HTC Incredible - not seeing a viable replacement on the Horizon

[Medion]

This post isn't meant to be a "whining" or "Rant" post about phone availability, but rather, the surprising longevity of the Incredible. On its one-year mark, we still might not see a slate-form phone that truly trumps it. The closest right now is the Fascinate (not counting phones on other carriers), and that's a polarizing subject.

You can usually look at HTC's core lineup in Europe to see what they might have in the US in about 6 months. The Incredible was based off the N1/Desire (release 3/2 months before it, respectively). The Evo was also based on the same tech, but of course, got a bigger screen and WiMax support.

Now HTC is still using the Desire as their flagship slate form phone, with now having the Desire HD and Desire Z, a big screen and a slide-out qwerty, respectively. Rumors keep pointing to Verizon getting the Thunderbolt and Merge as versions of those.

But if I had wanted a big screen when I bought my phone, I could have gone for the Droid X. If I had wanted a slide-out qwerty, I could have waited for the Droid 2 (came out 2 days after I bought my Incredible). Sure, T-Mobile has the MyTouch 4G (same guts as Desire HD, but smaller screen), but it doesn't have Sense, and I'm sticking with Verizon. None of these phones appeal to me.

I made the impulse choice to buy my Incredible while on 2-week leave from Iraq, knowing that I would have buyers' remorse when I returned right before Christmas. Instead, nothing interests me. I see nothing coming in the next 6 months that would pique my interest. Even if Verizon took the Incredible casing, put the 2nd gen 1ghz Snapdragon in it, and gave it LTE, I still likely wouldn't care enough to pay for a full price upgrade. I think I'll wait for a slate form dual-core before I upgrade.

 

[woop]

I wouldn't mind an HTC Thunderbolt in my pocket

 

[Medion]

I wouldn't mind an HTC Thunderbolt in my pocket

I could see some Incredible users migrating to that. Some may just want to evolve to a larger screen. Others coveted the EVO from day one but either got the Incredible at launch, or wanted to stay on Verizon. But for me, the iPhone is the ideal size/shape, and the Incredible matches that with a better design (except the protruding camera).

Ideally, a follow-up would come out in 3-6 months, same EXACT Form (accessory compatibility), Snapdragon MSM8655 or QSD 8650A (would settle for the MSM 7730 if now positioned as a budget handset), and LTE. But, I don't want to pay a full retail price for an incremental upgrade.

 

[snuggles]

I wouldn't mind an HTC Thunderbolt in my pocket

You took the words right out of my mouth!!! Finally a non-motorola large screen phone I can see. I just hope the wait isn't too long.

 

[poland626]

I wouldn't mind an HTC Thunderbolt in my pocket

I would seriously pay full price for that phone, thankfully, my family of 4 gets 3 upgrades, 1 in Feb, 1 in March, and 1 in April I'm SO getting it within the next 3 months

Plus, being near NYC, in NJ, I get 4G in my area so it's not a waste to get it!

 

[gadzooks64]

I wouldn't mind an HTC Thunderbolt in my pocket

That's my plan. I have two upgrades available in January and one in March.

 

[DenverRalphy]

I really hope HTC puts out more devices with the same size screen as the Incredible. I'm not a big fan of the larger screens like the Evo/Thunderbolt.

 

[HoochieCoo]

I really hope HTC puts out more devices with the same size screen as the Incredible. I'm not a big fan of the larger screens like the Evo/Thunderbolt.

Ya. I just got my Incredible (couple months ago) knowing it wasn't the latest, and that there were devices with larger screens. The screen is big enough, and I like the slightly smaller size of the device.

Seems like the trend is larger screens though.

I also picked up my Incredible knowing I would have to wait awhile for my upgrade. But that's OK too. It's a bitchin' device, and I can sit back and see what unfolds, and which devices float to the top. It's too hard to pick a new device because of all the launch hype. I've been burned too many times (not just on phones) by running out and getting a brand new device, and it ends up being flawed.

 

[rushmore]

Whatever I get will have the Tegra 2:

1. Dev standard for "Honeycomb"
2. gTablet 2500 Quadrant scores
3. Full speed PSX 3D gaming
4. Flash performance blows all other current Androids away
5. Quake 1, 2 and 3 are smooth as butter
6. Amazing sound quality for music fans
7. Great battery life

Question is will VZW have a 4" or higher display with the chipset? Not seeing one confirmed yet. VZW seems like they are slacking off. My concern is they are focusing too much on iPhone preparations.

 

[TokedUp]

ummmm the thunderbolt is gonna kill this thing, im switching asap. Not that I dont love my rooted Inc but come on, 1.2ghz, front cam, bigger screen just to mention a few features. Im in!

 

[Medion]

ummmm the thunderbolt is gonna kill this thing, im switching asap. Not that I dont love my rooted Inc but come on, 1.2ghz, front cam, bigger screen just to mention a few features. Im in!

I'd bet dollars to donuts that it doesn't have the dual-core 1.2ghz. The blogs reposting that didn't have a credible source. They also claimed Gingerbread when HTC's press kit stated that it has Froyo.

It's more than likely the 1ghz 2nd gen Snapdragon, like the Desire HD and MyTouch 4G.

 

[Rodent]

Give me better battery life! Dont need anything faster or bigger, the Dinc is plenty fine except the battery sucks.

 

[hrbib21]

I agree with pretty much all you've said here, Medion. However, the Thunderbolt would be a consideration for me assuming it's a legit step up from the Incredible (dual core/FFC/NFC/etc). Then again, as I've said many times, I didn't even consider the Droid X due to its size.

