The HTC Evo 3D (And Accompanying Bloat) Is Almost Here!

Sprint recently stated that the HTC Evo 3D, Sprint's first dual-core phone and (more notably) the first 3D phone, will be released in the summer (sources point to late June). RadioShack and Best Buy are accepting pre-orders for the Evo 3D in addition to Sprint.

However, as with all new smartphones, the HTC Evo 3D is not without
its bloat. Here's a quick list of what I can gather will be on your phone once it arrives in your hand:

The Green Hornet 3D. Well, whether you like watching movies or not, I would venture a guess that virtually everyone purchasing the Evo 3D is going to play this movie (at least part of it) once they get their phone. I'm not a fan of including any type of additional software that I didn't ask for, even if it's a movie. However, because glasses-free 3D is a relatively new technology, you can't really expect users to adopt it if they've never experienced it. In this case, including a 3D movie with your phone might be enough of a foot in the water to get new users to start wanting 3D, and that's exactly what is needed if this is going to be a viable technology on smartphones.

HTC Watch. HTC Watch is a service that will offer both 2D and 3D movies and television programming for rental and purchase. You can store up to 5 movies in the cloud, and you can watch your rentals/purchases on other HTC devices. Personally, I'd rather have this available as an app, not forced down my throat.

Blockbuster On Demand. This service will offer both 2D and 3D movies for rental and purchase. Sound familiar? Maybe I'm missing something here, but having both Blockbuster On Demand and HTC Watch on the same phone without having asked for either seems like a little overkill.

Ultimate Spider-Man: Total Mayhem 3D. The demo version of this game will be installed for you on the Evo 3D. Nevermind if you're not a gamer, you're getting this game anyway. Again, I can see the appeal in showcasing the ability of a new technology by including a 3D game, but the last thing I want to do when I get my phone is figure out what I have to remove and how to remove it.

Gameloft Storefront. This service will allow you to purchase 2D and 3D games for your Evo 3D. A third "store" pre-installed in the Evo 3D in order to get you to spend money. There can be nothing good about this.

In any case, you can always expect some bloatware when you purchase a new hardware product (such as a smartphone or desktop/laptop computer). People like me will always complain about it, and companies like HTC and Sprint will continue to provide it. I suspect that I won't be able to remove some of these, but with HTC's recent decision not to lock bootloaders anymore, I am hoping that the Evo 3D will hop on the XDA bandwagon soon. They already have a home on XDA.

Read more about Sprint's Press Release here.

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