This device has been suggested to be bringing Android 4.1.2 to the party as well as Sense 4+, not unlike it’s recently revealed cousin, the HTC One X+. This device will certainly be coming with 4G LTE with Verizon – if it comes at all, of course, and will be competing against not just the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, but the LG Intuition as well. It’s time for a new era of gigantic displays, that’s for certain.

This device has also been tipped – though it would seem unlikely at this point – to be working as Google’s next Nexus device. At the moment, Google’s suggestion that they’d be working with more than one device manufacturer for their next Nexus smartphone seems less likely than them moving on to LG exclusively as they’ve not yet chosen that OEM to bring a Nexus to light. HTC on the other hand has, and Samsung has as well – and Motorola might have a Nexus in the future, but as they’ve been purchased by Google quite recently, it would make a whole lot more sense to show friendship towards LG – and fairness, as it were.

This HTC Incredible X will likely be essentially a gigantified version of the HTC One X+, a device that’ll bring quad-core power to AT&T. Here with Verizon, HTC hopes to continue their successful drive inside the DROID brand, Verizon’s own specific Star Wars-licensed environment for goodness. The image in this post shows a red ring around the device too, so it’s all but here – but the decision to believe is yours!

[via Engadget]

Hardware

Though this device is being released at the same time as the HTC One series is on the market and does indeed use essentially the same software as those devices do, it’s the HTC Rezound that matches this device’s hardware best. Have a peek at our full review of the HTC Rezound to see what I mean. Compared to the HTC One series, you’ll think these devices were born of different mothers:

The Incredible 4G LTE has a 4-inch super LCD qHD display which gets brighter than you could possibly need it to be, that also being 275ppi dense – not quite as good as the Galaxy S III at 306ppi or the One X at 312ppi, but beating out the 256ppi of the One S by just a tiny notch.

You’ve also got a microUSB port on this device that’s also MHL, this meaning that if you’ve got the right converter, you’ll be able to watch 1080p video via HDMI. In the past we’ve not had the best luck with MHL from HTC – in regards to the HTC Jetstream specifically (though technically it wasn’t listed as MHL compliant), but this time around the manufacturer has done quite well – the picture and sound quality are fabulous.

Software

Though the software on this device is essentially the same as we’ve seen on the HTC One S and HTC One X, it seems just a bit slower here on the Incredible 4G LTE. Perhaps it’s the smaller physical size of the screen, maybe it’s just the expectation that a slightly less expensive device without the HTC One branding on it will be less impressive, but there’s something about it that doesn’t ring the same bell as the S and the X. Have a peek at the following benchmarks and you’ll see a slightly different story, however.

This device runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.2GHz dual-core processor, not unlike the HTC One S (USA and International), HTC One X (USA version), and Samsung Galaxy S III (USA). The difference between them is the S4 on the latter three devices is clocked at a higher 1.5GHz instead of 1.2 – not much of a difference in everyday use, but for you hackers and testers out there, that factor is in play.

Next you’ll want to take a peek at the device’s inner workings in this hands-on and rapid unboxing we filmed earlier this week. This device has no giant surprises if you’ve had your hands on the HTC One S or X, but if you’re coming up from the Incredible 2, you’re in for a wallop of excellence. HTC presents not just Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich here, but their own Sense 4.0 user interface as well. This is HTC at its best.

This device, again, feels a lot more like the HTC Rezound than it does the HTC One series. The camera is quite a bit better than that device though – almost as if this Incredible has a bit more power behind the scenes in the processor architecture? In fact Qualcomm does have dedicated hardware in this machine inside their Snapdragon S4 chip that’s made specifically to work with photography – this same hardware exists in all S4 processor-toting smartphones on the market thus far as well.

Camera

Though this camera doesn’t have the same ImageSense chip we’ve been loving ever since it was introduced on the HTC One S and X, it does have the same ImageSense software. This means you’ve got to rely on the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor for all your camera action – this being more than enough, of course – and you’ve got all the same effects and shooting modes you had before as well. The hands-on video above should also show you that the shooting speed is as undeniably amazing as it was on the HTC One series as well.

Have a peek at several examples of this camera’s finess below:

Battery and Data Speed

It seems that the brain-sucking madness that ensued with the battery life on the HTC Thunderbolt back when 4G LTE was a brand new baby is now essentially gone entirely. Thank the Snapdragon S4 processor for that, and be sure to note that you’ll just be charging this device once a day almost no matter what – of course if you’re the kind of person who streams video all day every day, you might have a different situation on your hands. If you’re a normal user, you’ll have at least a day’s worth of use with no charges needed.

This device’s connection to Verizon’s 4G LTE network is fabulous. The following example is essentially the average of what we’ve been getting all over Minnesota, with the closest ping point here being Saint Cloud (my home town!) just about an hour away from the Twin Cities where we’re prone to test most often. You’re going to be downloading and uploading as fast or faster than you’ve ever done on a smartphone before – without a doubt. Supposing you’re in a 4g LTE area, of course.

Wrap-Up

It’s a real toss-up right now on Verizon whether you’re going to want to hit up the HTC Rezound or the Incredible 4G LTE if you do indeed want 4G LTE connectivity on an HTC device. They’re both essentially the same in many ways – though for the most advanced vision of an Android device on Verizon as presented by HTC, you’ll probably have to default to the Incredible simply because it’s got Android 4.0 and Sense 4.0 right out of the box while the Rezound still might need an update to Ice Cream Sandwich when you open it up.

