HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE: Smaller Is Better

HTC’s newest Droid runs on AT&T’s LTE network, where it’s available. In a market of swelling phone sizes, the Droid Incredible 4G LTE seems practically petite with its 4-inch super LCD quarter-high-definition (qHD) display. Verizon calls the phone “pocket-friendly.”

Like the HTC One X, the newest Incredible features an 8-megapixel camera that can take pictures while shooting video and has a screen-unlock feature that lets users launch an app from the locked position. Notably, both smartphones feature HTC’s Sense 4.0 user interface.

Part of HTC’s campaign to differentiate its phones from those of its competitors is the inclusion of Beats Audio, which is said to sound good as-is, better with Beats headphones and best with the BeatsBox speaker accessory. Beats is also in the HTC One X.

The HTC One X features a 4.7-inch high-definition Super AMOLED (active-matrix organic LED) display. When AT&T introduced it May 1, it was among the market’s thinnest and lightest offerings.

The HTC One X, constructed of polycarbonate, measures 9.14 by 135 by 70mm, and weighs 4.6 ounces. The iPhone 4S, by contrast, is 9.3mm thick and weighs 140 grams. Introduced May 3, the Samsung Galaxy S III, despite its whopping 4.8-inch display, measures 8.6mm thin and weighs 133 grams.

On April 25, T-Mobile began selling the HTC One S. While it has much in common with the One X—ICS, Sense 4.0, the feature-packed 8MP camera and Beats Audio—its display is a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED. The thinnest phone in the T-Mobile lineup, at 7.95mm, versus the One X’s 9.14 mm, it sells for $199 after a rebate and two-year contract.

The Beatbox is the “best” way to experience Beats Audio, according to AT&T. Devices can connect to it using the built-in dock or Bluetooth. Additionally, it’s exclusive to AT&T, comes in black or white, and sells for $399.

While it has LTE, Sense 4.0 and many camera features in common with the HTC handsets, the Galaxy S III also has much that sets it apart. Its features are said to be inspired by nature—such as the water effect when unlocking the phone—though it’s arguably the most futuristically robot-like of any phone on the market.

The Samsung has an 8MP camera, but the front camera is the one to note: It watches users, to anticipate their needs. For example, knowing a user is looking at it, reading a long email, for example, it won’t allow the screen to go dark, despite going untouched for a length of time that would usually trigger this function.

The S III and the HTC One X—and possibly also HTC’s new Incredible (the carrier was brief in its introduction)—let users take quick bursts of shots and will choose the best one.

On May 7, AT&T further diversified its portfolio with the introduction of the Samsung Focus 2. Also LTE-enabled, it features a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, runs Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5, and will sell for $50 with a two-year contract.