 

[Medion]

Give me better battery life! Dont need anything faster or bigger, the Dinc is plenty fine except the battery sucks.

T-Mobile MyTouch 4G is the Incredible successor. "4G", similar form factor, and 2nd gen Snapdragon with better battery life and GPU performance. All it lacks is Sense...and Verizon's network.

 

[jj3699]

I would love to have the thunderbot, but it lacks a trackball or trackpad, so it looks like I'll be waiting for the next device with a trackpad and all the specs Rushmore wants

 

[medwa]

I wouldn't mind a Thunderbolt or a Nexus S, but I'm completely happy with my Incredible until I'm due for an upgrade in 2012.

 

[Medion]

I would love to have the thunderbot, but it lacks a trackball or trackpad, so it looks like I'll be waiting for the next device with a trackpad and all the specs Rushmore wants

To be honest, I used to think the trackball/pad was a waste of space. But now, I love using it for finer adjustments to texts/emails. Like you, I don't think I can go without it.

 

[WormDoes]

I just got my Inc the end of October and I still haven't seen any phone I'd rather have. The Thunderbolt/Mecha/Inc HD does look promising but if it's not a considerable upgrade like some have said then I'm all set. I really hope that 4"+ screens aren't all that will be available. I think anything above 4" is way too big. I also am overly reliant on my trackpad so the "yet to be named HTC" doesn't look like an option for me anyways. I wish they would stay with the Incredible branding and build off of it's success. I would buy an Inc 2 that was fully upgraded (LTE, FFC, 1.2/tegra2, etc) in a heartbeat!! I still have a NE2 sitting on my account but like I said I haven't seen anything that would make me think about leaving my Inc. This is the best phone I've ever owned and it'll be tough to leave it behind and get a new phone to be honest haha

 

[djkeller3]

T-Mobile MyTouch 4G is the Incredible successor. "4G", similar form factor, and 2nd gen Snapdragon with better battery life and GPU performance. All it lacks is Sense...and Verizon's network.

Do you really like Sense? Really? I guess to each his own, but coming from a rooted, ROMmed, themed and over-clocked O.G. Droid, my tolerance for any manufacturer's bloated operating system is a big negative.

I actually tried to get used to Sense, because having just bought my Incredible as a *tide-me-over until I can get the Thunderbolt* phone, I didn't want to go all out on my Dinc if I didn't have to. But I had to. Sense makes everything far more complicated than it needs to be.

After a few days of Sense, I rooted, ROMmed with CyanogenMod 6.1, themed, and over-clocked to 1.15 Ghz, and now I'm a VERY happy camper and don't feel the urge to get the Thunderbolt until it's rooted and I can put my favorite ROM - CyanogenMod - on it!

 

[Medion]

Do you really like Sense? Really? I guess to each his own, but coming from a rooted, ROMmed, themed and over-clocked O.G. Droid, my tolerance for any manufacturer's bloated operating system is a big negativ

Sense is blown out of proportion either way. The main differences between sense and vanilla launcher to the average user are:

-different "dock" at the bottom
-ability to "leap" to different home screens using the home button or a pinch gesture
-smoother response on the home screens due to GPU acceleration being used

Aside from that, it's the same thing. Seven home screens with support for various wallpapers, and a 4x4 stock grid per page for apps/widgets. Sense is definitely not bloated.

And Sense has generally been ahead of the default apps. Sense had copy/paste in the mail client before Google got around to adding it. Sense's copy paste was superior to stock Android, prior to 2.3. Same with the on-screen keyboard (although yes, you can customize this). Bottom line is that Sense has done a good job of prodding Google along in adding features, while still not being bloated.

 

[medwa]

To be honest, I used to think the trackball/pad was a waste of space. But now, I love using it for finer adjustments to texts/emails. Like you, I don't think I can go without it.

I'm with you on this one. One of my previous Incredibles had a faulty trackball and I absolutely hated it. But after having one that works, it really comes in handy for cursor placement and text editing.

I'm pretty attatched to my Incredible right now, and I haven't even rooted yet. Once I cross that bridge I'm sure I'll like it even more.

 

[Az Scooter]

All I know is that I paid full price for my incredible, on the first day, and am still happy with it. It is one of the nicest phones I have owned, and I have had a cell since 1993.

 

[weihl165]

The thunderbolt will be replacing my Incredible as soon as it is available, there will be phones in 2011 that will kill the Incredible

 

[AlexNC]

Give me better battery life! Dont need anything faster or bigger, the Dinc is plenty fine except the battery sucks.

I agree 100%. For shits and giggles, I recently switched back to my stock battery from my 2100 extended battery. Oh boy, what a difference. I don't see how you guys can stand using the stock battery. It drains way too fast for my liking.

On a side note, my brother and his wife bought themselves a Droid2 and a Facinate for Christmas. I was surprised how much smoother navigation felt on my Incredible. The others seems to stall out from time to time and just be more 'clunky' feeling, for the lack of a better word.

I am very pleased with my Incredible when paired up with the 2100 extended battery. But without it, I would be very disappointed. But I think that would be the case with any stock smartphone battery that is on the market today.

 

[HoochieCoo]

I agree 100%. For shits and giggles, I recently switched back to my stock battery from my 2100 extended battery. Oh boy, what a difference. I don't see how you guys can stand using the stock battery. It drains way too fast for my liking.

Ya... a 1300mah is simply too small for this device. I almost immediately went up to a 1500, and found an 1800 that doesn't require a new back. I would say a 1500 is the minimum, and hoping the 1800 makes it perfect.