| The Droid1 Incredible by HTC2 is the future of computing in the palm of your hand. The super-sleek phone is less than a half-inch thick, yet it packs powerful components such as a 1 GHz processor, 8-megapixel camera, and a large high-resolution screen. Featuring the Android OS with Google, the Droid Incredible provides easy access to all your social networks, websites, and thousands of applications, including Google Navigation with turn-by-turn directions. 
The high-resolution 3.7-inch OLED screen is ideal for watching videos and movies. View larger. |  Sleek Form Factor with Powerful Processor
The Droid Incredible by HTC features a racecar-inspired body design that measures just 4.63 x 2.3 x 0.47 inches (HxWxD), making it easy to slip into your pocket. A large, 3.7-inch HD screen with 480x800 resolution graces the front of the device. The responsive OLED touch screen features rich colors and easy use. With a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 512 MB of RAM, and 8 GB of internal flash memory, the Droid Incredible delivers incredible performance, letting you run multiple applications without hiccups. The phone supports Bluetooth version 2.1 + Enahnced Data Rate (EDR) so you can easily connect a hands-free headset, and a speakerphone feature is available as well. 
Take 8-megapixel photos and instantly share them via social networking sites like Facebook. View larger. | Web-Access on the Nation's Largest 3G Network
The Droid Incredible makes it easy to browse the Web at 3G speeds on the nation's largest and most reliable 3G network. The multi-window HTML browser lets you view full websites. Whether you're at home or a wi-fi hotspot, you can switch over and use wireless networking to gain access to an even faster Internet connection. Google Android OS with Thousands of Applications
 The Droid Incredible runs on the Android 2.1 operating system (OS) from Google, and is a Google Experience Device. The Android 2.1 OS is designed specifically for touch screen devices, and makes navigation and operation intuitive and enjoyable. You'll have integrated access to all your favorite Google services and applications, including Google Search by Voice, Picasa, Google Talk, and more. You'll also have access to both personal and corporate email, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. Also included is Google Maps Navigation, which provides GPS-based turn-by-turn voice guidance to get you where you need to go. Useful tools such as an alarm clock, calculator, and stopwatch are all included, and you can head over to the Android Market where there are thousands of applications available for download. The Android OS lets you multitask so you can listen to music, browse the web, receive email, and more--all at the same time. If someone calls you, you can take the call and then resume what you were doing without interruption. Take Great Pictures, Watch Videos, Listen to Music
 For shutterbugs, the Droid Incredible gives you the power of an 8-megapixel camera with auto focus and 2x power LED flash. You can use this phone to take detailed photos, crop them and apply different effects, and then post them to your favorite social networking site. The camera also lets you record video, so you can capture concerts, special events, and more. Whether you're watching a Hollywood blockbuster or the latest YouTube sensation, the Droid Incredible's beautiful HD screen provides an impressive experience. To listen to your music collection, simply plug your stereo headset into the 3.5mm jack. You can synchronize your music from your computer, and create and manage playlists right from the phone.
 Vital Statistics
The Droid Incredible measures just 4.63 x 2.3 x 0.47 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 4.59 ounces. It boasts a usage time of 312 minutes and a standby time of up to 146 hours. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as EV-DO, Rev A 3G frequencies.
What's in the Box
Droid Incredible by HTC, standard lithium ion battery, wall/USB charger, product safety and warranty brochure, and Quick Start Guide.
1DROID is a trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. and its related companies. Used under license.
2Incredible by HTC is a trademark of HTC Corporation.
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 LEAPS Ahead of my BB Tour--but battery life is dismal at best |
| Review Date: August 27, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jeff Edwards, Twin Falls, Idaho |
I am most likely going to trade in my Incredible for the Driod X (as soon as one becomes available that is) however I am doing this for purely personal & impatient reasons rather than because the phone is not up to what I had hoped. I have (secretly) wanted an Android device for several months now having originally started my smartphone experience with a Palm Treo 650 (at the time I LOVED that phone), I upgraded to the 700p and subsequently the 755p before making the HUGE leap to another OS altogether with my first Blackberry, a Bold using AT&T. While I had viewed most BB users as arrogant A-Holes (for the most part, entirely unjustified of course) I reluctantly began to not only like the BB platform, but slowly I came to prefer it. I still maintain that BB's are NOT as out-of-the-box user-friendly as ANY of the ancient Palm devices, but I really appreciated what it COULD do that my Palm couldn't.
