HTC Droid Incredible Review

Introduction:

Continuing Android's legacy brought forth by the Motorola DROID's release with Verizon, news about something truly incredible were already simmering out of the seams a month after the DROID made its mark. There is no denying at this point that Verizon is clearly at ease now that Android's launch has proven to be such a huge success and will venture even deeper by following up with HTC Droid Incredible that will take its reign in the US as the most powerful Android device currently available. Verizon customers aren't strangers to an Android powered HTC device; they've all been well adjusted with the HTC DROID ERIS and its Sense UI. The Droid Incredible is yet another product out of HTC's camp that will hopefully take up its arms and prove to be a stellar hit just like the Motorola DROID, but one can only imagine how this device, like the Nexus One, will be adopted by consumers who are easily scared away from the prospect of it being outdated already. Diving head first into the thick of the battle, the HTC Droid Incredible will need to be packing enough heat to entice owners for a warranted purchase.

The package contains:
HTC Droid Incredible
Quick Start Guide
Wall Charger
microUSB Cable
Product Safety & Warranty Brochure

Design:

Building up to this point, we've been hearing all too often how the HTC Droid Incredible would test the limits of its hardware specifications – but we've begun to notice its Achilles Heel as we took a closer look at it. Up until this point, we've been treated to some spectacular designs from the Taiwan based manufacturer, but the HTC Droid Incredible just doesn't breathe in anything remarkable in its build to substantially give it the cool factor – something that the Nexus One clearly wins over the Droid Incredible. Rather than utilizing premium materials and a futuristic design, the handset's design approach is lackluster due partly to its mundane clean slate form factor that doesn't scream the industrial designs that made HTC's products stand out. Instead we are greeted to a completely all black plastic shell that is quickly complimented with the subtle red accents and a soft matte rear finish that attempts to tack on a sense of style to the device. Its back side might have some interesting shapes, but ultimately, the HTC Droid Incredible lacks that overall quality feel and construction that was witnessed with the Desire and Nexus One – the cheap feeling materials make us question its durability over time as well. Thankfully, the weight distribution (4.6 oz) is spread out evenly to make it balanced when holding on the hand – plus it looks and feels a bit more compact (4.63” x 2.30” x 0.47”)  and manageable in the pockets.



You can compare the HTC Droid Incredible with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Many have already argued how the HTC Droid Incredible is basically a re-branded HTC Desire when you look deep into what's under the hood and found in its software. Taking an almost identical approach, the Droid Incredible's 3.7” WVGA AMOLED touchscreen will continue to be a staple of the current line of high-end Android handsets – its support for 16 million colors eloquently jumps out from all angles. We found its capacitive touchscreen to be quite responsive to the touch, but it continues to be a treasure trove for those pesky finger prints and smudges. Aside from the lack of visibility when viewing the phone outdoors in direct sunlight, we found very few faults with the performance of its display – even fine text are detailed enough to read out from a zoomed out view. Above the screen, both the light and proximity sensors are found next to one another and give the user the most optimal viewing experience when the display brightness is set to automatic. Nonetheless, the display's luminance is clearly one of its most attractive and prominent features.


Unlike the HTC Desire, the standard set of buttons typical to Android have reverted back to being touch sensitive ones – which are built into the surface of the touchscreen and blend well with the black finish to have an overall clean look. The optical track pad is in effect on the Droid Incredible and offers a decent responsive feel; even when pressing it down to make a selection. Again, it is flush with the surrounding surface and is the only item to stand out distinctly when the screen is not turned on or in use. As for the rest of the physical buttons on the handset, they are only limited to the volume rocker and dedicated power button – both of which are slightly raised and are accompanied with a decent tactile response. The only other things to be seen on the sides of the phone are the 3.5mm headset jack on the top edge while the microUSB port is on the left side. On the back, the 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash slightly protrudes from the rest of the phone – so laying it flat on its back will result in the camera coming in contact with the surface. There is also a single notch near the camera which is used for the speaker phone. Finally, you literally have to yank out the rear cover to gain access to the completely red innards of the device, battery, and microSD slot.