Ask Phil about the EVO 3D

[techh10]

While what you said is true, the 2.0MP in the article is referring to the cameras, and is another error in the chart since the Evo 3D can take 5MP 3D pictures. The screen itself is only about 0.5MP if you look at the resolution that way and thus in 3D mode each eye will see about 0.25MP.

i know that, but to keep things simple and still relavant to the 2 mp point, i just didnt say that. but yes that is 100% correct

 

[WrlsFanatic]

PPI is stupid marketing says who? Who wants to see blocks in their text? Is HD a marketing gimmick when compared to TVs of old and the fact that you can see so much more detail now? Why do you think E-ink is so popular on e-reading devices like the Kindle? Clarity -that?s why. Keep the neon colors and give me sharpness and clarity - oh and btw give me natural and realistic colors too. I will never buy an I phone (knocks on wooden desk) but the Iphone-4 has by far the best screen I have ever seen on a mobile device - and it?s not even close. I dream about having a 4.3 screen with that level of detail and clarity. I am not the least bit concerned about trying to read anything in sunlight as that almost never happens except to dial a number and I can see perfectly well.

I have an EVO and I just tried the following: open the stock browser and go to woot.com. The text in the description is far too small to read. The text of the name of the item being sold (for today, it's a Zmodo Surveillance System) is as small as I'd ever want text to be. Holding the phone three - 4 inches from my eye, I cannot see pixels anywhere in that text. A simple double-tap on the text I want to read and it is perfectly readable.

Are you telling me that when you look at that text, you see pixels in the "S"s? The "S" should be the easiest to see pixels because of the curves. I cannot hold my phone close enough to my eye to see pixels in that. Could it be clearer with a higher resolution? Yes. But if you actually see pixels, then your eyes are simply better than mine, or you are interpreting blurry as "pixellated".

E-ink is popular because it is easy on the eyes to read for long periods of time, it is great for battery life, and it is 100% readable in direct sunlight. The pixel density of e-ink isn't even in the top 5 of features that make it great. If you're going to REALLY read for the long, why would you want your text to be so small that you squint to read it? It's not a book any more. You can make the text as large as you want.

By contrast, if I get a phone call on my EVO, if it's bright enough outside I can't see the name of the person calling, nor can I see where the slider is to unlock my phone. THAT is a real difference in usability.

I contemplated sending this as a PM, but I thought Mr. Nickinson - a reviewer that wants to know what his readers want to know - might want to hear the differing opinions on the look of a screen. If you want me to stop this, I will, and I apologize.

 

[theotherlinh]

If you're going to REALLY read for the long, why would you want your text to be so small that you squint to read it? It's not a book any more. You can make the text as large as you want

isn't that an argument for higher PPI? You enlarge your font and it still looks nice, smooth, and crisp as opposed to pixelated.

 

[|-KGB-|CaptHowdy]

on the 3d im using is there a way to disable the text messages from popping up on the lock screen? I have checked the settings i can think of. have you found a way to disable this message popup?

 

[techh10]

on the 3d im using is there a way to disable the text messages from popping up on the lock screen? I have checked the settings i can think of. have you found a way to disable this message popup?

What are you doing that you need the messages to be hidden for?

 

[MRBULLRED]

on the 3d im using is there a way to disable the text messages from popping up on the lock screen? I have checked the settings i can think of. have you found a way to disable this message popup?

Go to menu, settings, privacy and uncheck "display message text on lock screen".

 

[DaEXfactoR]

Hey Phil,
I'm curious...if you were in the market for a new phone on Sprint, would this be the one???? I know, I know its all about preference, but I'm curious to know what yours would be...

 

[INK]

Mr.Nickison I am contract free as of now and I am trying to decide between the Evo 3d, Thunderbolt, And Sensation any ideas?

I mean which would you recommend to someone?

 

[rstephenrrtx]

Android newbie

Since I'm not on an Android based phone (Pre), the reviews here are helpful but still seem to be lacking in my "education on Android". The tech specs are fine but they are just specs. Benchmarks I've seen mentioned as "unreliable" at best so I don't have anything to compare the performance to. Is there a good comparison on actual processor speed for mobile phones somewhere? (Yes, I've seen the sticky at the top of the forum)

The spinning menu looks fun....but is that all I can do?

I'd like some help understanding what exactly does come on the phone wrt apps. Stock Pre had calculator, memos (notes), camera, music player, video player, photo viewer, Sprint TV, Youtube app, etc.... What can I expect on the EVO 3D with Gingerbread?