This device is not made to be the most powerful smartphone on the market, nor is it made to look the most impressive in the hand. Instead it’s made to attack the market for 4-inch screen lovers with no less than one of the most powerful mobile processors on the market and Verizon’s 4G LTE. This device is not made to be flashy, instead it’s made for people who want long battery life on a 4G LTE smartphone that’s also got HTC’s lovely user interface on a reasonably sized – not to big, not too small – handheld display.

This device is available starting today (July 5th) online with in-store sales starting immediately if not soon across the nation as well. Grab it!

This device works with Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and has HTC’s own newest user interface on top, that being Sense 4.0 as well. This device looks and feels rather similar to the HTC Rezound, aka the highest definition smartphone on the market, and comes with its own lovely egg-like shape as well. Have a peek at our full review of the HTC Rezound and come back for a much more compact version of said device here.

Above you’ll see our newest hands-on with the device, our first look having been back earlier this year at CTIA 2012 in New Orleans. Things having changed much since then, this device still looking the same on the inside and outside, with what appears to be no significant software modifications inside either. On another note, the only difference between this and an HTC One device – HTC One S, HTC EVO 4G LTE, HTC One X, is the HTC ImageSense chip.

What you’ve got here is the next in a line of rather successful “Incredible” devices from Verizon’s DROID lineup. With HTC’s addition of the fantastic Snapdragon S4 – the same processor also sitting in the rest of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S III line, mind you, HTC and Verizon likely have another winner on their hands. Have a peek at the hands-on photos above and below and prepare for a full review this week!

Up front is a 4-inch super LCD qHD display, the same as the One S, and inside there’s Sense 4.0 running on top of Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich. In fact, this is really just a rubbery One S, though that’s no bad thing; there’s plenty to like about that phone.

Verizon will be charging $149.99 (after a $50 mail-in rebate) with a new two-year customer agreement. You’ll obviously need a voice and data plan, and the Incredible 4G LTE’s mobile hotspot feature supports up to ten tethered clients.

There’s more on the Verizon DROID Incredible 4G LTE – including some benchmarking – in our full hands-on.

The device itself feels as if we’re holding the HTC One S with a bit of rubber skin around it – there’s nothing like holding a DROID Incredible, unless of course it’s got an HTC One on the inside. This device offers up Sense 4.0 over Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and by all means does up the ante on the whole Incredible line. The display is extremely bright, very similar to the HTC One series as far as hot close to the surface the image does appear and the viewing angles you get here take the cake away from the rest of the Incredible series. The big difference here between the HTC One S and the DROID Incredible 4G LTE is the width of the display and the thickness of the Incredible.

That said, the technology you’ll find in this device far surpasses that of the rest of the DROID Incredible series. In other words, if you’re on the fence about sticking with your DROID Incredible 2 and moving up to this next-level smartphone, you’d better not hold it – you wont be able to resist. Have a peek at the photos and video we’ve got here and see how your love of the DROID is expressed by HTC. You’ve got a microSD card slot on top of it all, something the rest of the HTC One series does not have, a 4-inch super LCD qHD display to match the rest of the HTC One crew, and it’s all running on Verizon’s 4G LTE network for speed. Have a peek, and check out the rest of our CTIA content by heading to the CTIA 2012 portal all week!

Hands-on with the DROID Incredible 4G LTE:

DROID Incredible 4G LTE Benchmark and HTC One S comparisons:

There’s also 8GB of internal memory and 1GB of RAM, along with a microSD card slot. Wireless connectivity includes LTE, CDMA and dualband 800/1900 4G for worldphone use, and there’s also WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, HDMI via the MHL-enabled microUSB port, and a 3.5mm headphone socket.

The phone also packs Beats Audio technology and a front-facing VGA camera, along with the usual array of sensors: g-sensor, light, digital compass and proximity. It measures 4.8 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches and weighs 4.66oz, and has a 1,700 mAh li-ion removable battery.

What hasn’t been confirmed yet is a release date or pricing, but we’ll update with those details as soon as we know more. Update: Verizon says the DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE will drop “in the coming weeks” but still hasn’t given us an official price.

This device comes with MHL connectivity for HDMI conversion to your big-screen TV, NFC right out of the box, an 8 megapixel camera on the back, VGA camera on the front, and 8GB of built-in storage. Like all great Android devices with a love for expansion, this device has a microSD card slot with the ability to take on 32GB of extra space. Inside you’ll also find 1GB of RAM.

Have a peek here briefly at the HTC One S, a member of the HTC One family running Sense 4.0 on top of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich – this is a very similar experience to what you’ll get in the Incredible 4G:

The display on this device is likely 4-inches, but that’s not entirely been confirmed quite yet. That said, it does appear very much to have qHD resolution meaning whatever we’ve got here, it’s gonna be sharp. Like the HTC Rezound, this device has a rubbery-like soft plastic back and many of the same red stylings, and by all means looks to be nearly as bulky and fat as that machine was (and is) as well. We shall see!

[via Android Police]

This device will likely have a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor (their newest) and a lovely 4.3-inch qHD AMOLED display. Inside you’ll find 1 GB of RAM more than likely and the back will have an 8 megapixel camera (backed up by the Snapdragon’s specially tuned camera-ready architecture.) On the front there’ll be a VGA camera, inside 4G LTE, and all around Beats Audio.

This device is likely going to have a cool Adreno 225 GPU inside as well, and will be released before or during the massive set of waves that include the HTC One series. See the timeline below for additional rumors and tips on this device, and get pumped up for its release! Nothing like an HTC DROID to get your summer started right!