I became--again, quite reluctantly--a power Blackberry user. Unfortunately I was attached to the abysmal AT&T service, which has almost a universal bad rep for spotty (at best) service. They brag (and brag and brag...) about having the 'Nations Fastest 3G Service', which may be true--however what GOOD is it when your phone cannot receive a signal in the same location where my wife's Verizon BB Curve had 3G service?? I'll take reliable connection over spotty and fast 3G service ANY day. Long story short, I had to trade my phone in and without having to explain WHY, I was given a Windows Mobile Tilt 2 as a replacement (not MY choice--it was a promotional thing which I had zero control over). This proved to be without a doubt, the WORST phone I have ever used or even heard of. I applaud HTC's design, the phone itself was very nice (although it WAS amazingly heavy--easily the heaviest I have ever owned, by quite a large margin, too)...what I did NOT like was the HUGELY unreliable Windows Mobile platform. My phone froze on me multiple times per day and I couldn't wait to get rid of it. I went back to BB only this time I finally signed onto Verizon and LOVED my Tour.
I decided it was time to upgrade and while I LIKE the iPhones, I have serious issues with Apple in particular and how they have twisted so many people into thinking their devices are superior 'Just 'Cuz' they're made by Apple, thereby also making the owners superior as well. While my initial thoughts of BB owners, once upon a time was unjustified, I have to say that my opinions of the vast majority of iPhone owners I have run into have been pretty much right on the money: arrogant A-Holes. Sorry, but its true--not ALL of them, mind you, just those I seem to run into, apparently.
I have been eyeing the Droid X for quite some time, but the wait to get one seemed impossibly long. I went ahead and got the Incredible based on several comments by the Verizon employee assuring me that other than screen size, the Incredible was its equal. She insisted it came pre-loaded with a 16gb SD card--it did not (2gb) and also had the 2.2 Froyo update as well--it does not, at least not yet. Based on this information, knowing that along with 2.2 the Incredible is supposed to have mini WiFi hotspot capabilities as well as HD video recording, I went ahead and got one all the while in the back of my mind knowing that if I didn't like it, I could always bring it back within 30 days. Sure 'nuff, no 2.2 OR 16gb card, which really pissed me off. How is it the employee (a manager no less) would NOT know this? Honestly I think she was just seeing a guaranteed sale and put on her Used Car Salesman sportcoat and said whatever I wanted to hear in order to make a quick sell.
With that being said, the Incredible really IS a fantastic phone. Honestly, with the amount of texting I do just between my wife and children and me, the Speech-To-Text feature is worth the cost alone. While not 100% accurate and good for pretty much just short comments, using it while driving is a LIFE saver--literally, and I am NOT endorsing texting while driving, mind you. Its SO simple, instead of playing around with the 'virtual keyboard' which is hard enough to use--and downright stupid to do while driving. I still believe that driving and using a cell phone is stupid, which is why I believe this feature to be so great. The number of apps I have found are amazing...and best of all: most are FREE. Sure you'll find more than twice the number of apps available for the iPhone, but come on, seriously, how many apps do we NEED?? It took me over an hour to just browse a small fraction and I found more than what I will ever use in that time. If you prefer iPhones and their apps, that is fine, I'm just saying you can find JUST as many really useful apps for Android devices and much, MUCH more free apps than you will ever see available for iPhones, iPads and whatnot. As new as the Android platform is, to have as many apps available as it does clearly puts it ahead of how far apples app store was at in the same time frame.
The live wallpaper is just awesome. Its entirely useless I'll admit, but amazingly cool nevertheless. I really like how I can customize my phone however I see fit. I really like the fact that whenever I see fit, I can change my phone any way I want. Just cool. The touch screen is very responsive--almost too responsive--and you'd have to experience it to understand I guess. The optical track pad is a nice addition, especially for the times when I want to edit on the screen but my fingers were too big (another reason I want an X), however if there is a way to adjust the sensitivity of the pad, I couldn't find it, and I wish I could. Also, when looking up a contact, I couldn't immediately pull up an on-screen keyboard in order to begin a text, which was a bit frustrating, especially if alphabetically their name was far down on my list...it took that much longer to get TO the contact. If there is an easy way around this, someone please let me know. Having the weather on the main screen with the ability to update whenever I want is convenient, and unlike the same similar feature that was included on my old HTC Tilt 2, this one automatically grabs the weather from the area closest to where its receiving your signal from--all without you asking. I suppose you can pick from different cities, but as a general rule, I only want to know what the weather is like where I currently am, so I am perfectly satisfied with this feature as is.
