Hello all, I found this site and thread by doing a Google search for Evo 4g LTE vs Galaxy S3. I have read through many of the responses and will post my own.
I am the current owner of a Samsung Moment, one of the first real smartphones released for the Android OS. I purchased the phone in November of 2009, and I am more than ready to unload it. This phone has been a nightmare for the past 2.5 years I've owned it. I have had so many problems with it, it's not even worth discussing. But strangely enough, I have decided to go with the S3 over the Evo even though I initially swore off ever owning a Samsung smartphone again. Here are my reasons (in no particular order):
1. 2 gigs of ram vs 1 gig. It may not make a huge difference now, but since I'm not one of those people who goes and drops $700 every six months on the latest and greatest smartphone, the extra gig is a future proof feature.
2. Android 4.0.4 for the S3 vs Android 4.0.3 for the Evo. This isn't a huge deal, as software can be updated easily enough, but I'm confused about HTC's decision to send out their flagship phone without the newest version of the Android OS. From what I have read, Google made lots of improvements and security fixes from 4.0.3 to 4.0.4. I don't know if HTC is planning on skipping 4.0.4 and going right to 4.0.5, but again, I see this as an oversight on their part.
3. 1.9 MP in the S3 vs 1.3 MP in the EVO, front facing cameras. Not a huge deal, but it should make Skype mobile run that much smoother. It's a little thing, but the little things count to me.
4. 32 gig of internal storage in the S3 vs 16 gigs of storage in the EVO. Not only can you get the phone with more internal memory, but the S3 can take a 64 gig SD card, while the max for the EVO is 32 gigs. As anyone who has lots of music (I have about 40 gigs of MP3's on my computer, as I rip them at 320 Kbps), photos, and video, even 96 gigs goes fast.
5. Lastly, a removable 2100 mAh li-ion battery vs a non-removable 2000 mAh li-ion battery. I don't understand the decision to make the battery non-removable, is HTC trying to ape the Apple model? If I want to swipe out a more powerful battery for the stock, or if the stock battery begins to stop holding a charge, you're pretty much screwed with the HTC. Again, another oversight as far as I'm concerned.
As far as the other features, they are pretty much a wash. I have read the screen is a little better on the EVO, but I'm sure it's a small difference at that. Some people like Sense more than Swype, but that really doesn't matter much to me. I have also read people complaining about the radios in Samsung phones, and I can attest to my Moment having horrible GPS lock (one of the many reasons I hate the phone), but nobody knows what the radio quality will be with the NA version of the S3. There is always a two to four week return period depending on where the phone is purchased, so I'm willing to give Samsung another shot as far as that goes. Also, I have read people complaining about the plastics Samsung uses in the construction of their phones. It's pretty well known that plastic is great for reception, and any phone I purchase will be covered in an Otterbox Defender case, so again, not a factor for me.
Apologies for my long post, but I just wanted to put out there why the decision was made easy for me. The S3 simply is a better future proof phone. I suppose if you're one of those people who spends crazy money to buy a phone out of contract every six months, that won't matter to you, but for someone like me who buys the best they can and then tries to hold on to it for as long as possible, it makes a difference.
Good luck to all, both phones look fantastic and I'm sure both will make their owners very happy.