Whats up all? I posted this last week on xda forums and thought I would also share it over here. Hope people find it helpful.
So I just got back from the Verizon store about 10 minutes ago and I thought that I would write my impressions. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and I figured it might help some out that have not had the chance to try the Incredible or may be on the fence with it or the Nexus One (yes, I know that the N1 is no longer coming to Verizon =( but for some a provider means nothing)
Some up front information. I am a long time iPhone user (owned all three) and switched to the ATT band Nexus One about a month ago. I personally, love Android and I am very happy with the switch. I have the newest build of Cyanogen Mod (2.6.33.2). I didn't really do any up front tests (i.e, speedtest,browser, or acid etc) , and this review is more to do with my impressions I did however run the two phones side by side and spent over an hour with it.
Ok, so let's get to it. The first thing is aesthetics and to be honest I thought the Incredible looked nice, and also felt pretty good in hand. It seems to be built good and it seems to have the exact same "rubbery" feeling that the battery cover of the N1 has, but it is on the entire back of the phone. The back cover didn't bother me to much at all and I felt that it added to the whole "droid" feel that Verizon and it's partners are trying to pull off. There are a couple things that would worry me if I was an Incredible owner and that is the material they used when making the phone. I couldn't get over the fact that the phone felt a little cheap, but I still get the feeling that it would last if dropped. I don't really get that feeling with my Nexus One. I feel the build of the Nexus One is a little better (i.e, aluminum), but I have always felt that the phone would not with stand the slightest bit of fall from even 3-5 feet (I have never dropped mine so I really have no experience, again this is only my opinion based on how the phones feel).
The Incredible is fast, really fast. I had the same feeling when I used my Nexus One for the first time and as far as I can see there really is not a huge difference in speed between the two phones. But, there is a giant difference in "touch" the Incredible eats my Nexus One's lunch when it comes to overall touch and snappiness. The new sensor really adds to the whole Android experience and of all the Android phones I have tried none so far even come close to the touch screen on the Incredible. My Nexus One was great and the iPhone's I had was even better, but finally we have an Android phone (in my opinion) that not only competes with the iPhone on touchscreen and multitouch technology, but the Incredible one ups it. It really made the whole experience a lot more enjoyable on the phone. Everything, seems to work like Android was designed to work.
The next big thing I noticed and tested was the N1 trackball vs the Incredible's optical sensor. The sensor was nice and I have mixed feelings between the two. I mean everyone knows that an optical sensor looks better and should last a hell of a lot longer than a trackball and I have always felt that the trackball on the N1 looked way out of place. I have gotten really used to the trackball and I use it quite a bit and it is a lot easier to use than the optical sensor. You won't see a big difference at all if you are just flipping between screens or jumping to a text needed in the browser, but you will when choosing apps (but, really who does that anyways when you have touch) Like I said I have mixed feelings I love the look of the optical sensor, but I really feel the trackball is a little more responsive. It took me a while to get used to the trackball so I am sure if I owned the phone I would get a little more used to it and my opinion would change. I must say that I don't use the trackball often so if I had the choice I am sure I would choose the optical sensor.
Some of the other things I noticed that didn't make a huge impression was Sense vs Vanilla Android. I have used sense off and on with both my N1 (Modaco ROM), and my fiance's Droid Eris. I don't have much of an opinion, but I would give just a slight edge to Vanilla Android just because of the update situation however, if Google really adjusts Android like they are rumored to do and the update situation is non existent my opinion would change and I would like Sense. I guess we will see, but as far as some saying that having Sense will bog down Android I must say that I didn't experience that at all. They both ran just as smooth and will the Incredible's wonderful touch sensor I would give a slight favor to the Incredible with sense over the N1.
I spent about ten minutes with the camera/video camera on both phones and although I couldn't tell a huge difference in the pictures and videos (I know the Incredible sports a 8 mp and the N1 5mp), but I was also not able to upload any pictures to a computer to blow them up. I did send them to my email and I will post later if I notice a big jump or not. I still would give the Incredible the advantage just because why wouldn't I? 8mp is always going to beat 5mp and dual flash is nice.
Next one of my biggest gripes about the N1 and that is the touch sensor buttons on the bottom of the phone. The N1 like many probably know work and work well, but you have to touch the top two thirds of the label to get them to respond at all and I did find for the first little bit of owning the phone I often touched the home screen button when typing a text or email. With the Incredible these work perfectly. Not only do you not have to aim your finger, but they also worked every time I attempted to use them. They are in a different order than the N1 so that took me a minute to get used to, but no biggie. This is the way HTC and Google should of made the N1 work and personally I think they got it right with the Incredible.
I don't have a problem with my N1 when it comes to the 3G dropping issue and that could be that I got the ATT one or maybe I just got lucky. I did try to cover the bottom of the Incredible and it didn't seem to dip at all. Also, there was a Moto Droid right next to the Incredible and they seemed to get the same service so that should be a relief for many.
