HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE

In a market where big smartphones control supreme though, Verizon and HTC seem to think that a smaller device can still fascinate some jaded consumers. As a result they’ve put together the Droid Incredible 4G LTE, a poorly named device that manages to squeeze a surprising amount of control into a relatively small frame.

Features:

-4.0-inch qHD Super LCD display

-Runs Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and Sense 4.0

-1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor

-1GB of RAM

-8GB of onboard storage, accepts microSD cards as large as 32GB

-NFC

-8-megapixel rear camera, VGA front-facing camera

-MSRP: $149 with a two-year contract, available as of July 5, 2012

Pros:

-Great Super LCD display

-Plenty of horsepower for daily tasks

-Solid build quality

Cons:

-Screen may seem too small for some

-Verizon loaded it up with quite a bit of bloatware

-It’s not terribly handsome

The first item I noticed about about the Droid Incredible 4G LTE is just how small it felt in my hands. After months of toting around a Galaxy Nexus, it was actually kind of shocking. The Incredible 4G is just a hair wider than the iPhone 4S, but its taller build and slightly narrower screen make it seem leaner than it actually is. Even so, the device has a well-constructed feel to it — it has a soothing heft to it and a quick bit of bending yielded none of the tell-tale creaking sounds that epidemic lower-end handsets.

Camera:

Here’s the thing concerning the Incredible 4G’s camera — it sports an 8-megapixel rear sensor and the ImageSense camera UI like its cousins in the One series, but it doesn’t seem to have the distinct ImageChip that HTC is so proud of. That said, though, images were sharp and colors were bright there’s some distinct graininess when light levels dip.

HTC’s ImageSense UI makes up for things a bit by putting plenty of controls at the user’s fingertips without becoming overwhelming. Settings and scene modes are associated vertically along the left side of the screen, while the shutter button, video toggle, and a full array of artsy filters can be accessed with one touch.

The Incredible 4G also shoots some impressive video, though there’s plenty of room for perfection There’s plenty of wiggle to be seen even with the video stabilization option turned on, so users will have to be extra careful so their recordings don’t turn into wobbling messes. On top of that, auto focus is awfully slow when recording video, so be prepared to tap-to-focus more often than not.

Display:

Let’s be real here: the screen is not going to work for everyone. It wasn’t that long ago that a 4-inch display would’ve gotten us handset geeks all hot and bothered, but those days have passed and the Incredible’s screen is left looking a little weak compared the flashy big guys on the market.

Say what you will about its size, but the Incredible 4G’s 4-inch Super LCD display is a very pleasing addition to the package. Colors were bright and well-reproduced, viewing angles were brilliant and visibility in sunlight was solid (though you’ll have to be mindful about cranking up the brightness).

Performance:

The Incredible 4G may be small, but it packs some considerable power under the hood thanks to its 1.2GHz Snapdragon S4 chipset (the Adreno 220 GPU doesn’t hurt either). From a purely anecdotal standpoint, I didn’t see a single hiccup as I swiped though the Incredible 4G’s menus and scrolled through long lists of links on a handful of websites. Similarly, the Incredible handled my usual test suite of HD videos and games with aplomb — this little guy has plenty of oomph.

The Incredible 4G’s average Quadrant score was 4098 — understandably not quite as high as the HTC One S (4371) since it sports a more robust spec sheet, but it’s awfully close. Meanwhile, it put the Galaxy Nexus (2730) to shame, though that seems to be a recurring trend with the devices I’ve played with recently. In short, the new Incredible should have no trouble keeping up with your daily grind.

Battery:

I wasn’t expect much out of the Incredible 4G when it came to its removable 1700 mAh battery. My iffy past experience with the original Incredible subconsciously soured me for the Incredible 4G’s potential, but it ended up performing better than I hoped. as using the Incredible 4G as my daily driver, I was easily able to get through an entire day of taking calls, firing off emails/texts, and sneaking in the occasional YouTube video before my battery went critical.