HTC Droid Incredible vs. Motorola Droid: Which Is the Better Option? Discussion

[Ed Hardy]

The Motorola Droid and the HTC Droid Incredible are both high-end Android OS-based smartphones available from Verizon. Here's a side-by-side analysis of the two similiar phones to help determine which is the better option for you.

Read the full content of this Article: HTC Droid Incredible vs. Motorola Droid: Which Is the Better Option?

[Varjak]

This article raised a few things for me:

1. I thought you'd already dispelled the 'underclocking' of the Droid? I thought that turned out to be not true?

2. I loved the construction of the Droid (metal body); but hated the keyboard. I thought it was one of the lesser implementations out there; but obviously that's subjective. I'd prefer a hard 'board; but didn't take to that one very much. Some here on BH seem also to say that it wasn't all that conducive to quick text input.

3. Does the Motorola phone have some crazyquirky menus, etc.? I've been a bit turned off by Moto products because they make some bizarre design/use decisions.

4. One item people might want to know that I learned from BH was that the Droid has only 3 menu screens open; while the Incredible has 5. That's a useful distinction, I think.

[Ed Hardy]

1. Everything that I've read says that the Droid's processor has been under-clocked. Where did you read differently?

2. I've been using a Droid for 6 months now, and I stopped having complaints with its keyboard a few weeks after I got it. A flat plane of keys with no separation isn't ideal, but I got used to it. There are devices out there with better keyboards, but the Incredible isn't one of them. Even with the Droid's learning curve, it's better than typing on the Incredible's on-screen keyboard.

3. The Droid uses the standard version of the Android OS, with only a few changes here and there. Google designed all the menus, not Motorola.

4. Actually, the Incredible has 7 homescreens. Or maybe 11, I can't remember off the top of my head. That's one of the advantages of HTC Sense I alluded too. And it's one of the limitations of the Droid, which has just 3, as you pointed out.
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[robrecht]

Does the Droid now come with Exchange ActiveSync, like the Incredible? If not, can it be easily added?

Overview of Exchange ActiveSync
Exchange ActiveSync is a Microsoft Exchange synchronization protocol that's optimized to work together with high-latency and low-bandwidth networks. The protocol, based on HTTP and XML, lets mobile phones access an organization's information on a server that's running Microsoft Exchange. Exchange ActiveSync enables mobile phone users to access their e-mail, calendar, contacts, and tasks and to continue to be able to access this information while they're working offline.

Understanding Exchange ActiveSync: Exchange 2010 Help

[Lemurion]

My concern is with the screen.

Do you know if the Incredible uses the same pentile screen as the Nexus One? If so I would expect the screen on the Droid to be noticeably sharper, especially when displaying text - and even more so than the slight difference in resolution would imply.

The colors may not be as rich, but the sharper text is what matters to me.

[Ed Hardy]

Does the Droid now come with Exchange ActiveSync, like the Incredible? If not, can it be easily added?

Yes, the ability to synchronize with a Microsoft Exchange Server is part of the Android OS. It was added with version 2.0.
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[LandSurveyor]

Re: cameras. Somebody please, please, please convince the manufacturers that decent glass will make better pictures (and name-brand lenses will be a good advertising point). Once phone cams got to 5mp and up, it became possible to make seriously decent pictures and the camera is no longer an "obligatory" accessory. Only Nokia seems to understand this.

Re: text input. Put me down on the side of those who insist that a hardware keyboard is the best way to enter more than just a little text. If for no other reason, it keeps my biscuit-greasy finger tips off of the display. Advantage Droid.

Concerning the processor vis-a-vis upgrades to the OS; how often will there be an OS upgrade before users change handsets, anyway? Since prices seem to be trending down on smartphones, won't users have even more of an excuse to buy new toys?

[Varjak]

1. Everything that I've read says that the Droid's processor has been under-clocked. Where did you read differently?

2. I've been using a Droid for 6 months now, and I stopped having complaints with its keyboard a few weeks after I got it. A flat plane of keys with no separation isn't ideal, but I got used to it. There are devices out there with better keyboards, but the Incredible isn't one of them. Even with the Droid's learning curve, it's better than typing on the Incredible's on-screen keyboard.

3. The Droid uses the standard version of the Android OS, with only a few changes here and there. Google designed all the menus, not Motorola.

4. Actually, the Incredible has 7 homescreens. Or maybe 11, I can't remember off the top of my head. That's one of the advantages of HTC Sense I alluded too. And it's one of the limitations of the Droid, which has just 3, as you pointed out.
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As for the processor, I think the debate went back and forth; but I don't think I ever saw anything that confirmed it was underclocked and do remember seeing something that said it would NOT be underclocked. I don't have time today to find the posts though.

Again, I thought that, Sense or not, that other versions of Android (like that on the Nexus One) had more screens than the Droid. I even thought there was a thread you posted yesterday or the day before that cited the 5 screens thing.

It would be interesting to have known what you'd have thought about the Incredible's screen-'board if you'd used that as much as the Droid; but I think you are still correct that the hard-'board is ultimately better.

[Drillbit]

My concern is with the screen.

Do you know if the Incredible uses the same pentile screen as the Nexus One? If so I would expect the screen on the Droid to be noticeably sharper, especially when displaying text - and even more so than the slight difference in resolution would imply.

The colors may not be as rich, but the sharper text is what matters to me.

Yes the Incredible should use the same screen as the Nexus One. The Nexus One has become the new reference platform for Android 2010---1 GHz Snapdragon, Android 2.1 and 3.7" Samsung AMOLED has become the necessary minimum requirements for "cool".

As a Nexus One owner that has seen the Motorola Droid and Milestone screens, I would say the Motorola screens are visually sharper. Yes. Its perceivable to the naked eye. I will also say, after you get used to the Nexus One AMOLED screen, everything on a TFT feels like faded colors. Yes, the Moto screens are sharp, the sharpest I have ever seen, but my eyes are now spoiled by the Nexus One AMOLED and the Moto screen colors feel dull to me.

I do have to add that I use a oil resistant matt screen protector on my Nexus One that adds a bit to the screen pixelation. But anyway, I still think the Droid screen is sharper.

On the end, I would still prefer the Nexus One AMOLED screen because of the way the colors would pop. That difference is quite perceptible. If you use a flashlight app, it is seriously a flashlight. If you use dark themes on your apps, that tends to save battery life but bright and white themes will drain your battery faster than a TFT. There has been reports of quality issues with AMOLED screens, including hues, burn in and so on but I don't have them on mine.

[Ed Hardy]

I thought that, Sense or not, that other versions of Android (like that on the Nexus One) had more screens than the Droid. I even thought there was a thread you posted yesterday or the day before that cited the 5 screens thing.

I'm not disputing with you -- the Incredible definitely has more homescreens than the Droid, I just can't remember exactly how many more.
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