[via DROID Life]

This new version of the Galaxy Nexus is still going to be made by Samsung, will likely also have the new backing color of White as an option, and will have 16GB of internal storage instead of 32. This storage decrease will take off something like $100 from the normal $300 USD on-contract pricing, this mirroring the deal Verizon has with its newest model DROID RAZR which also takes away the same amount of storage. That deal works with a microSD card, on the other hand, while this deal is all in regards to internal storage instead.

Then there’s the DROID Incredible 3 from HTC. This device could also be titled HTC DROID Incredible 3 4G or DROID Incredible 4G on its own, but we’re banking on 3 – you never know! This version of the device will contain Sense 4.0 over what very well could be Ice Cream Sandwich, this being the same combo given to the HTC One series this Spring and Summer, and inside you’ll find a dual-core 1.2GHz processor. This device will have a display size between 4.0 and 4.3-inches, and you’ll be seeing more information on its release soon!

[via Android Community]

Hardware

In many ways the Incredible 2 is doubly familiar. Not only does it maintain the unusually molded chassis of the first Incredible, it’s also very similar to the HTC Incredible S currently on sale Europe, and which we reviewed last month.

The similarities don’t end there. The processor is still a 1GHz single-core Qualcomm chip – though the newer MSM8255, rather than the original’s QSD8650 – and 1GB of ROM space, though RAM has increased by 50-percent to 768MB and the GPU is now the Adreno 205. There’s still a WVGA, S-LCD touchscreen, though that’s grown to 4-inches, while on the back there’s still an 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, autofocus and 720p HD video recording.

Now it’s accompanied by a front-facing camera, though only 1.3-megapixels and fixed-focus.

Happily one of our biggest complaints about the original Incredible, its CDMA-only radio, has been addressed with the Incredible 2. A so-called World Phone, it has both CDMA/EVDO Rev.A connectivity for use in North America, and HSPA connectivity for use when roaming abroad.

Gone is the Incredible’s optical joystick, replaced on the Incredible 2 with on-screen cursor control in Android 2.2 Froyo, and leaving space for HTC to implement its trick rotating buttons. These automatically change orientation, flicking 90-degrees when the phone is tilted onto its side. Build quality in general is good, the narrow edges making the Incredible 2 feel thinner than it actually is, though the aesthetics are still likely to divide users.

Software and Performance

Despite the twelve months in-between, Android on the Incredible 2 has only shifted a single sub-point. We criticized HTC for using Froyo on the Incredible S, and we’re criticizing them again for still failing to give the new phone Gingerbread out-of-the-box. Thankfully the addition of HTC Sense keeps the Incredible 2 feeling fresh enough until an update arrives.

As we found with the Incredible S, the single-core Snapdragon may not be the fastest processor on the market today, but it offers a good balance of power for a mainstream device. You get 3G Mobile Hotspot functionality, Flash Player 10.2 support, and SRS WOWHD pseudo-surround sound processing, which does add some extra depth to audio but isn’t going to convince you you’re listening in a theater.

Missing, though, is the HTCSense.com integration the European version of the handset gets. Verizon’s phone ‘t support the online tracking, remote access and other functionality, which takes a bite out of Sense’s usefulness. We were willing to overlook its potential impact on the timeliness of core Android OS updates when it offered legitimately unique features, but when those add-ons are stripped away then it becomes more like a mere UI reskin.

As for benchmarks, in Quadrant Pro the Incredible 2 scored 1752.

While SunSpider – the test of JavaScript performance in the browser – came in at 5728.9ms.

Camera

The DROID Incredible 2′s main camera is, like on the Thunderbolt, a solid performer. Stills are crisp and well-balanced, in daylight conditions at least, and HTC’s modified camera UI makes it easy to access the few custom settings – exposure, contrast, saturation and sharpness – on offer. There’s more noise in low-light settings, unsurprisingly, while the dual-LED flash is strong but can leave closer subjects over-exposed (and backgrounds murky). Color accuracy is fair, and we prefer it to the unnatural hues some phones produce with over-enthusiastic post processing. As for the front-facing camera, that is sufficient for video calls but not something you’d want to rely on for any meaningful photography.

720p HD video turns out well, coping admirably with low-light situations and looking generally smooth and jag-free until you start panning more quickly. Then, as with most phone cameras, you get plenty of blur and tearing. We’d prefer 1080p HD, as on the Galaxy S II, but that seems to be a limitation of the Snapdragon chipset rather than the camera itself.

Sample video recorded with Incredible 2

Phone and Battery

Audio performance on Verizon’s network was solid, with little in the way of glitches or distortion. Both we and callers could hear each other’s clearly, likely helped somewhat by the integrated noise-cancellation system. What you don’t get, of course, is 4G LTE connectivity from the HTC Thunderbolt and DROID Charge.

As with the Incredible S, the DROID Incredible 2 is capable of a day’s use on a single charge. That’s pretty much average for a current-gen smartphone, and of course you can extend runtimes by turning off some of Sense’s social networking integration or cutting back on how frequently they check for updates.

Wrap-Up

At $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement, the DROID Incredible 2 by HTC is still cheaper than Verizon’s 4G smartphones. However, as we said about the Incredible S, it’s also based on technology that is being phased out: single-core processors are being replaced with dual-cores, and the Galaxy S II (review) shows that just because you have a high-speed CPU, it doesn’t mean you can’t have solid battery life too.

Given that, we’ve have liked to have seen Verizon price the Incredible 2 a little more competitively, though the 8-megapixel camera is some consolation. Our primary concerns are the absence of 4G and dual-core, which could prove limiting further down the line when more demanding versions of Android – and more data-heavy online services – are commonplace.

