15 ways the Incredible beats the iPhone -- and 4 ways the iPhone is better

I had an iPhone and recently got the HTC Incredible. I loved the iPhone but hated AT&T. But I love the HTC Incredible even better than I loved my iPhone. Here's why.

HTC Incredible advantages over iPhone ------------------

Verizon - I got rid of my iPhone simply because AT&T is terrible here in New York. My sister and her husband in Washington DC got an iPhone over Christmas and they complain about the crappy service there too. Verizon is blazing fast, the best service in NYC.

Widgets - Surprisingly the iPhone doesn't have widgets. The Incredible has some really cool widgets you can use. Widgets are like icons you can add to home screens, but instead of opening a program, the icon itself will give you info or have some other type of functionality like a a list of contacts or booksmarks you can access directly without opening a program first.

Transfer files without iTunes - Whether you like iTunes or not, you are hamstrung using it with the iPhone. With the Incredible, transfer is simple. You connect the phone to your computer and you can copy over files to it.

Connect it to as many computers as you want - I can connect to my computer both at home and at work, something you can't do with the iPhone. Apple annoyingly limits you to one computer to update your iPhone.

Access the file system - Unlike the iPhone, you can copy, paste and delete files from the internal hard drive. You can also copy files from the hard drive to your computer--or any computer for that matter.

Email - E-mail capabilities on the Incredible are better than the iPhone. In addition to global search, you can sort by conversation, sender, date, etc.

8 megapixel Camera with flash - The 8 megapixel camera takes beautiful detailed shots, even better than the iPhone's camera, which actually takes really nice photos as long as it's not dark. The iPhone doesn't have a flash. The camera on the Incredible did crash a few times, a but I'm hoping they will work out in later versions. The Incredible camera is also really fast loading.

Physical Camera button - The Incredible has a physical camera and video record button that works very well. With the iPhone you need to push a button on the touch screen, kind of annoying sometimes.

Faster - The Incredible is blazing fast. There is rarely any lag in switching or loading programs. Very snappy.

Mp3 player access without unlocking screen - When you're listening to music and you click the button to turn on the screen, you don't need to unlock the screen to see what music is playing. The iPhone has that as well. But unlike the iPhone, it also has usable back, pause and forward buttons on the locked screen.

Editable dictionary - You can see and edit the keyboard dictionary yourself and choose what words you want in it.

Send caller to voice mail - If you edit a user's contact, you have an option to always send that user to voice mail if you want. Minor, but kinda cool.

Weather on calendar - When you flip through upcoming days on your calendar, it also displays the weather for that day. Pretty sweet.

Google maps with layers - Android allows you to add `layers' to your map. For example, you can overlay the NYC MTA subway maps and see the actual subway lines. iPhone can't do that.

Super thin - This phone feels thinner than the iPhone, and I think it is in some ways. It certainly fits in my pocket a lot nicer than the Motorola Droid, which felt about 1/3 thicker than the incredible.

iPhone advantages over HTC Incredible ------------------

Music audio quality - I loaded the same some songs on both the Incredible and the iPhone and listened carefully. The iPhone's music audio quality, without any EQ, is slightly better than the Incredible. It's not bad on the incredible, it just sounds slightly punchier across the audio spectrum on the iPhone. The Incredible does have better sound quality than the Motorola Droid, which I also tested.

Equalizer - The iPhone has different equalizer settings. It's poorly implemented and easy to get low-end distortion but at least they have an EQ. No EQ on Android phones. Lame.

Alerts - I like the way alerts and text messages pop up on the iPhone better than the Android. It feels like you need to dig too much to access new messages on the Incredible.

Apps - Of course, the iPhone's app store is far more extensive than the Android's. 95% of the functionality I can still get on the Android, but apps for the Android are almost always made second to iPhone apps if at all.

HTC DROID INCREDIBLE Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)

The Droid¹ Incredible by HTC² is the future of computing in the palm of your hand. The super-sleek phone is less than half an inch thick, and yet it packs powerful components such as a 1 GHz processor, 8-megapixel camera, and a large high-resolution screen. Featuring the Android OS with Google, the Droid Incredible gives you access to all your social networks, websites, and thousands of applications, including Google Navigation with turn-by-turn directions.

The high-resolution 3.7-inch OLED screen is ideal for watching videos and movies. View larger.

Sleek Form Factor with Powerful Processor
The Droid Incredible by HTC features a racecar-inspired body design that measures just 4.63 x 2.3 x 0.47 inches (HxWxD), making it easy to slip into your pocket. A large, 3.7-inch HD screen with 480x800 resolution graces the front of the device. The responsive OLED touch screen features rich colors and is easy to use.

With a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 512 MB of RAM, and 8 GB of internal flash memory, the Droid Incredible delivers incredible performance, letting you run multiple applications without hiccups. The phone supports Bluetooth v2.1+ EDR so you can easily connect a hands-free headset, and a speakerphone feature is available as well.

Take 8-megapixel photos and instantly share them via social networking sites like Facebook. View larger.

Web-Access on the Nation's Largest 3G Network
The Droid Incredible makes it easy to browse the Web at 3G speeds on the nation's largest and most reliable 3G network. The multi-window HTML browser lets you view full websites. When you're at home or at a wi-fi hotspot, you can switch over and use wireless networking for an even faster Internet connection.

Google Android OS with Thousands of Applications
The Droid Incredible runs on the Android 2.1 operating system from Google, and is a Google Experience Device. The Android 2.1 operating system is designed specifically for touch screen devices, and makes navigation and operation intuitive and enjoyable. You'll have integrated access to all your favorite Google services and applications, including Google Search by Voice, Picasa, Google Talk, and more. You'll also have access to both personal and corporate email, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. Also included is Google Maps Navigation, which provides GPS-based turn-by-turn voice guidance to get you where you need to go. Useful tools such as an alarm clock, calculator, and stopwatch are all included, and you can head over to the Android Market where there are thousands of applications available for download.

The Android OS lets you multitask so you can listen to music, browse the web, receive email, and more--all at the same time. If someone calls you, you can take the call and then resume what you were doing without interruption.

Take Great Pictures, Watch Videos, Listen to Music
For shutterbugs, the Droid Incredible gives you the power of an 8-megapixel camera with auto focus and 2x power LED flash. You'll be able to take detailed photos, crop them and apply different effects, and post them to your favorite social networking site--all from your phone. The camera also lets you record video, so you can capture concerts, special events, and more.

Whether you're watching a Hollywood blockbuster or the latest YouTube sensation, the Droid Incredible's beautiful HD screen provides an impressive experience. To listen to your music collection, simply plug your stereo headset into the 3.5mm jack. You can sync your music from your computer, and create and manage playlists right from the phone.

Vital Statistics
The Droid Incredible measures just 4.63 x 2.3 x 0.47 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 4.59 ounces. It boasts a usage time of 312 minutes and a standby time of up to 146 hours. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as EV-DO, Rev A 3G frequencies.

What's in the Box
Droid Incredible by HTC, standard lithium ion battery, wall/USB charger, product safety and warranty brochure, and Quick Start Guide.

¹DROID is a trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. and its related companies. Used under license.
²Incredible by HTC is a trademark of HTC Corporation.