I wish that I would of had a couple days with this phone so that I could test many other aspects with it like the battery, further tests on 3G and wifi, the overall build, and even the speed. Really the Incredible is a nice phone and in a lot of ways I feel that it lives up to the hype. In my opinion I found my self wishing that I had the screen touch sensor in my N1 it really makes a giant difference even tho the N1 isn't all that bad. I could really do without the extra mega pixels in the camera and to my knowledge they both record at the same levels (I may be wrong with this and if I am then I am sorry). I do wish that the touch sensors on the bottom of the N1 worked as well as the Incredible, but I can live without it. Like I said sense vs Vanilla until I hear differently I would rather get the quicker updates, but if Google addresses this issue I would love to Sense on my N1 (Yes, I know I can with Modaco Sense ROM). The trackball is something that doesn't make a huge difference, but I do worry about how well it will hold up after months of usage.
My final feelings are that although the Incredible is the better phone it is not worth switching over to Verizon for it (although yes I do believe that Verizon is the better provider, but I have a family plan and a contract and that is what I am speaking of). The Incredible looks and feels nice, but I must say I like the overall look and feel of the N1 a little more. Like I said, I couldn't get over the fact that the Incredible felt a little fragile because of the plastic material the phone is made of, but then again the N1's build doesn't feel all that more solid of a phone. The N1 screen looked to me to be a little wider (I could be wrong) and although it sounds wierd it did make a difference, at least to me it did. It will be interesting to see when the Incredible will get the desk dock and car dock because these are big selling points to me with my N1. The deal breaker is the touch screen and how it works. This is the biggest selling point of this phone and that makes me want it, but there is one big thing with my N1 that I really enjoy and that is the wonderful developers behind the N1. I love how easy Google made to root this phone and I really think that a lot of developers make our phones all the more fun to use. Until, I can see the Incredible get these abilities (I am sure they will with great people like Paul the other day rooting the Desire) I would have to go with my N1.
I hope this was helpful to some and that people don't think I was to harsh to either side. I tried my hardest to not come off like a "fanboi" and tried to be as unbiased as possible. I really went in today looking to see if this phone lived up to its hype and I believe it did. I can't see many flaws with owning this phone and I welcome all of our new Android brothers and sisters to the party. Let me know how you all think and thanks for reading I know it's long as hell. Again, A huge thank you to all you developers that pour your hard work into making all of our lives easier. You really make our phones and the Android world all the much better than the competition. Keep up the good work, we love you guys!
So I just got back from the Verizon store about 10 minutes ago and I thought that I would write my impressions. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and I figured it might help some out that have not had the chance to try the Incredible or may be on the fence with it or the Nexus One (yes, I know that the N1 is no longer coming to Verizon =( but for some a provider means nothing)
Some up front information. I am a long time iPhone user (owned all three) and switched to the ATT band Nexus One about a month ago. I personally, love Android and I am very happy with the switch. I have the newest build of Cyanogen Mod (2.6.33.2). I didn't really do any up front tests (i.e, speedtest,browser, or acid etc) , and this review is more to do with my impressions I did however run the two phones side by side and spent over an hour with it.
Ok, so let's get to it. The first thing is aesthetics and to be honest I thought the Incredible looked nice, and also felt pretty good in hand. It seems to be built good and it seems to have the exact same "rubbery" feeling that the battery cover of the N1 has, but it is on the entire back of the phone. The back cover didn't bother me to much at all and I felt that it added to the whole "droid" feel that Verizon and it's partners are trying to pull off. There are a couple things that would worry me if I was an Incredible owner and that is the material they used when making the phone. I couldn't get over the fact that the phone felt a little cheap, but I still get the feeling that it would last if dropped. I don't really get that feeling with my Nexus One. I feel the build of the Nexus One is a little better (i.e, aluminum), but I have always felt that the phone would not with stand the slightest bit of fall from even 3-5 feet (I have never dropped mine so I really have no experience, again this is only my opinion based on how the phones feel).
The Incredible is fast, really fast. I had the same feeling when I used my Nexus One for the first time and as far as I can see there really is not a huge difference in speed between the two phones. But, there is a giant difference in "touch" the Incredible eats my Nexus One's lunch when it comes to overall touch and snappiness. The new sensor really adds to the whole Android experience and of all the Android phones I have tried none so far even come close to the touch screen on the Incredible. My Nexus One was great and the iPhone's I had was even better, but finally we have an Android phone (in my opinion) that not only competes with the iPhone on touchscreen and multitouch technology, but the Incredible one ups it. It really made the whole experience a lot more enjoyable on the phone. Everything, seems to work like Android was designed to work.