Still, for a midrange handset, the DROID Incredible 2 is a logical choice. Its name may no longer quite ring true – this isn’t the “incredible” handset in the top spot of Verizon’s range – but it’s another good example of a reliable phone well suited to the mainstream audience.

DROID Incredible unboxing and hands-on

The 30-second video featured several HTC models including the T-Mobile G2, HTC Evo, and the Droid Incredible. However, in the first 5 seconds of the video, a device is shown that we have not seen before.

Speculation is brewing that the device may be a new version of the HTC Wildfire because it looks awfully similar except minus the optical trackpad. This speculation is further driven by the fact that the Mobile World Congress is coming up and HTC has promised an exciting new announcement.

[Via Pocket-lint]

R3 Media Network

Android Community
Droid Incredible Free From Dell, Shipping, Activation, and a Gift Card Included
Yelp adds check-in offers for Android
Laptop Magazine reviews Viewsonic ViewPad 7 tablet
PC World runs down the best apps for Black Friday on Android [BLACKNESS]
Motorola Defy coming to Telstra in Australia
FlightView Elite now available in Android Market for $3.99
OpenFeint brings 8 new titles to Android

SlashGear
HTC PB92300 hits FCC: new video calling Aria?
Sony 3D pro camcorder gets new video demo
LG HDTV NetCast update adds BBC iPlayer, Facebook, Twitter & more
Back to the Future Delorean gets the Flash Rods treatment [LOVE THE WHITE-WALLS]
Acer outs first 3D notebook in Japan
Movea turns your iPhone 4 into an Air Mouse for HTPC use
iPad waterproof case called Drycase unveiled [IPAD WIERDNESS]
FreeOneHand iPad holder and stand is odd [IPAD WIERDNESS]
Android data theft exploit to be plugged in Gingerbread [Video]
Andy Rubin to release Android 2.3 Gingerbread on Dec 6?
Stern unveils limited edition version of Avatar pinball game [WANT]
GoSmart Clip hangs your smartphone on the steering wheel [WORST IDEA]
ColorWare add new MacBook Air to line-up [SHINY]
iOS 4.3 due Dec 13 with News Corp “Daily” recurring subscription APIs?
Chinese gamer reportedly pays $677 per minute for IMAX-style big screen play [AWESOME]
PocketBook Mirasol ereader due Q3 2011; IQ701 touchscreen tablet tipped
$89 Kindle 2 for Amazon’s Black Friday sale [MORE BLACK FRIDAY DEALS COMING YOUR WAY IN A BIG FAT POST TODAY]

To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]

The indication seems to be that HTC intended the DROID Incredible either for Sprint in the first place, or as a dual-carrier device for both CDMA networks.  Obviously it lacks a 4G radio in its Verizon form, so the mention of the high-speed connectivity could either be firmware left over from a generic ROM or signs of an intention to slap 4G in the device had Sprint picked it up.

More details over at Android Community.

Unfortunately, there’s obviously not a lot of information to go on here. The settings screen does indeed say 4G, and there is an option to turn it on. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything in the way that it will connect to Verizon’s LTE network when it does indeed launch later this year. It could just mean that HTC was thinking about 4G, and that’s it. Or, if we’re looking at fueling the rumor mill and hoping for the best, it could indeed mean that the Droid line-up of devices has some way of accessing Verizon’s 4G, and there’s going to be a lot of happy people later this year.

[via Droid Forums]

The update also includes the 3G mobile hotspot app together with an upgrade for the camera software that enables 720p HD video recording.  Unfortunately you’ll have to wait for your Droid Incredible to offer the firmware to you, since Verizon tells us there’s no way to artificially prompt it.  More information on the update process here.

[via Android Community]

Hesse blames the recession and manufacturers response to it – “general high-tech capacity was taken offline and now it needs to be brought back up” – while Sprint continues to heap emphasis on 4G sales.  Executive bonus calculations now take twice as much notice of WiMAX subscriptions as they did before, jumping from 10- to 20-percent.  Meanwhile Verizon’s own LTE network should launch in certain markets by the end of 2010, and AT&T plan their own 4G network for 2011.

The Best of R3 Media

Android 2.2 Expected for Most HTC Sense-based Devices by Christmas: When it comes to getting updates ready and released for devices, HTC and Motorola are in a pretty high-stakes tie for frustrating their customers the most. But, at least if you take the word of one HTC exec, then it looks like HTC’s got a clamp on Android 2.2 hitting their devices in the future. They actually expect to have all of their devices upgraded and ready to go by Christmas — so that’s not that bad at all. Then again, if you think about the rumors that Google’s all set to announced Android 3.0 around the same time . . . well, then we guess it’s a whole other story. [via Android Community]

Ribbon Ceiling Fans Should Win All of the Awards: We’re not sure how many aesthetic awards are out there, let alone awards for designs or anything else remotely connected to a ceiling fan, but the Ribbon Fan should win them all. It’s not only the coolest looking fan in the history of fans, but apparently the designers expect this bad boy to actually come out in the market some day. We can just hope for soon. And by soon, we mean sooner than that. Like, tomorrow. The helical blades work to push the air throughout the room and not just straight down, and it actually uses less energy, too. So, a win-win for everyone. [via SlashGear]

HTC Droid Incredible Pushed Back into August: If you were someone who pre-ordered the Droid Incredible, then you’ve got this whole “sit and wait” thing down by now. But, if you were thinking that maybe the whole situation had been figured out by now, and you were planning on heading into your local Verizon store and getting your pre-order on, you might want to take a moment and think about it. According to Verizon’s site, the Incredible’s been pushed back to the first week of August, and if we’re going off the past at all, that’s probably a trend that’s not going to stop any time soon. Even if we are hoping. [via PhoneMag]

