HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE Review: One Alternative

There’s nothing that gets the tech press, us included, frothing at the mouth as a top-of-the-line consumer electronics device being announced in some grand spectacular way. If there’s any moments gestalt to us it’s in that instant when the pinnacle of a category is revealed and we all gawk, and fawn. So, with so many column inches devoted to the halos, is there any space for the mid-range? Not just in the pages of tech websites, but in the US cellular market? Or should the mid-range belong to the halos of the past? Whether tailor made for the mid-range or a former champ reduced to the second rung, it still seems risky to spend $149 on second best, when $199 will get you the rest of the way. But with the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE nipping at the internal specs of so many class-leading phones, why does it come in $50 cheaper? Could smaller simply be a better bargain? A real value product?

Unfortunately, that’s not quite what you get out of the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE. I can forgive the diminished clock speed, the real world impact is negligible and is really only evident in benchmarks. But in their desire to bring bill of materials costs down we’re left with a phone that costs only slightly less than phones that take no compromises. The camera is very good, but not nearly so as the One X camera. The body feels sturdy, but belongs to a design language that felt dated last year. And while we have our concerns that signal may be playing an issue in our battery life testing, there’s a reality that has to be faced that the phone should be outperforming these results. The only standard by which HTC has been able to be uncompromising, is in their choice of display panel; it is bright and vivid from any angle, and suffers not a whit for its resolution. 

There’s no doubt that carriers and OEMs can collaborate to create innovation. Verizon's Motorola Droid brought the landscape sliding QWERTY keyboard to the masses while advancing Android handset design and giving Android a marketing identity that resounded with consumers. The HTC One X and One S move Android handset design forward by being thin, elegant, and sturdy and feature top-notch internals; they’re an easy recommendation to anyone looking to buy an Android handset today. So, it’s a shame that Verizon Wireless isn’t featuring either of these handsets in their line-up. HTC’s Droid Incredible 4G LTE has a fantastic screen and a powerful processor, but is otherwise compromised in too many ways. At $149, you’re only 10 days without your latte away from something better. Then again, perhaps this phone is destined for even lower priced bins. Perhaps, Verizon has a phone that trumps even the just released VZW Samsung Galaxy S III. Perhaps the GS III is the mid-range phone you'll want in a few months, as another 'halo' phone arrives. We'll wait and see. In the meanwhile, save your pennies.