HTC Droid Incredible 2

“The HTC Droid Incredible 2 might not be the shining star the first Droid Incredible was and those who crave the power of 4G or a dual-core processor should definitely check out the HTC ThunderBolt or wait for the Samsung Droid Charge or Motorola Droid Bionic. That said, the Droid Incredible 2 does improve on its predecessor and is a much more refined product. The versatile smartphone is also a welcome addition to Verizon's world phone portfolio, which was a little heavy on the business-oriented models. We think the $199.99 is slightly high for what you get but even so, we'd say that the HTC Droid Incredible 2 is one of Verizon's top world phones.”

“We'll come right out and say it: the Droid Incredible 2 is the best 3G Android smartphone on Verizon today. If you live in a 3G-only area or you can forgo LTE, the choice basically comes down to the Incredible 2 and Verizon's iPhone 4. With this device, HTC is pushing the single core Snapdragon platform to the limit, then packaging it into an attractive and beautifully finished product. It improves upon the already excellent Droid Incredible with a nicer screen, an even better camera, global roaming capability, and most importantly, amazing battery life. It's an incredibly (ahem) well rounded handset -- the perfect storm of quality, refinement, power, and efficiency -- as long as you can live with Sense. And that's the crux of it -- while we think Sense will appeal to many people, we feel that HTC is doing its core audience of passionate, tech-savvy, pure Android aficionados a disservice by not providing a way to disable it (or at least making it easier to install custom ROMs via an unlocked bootloader). This, together with the insane amount of pre-loaded crapware, are the only major issues we have with respect to the software. Of course we'd have liked to see Gingerbread available out of the gate, but this looks like it will be remedied soon. In the end, the Incredible 2 isn't a fish in the sea of Android -- it's a shark seeing Verizon red and ready to devour the competition. Considering how much of a runaway hit the original Incredible was last summer, perhaps HTC should have called this new version the Jaws 2?”

“Between its improved speed and call quality, sharper video camera, and larger display, the Droid Incredible 2 is a top-notch sequel. While the Thunderbolt for Verizon Wireless offers much faster 4G speeds, this HTC phone lasts longer on a charge and is more pocket-friendly. Plus, the Incredible 2 offers faster 3G speeds than the iPhone 4. While many will still prefer the iPhone 4 because of its sharper display and higher-quality app selection, those looking for a svelte but well-rounded Android device will really like the Incredible 2.”

“When it comes down to successive devices, the HTC DROID Incredible 2 manages to do everything correctly to make it a fruitful and fitting offering. Seeing marked improvements in various categories, it’s still one great all around handset at $200 on-contract, but its arrival on the scene feels ever so late and seems as though it’s past its prime already. Trying to follow after the mighty HTC ThunderBolt is one feat on its own, however, it’s already feeling as though it’s dated when you see smartphones packing worthwhile features like 4G LTE support, HDMI out, and dual-core processors out of the box. In all honestly, the HTC DROID Incredible 2 would’ve gotten some headway if it were released earlier in the year, way before the rash of next-gen competition, but it might be overlooked now in favor of those other fully packed modernized devices. Sure it’ll still get some notoriety primarily because of the Incredible branding that people are familiar with, but in the end, it might not be enough to keep people affixed to it in the long term.”