The Dredge ‘Net

Scientists Create Super Battery: Ever heard of Xenon Difluoride? It’s okay if you haven’t. Basically, on a normal day, it’s just a normal chemical that’s not known for doing much outside of looking good. However, if you were to, say, crush it with the pressure of 1 million times our atmosphere, apparently it does something super. That’s right, it actually becomes a super compound, and thanks to some crazy science, that energy that was used to actually crush the chemical gets stored in its chemical bonds. That results in a ridiculously powerful storage device. Or, if you’re creative enough, a battery. It’s not all that easy to recreate all the time, but right now, the little metal-looking cube is the most powerful non-nuclear storage device ever created. And that’s some pretty unreal, yet fabulous news if you ask us. We can thank the scientists at Washington State’s chemistry lab for this great find, by the way. So, if you’re in the area, might want to buy them a round or two. [via DVICE]

Amazon’s Kindle Patent Finally Accepted: It’s actually been awhile since Amazon put their patent for the design of the Kindle. Actually, it dates back all the way to 2006. And it’s actually general enough that competitors like the nook and Alex could very well be in some for troubled water in the future. You see, Amazon’s patent definitely makes mention of a dual-screen piece of hardware, and if you’ll recall, the nook and Alex flaunt those dual-screens like there’s no tomorrow. Of course, there’s all sorts of reasons that Amazon remained silent when those devices hit store shelves, or were even announced, and we can’t presume to know what they are thinking. What the patents tell us, though, is that Amazon was clearly just looking into the future of eReaders, and they wanted to make sure that they covered their bases for all of the hardware they planned, or ever thought they’d plan on releasing. We’ll see if this gets interesting soon enough. [via CrunchGear]

Some Droid X Pre-Orders Landing in Customer’s Hands: Well, shucks. Good news for those who pulled the trigger on the latest juggernaut Android-based device from Motorola, though. Apparently, some of these 4.3-inch bad boys are actually showing up on people’s doorsteps. And, what’s more interesting about the whole thing, is the fact that the official Droid X Twitter account (@DroidLanding) might actually be telling all those who follow it where, exactly, those are landing. We originally thought it was a scavenger hunt, but considering the similarities of the posts, and where the devices are showing up, it’s a bit too much of a coincidence to overlook. In any event, it looks like Motorola might have a super-sneaky plan up their sleeve, and if that’s the case, then those lucky folks should start thinking the company at large. [via Droid-Landing]

So far, the Incredible has been limited to 800 x 480 video recording, and unlike other smartphones in Verizon’s range has been unable to share its EVDO Rev.A connection with WiFi-connected clients.  Hacked ROMs have added the latter ability, but many owners are uncomfortable with rooting their handsets or, indeed, are unaware that such a technique exists.

The exact release date for the boosted firmware is unknown, and indeed HTC may not even make it public.  Still, it’s a sign that HTC aren’t willing to let the DROID X have things all its own way.

[via Android Community]

First and foremost, HTC is still planning on using AMOLED displays. They are in no way completely phasing them out of their future plans. However, they have to b realistic: As of right now, the Droid Incredible is currently on back-order until the end of July, and as far as we’ve heard, there’s no telling when that will steady itself. So, what’s the best way to fix the situation? You change the display. That’s where Sony’s Super TFT LCD comes in. According to HTC, there’s no discernible difference between the AMOLED and Super LCD displays, so that should mean customers won’t get too upset with the alteration.

While Samsung is pushing Super AMOLED right now, it seems that manufacturing of AMOLED displays have taken a bit of a backseat. It does make sense, though. Samsung needs to push their own AMOLED and Super AMOLED display phones, and obviously they’re going to take precedence against anything else. Or any other manufacturer, for that matter. But, HTC has a plan, and if they’re accurate about the non-difference between the two displays, then it looks like they’ve on the right road.

There are still unanswered questions, though. Unfortunately, HTC doesn’t quite know how they are going to explain, or package, the change in displays to its customers. While many people may not see the difference, you can’t put on the box that there’s an AMOLED display tucked away inside if there isn’t. HTC is currently ironing out the details, but for now, it seems that everything is still in the planning stages. And, as for the Super LCD display themselves, HTC says they’ve got a working demo of the new handsets almost ready to go, and right now we’re just waiting to see that demo for ourselves. We’re curious as to how they managed to get the same color saturation out of the Super LCD that’s so prevalent on the AMOLED displays. We’ll be sure to stay updated on the situation, so stay tuned.

[via Android Community]

Co-CEO of Motorola, Sanjay Jha, decided to open up in regards to just about anything that his company might be thinking about for the future, which included HTC, tablets (of course), and where he and his company stand on that proprietary Operating System (OS) he mentioned a few months back. There’s not a lot that we didn’t see coming, and definitely no surprises here, but nevertheless it’s always good to hear it coming from a company’s Chief Executive, rather than the rumor mill.

First up, Android 2.2 and how it relates to Motorola’s devices. Jha said that he and his company would be “aggressive” in bringing Froyo to its devices. That plays right into the hands with the statement we received from the company a few days back, and sheds a bit more light on what they meant about “devices.” It’s pretty clear now that Jha intends for the latest version of Google’s mobile OS to show up on some other handset, and not just the DROID. Which handsets, of course, remains to be seen. (And yes, that could very well mean “future” devices.)

