Impressed by the 3D photos on the Sprint HTC EVO 3D

Over the weekend, I had the chance to spend some time with an HTC EVO 3D from Sprint. This phone has a special camera that allows you to take photos in 3D. I was very impressed by the 3D camera. Once this phone comes to Verizon (assuming that it will), I may need to sell my ThunderBolt and get this one so that I can play around with taking 3D photos and videos. Here's how Sprint describes this phone:

Big black glasses are for hipsters, not watching movies. Ditch the frames and go glasses-free with the HTC EVO 3D, America's first 4G smartphone with a 4.3-inch 3D qHD display. Create and stream HD video, view it in 3D and share it easily. Quickly download movies and enjoy a Flash-enabled web browsing experience that takes advantage of the speed of the Sprint 3G/4G network and the power of a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm® Snapdragon® processor. With the latest version of the HTC Sense user experience including Friend Stream to integrate Facebook, Twitter and more into a single flow of updates and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), the HTC EVO 3D is ideal for users who want to update their social network in a flash. The HTC EVO 3D makes the most of the power of 4G and lets you share it, offering Mobile Hotspot capability for up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.

Right now, the HTC EVO 3D is only available on Sprint.

Is that a smartphone or a tablet?

The line between the smartphone and slate tablet is getting blurry these days. The latest smartphone on the Verizon network is the Motorola Droid X and this huge smartphone resembles a small Android tablet. The Droid X has a 4.3" screen.

The Sprint Evo 4G by HTC is also a large slate-smartphone that looks like a mini tablet that could be perfect for the mobile web browser. This device is the first 4G smartphone in North America (and I'm sure it won't be the last). Like the Droid X, the Evo 4G has a 4.3" screen and it runs Google Android.

Dell recently started showing off its Streak, an Android tablet that has a 5" screen. The Streak is a tablet and it's also a phone. This is one of the largest devices so far that combines the capabilities of a touch-screen tablet and a phone, but we know that Samsung and several other manufacturers will soon be releasing similar devices.

How do we classify these relatively "large" devices? Should they be considered smartphones or slate tablets that are capable of making phone calls?

HTC Droid Incredible vs. Apple iPhone 4 vs. HTC Evo 4G

The other day, someone asked me to compare the HTC Droid Incredible to the new Apple iPhone 4. Then, another person said, "what about the Sprint Evo 4G?" So, let's take a brief look at these top 3 smartphones:

First, they all have super-fast internal processors. Whether you've got the A4 or the Snapdragon, you're going to have a very fast smartphone.

• Droid Incredible: Very fast, still using the 3G Verizon Wireless network, allows tethering (including Wi-Fi hotspot), great camera, and runs Android. Expandable memory (up to 32GB microSD) and you can remove the battery.
• Apple iPhone 4: Still using a 3G network, great design, only on AT&T, video conferencing appears to be limited to Wi-Fi for now so that front-facing camera may not be that useful, and AT&T to offer tethering sometime in the future (when?). Can't expand the memory or change the battery yourself. How will AT&T's network improve? Will we continue to see all those dropped calls?
• HTC Evo 4G: First (and currently the only) smartphone on a 4G network. Limited to the Sprint network (which is currently the only 4G network). Very large screen and running the Android OS.  Expandable memory (up to 32GB microSD) and you can remove the battery.
  

So, is there a verdict? If you can't switch networks, then I think it's easy to say that you should have an easy time choosing your next smartphone. If you're open to switching, then it gets much more complicated.

If you want the fastest smartphone with 4G data speeds, then the Evo 4G is your clear answer. However, if you want to stay current on the Apple iPhone OS which currently offers the widest selection of medical apps, then go with the new iPhone 4. The Droid Incredible is a great phone for Verizon customers and the Verizon Wireless network has been rated as one of the best wireless networks in America. My family has been with Verizon for over 10 years and we've been happy with their coverage. If coverage is important, then go with Verizon.

What's going to be the best smartphone in 2010?

This year, we're going to see many new smartphones. I'm particularly excited about the new Apple iPhone that will probably get announced in a few weeks. This device will allow you to multi-task on the iPhone.

Those on Sprint are probably lining up and getting ready for the HTC Evo 4G. This HTC smartphone will run Android and it will be the first 4G smartphone in the United States.

Verizon users may be happy with the Droid, but we'll probably see a newer version of the Droid later this year. Some dedicated Palm users love the Palm Pre Plus, but what's going to happen with webOS with HP?

T-Mobile customers are probably glad that they have more Android options that go beyond the old G1.

We've heard rumors of a BlackBerry slider. Will this device offer the best of both worlds? A touch-screen plus a hardware QWERTY keyboard?

So, which smartphone will be hailed as the "best" smartphone in 2010?

HTC Incredible coming to Verizon

The HTC Incredible is coming to Verizon. We don't know when this smartphone will arrive, but it should be a nice Android smartphone for users looking for a really large screen. Actually, some rumors are circulating that the HTC Incredible will only have a 3.7" screen instead of the 4.3" screen found on devices like the Sprint Evo 4G (Supersonic). In any case, it's great to see another Android powered smartphone arriving on the Verizon network. Meanwhile, everyone else is wondering when the iPhone will arrive on Verizon's network. 

Sprint Announces the HTC EVO 4G

Today at CTIA, Sprint announced the first 4G smartphone. The HTC EVO 4G looks like a real winner. It's running Google's Android OS. This is the first WiMAX-enabled phone on Sprint. It also has the HTC Sense UI and it sports a large 4.3" screen. How about two cameras, with the better one being an 8 MP camera capable of 720p video? You won't experience sluggish performance on this device since it has a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. The HDMI connection is a nice feature, but I think I'm most impressed by the built-in mobile Wi-Fi hotspot feature (which is also found on other smartphones that have Wi-Fi capabilities).

To learn more about this new Android smartphone, click here: http://now.sprint.com/evo