The camera takes rather great pics--so far the best I've personally seen from a camera. Unfortunately as is normal for cell phones, as soon as it becomes dark, your ability to take better pics becomes dramatically reduced. Lets just say, for everyday point-and-shoot situations in decent light, this camera is a pretty good substitute for your regular digital camera. The photos--while 8MP in resolution, as we've all seen thanks to the fantastic processing on the iPhone 4's 5MP camera, more does not necessarily mean better. This is one area where the iPhone truly does excell ahead of all major phones available at the moment, although that probably will change here within the year I would imagine.
For a phone with a 1Gig processor, switching between texting chats certainly can take up to 3-4 seconds before it opens up the screen, which I just did not expect. Most everything else is as quick as I've been hearing from other users, but to open a chat log in texts takes MUCH more time than I expected, and to be honest, longer than my 2 year old BB Tour did. However, in every OTHER way it is blazing fast...especially with the internet. Coming from a BB which, as we ALL know has just about the worst browser available on a hand-held device, man I gotta tell you I felt like I was connected to DSL speeds like my home computer...and while that comparison is mighty generous, it really isn't all that far off the mark. Pages load incredibly fast with this browser, which I put on par with the iPhone in EVERY way--and once this receives update 2.2 it'll blow it out of the water...literally.
The screen is, well, wonderfully vivid and easily the best I have owned (thus far). Pictures are crisp, clear and detail is always easily projected. I have only seen an iPhone 4 briefly, and while everyone seems to universally praise it for having the best screen available to any smartphone at the moment, I think you'd have to have beyond normal vision to be able to look at one and say with absolute certainty that you can clearly see a major difference between one and the other. Seriously, phone pixel density is becoming so good these days that almost nobody can honestly see a measurable difference. I'm not saying you CANNOT see one, but I AM saying that what difference there is, well, has to be a minor one at best. I am 100% certain however, that there will be apple fans who cannot help but disagree vigorously, and while my eyesight isn't what it used to be, its good enough to say this with confidence. I am NOT knocking the iPhone here at all, either. It has an amazingly clear, crisp and vibrant screen. I just think the gap between that and the incredibles screen is closing rather quickly, thats all.
Battery life is lacking to say the least. This is one place where the iPhone not only is the clear winner, but knocks one outta the park in comparison. Supposedly with 2.2 battery life will increase dramatically, but until I get that update, it pays to purchase a car charger and never be very far away from an outlet, either. Honestly, the battery life is dismal--at best...and I have worked hard to organize my phone in such a way that I use only what is necessary. I dim the screen, don't use bluetooth or WiFi hardly at all and even just sitting on my desk it saps the battery down noticeably in a short amount of time. Sorry, but this is ridiculous, especially knowing that the Droid X with a MUCH larger screen has a great deal better battery life than my smaller one...? This is one area where I believe the Incredible doesn't just do poorly, it downright fails--and is my ONLY major gripe about this device.
Call quality seems good to excellent. Speaker volume was exceptional. Love the app Market for Android. My wife and I were wondering where to go for dinner, and within 90 seconds, I had found an app to help me find a place to eat, downloaded it and received directions on my screen. Amazing. While we were at dinner, I downloaded Flixter (for free), found the closest theater, and even watched a theatrical trailer for the movie we wanted to see, all within about 90 seconds. Sorry, but this is one way in which the Android platform is not just better, but head & shoulders superior to iPhone and the slow & clunky way you have to access their app store. Again, if you are okay with this, then fine. I happen to like doing things this way, personally.
All in all, I have to say that this phone is purely awesome, and such a leap ahead of my BB that words hardly can describe. The ONLY area in which BB's STILL continue to dominate is in push e-mail delivery, regardless of where your email comes from. I still can't help but wonder why no other carrier or manufacturer after ALL this time, still cannot mimic the push email with the same ease of set-up and swift delivery that BB has delivered for YEARS. Oh well, that is--in MY opinion--the ONLY place where android suffers. While the calendar application isn't as polished as say my ancient Palm Treo was (face it, Palm RULED when it came to organizing schedules, which is what it was originally designed to handle), but what I have is certainly workable, and I'm absolutely certain that right now if I looked hard enough, I could find a FREE calendar app to download that would give me everything I need...heck, maybe I'll run and fetch that right now...and thankfully because I am not tied down to my home computer with iTunes, I can download it on the fly wherever I am as long as I have a decent connection--which, thanks to Verizon is just about everywhere I plan to go.