Also touching on the subject of Android and HTC, Jha said that he isn’t worried about the Droid Incredible stealing away any of the thunder brought to the scene by Motorola’s original DROID. He admits that his company has more Droid phones coming down the pipe that he’s excited about, which definitely includes some for Verizon Wireless, which we’ll go ahead and assume is (at least) the Motorola Shadow. As for Motoblur? There’s apparently a new version of it coming out later this year, but there aren’t any more details to elaborate on that.

And finally, talk about tablets is never far off from this day and age. How does Motorola feel about them? They make good “companion devices,” and that’s about it. Jha admitted that Motorola is thinking “about the right solution there,” but didn’t suggest that they were actually working on anything on that front. So, no Motoblur tablets. It sounds like Jha and company have a firm plan for what’s coming, and we can’t wait to see what it leads to.

[via Electronista]

“If your phone was launched this year, we will most likely offer an upgrade for it to the Froyo version. This includes popular models like the Desire and Droid Incredible as well as hotly anticipated phones like the Evo 4G, MyTouch slide and upcoming models. We will announce a full list of phones and dates once we are closer to launching the upgrades. We are working closely with Google and our other partners to ensure we have the earliest access to everything we need to provide a complete and solid Sense experience on Froyo. We expect to release all updates in the second half of this year but can’t be more specific yet.” HTC

That’s the official word from HTC as told to Android Central, with the takeaway message being that if you haven’t got a 2010 model year Android handset from the company then you perhaps shouldn’t hold your breath.  What that means for the popular HTC Hero – still awaiting its Android 2.1 update in Europe – is unclear.

HTC are apparently prioritising the Droid Incredible and Desire, according to Pocket Lint, though owners shouldn’t get their hopes up for an imminent release.  Android 2.2 with HTC Sense won’t be ready until the second half of 2010, unfortunately.

[via Android Community]

The Snapdragon chipset has seen plenty of use in recent HTC devices – the Nexus One and the Desire, if you’re limiting things to Android – as has the 3.7-inch OLED WVGA display. Previous phones have had EVDO Rev.A, too, and WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS are par for the course too. Where things improve are in the optics and the internal storage: the Incredible will be the first HTC device to ship with an 8-megapixel autofocus camera, and it’s paired with a healthy 8GB of onboard storage.

What’s interesting is that we’re expecting Google’s CDMA Nexus One to arrive imminently, and the most obvious difference between the two will be HTC’s use of their home-grown Sense UI. Initially limited to T-Mobile USA, now also on AT&T, the Nexus One runs the bare Android 2.1 OS, and while it’s a more attractive, usable proposition than earlier iterations of the platform, it’s still nowhere near as intuitive out of the box as Sense makes things. As well as adding an extra two panes to the homescreen, Sense packs a preloaded Twitter client in the shape of HTC Peep, Flickr and Facebook integration, and a Friend Stream app which pulls all your contacts social network updates into a single timeline (complete with a desktop widget and the ability to update one or more of your own profiles with just a few taps).

More surprising is a noticeable improvement in touchscreen quality when you have both devices side by side. We’re not sure exactly what HTC have done with the Droid Incredible’s capacitive layer, but it’s both more accurate and less likely to miss taps than that of the Nexus One. Many Google phone users have complained of patchy touch response, something we’ve not encountered on this newer handset. The Incredible also has a broader brightness range than the Nexus One, particularly at its lower settings.

The Droid Incredible’s main competitor on Verizon is likely to be the Motorola DROID (review on SlashGear). It’s a testament to Motorola’s ambitious design that, while the DROID has been on sale for several months now, it’s still a viable option among newer devices. Like the Incredible it has a 3.7-inch display (running at the slightly higher 854 x 480 resolution) but the Motorola uses a more traditional LCD panel than HTC’s currently favored OLED screens. Although the latter is arguably more power efficient, the DROID’s display is in our experience just as bright and color rich as that on the Droid Incredible; it also has the benefit of being more usable (at lower brightness settings) outdoors.

As with the Nexus One, the Motorola runs Android 2.1 with no embellishments (not even the company’s own MOTOBLUR social networking integration). While you could argue that the DROID’s slide-out hardware QWERTY keyboard makes it a more proficient messaging device, HTC’s updated Mail client actually pushes the Incredible ahead in our opinion. Although 2.1 has native Exchange support, it’s only for email and contacts; the HTC app adds in calendar sync too, and the mail app itself allows you to view messages organized by whether they’re flagged, unread or from certain “VIP” contacts, or if they’re meeting invitations, and there’s a threaded “conversation” view too. Although the Motorola’s QWERTY is fair, HTC’s standard on-screen keyboard is a pleasant boost over and above the regular Android QWERTY – thanks to improved auto-correction – though we’re also fans of Swype on which we’re actually faster than with a hardware ‘board.

The flip side to out-of-the-box usability with Sense, though, is the ease of future OS updates. It’s telling that, in the months the DROID has been on the market, Motorola have already upgraded it from Android 2.0 to 2.1; HTC users have been waiting considerably longer for an update of early Android devices (such as the HTC Hero) to a newer version of the platform. That’s down to the headaches of getting Sense to play nicely with a changed OS, and while we don’t doubt HTC’s intent to keep the Droid Incredible as current as possible, we also feel pretty confident saying that the Motorola handset, unmodified as it is, will likely get official builds sooner.

Where the Droid Incredible particularly kicks away from the Motorola – and, for that matter, the Nexus One – is with its camera. It’s not just a win on the spec sheet, either; the Incredible’s 8-megapixel autofocus camera has a brighter, dual-LED flash than the Nexus One, and the still photos it takes are significantly better than those of either the Google phone or the DROID. It’s also more flexible, with granular control over exposure, contrast, saturation and sharpness, ISO ranges from 100 to 800 and optional geotagging and face detection. Sadly there’s no 720p HD video recording on any of the three devices, but the Droid Incredible’s 800 x 480 WVGA footage is reasonable if uninspiring.

