volume isn't even that loud, compared to my old phones.
The insurmountable problem for me is the extremely poor signal reception. I will add a link to the Sprint forum post I mentioned above (can't add a link in my first post) so you'll see discussion and side-by-side tests that show that the LTE definitely has much lower signal reception level than previous models.
SOOOOOO disappointed. Again, if it worked, it would be a great phone. But without good signal reception, it's never going to work for me.
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For more explanation and testing details on the EVO 4G LTE signal issues, see Sprint Community: Alerted the media about the HTC EVO 4G LTE signal reception issues. I can't remember which page of posts, but one tester mentions that it seems to be a hardware issue, and possibly related to the metal case. I have no idea, but am concerned that system updates will never resolve this, so see no way to keep this phone. 
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Others in our forums have taken units acting that way to Sprint for an RF test, found that they had defective units, got them replaced and the problems went away.
Lemons happen.
Hope you get it sorted out, but the Evo doesn't have bad radios per se - but clearly some production run was borked.
Whichever way you go, you're absolutely right, an upgrade will never fix that.
I recommend the RF test, and after it fails and they hand you a new one, have them test that one before you leave so you don't have to suffer that way twice.
Lemons happen.
Hope you get it sorted out, but the Evo doesn't have bad radios per se - but clearly some production run was borked.
Whichever way you go, you're absolutely right, an upgrade will never fix that.
I recommend the RF test, and after it fails and they hand you a new one, have them test that one before you leave so you don't have to suffer that way twice.
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I am a former OG Evo owner. For the most part, besides software glitches, the phone was pretty reliable and very durable. I used it for over 2 years.
My wife bought me a galaxy S3 home a few days ago. It's a very attractive phone, beautiful screen. The music player is light years better than the OG evo, and I love the different gestures you can use to control the phone. Very, very nice, feature filled phone.
Here is the major issue. I had placed the SG3 in my shirt pocket temporarily while I was doing something here at work. I forgot it was there. I bent down to pick something up, and the phone fell about 3 ft face down. I go to pick it up and the screen is shattered. I did already get a replacement, but this is very concerning. I have dropped my OG evo numerous time. My 2 year old has chucked it across the room. I have accidently kicked it forgetting it was on the floor, and I have NEVER physically broken an Evo. I had a gel case on it, but no screen protector. To the SG3's credit, my gel case has not yet arrived, but I don't think that would have saved the glass.
My question is, do you think the Evo LTE's build quality is as solid as the OG? I have not had a chance to go to sprint and check out the Evo LTE. How do you as an Evo fan feel it stacks up against the SG3? I am willing to sacrifice looks for durability. I just need to know function wise, will I actually be losing much by going back to HTC.
My wife bought me a galaxy S3 home a few days ago. It's a very attractive phone, beautiful screen. The music player is light years better than the OG evo, and I love the different gestures you can use to control the phone. Very, very nice, feature filled phone.
Here is the major issue. I had placed the SG3 in my shirt pocket temporarily while I was doing something here at work. I forgot it was there. I bent down to pick something up, and the phone fell about 3 ft face down. I go to pick it up and the screen is shattered. I did already get a replacement, but this is very concerning. I have dropped my OG evo numerous time. My 2 year old has chucked it across the room. I have accidently kicked it forgetting it was on the floor, and I have NEVER physically broken an Evo. I had a gel case on it, but no screen protector. To the SG3's credit, my gel case has not yet arrived, but I don't think that would have saved the glass.
My question is, do you think the Evo LTE's build quality is as solid as the OG? I have not had a chance to go to sprint and check out the Evo LTE. How do you as an Evo fan feel it stacks up against the SG3? I am willing to sacrifice looks for durability. I just need to know function wise, will I actually be losing much by going back to HTC.
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The phone is thinner than the OG Evo and people have reported that theirs have become bent. I put a skinomi full body protector on mine to prevent scratches when it is out of the case and I use a TPU case. I wouldn't go knocking it around on the floor, though.
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Well the Evo 4G has a kind metal unibody construction compared to the SIII which is all plastic. Although there is plastic piece on the back that's removable in order to get to the SD card but it's a non issue with me.
Also for me it came down to what I was familiar with, which was Sense. IMO Sense is a bit more polished than Touch Wiz, but the SIII has more bells and whistles on it plus has 2gb of RAM if you care about that type of stuff. But the 4g LTE has an awesome screen and just screams wth it's duel core processor. Plus I also love the dedicated camera button which all smartphones should have.
In full disclosure, I did have an overheating issue with the Evo and brought it back and exchanged it for a new one and haven't had a issue with it since. It's also thinner but the battery isn't removable like on the SIII.
IMO you can't really go wrong with either phone but with that said the EVO 4G LTE is a keeper for me and I have enjoyed it immensly!
Also for me it came down to what I was familiar with, which was Sense. IMO Sense is a bit more polished than Touch Wiz, but the SIII has more bells and whistles on it plus has 2gb of RAM if you care about that type of stuff. But the 4g LTE has an awesome screen and just screams wth it's duel core processor. Plus I also love the dedicated camera button which all smartphones should have.
In full disclosure, I did have an overheating issue with the Evo and brought it back and exchanged it for a new one and haven't had a issue with it since. It's also thinner but the battery isn't removable like on the SIII.
IMO you can't really go wrong with either phone but with that said the EVO 4G LTE is a keeper for me and I have enjoyed it immensly!
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