Sprint.com says Blockbuster On Demand (with 3D content available) and not Netflix. Sprint- All Together Now Netflix is a d/l app from the Android market? Any support for Amazon video? Maybe I need a pointer to a generic "what do you get with Android?" link or "Android for Dummies" tutorial.

Besides my "education on Android", I have (quite) a few common tasks I'd like to get your impression on or possibly show in a video/tutorial. If most of this is handled in an "Android for Dummies" somewhere point me to it please.

• How easy/responsive is making calls? The Pre launches the dialer quickly...but messaging can lag. I'll say I'm spoiled with the Pre Universal Search. Easier to start typing the name of who I want to call than loading the dialer then looking through the contacts...
• How are text message notifications shown? How quickly can you view and respond? I'm not nearly as proficient as my teenagers but I don't want to wait on the message app to load/initialize.
• How easy is it to send "group" text messages?
• I take lots of pix and videos. Are both integrated in the same app? Zoom available? Can we see some examples of the pix/vids using the zoom? Can we turn on the LED flash for the video recording in low light conditions? (Please oh please say yes)
• How is sharing the pix/vids? MMS? email? Facebook? Youtube? other? If on Youtube, can I share that link via text, email, Facebook, or another? Anyway to print pix from the phone?
• Yes, how is sharing the 3D content going to work? Can we upload to youtube and tell it the content is in 3D somehow?!?
• Would I be able to share pix/vids to multiple recipients and types? ie. Send via MMS to one, by email to another?
• In the video, you showed opening the browser and pulling up AndroidCentral. How are bookmarks? do I need to scroll through a list or can I type-ahead search? Can I do this only from the browser?
• I forget, is Flash supported in the browser?
• Email/contacts/calendar. I'll assume that I can use my gmail account to access all? Others supported I assume(like generic POP, outlook, etc.)?
• Is there support to view MS Office files? .xls/.doc/.ppt? what about .pdf?
• Are Google docs supported? Via browser or app? View only or edit also?
• GPS Navigation? Still using Sprint's TeleNav?
• Media synch (mp3/videos) - anything special to know here? Can we use Windows Media Player? Real Player? other?
• Other than the HTC corporate Sense 3.0 info, what else does that buy me?
• Video chat: Am I limited to doing this only to other Evo 3D phones? Can we video chat with computer users? How? Skype? Google Talk? Other?
• Can I assume that my 10 yr old will be very entertained with games/videos when he gets "bored" at a family function or car trip?

Of course, hearing the voice quality on a speakerphone may be easier than through the ear speaker, but can we get a demo of that? How loud does the speaker get? I am frequently in a noisy environment and don't like to keep a bluetooth earpiece on...they are uncomfortable and just look silly if you are not actually talking to someone. What is your impression of the volume in a noisy environment?

Sorry for the novel and I hope Phil hasn't given up on this thread. I've found PreCentral.net very useful for 2 years and AndroidCentral seems equally awesome.

Thanks in advance,
Robert

 

[ksumanth]

Since I'm not on an Android based phone (Pre), the reviews here are helpful but still seem to be lacking in my "education on Android". The tech specs are fine but they are just specs. Benchmarks I've seen mentioned as "unreliable" at best so I don't have anything to compare the performance to. Is there a good comparison on actual processor speed for mobile phones somewhere? (Yes, I've seen the sticky at the top of the forum)

The spinning menu looks fun....but is that all I can do?

I'd like some help understanding what exactly does come on the phone wrt apps. Stock Pre had calculator, memos (notes), camera, music player, video player, photo viewer, Sprint TV, Youtube app, etc.... What can I expect on the EVO 3D with Gingerbread?

Sprint.com says Blockbuster On Demand (with 3D content available) and not Netflix. Sprint- All Together Now Netflix is a d/l app from the Android market? Any support for Amazon video? Maybe I need a pointer to a generic "what do you get with Android?" link or "Android for Dummies" tutorial.

Besides my "education on Android", I have (quite) a few common tasks I'd like to get your impression on or possibly show in a video/tutorial. If most of this is handled in an "Android for Dummies" somewhere point me to it please.

