Evaluation -- Android Generation FINAL

The overly hyped and often talked about Android is a hot topic across the nation right now. Many young and old people alike are drawn to the phone for its “cool” features. Even though there are many “Droid” phones to choose from, I will be talking about the HTC Droid Incredible by Verizon, the emphasis IPhone 4 by Apple carried by AT&T, and the HTC Evo by Sprint. These phones are rated some of the best Droid and application phones on the market, hopefully through this evaluation I will be able to narrow down which phone is best.

The HTC Droid Incredible offers all the shiny features that a “Droid” lover would expect. It has touch screen capabilities and offers a full Qwerty keyboard, 8 MP Camera, Google & Facebook Contact exchange, 8GB of memory, 1 GHZ of snap dragon processing, 3.7" HD screen, Bluetooth, GPS, and many other “cool” features. The look of the phone is also appealing. It has a slim and lightweight structure.

But, with a “Droid” phone almost all those things are expected. So, what makes this particular phone different? Have you heard of Skype? It is a free web application that allows people to talk for free. Usually this is done over a home computer or laptop, however, with the Droid Incredible you are able to do this through your phone. The phone offers 3G hotspot service, and is also WiFi capable. And, you can even talk to text. So, for all those drivers that just can’t keep their hands off their phones while texting, this phone offers you a feature where you can actually speak to the phone and it will text what you are saying. This phone also offers V Cast Media storage that allows you, for a small fee, to store any files or MP3’s that you might have online and access them through any computer or compatible phone.

So, what are the downfalls or draw backs of this phone. After looking at reviews on Verizon.com, I found these results: The battery life is poor, with all the features this phone offers the battery just doesn’t hold up. Because of all the applications and “shiny” stuff the phone freezes and isn’t very reliable. Poor antenna and signal capabilities, and poor sound quality. Charging to store information, even though the lowest price starts off at 2.99 a month it would be much easier and more cost effective for someone to pick up a flash drive for $5.00 and store the information themselves. Also, the skype feature is cool, however, it would be even better if the video chat feature was enabled and the camera was facing the front of the screen. But, in the incredible case the camera is located in the back which is a huge downfall for the phone. I also interviewed a couple friends with the Droid Incredible.

“I don’t really have too many complaints. I generally like it, but the battery life is terrible.” Said Joseph Sawyer. (Droid Incredible Owner)

After speaking to him I realized that he wasn’t excited about this phone. He was a new owner of the Incredible, that being the case, I expected an certain excitement from him, or for him to want to show off the incredible, or explain why THIS phone was the best Droid on the market and why I should go out and purchase it today. But, that was lacking in our conversation.

So, let’s talk about price. What is the price on this phone? The full retail price with no contract is a gasping $529.99. However, if you are willing to buy a 2 yr contract with Verizon, It will drop the price to $299.99 with $100.00 mail in rebate which makes the phone $199.99. Because we are in an economic recession Verizon recognizes that not many families and average Joe people are able to afford an extra $300 dollars up front. So, they offer the 2 for 1 deal. Buy any phone (Droid Incredible included) and get the second one free. That being the case, It would drop the phone (after rebate) to $100 per phone, which is a huge discount.

I wanted to see a couple reviews on the Incredible so I went to the website Engadget.com. This website rates phones on a 10 point basis. Engaget.com rated HTC Droid Incredible 8/10. The good factors that it pointed out were: It is extremely fast, Sense UI makes Android feel polished, and great sound quality. The Bad qualities were: The screen is hard to see in the sunlight, the design might not be for everyone (it has a soft back cover designed around a race car), and the camera can be slow to focus. For more information about the review you can go to: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/19/droid-incredible-review/

So, overall this phone is flashy, sleek and offers the capabilities that a Droid user would expect. But, for a person that has never used a Droid before this phone might be a little complex to navigate, and better battery life would be expected. However, for the price you are paying, the Incredible is appealing to everyone. It is overall a good and affordable phone.

So, now let’s talk about the Iphone 4. The Iphone 4 has all the fancy gadgets that you might expect, but it takes it to another level. This phone offers 3G service capabilities, WiFi, 5 MPX camera, Facebook and Google contact exchange, GPS, a large display with new “retina display features”, sleek and lightweight, comes in 16 GB or 32 GB, and many other amazing features.