Tour of Grand Canyon at 30,000 feet through Droid Incredible’s camera

Sample videos taken with Droid Incredible

Image taken by Droid Incredible of Grand Canyon

Unfortunately, the flip side is battery life. The Nexus One requires some goading of settings to get it through a heavy day’s use, and – since some of the more recent firmware updates – the Motorola DROID actually stretches out its battery surprisingly well. Here, though, the Droid Incredible falls resolutely into bottom place; we’re not sure quite what’s happened, but it ousts even the hungry Nexus One. With the settings as standard, and push email turned on, we didn’t make it through a full day of use before the phone expired. Toning down the amount of social network updates that Sense makes, together with notching down the screen brightness a little, each helped prolong things, but the Incredible is definitely an over-eater.

Compounding the issue is the absence of a charging dock. Both the DROID and the Nexus One can be paired with an optional cradle, and we’ve found that we’re more likely to drop each phone into its respective dock than we are to plug them in with a regular microUSB adapter. That way, the handset gets a mild top-up and you get to stay wireless for more of your day. The Incredible’s lack of charging contacts (unlike the Nexus One) and side-mounted power connector mean a portrait-orientation dock is unlikely, and the fact that Sense doesn’t have a landscape-orientation mode leaves us doubting that HTC plan a cradle similar to Motorola’s.

It’s frustrating, because there are lots of power-hungry reasons we’d rather have the Droid Incredible in our pockets. There’s Flash Lite 4.0 support in the browser, for one, though performance at streaming video is very much dependent on the bitrate it has been recorded at; too high, and the Snapdragon CPU chokes and playback gets stuttery.

Audio performance during voice calls is a little better than with the DROID, though lags behind the Nexus One. That’s primarily down to the Incredible lacking its sibling’s noise-cancelling microphone array. Meanwhile 3G data performance over the Verizon EVDO Rev.A network was strong, though without a CDMA Nexus One we can’t make any direct comparisons. As with the DROID, the Incredible is CDMA-only and – shortsighted in our opinion – lacks global 3G support; saying that, as far as we’re aware the upcoming Verizon Nexus One won’t get that either. If you regularly travel outside the US and still want to use your smartphone, neither the Incredible nor the DROID are the devices to choose.

Strong contender as the Motorola DROID is, the Droid Incredible by HTC edges ahead by virtue of its better performing camera and Sense UI. Similarly, we’d pick the Incredible over the Nexus One; don’t underestimate the value of having Verizon’s after-sales support network to hand, something that – even when the CDMA Nexus One goes on sale – the Google-branded phone will lack. Our only real Incredible concerns begin with battery life and end with firmware updates; we hope HTC can tweak their power management to address the former, though the latter could be the sting in the smartphone’s tail. As we said with the HTC Desire, though, opting against a Sense device out of what may or may not transpire a number of months into the lifecycle does mean you’re missing out on an excellent handset experience today.

When the HTC EVO 4G arrives on Sprint later this year, the Android balance will change again. Connected services are arguably the future of smartphones and mobile devices, and the boost in data speed WiMAX will bring may just change our minds again. Until then (and of course that assumes you live in an area served with Sprint 4G coverage) we’re leaning toward the Verizon Droid Incredible by HTC. International travelers and those unwilling to experiment with their data and power settings should look elsewhere, but everyone else will be enjoying excellent camera performance served up in a user-friendly package.

Unboxing Droid Incredible by HTC for Verizon

Verizon Droid Incredible by HTC key specifications:

Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon chipset
512MB ROM, 512MB RAM
3.7-inch WVGA 480 x 800 OLED capacitive touchscreen
8-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
8GB internal memory & microSD card slot (32GB)
EVDO Rev.A, WiFi b/g & Bluetooth
GPS, accelerometer
Android 2.1 with HTC Sense
3.5mm headphones socket & microUSB 2.0 port
1,300mAh Li Ion battery (rated 5.2hrs talktime or six days standby)
4.63 x 2.3 x 0.47 inches / 4.59 oz

The Best of R3 Media

Google Shares First Quarter Earnings, Plus More: Despite the fact that manufacturers are still releasing some top-notch Android-based handsets, were you curious as to the current state of Google’s mobile Operating System? Well, it doesn’t look like you have anything to fear. According to Jeff Huber, the Senior VP of Engineering over at Google, Android is currently up 70% from last year, and the Android Marketplace is now home to some 38,000 applications. That’s a pretty big increase. What’s better, though, is the fact that there are reportedly 60,000 Android-based phones sold every day around the world. That equals some pretty amazing numbers, if you ask us. [via Android Community]

iPad’s Camera Accessory Kit May Have Some Tricks up its (Figurative) Sleeve: Apparently, the iPad’s Camera Accessory Kit is going to be able to do some audio out. Which means that if you’re in the music industry, you’ll be able to connect some audio equipment to your Apple tablet, and do your business from that 9.7-inch touchscreen. And, while that’s a bit of a surprise for most, we think the bigger surprise would be if the same accessory kit would be able to power a device (like a MiFi) while you were on the go. We’re already keeping our fingers crossed. [via Everything iPad]