The next big thing I noticed and tested was the N1 trackball vs the Incredible's optical sensor. The sensor was nice and I have mixed feelings between the two. I mean everyone knows that an optical sensor looks better and should last a hell of a lot longer than a trackball and I have always felt that the trackball on the N1 looked way out of place. I have gotten really used to the trackball and I use it quite a bit and it is a lot easier to use than the optical sensor. You won't see a big difference at all if you are just flipping between screens or jumping to a text needed in the browser, but you will when choosing apps (but, really who does that anyways when you have touch) Like I said I have mixed feelings I love the look of the optical sensor, but I really feel the trackball is a little more responsive. It took me a while to get used to the trackball so I am sure if I owned the phone I would get a little more used to it and my opinion would change. I must say that I don't use the trackball often so if I had the choice I am sure I would choose the optical sensor.
Some of the other things I noticed that didn't make a huge impression was Sense vs Vanilla Android. I have used sense off and on with both my N1 (Modaco ROM), and my fiance's Droid Eris. I don't have much of an opinion, but I would give just a slight edge to Vanilla Android just because of the update situation however, if Google really adjusts Android like they are rumored to do and the update situation is non existent my opinion would change and I would like Sense. I guess we will see, but as far as some saying that having Sense will bog down Android I must say that I didn't experience that at all. They both ran just as smooth and will the Incredible's wonderful touch sensor I would give a slight favor to the Incredible with sense over the N1.
I spent about ten minutes with the camera/video camera on both phones and although I couldn't tell a huge difference in the pictures and videos (I know the Incredible sports a 8 mp and the N1 5mp), but I was also not able to upload any pictures to a computer to blow them up. I did send them to my email and I will post later if I notice a big jump or not. I still would give the Incredible the advantage just because why wouldn't I? 8mp is always going to beat 5mp and dual flash is nice.
Next one of my biggest gripes about the N1 and that is the touch sensor buttons on the bottom of the phone. The N1 like many probably know work and work well, but you have to touch the top two thirds of the label to get them to respond at all and I did find for the first little bit of owning the phone I often touched the home screen button when typing a text or email. With the Incredible these work perfectly. Not only do you not have to aim your finger, but they also worked every time I attempted to use them. They are in a different order than the N1 so that took me a minute to get used to, but no biggie. This is the way HTC and Google should of made the N1 work and personally I think they got it right with the Incredible.
I don't have a problem with my N1 when it comes to the 3G dropping issue and that could be that I got the ATT one or maybe I just got lucky. I did try to cover the bottom of the Incredible and it didn't seem to dip at all. Also, there was a Moto Droid right next to the Incredible and they seemed to get the same service so that should be a relief for many.
I wish that I would of had a couple days with this phone so that I could test many other aspects with it like the battery, further tests on 3G and wifi, the overall build, and even the speed. Really the Incredible is a nice phone and in a lot of ways I feel that it lives up to the hype. In my opinion I found my self wishing that I had the screen touch sensor in my N1 it really makes a giant difference even tho the N1 isn't all that bad. I could really do without the extra mega pixels in the camera and to my knowledge they both record at the same levels (I may be wrong with this and if I am then I am sorry). I do wish that the touch sensors on the bottom of the N1 worked as well as the Incredible, but I can live without it. Like I said sense vs Vanilla until I hear differently I would rather get the quicker updates, but if Google addresses this issue I would love to Sense on my N1 (Yes, I know I can with Modaco Sense ROM). The trackball is something that doesn't make a huge difference, but I do worry about how well it will hold up after months of usage.
My final feelings are that although the Incredible is the better phone it is not worth switching over to Verizon for it (although yes I do believe that Verizon is the better provider, but I have a family plan and a contract and that is what I am speaking of). The Incredible looks and feels nice, but I must say I like the overall look and feel of the N1 a little more. Like I said, I couldn't get over the fact that the Incredible felt a little fragile because of the plastic material the phone is made of, but then again the N1's build doesn't feel all that more solid of a phone. The N1 screen looked to me to be a little wider (I could be wrong) and although it sounds wierd it did make a difference, at least to me it did. It will be interesting to see when the Incredible will get the desk dock and car dock because these are big selling points to me with my N1. The deal breaker is the touch screen and how it works. This is the biggest selling point of this phone and that makes me want it, but there is one big thing with my N1 that I really enjoy and that is the wonderful developers behind the N1. I love how easy Google made to root this phone and I really think that a lot of developers make our phones all the more fun to use. Until, I can see the Incredible get these abilities (I am sure they will with great people like Paul the other day rooting the Desire) I would have to go with my N1.
I hope this was helpful to some and that people don't think I was to harsh to either side. I tried my hardest to not come off like a "fanboi" and tried to be as unbiased as possible. I really went in today looking to see if this phone lived up to its hype and I believe it did. I can't see many flaws with owning this phone and I welcome all of our new Android brothers and sisters to the party. Let me know how you all think and thanks for reading I know it's long as hell. Again, A huge thank you to all you developers that pour your hard work into making all of our lives easier. You really make our phones and the Android world all the much better than the competition. Keep up the good work, we love you guys!
