There’s a new sheriff in town Android fans — the HTC Evo 3D. Set to debut in the US on Sprint, glasses-free 3D has suddenly become the new craze amongst Android handsets, but who is the king of glasses-free 3D? Let’s stack the new Evo 3D versus the LG Optimus 3D – read, set, go.
Display
The new HTC EVO 3D packs the first 4.3-inch qHD (960×540) “glasses-free” stereoscopic 3D display. The LG Optimus 3D also offers a 4.3-inch “glasses-free” stereoscopic 3D display, but runs at WVGA (800×480). By virtue of higher resolution (and pixel density), the EVO 3D takes the cake here pending no glaring weakness in color accuracy or viewing angles.
Processor
At the heart of the LG Optimus 3D is TI’s OMAP4 dual-core processor running at 1 GHz. Unfortunately, HTC once again has an advantage thanks to a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor. Of course clock speed does not always paint a perfect picture so expect plenty of benchmarks in the coming weeks. There’s also the issue of the Optimus 3D using multi-channel memory and we can only speculate its impact. For now, advantage EVO 3D.
Dimensions
With 4.3-inch displays, the EVO 3D and LG Optimus 3D are not the most pocket-friendly smartphones. The EVO 3D measures 127 x 66.04 x 12.19 mm and weighs 170 grams. The LG Optimus 3D measures 128.8 x 68 x 11.9 mm and weighs 168 grams. This is really a case of picking your poison, the differences in length and height are so close we’d call it a wash, but the difference in thickness is noteworthy. If you want the thinnest and lightest, the LG Optimus 3D is your winner.
OS – user interface
The EVO 3D ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and HTC’s Sense UI. The Optimus 3D runs Android 2.2 Froyo, but will be user upgradable to 2.3 Gingerbread. At this point in the Android OS cycle, Gingerbread is expected and for most of us — we’re disappointed not to have it (at least in an official capacity). Since OS updates can come at anytime, the safe bet is the EVO 3D, but HTC Sense has delayed previous Android updates, so we’re concerned either way. We’ll give the tentative nod to the EVO 3D.
Verdict time
The LG Optimus 3D and upcoming HTC EVO 3D are the kings of the glasses-free Android 3D market. Both smartphones are extremely powerful and will make excellent upgrades as your next Android smartphone. For now, the EVO 3D seems to have a slight edge on paper, but spec sheets are not the best judge of character. We’ll need to get both of these bad boys in our hands before we deliver a final judgement.
