Friday, July 6, 2012

Droid Incredible 4G LTE vs. Droid Incredible 2 vs. Droid Incredible 1

Having now owned all of the Verizon versions of the HTC Droid Incredible, I felt compelled to post a review and comparison of the original Droid Incredible versus the Droid Incredible 2 versus the Droid Incredible 4G LTE (I really wish they had just named it Droid Incredible 3 to keep things easier to say).  Anyhow, based on my ambition level, you'll get one or more posts, with this one comparing photos of the three and physical properties, such as look and feel.

Anyhow, first up are the pictures, probably what 99% of you came here to see.
Picture comparing side by side Incredible 1 next to Incredible 2 next to Incredible 4G LTE

Picture comparing side by side laying down Incredible 1 next to Incredible 2 next to Incredible 4G LTE

Picture comparing side by side Incredible 1 next to Incredible 2 next to Incredible 4G LTE

Picture comparing stacked Incredible 1 on Incredible 2 on Incredible 4G LTE

Incredible 4G LTE sitting on top of Droid Incredible 2

Droid Incredible 1, 2, 4G side by side

Back View of Droid Incredible 1 vs. Droid Incredible 2 vs. Droid Incredible 4G



So, here's what you can't really tell from the pictures, and you really need to touch these Droid Incredibles hands-on to really understand.

Feel and Grip
Overall, the Droid 4G LTE got it right.  It really got it right.  Although not an attractive design from the back, the rounded edges combined with just the right amount of thickness make the Incredible 4G one of the most comfortable smartphones that I have ever held in my hand.   Its just the right width, and even though thin is cool, those super thin phones are really just not comfortable to use in your hand.

I always thought the original Droid Incredible was more comfortable in the hand than the Incredible 2.  Well, the Droid Incredible 4G LTE is the most comfortable of the bunch.  It's also marginally lighter in weight than the Incredible 2, but somehow the weight feels distributed better.

The material and ribbed back on the HTC Inc 4G LTE feel very comfortable and the phone rests naturally in the curve of your hand.

Thickness
The Droid Incredible 4G LTE  is the thinnest phone out of the Incredible series so far.  But its only a hairline thinner than the Incredible 2.  It feels much thinner than both though because it has a nice steeply curved back as opposed to the sharp squared look of the other two phones.

 Height
 As you can see in the photos, the Incredible 4G is just a hair taller than the Incredible 2, both of which are taller than the original Droid Incredible.  In practical use, you don't notice any difference from the 2 to the 4G model.

Width
Although the original Droid Incredible still wins in having the slimmest waist, the Incredible 4G LTE is not far behind.  The Incredible 4G, on paper, is only marginally less narrow than the Inc.2, however, due to the rounded back, it actually feels more narrow than it is.

Droid Incredible Sizing Review
To conclude this part of my review and comparison of the original HTC Droid Incredible, the HTC Droid Incredible 2 and the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE, I'd like to reiterate that the Droid Incredible 4G LTE is the winner as far as most usable and most comfortable phone of the bunch.  Dimensionally, I think that the Incredible 4G LTE is better in every way than its predecessors.

I may or may not write further reviews comparing the devices, depending on what others do and how the traffic fairs on this post.  Feel free to ask me any questions about any of the devices in the comments.

See more HTC Incredible 4G LTE Reviews:

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am considering upgrading to the 4G because I currently love my original incredible. I need to save some money, so I was wondering if the case I have for my original will work on the 4G. The case is able to be stretched and can easily be removed from this phone. It is almost of a soft plastic consistency, if that makes sense. Thank you!

Thoughts said...

I don't think your case will fit. The 4G is too rounded, the 1 is very square, and although they are similar, they are definitely different shapes/sizes.