The HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE is a solid mid-range device at $149.99 on a two-year Verizon contract, but it arrives too late in 2012 to compete at the top tier.
Specs
- 4-inch qHD Super LCD display (960×540) with Corning Gorilla Glass
- 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB RAM
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4
- 8GB internal storage, microSD slot
- 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video; VGA front-facing camera
- 1700mAh battery
- 4G LTE, NFC, DLNA
Build Quality
HTC’s build quality shows throughout. Rounded corners, a narrow form factor, and a soft-touch matte battery cover make for a comfortable device with red accents on the power button, speaker, and rear camera that give it a premium feel. At just over 4.5 oz it doesn’t feel heavy or unevenly weighted. The battery cover’s diagonal texture is a nice aesthetic touch.
Software
HTC Sense 4 is noticeably less intrusive than earlier versions. The performance lag it introduces is present but brief and rarely disruptive to the average user. Fourteen preloaded apps from Verizon (Amazon, VCast, VZ Navigator, and others) cannot be uninstalled. The lockscreen offers eight styles, with the productivity option being the most useful. One persistent frustration: the lockscreen pulls its four shortcut icons from the dock, so if you’ve organized apps into folders there, that’s what the lockscreen shows, with no way to override it. A persistent, undismissable Wi-Fi notification appeared throughout the review period and could not be cleared by any method, including rebooting or toggling Wi-Fi.
Camera
The 8-megapixel camera was the standout feature. Indoor and outdoor shots came out sharp with accurate colors. The camera UI was clean and easy to navigate with useful scene modes including panorama, landscape, and HDR. The front-facing VGA camera was not impressive but functional for video chat.
Display
The 4-inch qHD display is serviceable but not competitive against the Galaxy S III’s Super AMOLED HD. Colors are decent but not exceptional. The smaller form factor feels slightly cramped by mid-2012 standards.
LTE and Battery
LTE testing was limited by coverage availability; the highest speed recorded was 5Mbps down and 4Mbps up, though Verizon’s LTE network is significantly faster in better-covered areas. Battery life was a genuine highlight: a full day of mild to moderate use was consistently achievable, with the worst result being just under 10 hours under heavier use.
Final Thoughts
The Droid Incredible 4G LTE is not a bad device, but it isn’t competitive at this point in the cycle. The HTC One X on AT&T and the Galaxy S III on every carrier both outclass it on display, processing power, and future software support. The camera is the clear high point. The persistent Wi-Fi notification bug is irritating. For someone upgrading from a feature phone or a much older Android device, the Incredible 4G LTE is a reasonable choice at the price. For anyone coming from a current-generation flagship, it’s a step back.
