AeolianReflex

I am a very happy Incredible owner. Other than a blown speaker, which I fixed myself, the phone has been perfect for me. I have had my Inc for just over a year and it is still in perfect condition. With a 1750 mh battery I get about 36 hours on a bump charge with medium to heavy use. I'm not interested in rooting (yet). Since getting the GB updates I have been wondering just how good the Incredible 2 is and I am thinking about upgrading. Although I think the originals' size is perfect, I have handled the Inc 2 and think that I could easily get used to the larger size.

So I was hoping some Inc 2 owners that have made the switch from the original Inc could give me an unbiased opinion on their experience.
Is the Inc 2 really much faster?
Does it perform faster on internet heavy apps?
How is the call quality and speaker volume?
How is the screen compared to the amoled screen of the original Inc?
Is there functionality that replaces the track pad (I love the track pad!)
How is battery life in comparison?
How is the quality of the build and materials?
Is there a noticeable difference in the camera and photo / video quality?
In the new Sense customizable enough to replace Launcher Pro +?
Is there another phone in the Inc 2 class that would be a better replacement?

A.Nonymous

To me the big advantage with the DInc2 was the battery life. With the stock battery on the DInc I can get 12 hours of heavy use with no problems at all. I no longer have to charge in the middle of the day and I no longer have to plug the phone into a charger at my desk at work. I pull it off the charger in the morning and put it on the charger when I go to bed at night. That's all I need. I have no idea how you got 36 hours on the DInc. I never ever came close to that. If I spent just 4-5 hours in a basement somewhere and forgot to turn off mobile Internet, my battery was dead as it kept trying to get a signal.

AeolianReflex

My statement may have been just a little misleading I get about 36 hours of up time and not actual usage time, which is around 8-11 hours depending on signal quality. I would imagine being in a basement would cause the radio to to also constantly search for a signal and lessen battery life as well.

cipher6

I've recently gone from the Dinc to Dinc2, and so far I'm pleased.

Phone seems a good deal faster, and boots a lot faster as well.

Skype worked pretty well. I stream a lot of music at work where 3g signal is crap, and the 2 seems to do a bit better at keeping a signal and buffers faster.

Camera and stock software is much improved. Pics snap faster, autofocus much improved, plus you get some effects options.

Larger screen is great, its bigger without being too big. I had an SLCD 1, but the screen on the 2 seems crisper and more defined.

Speaker volume is probably a little better than the 1, but I haven't noticed a substantial increase... I use bluetooth headphones all day at work, and they sound great.

I missed the track pad too, but with the slighly bigger screen, moving a curser around with the touch screen isn't really that bad. (I used to dread it on the inc)

Build seems a little cheaper, the glass isn't one piece with the front like on the inc, its set inside with the frame of the phone around it... I liked the 1 better in that aspect.

The new sense is pretty good too. I didn't like the old one much, and HATE that the phone button is in the middle, but there is a lot of good new functionality. If your after custimization, you might still like an alternate launcher, but on a utilitarian level, its decent.

One thing that really bugs me is they moved the power button. It still feels pretty similar to the inc1 in my hand, and I reach to click a power button on the left side with my finger, and its moved, more annoying than anything.


All in all I'm pretty happy with it. If you don't need 4g or duel core, I think its a great choice.

AeolianReflex

Cipher6 Thanks for the info!

A.Nonymous

That beats me hands down although I was using the stock battery. With the DInc2 I can get 11 hours a day easily even with streaming music and heavy usage and that's with the stock battery. My DInc2 is never attached to a charger unless I'm sleeping. I could probably squeeze two days use out of one charge if I needed to.

AeolianReflex

Yeah I have several friends and colleagues who have the Inc and my battery life beats theirs by a mile. I may have just gotten lucky with mine although since the GB update my battery life is starting to fade a bit. It's only been about 6 days and I am having to charge or change batteries about every 28 to 30 hours now.

anarchy4sale

I had a Incredible 2, and loved it. The only negative I have with the phone is that its call quality and signal seemed to be sub par. I do believe if you have this problem it can be fixed by requesting a new phone backcover from Verizon.

I am curious why you are not considering a higher end phone such as the Rezound? It is pretty much like an Incredible 3.

A.Nonymous

I can't speak for the OP, but for me it's size. The Rezound is just too big and too tall. I can stretch and reach my fingers across the screen, but if I want to reach the top of the screen with one hand to do something foolish like check notifications I can't reach. The phone is just too big. If it was smaller I would be seriously looking at it.

woolleyfooley

I also had the og inc and now have the inc2. I love this phone sooo much more then the inc1, and i loved that phone to death. In my opinion, the screen on the inc2 is a lot better. The colors are crisper and clearer. The camera is also an improvement over the og inc. On the inc1 pics would constantly come out blurry due to the shudder delay, this is not an issue on the inc2. Also while on the topic of cameras, the inc2 has the added bonus of a front camera. Now i can make video calls with skype right on my phone. Batterly life is MUCH better on the inc2 as well. I would guess it lasts about twice as long. Its very noticable to me. Usually my phone would be in the red at about 6 or so. Now the battery is on green still at 2 am or later, and i use my phone A LOT. I would say the inc2 is a very worthy upgrade from the inc1. I absolutely loved my inc1 and felt upgrading was a waste but once i got the inc2 i fell in love. Definately worth it! Hope that helps!

jmar

Here is my 2cents.

