Cyanogenmod 10 for EVO 3D

For the past two weeks I have been using an unofficial version of CM10 on my EVO 3D.  (I used it for two weeks because I didn't want to flash my phone while on vacation.)  The build I have been using is the one from December 5th.  Keep in mind that my findings are now slightly out of date.

Pros

• Interface is very smooth
• GPS and  navigation works well
• 4G works (I was in San Francisco)
• Video camera records
• Calls and SMS work fine
• Built in tethering works beautifully
• Battery life is good with moderate usage

Cons

• MMS is totally broken on VM
• Video playback of recorded videos does not work
• Wake locks keep phone awake more than it should be
• No 3D (I don't care)
• Maximum in call volume is often too low
• Stock keyboard blows

After using CM10 for my EVO 3D for two weeks, I would consider keeping it permanently on my phone.  Despite all of it's flaws, CM10 is very stable and smooth.  In over two weeks of use, I have yet to experience any issue too severe to live with.  

Battery life is very important to me as a smartphone user.  Typically I care more about idle battery life; I am a fairly light user on most days.  On most days, my battery life was over 50% by the end of the day (15-20 hours on battery.)  The only time when I came close to running out of juice was during a trip to San Francisco when I used Google maps and 4G all day long.  Even though the build of CM10 I was running seemed to have a wake lock issue, it never seemed to cause excessive battery drain.

Some other thoughts about the ROM:

• The stock keyboard was so irritating to use that I installed my old favorite, Swiftkey.
• Many time when I had to take a call in a loud(ish) environment, I couldn't hear the other person talking because I couldn't turn the volume up loud enough.
• Although I could shoot video on my phone, I couldn't play it back later.  Even MX player failed to play back my videos correctly. However, I could play back all the videos on my computer.
• Since MMS doesn't work on this phone for non Sense 3.6 ROMS on VM, I've just been telling people to email me pictures instead. 

This next week I will test Team Dirt AOKP. I did plan to test Paranoid Android, but the dev has been banned from XDA and the thread was closed as well.

Cyanogenmod review in the works

I realize that it has been longer than one week since since I posted my last ROM review. I have decided to spend an extra week with CM10. Therefore, expect my review sometime next week after Christmas.

How I use tech on the road

As I ride shotgun in an F-150 heading south on I5 to California, I am using all the portable electronics I own simultaneously. My Macbook humbly serves as an extended battery for my EVO 3D, as I have run down its battery navigating. My EVO is pretending to be a wireless hotspot. So far, it has performed admirably, given that Sprint coverage in Portland isn't all that bad. I write this article on my Nexus 7 using the hotspot provided by my phone.  My iPod 4th gen sits on my lap also, filling my ears with yummy dubstep. (Radio music doesn't interest me.)

While I could be doing all these things on my phone, that just wouldn't be as much fun.

ROM-a-week with the EVO 3D

Over the Thanksgiving break, I got  a new phone for myself, the HTC Evo 3D on Virgin Mobile.  Officially known as the HTC Evo V (I assume the "V" is for Virgin), the Evo V is identical in hardware to the Sprint Evo 3D.  Mine is actually a Sprint branded phone flashed to VM.

Every week starting this week, I will flash a different community ROM to my phone and give an assessment of the ROM.  I will continue this project until I have tested the majority of popular ROMs for this phone.  I will use the stock software from the ROM without any modifications, unless absolutely necessary.  The only third party apps I will use include SMS backup+, Titanium Backup Pro, and the Google Apps (Gmail, Maps, Navigation, Google Search), and Dolphin Browser.

Assessment of the ROMs will be presented in a pros and cons format.  The reasoning behind using this method (instead of a points based system), is that it allows the reader to decide what functionality is important to him /her.  ROMs will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Battery life
• SMS / MMS issues
• Perceived performance (relative smoothness if the UI)
• Overall connectivity issues
• Interface design
• Camera features and issues
• Stock keyboard usability
• GPS issues
• Wireless tethering
• other built in ROM features
• anything else I choose to test

What will not be assessed:

• 4G connectivity or performance (I do not live in a 4G area.)
• Audio playback (I'm not an audiophile, so I can't judge this.)

ROMs to be tested:

1. Stock ROM rooted (Sense based)
2. CyanogenMod 10
3. Paranoid Android
4. MIUI
5. Midnight ROM (Sense based)
6. Harmonia (Sense based)
7. Any other ROM I feel like testing or a reader request

I will test all ROM with the following low level software versions unless otherwise specified:

• PRL: 61009
• PRI: 1.53_145
• Radio (Baseband): 1.09.00.0706
• Hboot: JuopunutBear 1.57 or ENG version 1.04
• Recovery: TWRP 2.3.10

Again,  keep in mind, that I will be testing the Evo 3D on Virgin Mobile.  The phone I received was likely an Evo 3D flashed to VM.  I will refer to it as the Evo 3D anyway, because "Evo V 4G" is a stupid name.  Next week around Monday I will report my findings for the stock ROM and move on to testing the next ROM.