• How easy/responsive is making calls? The Pre launches the dialer quickly...but messaging can lag. I'll say I'm spoiled with the Pre Universal Search. Easier to start typing the name of who I want to call than loading the dialer then looking through the contacts...
• How are text message notifications shown? How quickly can you view and respond? I'm not nearly as proficient as my teenagers but I don't want to wait on the message app to load/initialize.
• How easy is it to send "group" text messages?
• I take lots of pix and videos. Are both integrated in the same app? Zoom available? Can we see some examples of the pix/vids using the zoom? Can we turn on the LED flash for the video recording in low light conditions? (Please oh please say yes)
• How is sharing the pix/vids? MMS? email? Facebook? Youtube? other? If on Youtube, can I share that link via text, email, Facebook, or another? Anyway to print pix from the phone?
• Yes, how is sharing the 3D content going to work? Can we upload to youtube and tell it the content is in 3D somehow?!?
• Would I be able to share pix/vids to multiple recipients and types? ie. Send via MMS to one, by email to another?
• In the video, you showed opening the browser and pulling up AndroidCentral. How are bookmarks? do I need to scroll through a list or can I type-ahead search? Can I do this only from the browser?
• I forget, is Flash supported in the browser?
• Email/contacts/calendar. I'll assume that I can use my gmail account to access all? Others supported I assume(like generic POP, outlook, etc.)?
• Is there support to view MS Office files? .xls/.doc/.ppt? what about .pdf?
• Are Google docs supported? Via browser or app? View only or edit also?
• GPS Navigation? Still using Sprint's TeleNav?
• Media synch (mp3/videos) - anything special to know here? Can we use Windows Media Player? Real Player? other?
• Other than the HTC corporate Sense 3.0 info, what else does that buy me?
• Video chat: Am I limited to doing this only to other Evo 3D phones? Can we video chat with computer users? How? Skype? Google Talk? Other?
• Can I assume that my 10 yr old will be very entertained with games/videos when he gets "bored" at a family function or car trip?

Of course, hearing the voice quality on a speakerphone may be easier than through the ear speaker, but can we get a demo of that? How loud does the speaker get? I am frequently in a noisy environment and don't like to keep a bluetooth earpiece on...they are uncomfortable and just look silly if you are not actually talking to someone. What is your impression of the volume in a noisy environment?

Sorry for the novel and I hope Phil hasn't given up on this thread. I've found PreCentral.net very useful for 2 years and AndroidCentral seems equally awesome.

Thanks in advance,
Robert

this might answer most of your questions

http://forum.androidcentral.com/general-help-how/33254-palm-webos-homebrewers-guide-android.html

 

[Phil Nickinson]

Hey Phil,
I'm curious...if you were in the market for a new phone on Sprint, would this be the one???? I know, I know its all about preference, but I'm curious to know what yours would be...

Haven't gotten to use the Photon yet. But have I mentioned I love Sense 3.0?

 

[Phil Nickinson]

Mr.Nickison I am contract free as of now and I am trying to decide between the Evo 3d, Thunderbolt, And Sensation any ideas?

I mean which would you recommend to someone?

Three different phones, on three different carriers ... Love the feel of the Sensation. But the EVO 3D is definitely less laggy -- but I wouldn't say that's a deal-breaker for the Sensation.

I've been using the TB as my daily driver for a few months now. It's almost utilitarian -- not as sexy as the Sensation. And the build quality of the TB is definitely showing signs of wear.

 

[Jace985]

I have an EVO and I just tried the following: open the stock browser and go to woot.com. The text in the description is far too small to read. The text of the name of the item being sold (for today, it's a Zmodo Surveillance System) is as small as I'd ever want text to be. Holding the phone three - 4 inches from my eye, I cannot see pixels anywhere in that text. A simple double-tap on the text I want to read and it is perfectly readable.

Are you telling me that when you look at that text, you see pixels in the "S"s? The "S" should be the easiest to see pixels because of the curves. I cannot hold my phone close enough to my eye to see pixels in that. Could it be clearer with a higher resolution? Yes. But if you actually see pixels, then your eyes are simply better than mine, or you are interpreting blurry as "pixellated".

E-ink is popular because it is easy on the eyes to read for long periods of time, it is great for battery life, and it is 100% readable in direct sunlight. The pixel density of e-ink isn't even in the top 5 of features that make it great. If you're going to REALLY read for the long, why would you want your text to be so small that you squint to read it? It's not a book any more. You can make the text as large as you want.

By contrast, if I get a phone call on my EVO, if it's bright enough outside I can't see the name of the person calling, nor can I see where the slider is to unlock my phone. THAT is a real difference in usability.

I contemplated sending this as a PM, but I thought Mr. Nickinson - a reviewer that wants to know what his readers want to know - might want to hear the differing opinions on the look of a screen. If you want me to stop this, I will, and I apologize.

