HTC Droid Incredible

A little over a week ago, I got the Droid Incredible smart phone. It was roughly $200, since I was due for an upgrade and it came with a $100 mail-in rebate (also, my parents chipped in $100 for my birthday).

I love technology, but I have been a little behind as far as cell phones go. I'm still drooling over all the applications and tools this phone offers, even though it's about the same as an iPhone. Despite my overall distaste for Apple and iTunes, I will concede that the iPhone is a pretty cool product. My biggest issue is the price and AT&T's spotty service.

Since I'm still on my family's plan, the Droid is only $30 for minutes (that's just my portion of the plan, since it's split four ways) plus a $30 data package. I was paying $45 a month for my POS Samsung Glyde -- so I'll gladly pay a tiny bit more for a phone that actually works.

I guess this entry is an attempt at a quick review. So here are the Pros:

• Extremely fast when surfing the web or switching between applications.
• Tons of apps -- not as many as with Apple, but they're catching up.
• Free, turn-by-turn, spoken GPS navigation -- this app DESTROYS what comes on the iPhone, though I think the new iPhone will have something similar.
• 8 megapixel camera -- somewhat unnecessary but takes some nice pictures.
• No pre-installed Verizon garbage.
• The touch screen is fantastic. Better than the iPhone, at least in my experiences using both. The T9 (is it even still called that?) works great, too.

Cons:

• Battery life isn't great. The "Advanced Task Killer" app will be your best friend, since many apps will continue running even after you leave them. That's what really drains the battery. Once you get used to "killing" all your excess stuff, this phone is no different than any other smart phone.
• Only 8GB of memory. It would be nice to see a 16 or 32 gig option, especially if you plan to carry all your music on here. However, you can always add an SD card for this purpose.
• Some applications require an SD card to save (FxCamera, for example). Someone probably should have recommended I buy one (I'm looking at you, Verizon Wireless store guy). It's OK, though -- got a 2GBer from Newegg.

That pretty much covers what I've experienced thus far. My new favorite application tracks my calorie intake ("Calorie Counter"). The coolest part is scanning bar codes with the camera to automatically add the food statistics to my daily food diary. And no, I'm not trying to lose weight -- I'm actually trying to add a half pound a week. So far, not so good. Aside from occasional HUGE meals with friends, I generally do not eat much. No wonder I'm a bag o' bones!