HTC Evo 3D review

We measured its maximum brightness at 433cd/m[sup]2[/sup], not iPhone 4 levels but very good nonetheless. But that’s let down somewhat by a contrast ratio of 535:1, and some very muted colour reproduction. There’s no real punch to anything, leaving images looking washed out and lifeless. It isn’t the worst we’ve seen by any stretch, but it doesn’t come close to the vibrancy of an iPhone 4 or Samsung Galaxy S II.

Visuals aside, the Evo 3D’s hardware is impressive. We’ve already touched on the excellent camera controls, and the rest of the case feels solid and durable, albeit chunky around the back where the dual cameras sit. Our only major physical gripe is the squishy and thin power button, which we had to poke with a fingernail to ensure proper contact.

Inside is the common dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, along with an Adreno 220 graphics chip and 1GB of RAM. Performance was perfectly good, although not quite up there with the best: it completed the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark in 6.5 seconds, loaded the BBC homepage in six seconds, and scored 1,784 in the Quadrant test.

Where the LG Optimus 3D fell down was in its battery life, so we were keen to see if that was a unique problem for that phone or a more general issue with the demands of 3D. After our 24-hour test – in which we play a podcast for an hour, make a 30-minute phone call, lock the screen on for an hour and then leave the phone syncing email over 3G – the HTC Evo 3D had just ticked down from 50% to 40% left. That’s a huge step up from the disastrous LG, and only a little way behind the best phones these days.

So battery life isn’t a big problem, but even if you can look past the poor camera and the muted screen, the HTC Evo 3D must answer a similar question to the LG Optimus 3D: how many people want a 3D phone? Although taking photos and seeing them come to life has a certain charm, it isn’t a good enough reason to put up with lesser performance in other, more important areas. The HTC is a more attractive proposition than the LG on the whole, but it has major flaws, so until someone adds 3D to a phone that also ticks all the other boxes, it’s going to remain one for the novelty box.