I can add my two cents… I use my EVO LTE similar to your description above (I don’t play games though). I’m not rooted, and I’m not a power user.
I’m on my 2nd HTC phone after coming over from Palm. I owned a couple of Treo’s, then the OG EVO. The OG EVO was my favorite phone, just b/c it was so different than what I previously owned. I was afraid of an all touch screen phone, but after a day the fear went away. Fast forward two years and I now own the EVO LTE. Pre-ordered it like many in this forum, and I have no regrets. Best cell phone I’ve ever owned. The EVO LTE is solid in the hand, thin, and has a beautiful screen. Wow, I love the screen… I haven’t had the light bleed, screen lifting, and other build quality issues with my EVO’s. The kickstand is another favorite of mine, and I like how it can be used in 3 different ways. I actually use all 3…
I’m in ATL, and I get LTE at work, so I’m just happy… I can stream all day, watch YouTube video’s, and download music with no problems (and I’m inside a high rise that’s surrounded by other high rises). The phone is fast in my opinion. I get great battery life, and I can tell you it’s about 2 times better than my OG EVO. I do have a portable battery charger (Tylt Powerplant) for the times I won’t be around an electrical outlet. It’s come in handy for me… I was out of town for 5 days with my LTE and the portable battery saved me every day I was out of town. I used the phone heavily for video, photo, internet, and gps. I do notice the EVO LTE multi-tasking issue, but I can live with it (for how I use my phone). I would like to see an update where users can choose their preferences in regard to multi-tasking. The speaker isn’t as loud as my OG EVO, but that’s also something I can live with.
I will admit, I’m on my 2nd EVO LTE. The first had a bad prox/light sensor. That was annoying, and I tried to wait for it to ‘go away’. Well it never did, and I made a call to Sprint’s customer service. They put in an e-ticket for me, and told me where I could take it in (Repair Center). The Technician diagnosed the problem and ordered me a new phone. I had the new phone in my hands 2 days later. So far, the new phone has operated like a champ! FYI – the $11 insurance covered the new phone, so I didn’t have to pay anything.
Go into a Best Buy or Sprint Store and check them out in person. That will be the deciding factor you may be looking for, since you already have the feedback from users, and the specs of each phone.