With assorted Droid phones seemingly hitting stores every month or so, purchasing a smartphone (if your service provider is either Verizon or Sprint) has all of a sudden become much like buying an automobile or a desktop computer. Meaning, as soon as you take it off of the lot or walk out of the store, it’s almost immediately replaced by something infinitely better.
Well, fear not, owners of the HTC Droid Incredible. The Droid X isn’t that much better than what you already own. In fact, to me, it’s not even close.
Now, don’t get me wrong, (and not to sound like a hypocrite) the Droid X is a technically superior phone to the HTC Incredible. It features more storage space (up to 40GB compared to 24GB) slightly better resolution (854 x 480 to 800 x 480) image stabilization, better battery life, and an HDMI output. The X also has a bigger screen, too; the 4.3-inch touchscreen (with Swype, but you can now install that on the Incredible) beats the Incredible’s 3.7 inch screen. And while that doesn’t sound like it’s THAT much bigger, it is. Trust me.
Silly as it may seem to some, it’s the aforementioned size difference that’s really the reason I can’t say I’d buy the Droid X. To me, it’s like trying to carry around a dinner plate in your pocket. I can’t stress this enough.
IT’S HUGE.
I know it’s just my personal preference, and I realize that smartphones are going to get larger just based on added “bells n’ whistles”, but I still want to use something that is the size of a normal cellphone. While trying to talk on the Droid X, I constantly found myself trying to get comfortable while using it, and I just couldn’t. Also on a device this size, it’s next to impossible to click on anything in the top left corner (missed calls, messages, Tweets) with your thumb, unless you’ve got giant “man hands”.
Speaking of which, I purposely let my girlfriend use the Droid X for a few days (and no, she doesn’t have “man hands”) just to see what her reaction would be, and she returned it to me after one day saying, “I think it’s pretty, but it’s too big for my hands.”
If only she could say the same about yours truly. *sigh*
So, what if the size of the Droid X isn’t an issue for you? Well, while I personally don’t know anyone (no matter how tech dorky they may be) who would hook up a smartphone like the X to their television to watch a movie more than once or twice, perhaps that’s something you want from your phone.
Me? I just want fast internet access, clean and clear reception, some fun apps, a decent camera, and a high res screen. Yes, the Droid X features all of these things, but it just feels like there’s too much going on with this thing. Again, I still want to feel like I’ve got a cellphone in my pocket, rather than a laptop that makes phone calls.
The bottom line? Despite it’s enormous girth, the Droid X is a very powerful device. You get Verizon’s top notch service, and yes, it’s got much better multimedia features than the HTC Incredible. However, if I was forced to choose between this and the Incredible, I’d much rather plunk down my $200 on HTC’s gem of a smartphone.
For the full specs on Motorola’s Droid X, click here.
This is not a review – seems more like an OPINION
Um, isn’t that point?
After coming from the original droid to the x i was concerned by the size. However the features out weigh the concerns. Being a bit of a tech geek i like having the hdmi out and for good reason. My Wife and I are fortunate enough to travel quite frequently with our 1 1/2 yo son. Having the hdmi output is a great feature cause i can bring his favorite cartoons with us to help keep him occupied while in the hotel. Granted you have to be staying in a moderate to high end hotel (we choose hyatt cause each room has a media input device, or so they call it). So for me it works great and im not lugging around a laptop or media enabled hdd.
See Steve? Then it’s the perfect device for you. Me? I just want to make phone calls and occasionally look at filthy porno while at work. While the X can indeed do that, I’d just prefer the Incredible for it’s smaller size and seemingly (to me at least) faster OS.
I have own a droid x since its release date and i can say that it’s amazing. I was going to wait until the incredible was in stock again but i am glad i chose the droid x. I thought that it was going to feel to big also but after using it for a couple of days it really doesn’t feel that big. I think that if you really want a good smartphone you should choose the droid x over the incredible. If you just want to make calls then you shouldn’t even have a smartphone. You’ll be paying too much!
Came from blackberry storm, and i absolutely love my X, granted i did come from an extremely slow phone with very little memory which resulted in a battery pull at least daily sometimes more than once. That said Im a pretty big guy.and maybe i have giant man hands but i too was very surprised at how well it fit in my pocket and how comfortable it is in my hand. One of my employees has the incredible and that too is a very nice phone with a fast U/I, both are incredible phones go to the verizon store and spend some time with both to make an informed decision for yourself.
Strange. I’ve seen dozens of firmer Incredible owners say that they took their phone back or sold it when the X came out. This article is simply meant as comfort to incredible owners who now feel inferior.
I think manufacturers are packing more into smartphones now because that’s what people want. How many times do you read a review of “it doesn’t have this, it won’t do that.” Yes, the X has some things that I will never use and I don’t care about. The HDMI?…….no, I probably won’t use it. But I would rather have too much. Yes, I am kind of a techy geek I suppose. But I’m on the internet a lot and this does a great job. And the call quality is great. If I wanted just a phone, I would still be using my Razr. I love the Droid X. No offense to anyone, and this is just my opinion. Cheers.
Horrible “Review” if you can call it that. You wrote in circles, and the point you ended up making was opposite the header. To some it up what I got out of this article was you have small hands and cant handle the size (I own the X and I dont have massive hands. I havn’t had a problem), the Droid X is a much better phone than the HTC, but not worth the trouble of upgrading.
“Well, fear not, owners of the HTC Droid Incredible. The Droid X isn’t that much better than what you already own. In fact, to me, it’s not even close.”
You go on to tell me how much better the X is then the HTC the entire article after this openning thought. Do you really get paid to write this crap?
Some people r never happy. If they r so happy with there incred. Y even read the review. Some people r jerks. The review of diffrent opinions here helped tks
As an inferior feeling Incredible owner I’m torn. When I saw that the X could get my laptop online wirelessly I thought of returning the aforementioned inferior Incredible. I decided to comfort myself knowing the electro smog generated by the X will give you smug X owners brain tumors.
I thought this article was entertaining. The “references” had me both amused and shocked. Some of the responses were less than “coy” though. For me I’m looking for an inexpensive alternative to my iPhone 3G and this phone is pretty readily available used. I am glad I can still use my Sling adapter “TV Everywhere” that I use with my employee DISH Network service at home. I can even watch my DVR recordings on my iPhone and skip the commercials. (sorry advertisers)