Before I get hateful responses, let me say this: clearly apple manufactures an amazing product in the iPhone. I find it interesting that literally out of nowhere, when it debuted, the iPhone instantly became the phone to beat. Just look at all the smartphones available today, they are ALL judged by the iPhone standard and almost no other. When a new phone comes out, they almost always are compared to the iPhone--and there is good reason for this. Some like everything about apple, Steve Jobs and all that goes with it. Face it, Steve has done an amazing job--like him or not, thats just a fact. With the iPhone 4's reception issues aside, it is clearly still the phone to beat out there. Has Android made a better platform than iOS? Yes & No. In some ways I believe the Android OS is clearly superior and in some ways the iPhone is. At this moment, it basically comes down mostly to what you personally prefer (unless you aren't a fan of AT&T). If I weren't on Verizon and I lived elsewhere I probably would own an iPhone myself--but having been ON the AT&T service for a little over a year, I can say that at least in the area that I live, it isn't an option because their coverage is so poor. But when it comes to comparing one phone to another, you need to do your research and go with what you personally like, and if thats an iPhone, good, if its something else? Fine. Do what YOU want, and don't let anyone tell you differently.
I think that if you are a fan of the android OS then you cannot go wrong with the Incredible...unfortunately, without my reading glasses, I need the X in order to fully explore everything my phone is capable of...and admitting that is certainly not a simple thing to do in my case.
***UPDATE***
After using the phone for over a week now, I am STILL impressed as I (im)patiently wait for the next stock of Droid X's to arrive. One additional thing I really like about the HTC Sense UI that I believe is not available on the X (however I am NOT 100% sure of this) is how I access the calendar, choose a specific date, and as long as it isn't too far ahead, at the bottom of the screen will be the weather prediction for that day. While I don't put an aweful lot of faith in the typical meteorologists ability to accurately predict anything beyond 36 hours at best, it still is a pretty nifty feature to have.
One thing I found weird was that the phone did NOT come with a full user manual. It DID come with a Tips & Tricks booklet, but that essentially is good for just unboxing the phone for the first time & getting it started. I downloaded the manual from the internet, but again, the script was small enough that reading it and scrolling from one page to the next to find what I wanted was a bit too inconvenient for me to want to rely on it for very long. I'll stick to reading about it on a PDF on my home PC.
If I had to add a small-but significant gripe, the charging light, which also doubles as a blinking alert when you receive a text or email is quite a bit smaller and much harder to see than on my old BB. I wish that while it was charging that it could still somehow alert you to a new message, but unless you feel & hear it vibrate, tough luck. To the left of the Verizon logo just underneath the speaker in front I can make out an alert light of some kind, but I have no idea what it is for. It hasn't gone off once since I have used my phone and haven't found what its purpose is for in the manual, either. I suppose I'll keep looking it up til I find out.
Its nice to receive alerts to new updates for specific apps I've installed...and I never went looking to see if they had updated, I just received the notice overnight and gave me the choice to update if I wanted. STILL waiting on the update to Froyo 2.2 but I suppose I'll just have to wait that one out. Verizon confirmed that the update was ready and they started sending them out wirelessly as of Friday August 27th, but they were doing it region-by-region and I am pretty sure that the higher populated areas will get theirs first and soforth (meaning I'll get it last more than likely). I found where I could manually download from google direct the update, but I have read too many stories of how the phone didn't work properly if done even slightly incorrect to even a few horror stories that afterwards the phone ended up bricked as a result of missing a step or not doing everything literally EXACT. As much as I want better battery life--which apparently seems to be one of the many by-products for the Incredible while using 2.2--I'm gonna wait 'til it arrives from Verizon directly. I just hope it doesn't take much longer. |
Before you buy the Droid X check this spam
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| Review Date: August 19, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Harlan Lewin, San Francisco, CA United States |
I was about to buy a Droid X when I read this very believeable account of the spam that is included in the phone as an app. An app you can't erase without opting into it. This is horrible.