Better screen, yay for video chat, battery life is 1.5 days on heavy use with extended battery (I constantly use data, Netflix, games, 10 main apps used regularly, to Google account synching, twitter sync), and no low space issues!

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AeolianReflex

Actually, I am looking at the Rezound now. It seems to have much better specs and I thing the dual core processor will make it a much better phone all around. I just have to be convinced that the screen is not too big. I like to carry my phone in my front pocket and the larger form factor is a big negative for me.

A.Nonymous

After using the DInc2 for a while I have to say my only complaint about it is the screen size. If I hold it in my left hand I cannot reach the upper right hand corner with my thumb. I find this irritating as I do need to reach that corner with some apps requiring two hand operation with my phone sometimes. Aside from this, I really love the phone and especially the battery life.

The_Horak

I know this thread is a bit old, but I want to say that I love the Incredible 2, as one who loved his original Incredible.

Is the Inc 2 really much faster?
-- Much? I can't say. But I instantly noticed an increase in speed, no question. Even though processing speed is the same, the processor itself is newer, and there is more RAM.
Does it perform faster on internet heavy apps?
-- Can't help you there, as I'm not even sure what that means. I'd assume it might be, as the phone is generally faster.
How is the call quality and speaker volume?
-- Call quality is fine, I notice no difference. The earpiece speaker is good, but the external speaker is noticeably quieter than the original Incredible.
How is the screen compared to the amoled screen of the original Inc?
-- I had the 2nd type of screen (is that the same one?) on my Incredible, and this one is just as good with color, brightness, image quality, and sunlight washout. I thought I'd dislike the larger screen, but I now love it.
Is there functionality that replaces the track pad (I love the track pad!)
-- No, and I personally hated the track pad. But, there are arrow keys on the virtual keyboard now, which allows you to move the cursor like on a computer. So, yes?
How is battery life in comparison?
-- Absolutely better! I still can bump charge the phone, so there's still that. But I can go the whole day and never see the battery bar drop below 70%. Again, I think the newer processor helps with this. Granted I do not use Exchange mail or social networks, but I sync weather, have 'background data' and 'data always-on' set to on, and sync all my Google stuff. I also use my phone to read articles, play games, and text. Lastly, my phone is my music for when I'm driving.
How is the quality of the build and materials?
-- No more disappointing than any other HTC phone. While my actual port is fine, my USB Port bezel is loose, and I get slight creaking from the battery door. Nothing is non-functioning, or intermittent.
Is there a noticeable difference in the camera and photo / video quality?
-- I feel the camera has improved in it's ability to accurately measure lighting and color levels, giving you more natural looking results. But you still need to do some tweaking sometimes. 720p video has yet to be choppy for me. The Incredible 2 handles it much better than the first.
In the new Sense customizable enough to replace Launcher Pro +?
-- Probably not, but you may be more willing to settle with the stock launcher. I always used the stock launcher.
Is there another phone in the Inc 2 class that would be a better replacement?
-- Honestly, no. This phone is 3G, non-HD, and 1Ghz. As far as that class is concerned, this one seems to be best. I don't really like Motorola, cause the UI feels unfinished compared to Sense. Also, they are not Rooter-Friendly. Plus, this phone is supposedly faster than some of Motorola's dual-core phones, anyway. I fully recommend this phone.

esmail

.. and it has GSM .. which is a major plus.

I wonder if Verizon has any other GSM capable Android phones (w/o physical keyboard) in the pipeline. Otherwise, I may just go with the Dinc2 to upgrade my original Incredible.

khukman

As a former Inc user (and still owner), I have a few things to say about the Rezound (my current phone) and the DInc 2. Yes, it is dual-core and has the 720P screen, 4G, etc., etc., etc. But at what cost? I have had it for about a month. I have purchased the extended battery and I STILL have trouble making it through a day without having it on the charger. This thing is SO battery hungry that if I am using 4G and plugged into a USB port or car charger, it discharges faster than the power supplies can feed it! In speed, for going through menus, etc. -- you know, the everyday stuff, my Inc is actually faster. Now for real processing, SMS backup and restore, titanium backup, etc. or graphics programs (Pocket God), there is no comparison -- the Inc gets left in the dust by a long way. Yes, 4G is great, but I only have it at work. A MAJOR drawback of the Rezound IMHO, is that it can only tether in Ad-hoc mode currently. I am getting a new tablet in the mail tomorrow, and I NEED to be able to tether with infrastructure mode. I am selling my Rezound and going back to my Inc until I can find a good deal on an Inc2 on Craigslist. I do like the bigger screen on the Rezound, but it is a lot bigger in my pocket as well. I do like the Rezound, but I think that the Inc2 is a more well-balanced phone, good size, and from what I can gather -- amazing battery life. I'm sure that as development for the Rezound progresses, the battery life will get better, I remember how horrible my battery life was with my Inc when it was stock - non-rooted, but until then, I am going to go "back in time" to my old faithful DInc and possibly a DInc 2! In the end, you must determine what are the MOST important features of a phone for YOU!

