The HTC Incredible is, while not quite incredible, extremely impressive. This is now the top Android smartphone on the market, hands-down. This is what the Nexus One pretended to be and never quite was. OK, the HTC Incredible is actually incredible, just as the name implies.
The Looks
Just as any phone with the Sense UI, it stands by itself as a star feature. This is HTC’s main achievement since the beginning and they have incarnated it inside a gorgeous body. The big screen is a perfect compliment to the power of the Sense UI and it is clear and brightly lit and colored too. Unfortunately, not in the daylight, though. They are still using an AMOLED screen, which is normal for HTC and that may be the only drawback of the entire design. However, it is not enough of an issue to keep it from the well deserved “king-of-the-hill” status.
The display is high resolution and very crisp. Another factor to mention is it has no hardware keyboard, only a virtual which might be an issue for those who are using a Motorola Droid or another unit with a physical keyboard and want the Incredible instead. The only other thing to mention in that regard is that Swype for Android is in strict Beta and not available yet, which is a shame as text entry would have been killer fast with that installed. The body is polished and sleek and it very substantial in the hand but not overly bulky. Overall feel while the phone is in use is very comfortable. Against the Nexus One this phone is beautiful and smart, sorry Google, but it’s not my fault.
The Brains
The HTC Incredible is driven by a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU and has 748MB of ROM. It comes standard with 8GB of on-board storage and a microSD slot with support for up to a 32GB expansion card, more than enough for anyone. The camera is 8 megapixels and has dual LED flash with autofocus. The cameras performance takes a little getting used to but the quality of the photographs and videos is better than average and worth the lessons.
The fact that this is on the Verizon 3G network adds speed to the mix. The HTC Incredible is fast on its own with the Sense UI and the Snapdragon CPU, but running on the Verizon network means that the communications are as fast as the phone; no drag and lag here. I am not going to bother to preach the Sense UI gospel here, it is revolutionary, it is fast and it really is Incredible. Enough said on that one. The audio performance is perfect, with a great speaker and sound processing. On that point, you are unable to do voice and data simultaneously, but I am sure that this is not that much of an issue and not a problem with the phone itself.
The Personality
This smartphone is a people pleaser. In all the right ways, it meets or exceeds the expectations of the user. The Sense UI combined with the Verizon 3G network and the display makes this smartphone fun and pleasant to use. More importantly, it makes it easy for the user to flow through normal use. Its size and features make it comfortable and very able. There is little, if anything that you cannot do, and you have a world of Apps to extend your experience with. Android is a great OS but with the Sense UI added it becomes a new way to interact with information. As I said, it is a People-Pleaser.
HTC: Droid incredible by HTC
Verizon: Droid Incredible
Engadget: Droid Incredible Review
CNet: HTC Droid Incredible Verizon Wireless
