What's Good: Absolutely stunning 3.7-inch AMOLED display; 8 GB of built-in memory; Android 2.1 with HTC's Sense UI; optical trackpad.
What's Bad: Battery life is less than desirable; service "bars" aren't always accurate.
Verdict: True to its name, the HTC DROID Incredible is the most incredible Android device on the market today. Just be sure to carry a charger wherever you go.
With HTC's Sense UI, an 8.0-megapixel camera, and just under 8 GB of internal storage, the HTC DROID Incredible is essentially a Nexus One on steroids. Though I enjoyed the Nexus One, the Incredible addresses every concern I had with the Google-branded device to become an Android device that is...as cliche as it sounds...truly incredible. Not only did they do a fantastic job in designing the hardware, but they've refined Android and made it very consumer-friendly via Sense UI (which I happen to like a lot).
With most of the phones of today, packaging was sparse. The DROID Incredible ships in a small box that contains the device, battery, USB cable, AC adapter, and instruction manuals. If you've used the Nexus One in the past, you may be disappointed to learn that the Incredible sports a plastic chassis as opposed to the Nexus One's metal frame. At the end of the day, the build is going to be a personal preference thing, but I found myself growing accustomed to the Incredible's plastic design. It feels like it's constructed well, but I'm not concerned about denting the frame like I was with the metal on the Nexus One.
Like the Nexus One, the DROID Incredible offers a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. While I've been frustrated with lagginess in past Sense UI-equipped handsets (DROID Eris, Hero, etc.), the Incredible is incredibly snappy and smooth. I've had no lag issues whatsoever, and I can't help but think to myself "this is what Sense was meant to run on." What's more, the scrolling issues that were present on the Nexus One are nonexistent on the Incredible.
The device offers an 8.0-megapixel camera, and in testing, pictures are crisp and full of color. Editing options include the ability to modify brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, effects (grayscale, sepia, negative, solarize, posterize, aqua), white balance, ISO, resolution, and screen size (widescreen or standard). Additionally, you can set a self-timer and geo-tag your photos using HTC's Footprints application.
In the short time that I've had it (about 30 hours, to be exact), I've tested the reception in the Orlando and Charlotte areas, and have been relatively pleased. The Incredible is interesting in that the "bars" of service aren't necessarily indicative of the service you actually have. In many instances, I had zero bars of service, but calls were crystal clear and data speeds were normal. Call quality was strong while traveling in Orlando, and when visiting a Verizon fringe area in Charlotte this morning, calls retained their clarity despite having zero "bars" of service. The Incredible's speakerphone was very loud, and I was able to conduct a test conversation in a busy coffee shop without issue. The device supports EVDO Rev. A, and in testing, internet speeds were quite fast. CNN's mobile website loaded in five seconds, and the full PhoneDog homepage loaded in about 17 seconds.
The only issue that I have had with the Incredible is the battery life. Granted, the 1300 mAh battery is powering a 3.7-inch AMOLED screen and Sense UI is widget-heavy, but I'd like to be able to get at least a day out of my battery prior to charging. I removed the device from the charger at around 9 AM, and with moderate use encompassing text messaging, a few phone calls, and light web browsing, 20 percent remained at 5 PM. I'll be testing it more in the coming days, but road warriors, a spare battery and car charger will be in your future should you purchase this device.
The device can be had at Verizon Wireless retail stores (if you can find it in stock) and online for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate. If price is a concern for you, various online outlets are selling it for as low as $99 sans rebate.
As always, stay tuned for my full review, and be sure to check out Noah's video coverage!