So you have no actual experience with what you are arguing about. Going from 3gs iphone resolution to the iphone 4 resolution which is about the same in this case was a HUGE difference the pixel density makes text on the screen look like its a crisp piece of printed paper not a blocky pix elated mess. It makes Icons for apps look so much less cheap looking. Basically as a whole the more PPI there is the more it looks like you are interfacing with something real and believable like it's not a computer screen but a real button instead of something that looks like the original zelda title for the NES.

 

[smoles]

Any issues of screen separation or light from the bottom of the home keys?

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

 

[Phil Nickinson]

Any issues of screen separation or light from the bottom of the home keys?

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

Not that I can see.

 

[VickMackey#AC]

Is the screen made of Gorilla Glass?

 

[charlie hustle]

Compass seems just fine to me.

A word on the 3D capabilities: It's not like the display does 3D all the time or anything. And that's not what the toggle switch does. The toggle switch is only for the camera app. And the only time you'll see something on the screen in 3D is when you're looking at 3D content -- an app, picture or video. The launcher and rest of the OS is NOT in 3D.

i seriously think that this comment needs to be put in bold, copied, and placed all over the web. There is too many misconceptions where people are thinking that everything is going to be in 3d on this phone and this would clear a lot of confusion.

 

[WatermelonSlim]

Does the Evo 3D have USB OTG? Here is an example of what I'm talking about:
http://forum.androidcentral.com/sam...h-drive-bluetooth-mouse-keyboard-wo-root.html

 

[linzgeneral]

So you have no actual experience with what you are arguing about. Going from 3gs iphone resolution to the iphone 4 resolution which is about the same in this case was a HUGE difference the pixel density makes text on the screen look like its a crisp piece of printed paper not a blocky pix elated mess. It makes Icons for apps look so much less cheap looking. Basically as a whole the more PPI there is the more it looks like you are interfacing with something real and believable like it's not a computer screen but a real button instead of something that looks like the original zelda title for the NES.

AMEN - couldn't have said it better myself. I have an EVO and can easily see pixels from more than a foot away. Text just do not look like it does on say - paper. That is my main prob with my EVO and BTW with every single tablet on the market today especially the Ipad. i ran to Best Buy yesterday to purchase a Samsung 10.1 pad because of the consistent reviews of the stellar screen and was instantly turned off by the same pixilated mess that currently exist on the others. I don't know why I expected different when it is still the standard 1200 by 800 resolution like all the rest.

 

[linzgeneral]

I have an EVO and I just tried the following: open the stock browser and go to woot.com. The text in the description is far too small to read. The text of the name of the item being sold (for today, it's a Zmodo Surveillance System) is as small as I'd ever want text to be. Holding the phone three - 4 inches from my eye, I cannot see pixels anywhere in that text. A simple double-tap on the text I want to read and it is perfectly readable.

Are you telling me that when you look at that text, you see pixels in the "S"s? The "S" should be the easiest to see pixels because of the curves. I cannot hold my phone close enough to my eye to see pixels in that. Could it be clearer with a higher resolution? Yes. But if you actually see pixels, then your eyes are simply better than mine, or you are interpreting blurry as "pixellated".

E-ink is popular because it is easy on the eyes to read for long periods of time, it is great for battery life, and it is 100% readable in direct sunlight. The pixel density of e-ink isn't even in the top 5 of features that make it great. If you're going to REALLY read for the long, why would you want your text to be so small that you squint to read it? It's not a book any more. You can make the text as large as you want.

By contrast, if I get a phone call on my EVO, if it's bright enough outside I can't see the name of the person calling, nor can I see where the slider is to unlock my phone. THAT is a real difference in usability.

I contemplated sending this as a PM, but I thought Mr. Nickinson - a reviewer that wants to know what his readers want to know - might want to hear the differing opinions on the look of a screen. If you want me to stop this, I will, and I apologize.

I don't have to go through all of that. I see the pixilated text very clearly everytime I use the phone and many others like the Nexus2, Galaxy, even the Droid charge and Infuse. It is especially noticeable when the text is white on a dark back ground. Don't get me wrong, the EVO is the best phone I have ever used but the resolution needed to be bumped to meet the increasing screen size. This 800 by 480 used to be the standard resolution for 3.6 inch screens. You point is well taken but we obviously value different features in our devices. I have always been a stickler for a sharp screen and the I-phone 4 is the only device right now that meets that designation despite the liberal use of the term by many to describe a lot of other phones. Big difference between color and contrast and sharpness - in my opinion anyway.