HTC
EVO 3D

The Evo 3D was initially launched as an exclusive handset for US carrier Sprint in March 2011. In June 2011 it also became available in Europe and more broadly worldwide. HTC described the phone as “the ultimate glasses-free 3D experience.” It was designed to easily capture and share 3D home movies and stills with friends and family. It was conceived at a time when 3D TVs and content were becoming increasingly popular. LG also followed this trend with the LG Optimus 3D P920. Both companies seemed to have been inspired by Nintendo’s efforts with its DS handheld gaming device which had been upgraded to support 3D with the Nintendo 3DS. In a similar manner to the way Nintendo had updated the DS to the 3DS, HTC modified its Evo 4G handset to become the Evo 3D while keeping a similar design language, by boosting the specs, and adding a glasses-free 3D display. The HTC Evo 3D’s dual five-megapixel cameras and stereoscopic display meant that 3D effects could be captured and viewed as images and video snippets on the 4.3-inch qHD screen without the need for 3D glasses. Using a dedicated button on the side of the phone It was possible to easily switch between 2D and 3D camera modes. There was also a feature called the “Tiltshift Effect” which selectively blurred parts of the scene to give subjects the impression of scale models. HTC modified its Sense user interface to deliver 3D menus. There was also a customised active lock screen that could show relevant content such as photos and social network updates. The weather app was adapted to offer full-screen 3D animations. Although considered innovative at the time, the technology soon ran into difficulties. Users reported they quickly got a headache while using devices with stereoscopic displays. Subsequently reports emerged that using 3D devices could cause serious eye problems. These concerns, plus the growing realisation that 3D displays on smartphones were little more than a gimmick, eventually saw the trend for phones with 3D phones cease.