So, what sets this phone apart? Where do I start. Like the HTC Droid Incredible this phone offers the feature Skype. However, with the camera facing the front you are able to get what apple calls “facetime”. This feature actually allows you to video conference a loved one. It also offers a Retina display that has 4 times the pixel amount of any previous iphone and makes it the highest resolution phone on the market. It offers HD video recording, it has a built in ipod and itunes, it has built in voice control that allows you to access a song or a contact with your voice. Also one of the coolest features I think is tethering. It gives you the ability to access the internet on your computer through tethering through your phone, which is a great way for everyone to save money on internet costs.

All of these features are very impressive. But, what are the downfalls? Because there were no reviews for the phone located on apple.com or attwireless.com I turned to Engadget.com once again. Engaget.com rates the Iphone 4 9/10. This is what they had to say: The good things included, amazing new industrial design, retina display is stunning, iOS 4 makes major improvements. The bad things included, annoying pop-up notifications, reception has improved but still has issues, and desperately needs widgets. http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/22/iphone-4-review/

With all that being said, what is the price of this phone? The phone without a package is not available, you must have a two year contract. The 16 GB phone is offered at $199.99 and the 32 GB phone is offered at $299.99. Those prices are for the phone only, and don’t included your monthly service plan. And, this phone also requires that you purchase a data plan with the phone.

All, in all the Iphone 4 is a great phone. It has many great features and is at the top of it’s market for its capabilities. However, this phone would not be appealing to average middle class family because of the price and plan structure.

The next phone I’m going to talk about is the Evo 4G by Sprint. This phone offers 4G speeds, and a 1 GHZ snapdragon processer. 4.3 inch screen, Hotspot capable, Bluetooth, memory card slot, Facebook and Google contact exchange, 3G speeds when 4G is not available, 8 MPX camera.

So, what makes sets this phone apart, what are the perks of the Evo 4G. Here are a few: 720p video capabilities. This allows you to take videos with great clarity and focus. It offers a duel camera 8 MPX from the back, and a 1.3 MPX front facing camera that allows you to do video conferences, or “skype”. The phone has Sprint TV with a kick stand that allows you to set your phone up on a table or hard surface so you don’t have to hold the phone in place. It includes WiMAX, and FM radio.

What are the downfalls of this phone? After looking at reviews on sprint.com this is what people had to say: The phone is almost too big to fit in your hand and can be awkward to carry around. The wireless range and antenna capabilities are lacking. After sifting through pages of reviews on sprint.com these are the only bad comments or “downfalls” that I could find. Most customers gave the EVO a 5 star rating.

Engadget.com rated the EVO 4G 9/10. The things they liked about the phone were: Huge, vibrant display, mobile hotspot works beautifully, WiMAX compatibility. The dislikes were: Nearly too big for one handed use, WiMAX can be spotty; 720p video quality wasn’t that great. For a full review visit http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/htc-evo-4g-review/.

So, what is the price for this high tech flashy phone? Without a contract the phone sells for a whopping $449.99. With a new line or eligible upgrade you can get an instant savings of $150.00 and a mail in rebate off $100.00 which drops the phone down to $199.99. This might be a little expensive for a family or average Joe.

So, which phone is most cost effective for a family or average user? I would say the Droid Incredible. The phone after rebate is $199.99 but Verizon offers that you buy one phone and get another free. For that reason the phone would be ideal for people that are looking for a great, functional quality Droid phone for a reasonable and affordable price. Which phone would be best for the Droid or application guru? I would have to say the Evo 4G. This offers all the Droid applications that you would expect but also offers much more.











Works Cited


Joshua Topolsky. Droid Incredible Review. April 19, 2010. http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/19/droid-incredible-review/
Chris Ziegler. HTC Evo 4G review. May 19, 2010. http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/htc-evo-4g-review/
Joshua Topolsky. iPhone 4 review. June 22, 2010. http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/22/iphone-4-review/
Sprint Reviews and Features. http://shop.sprint.com/NASApp/onlinestore/en/Action/SubmitRegionAction?isUpgradePathForCoverage=false&currZipCode=&upgradeOption=&nextPage=DisplayPhones&equipmentSKUurlPart=%3FcurrentPage%3DphonePage&filterStringParamName=&newZipCode=84103&x=29&y=9
iPhone 4 Features. http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/
iPhone 4 Features and Price. http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/packages/packages-details.jsp?q_package=sku4710254&_requestid=194374
Droid Incredible Features, Reviews, and Price. http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=5269&capId=142&phoneTopRated=
Joseph Sawyer. Personal Interview. Droid Owner.