Will the Droid Incredible by HTC Support 802.11 b/g/n WiFi?: With the official announcement of the Droid Incredible by HTC, Verizon Wireless was kind enough to make sure that an officially official specifications sheet was listed with it. In that sheet, support for 802.11 b/g WiFi was listed. But, according to a leaked Info Center document, the Droid Incredible could in fact support 802.11 b/g/n WiFi. That would make a lot of people happy, and, considering it’s not every handset on the market that supports the “n,” it would indeed give the Droid Incredible another notch against the competition. [via SlashPhone]

The Dredge Net

Sony Splits VAIO In Two: Sony must have figured out that competing with Apple in the premium demographic really isn’t working out for them, especially in the United States, and apparently they’ve concocted a plan to get themselves a better name and reputation around the world. At least when it comes to their VAIO line of computers. Revealed today by Ryosuke Akahane, the company’s business deputy President, the company will keep the top tier for themselves, where they will continue to construct premium models of the VAIO computers. The second tier will allow third-party manufacturers, or contractors, to put the VAIO name on their models. Akahane promised that the quality of computers would be similar, but that the technology would generally always be better (at the start) in the top-tiered lineup. We’ll have to wait and see how this works out for the Japanese juggernaut. [via Electronista]

Google Proves They Care About the Environment: When you think about saving the environment, you think about the ways you’ll cut the grass in your yard, right? Well, what if you had the kind of yard that Google has up in Mountain View? That’s a lot of grass, we’ll assure you, so that would take up some gas in all of those lawnmowers, for sure. So, just as they did last year, Google is bringing the goats back to the large campus, making sure they get all the grass trimmed by a more natural methodology. Just ignore the transportation costs, to get those goats there, but hey, they’re saving the environment. [via TechCrunch]

SaskTel President and CEO Confirms June Launch for New iPhone: Who out there still thinks there’s not a new iPhone coming out soon? Well, if you’re one of those people, maybe this confirmation from the President and CEO, Robert Watson, of SaskTel will assuage you of your worries. He says that he’s already got his wireless carrier in line to launch the new iPhone (iPhone 4G, iPhone HD, whatever you prefer for now) on July 1st. That’s in line with SaskTel’s switch from CDMA to GSM, so don’t go thinking this confirms a Verizon Wireless iPhone. He goes on to say that it’s a good thing that Apple is launching their new iPhone in June, because basically he can’t wait to get in on the good stuff. We can’t help but agree. [via AppleInsider]

Boxee Thinks You Should Make their iPad App: But, only if you’re qualified, and want to work for Boxee, that is. The company is currently looking for someone that will take the role of their lead iPad and iPhone App Developer, so if you’re in the market for a new job and you’ve got the necessary skills, you should go take a look. As Boxee puts it, they consider the “other screens” just as important as the TV for enjoying video, so they want to make sure they cover all their bases. Or screens, if you will. [via Boxee]

The Droid Incredible by HTC is an Android-based device, running the latest (Android 2.1) version, but upgraded with the latest version of HTC’s Sense User Interface (as we’ve seen on the Desire). It’s got a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED capacitive display, optical joystick, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8GB of on board storage, and an 8MP camera on the back of the handset.

As for availability, Verizon Wireless will begin taking preorders on April 19th, and it will officially hit store shelves on April 29th. Pricing is going to start at $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, and if you sign-up for a new two year agreement. Verizon Wireless also wants to make sure that customers know they’ll need to sign up for one of their smartphone plans, which start at $39.99 for unlimited email and web access. So now that you’ve got the official details, are you going to run out there and pick up your very own when the time comes? Will you actually preorder? Full press release below for your consumption needs.

IT’S A DROID, IT’S INCREDIBLE, IT’S ON THE NATION’S LARGEST AND MOST RELIABLE 3G NETWORK

DROID Incredible™ by HTC Combines Power of Android™, Usability of HTC Sense™, Exclusively from Verizon Wireless

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and NEW YORK – Verizon Wireless today announced DROID Incredible by HTC, the newest Android device on the nation’s most reliable wireless 3G network, will be available beginning April 29.
Featuring a “topographic” design that demonstrates the powerful engineering just beneath the surface, DROID Incredible by HTC is designed with craftsmanship and precision while making it easier than ever to stay connected.
DROID Incredible by HTC features the newest version of the HTC Sense experience, a seven-panel home screen with a wide selection of interactive widgets so the most important content is immediately available at a touch. Customers will enjoy seamless integration with Exchange ActiveSync®, quick and easy access to Flickr for sharing and viewing pictures, video, and Android Market™ with more than 30,000 Google applications. DROID Incredible by HTC is the first Verizon Wireless phone that takes advantage of Qualcomm’s 1GHz superfast Snapdragon processor, and it’s the first available phone from Verizon Wireless to include an 8 megapixel camera.
Shortly after the phone becomes available, customers will be able to enjoy two of the latest exclusive apps from Verizon Wireless – NFL Mobile and Skype mobile™.
Additional Key features:
Android 2.1 with HTC Sense experience
1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor for maximum responsiveness
Friend Stream for unified Flickr, Facebook and Twitter updates
“Leap” view for quick access to all seven home screen panels
8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash for crisp, detailed images
Razor-sharp 3.7 inch WVGA (480×800) AMOLED capacitive touch display
Optical joystick for smooth navigation
Dedicated, touch-sensitive Home, Menu, Back and Search keys
Proximity sensor, light sensor and digital compass
Integrated GPS
Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
3.5 mm headset jack

Price and availability:
DROID Incredible will be available for pre-order online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning on April 19 and it will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on April 29. Pricing will be $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
DROID Incredible customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access. Email and Web for Smartphone plans start at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access.
For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

# # #

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Media can access high-resolution images of DROID Incredible by HTC in the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.)

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 91 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About HTC
HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.