"But this week my Droid X suddenly morphed into a high-priced billboard dedicated to displaying a full screen message advertising CityID-- a service that I hadn't asked for, didn't want and, maddeningly, could not opt out of. As the screen shot illustrates, the CityID message was impossible to remove from my Droid without first agreeing to either pay for or to continue a free trial of the service by clicking on this unsolicited advertisement."
The url for the article is: [...] This privacy-invading, ineradicable app is totally against Verizon's own privacy policy.
I'm not buying the Droid X with this app. |
Love it!!!!
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| Review Date: August 15, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jasper Iga, USA |
| I absolutely love this phone. Others have mentioned the hardware and software and how they kill the iPhone. I also want to note that I am getting over 2Mbps on *average* on this phone (Verizon) compared with the 500kbps I was getting on ATT! |
Compared to iPhone 4
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| Review Date: August 12, 2010 |
| Reviewer: K.B., USA |
It seems that many reviewers already gave top-notch reviews of the Droid Incredible itself. I wanted to just add a bit as someone who had the iPhone 3Gs, switched over to the Incredible, switched to iPhone 4, and then BACK to the Incredible.
I had initially preordered the Incredible and received it two days earlier than the expected date. This detail is irrelevant now but it definitely added to the whole experience of what is an awesome phone in so many ways. My primary reason for getting an Android phone is because I'm a heavy Google user for both personal and work. The three most used apps are:
1) Gmail
2) Calendar
3) Google Voice
Without a doubt, Android excels in these three. You can read more about the "how" in other reviews. If the phone is so great, why did I go back to iPhone?
Well, when it became legal to jailbreak your phone (i.e. install apps not approved by Apple), I thought that I would go back and give it a shot to see what some of the 3rd party apps were like. In particular, I wanted to use GV Mobile, widgets, shortcuts, and a new lock screen. After jailbreaking your phone, you do get back some of the functionality that comes with an Android phone. But in the end, it simply fell short in all those areas when compared to the Droid. The Droid is fast, customizable, and uses HTC Sense which provides a nice polished look.
The areas where iPhone 4 out"does" the Incredible:
1) Camera. Don't be deceived by this whole 5 megapixel vs 8 megapixel. The iPhone camera/video camera is significantly better.
2) Polish. HTC has done a great job making the phone nicer to look at and use, but this is still Apple's territory and they are still king of the hill here.
3) Apps. Andriod's app selection is growing but the apps on their own (not multitasking capablities) are availability in a wider variety and higher quality.
4) Battery. I was surprised at how short the life of the Incredible battery was. I was equally surprised at how good iPhone 4's battery is.
I would still recommend the iPhone 4 to almost anyone that is just looking for a fun phone with lots of random apps. But if you definitely want the best experience with any Google service, don't waste your time - get the Incredible. Simply put - it is the best phone I have ever used and Android is developing at a rapid pace that is improving with every step. |
3 Hour Battery Life
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| Review Date: August 11, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Tom Long, |
| I like it better than my iPhone 3GS with one exception, battery life. Buy an extra battery or portable charger because this phone will leave you stranded after three hours of normal use in a strange city or in a business meeting. I run from outlet to outlet. What a pain. I have no idea where HTC came up with their estimates of battery life. For the experiences of actual owners just read the reviews under spare batteries for the Droid Incredible. Other than that it is a fast and powerful Android phone with an awesome display. HTC supports their products well when there is a problem, too. |
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No video reviews found for this product.
Good info on cell phone unlocking. I love cell phones and work at a little cell phone shop where we unlock phones and mod them for people. Add http://free-cell-phone-unlock.com to your list of free cell phone unlock sites, I use the downloads there a lot to help me unlock phones for customers, don’t be mad but hey I have to make a living some kinda way!! lol.
Anyways, I figured you could use that in your bag of tricks too
Great info on cell phone unlocking. I love cell phones and work at a little cell phone shop where we unlock phones and mod them for people. Add http://free-cell-phone-unlock.com to your list of free cell phone unlock sites, I use the downloads there a lot to help me unlock phones for customers, don’t be mad but hey I have to make a living some kinda way!! lol.
Anyways, I figured you could use that in your bag of tricks too
Thanks for the info on cell phone unlocking. I love cellular phones and work at a little cell phone shop where we unlock phones and mod them for people. Add http://free-cell-phone-unlock.com to your list of free cell phone unlock sites, I use the downloads there a lot to help me unlock phones for customers, don’t be mad but hey I have to make a living some kinda way!! lol.
Anyways, I figured you could use that in your bag of tricks too