esmail

I guess a bunch of new phones will come out sometime in February at some mobile conference. I'll wait until then, but if it doesn't look like any android phone with GSM (but w/o physical keyboard) are in the pipeline from Verizion I will just upgrade my regular trusty Inc to an Inc 2 .. I think I'll be happy with a 4" screen, I can't believe the big screens that are being put on phones now.

To each his/her own I guess.

BoulderAndroidFan

Just upgraded from Dinc1 to Dinc2 for free at Best Buy (I have another thread requesting advice on Dinc2 vs. T-bolt.) I loved my old Dinc, but battery life was degrading (less than a day) and I had rooted to Nils Business Gingersense ROM, which I loved but had issues such as broken GPS and some lag. (I loved the ring on the lock screen that had easy access to four apps.)

But after a day's use on the brand new stock Dinc2, I'm very happy with the upgrade. Screen seems larger than I thought it would be, and I was used to one-handed operation too and can continue (sort of) with the new phone. There's lots of real estate on this new screen. Anything larger would be way too large.

Call quality is great. Speaker quality is excellent. Responsiveness on all apps is great. Much easier to read email and websites on the larger screen. I've been using a lot today since daybreak and have just less than half battery left.

Others have posted otherwise, but I definitely think this phone feels more upscale. I had my original in an Otterbox Commuter case but used it without case for awhile and I thought it was cheap and plasticky--but this new Dinc feels substantial and rich. I need a case, but don't want to cover up the look.

Camera is MUCH better and more responsive. Less shutterlag. Quality is great in outdoor, full light situation. Haven't been able to use much indoors.

Only downside is the screen is more washed out, though brighter than the original Dinc. I must've had amoled screen on the old phone, because the new screen makes photos taken on the old phone look desaturated and flat. Sharpness is comparable and I can set screen brightness to 25% indoors no problem.

Really glad I updated, no regrets at all.

esmail

thanks for sharing your experience. I will wait a bit longer, but then unless something better comes along, I'll be going for the Inc 2 myself too.

Does anyone know if there's any downside to getting a free (or almost free) phone with a 2 year Verizon contract from someone other than Verizon? Amazon has had it for 1 cent for a while, I didn't know about Best Buy, I'll have to check that out.

I've been with Verizon for 5 years or so, and just the other day they told me how much it would be to upgrade to the Inc 2 ($150?? I forget) when my new every 2 years comes up (which it did on Dec 29) -- way too much.

In particular, if I get my phone through Amazon or BB and then contact Verizon to unlock my phone so that I can use other SIM cards overseas, will they give me a hard time for not having gotten the phone through them (or any other support issues)?

Thanks.

BoulderAndroidFan

I had my previous upgrade through Best Buy and there were no issues with my contract or Verizon service. Best Buy is good because they take what Verizon offers as a rebate directly off the retail price of the phone.

You're still a full Verizon customer no matter where you get your phone and they'll service you accordlngly.

esmail

That is great, was your for free" deal at Best Buy a promotional thing, or is this pretty permanent? The Amazon 1cent deal has been around for quite a while.

Good to know, thanks. I'm hoping that by the time I decide to upgrade (if nothing better comes around in the next month or two) I'll still be able to get the Inc 2 .. very hard to wait, I'm quite tempted to get the phone sooner, but I know it makes more sense to just wait a bit longer.

BoulderAndroidFan

Sorry for the delay in replying. I think the Dinc 2 free with 2-yr upgrade deal is still going on at Best Buy. I saw it in their weekly newspaper flyer on Sunday. It's a great phone..especially at that price.

esmail

Thanks for the info, much appreciated. I'll keep an eye out for this when the time comes upgrade.

laurel25

Go locker has a lockscreen that sounds just like that. It's got a ring and you can access the camera, phone, messages, and home screen depending on where you drag the center on the ring. I use Go Launcher and Go Locker with that lockscreen on my Inc2 and love it!

BoulderAndroidFan

Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try.

MARe0

Do you still have to pay extra (extra plan option) to wirelessly tether your laptop to the DINC 2's WiFi Hotspot???

blackepoxy

You betcha, 20 bucks a month. I am just curious, sooooo, if you pay for this mobile hotspot is the data truly unlimited or capped?

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