Droid 2 or HTC Incredible?

[bbernardini]

My Verizon "New Every 2" is tomorrow. They've got a "Buy a Droid 2, get any other phone (of equal or lesser value) for free" deal. My wife and I had both been considering getting the HTC Incredible, but this now presents another possibility. We could get one of each, and see how it goes.

Anybody out there have any experience with or thoughts on both phones?

[pokerfan]

1. Pretty much a toss-up

but Wirefly has the Droid Incredible for free (not a buy one get one deal) when you sign up for a two-year Verizon contract. The offer is good for both new and existing Verizon customers, and even for add-a-lines and family plans (meaning you could get up to five Incredibles for free).
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-20020867-58.html

Reviews of both from cnet...

Droid Incredible:

The good: The HTC Droid Incredible is blazingly fast, thanks to Verizon's 3G network. HTC Sense enhances the features of Android 2.1, and the smartphone features an 8-megapixel camera and 8GB of internal memory. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 3G are all onboard.

The bad: You can't use voice and data at the same time. The multimedia experience is adequate but still behind the competition.

The bottom line: With its polished design and user interface and blazing fast speeds, the HTC Droid Incredible takes pole position as Verizon's top smartphone and is now the Android device to beat.

Droid 2:

The good: The Motorola Droid 2 sports a sleeker look and an improved keyboard. The smartphone also features a faster processor, double the RAM of the original Droid, and ships with Android 2.2.

The bad: The Droid 2 doesn't have a front-facing camera and Android 2.2's new camera interface. It lacks HDMI port. Though the keyboard is better, keys are a bit stiff to press.

The bottom line: The Motorola Droid 2 offers a number of improvements that make it a worthy upgrade from the Droid and certainly a top choice for those who want a smartphone with a physical keyboard.

[bbernardini]

3. I'm looking at Wirefly, but I'm a little confused.

I can't tell if I'm renewing my 2-year contract and keeping the same plan, or paying more. When I bring up my bill on VZW, it says the plan is $60, plus $9.99 for the extra line. On Wirefly, it shows the price as $69.99. I can't tell if it's adding both lines together, or if it's trying to have me pay a higher price for the primary line.

Am I making any sense at all? :)

[MiddleFingerMom]

8. VZW often does that, too -- as you're talking about a multi-line plan...

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...so there's always at LEAST two lines on it. That's the cost of a 700-min plan
and probably somewhere in the fine print right near the 69.99, you'll see "for
the first two lines" and maybe a "9.99 for each add'l line".
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See my comments below about Wirefly and VZW purchases down below.
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[MiddleFingerMom]

9. There is SOMETHING I've heard about that is a serious drawback going through Wirefly...

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...but I don't remember what it is. It's something like a lesser warranty
or convoluted return policies or SOMETHING. Anybody know?
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As far as buying a phone from VZW right this instant -- they ALWAY come
out with some big BIG offer (usually a new hot model) just before Xmas
(which is, of course, probably their biggest sales time of the year), so
I normally recommend waiting until you see what it is -- and JUMPING RIGHT
ON IT the moment you see it (as backorders and delays occur quickly due to
overwhelming responses -- maybe they're getting better at having enough
inventory on hand when they introduce a blockbuster).
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I have a funny feeling I can't suggest this strongly enough.
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Wait to see what Verizon Wireless has to offer as a Xmas special.
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[bbernardini]

10. If you remember the Wirefly problem, let me know.

I can't take my current phone much longer. As it is, I can run ONE app (Google Sync) before it starts to slow down or completely lock up. Already had it replaced once and had a hard reset done to the second one.

At this point, it's either Wirefly or waiting in line for hours at Best Buy on Friday morning. :)

[MiddleFingerMom]

12. The forums I found online were OLD, but seemed to suggest problems with...

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...their customer service (outsourced, difficult to get live person, poor
language and communication skills) and mainly their rebate system -- it
seems like the phones were free because of huge rebates, some of which
were set up in two-tiered issuing with substantial waiting times before
you could submit them and major problems with "incorrect" submissions.
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I'd look closely at the rebates re: their amounts and the hoops you might
have to jump through to get them.
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Again, even though your current phone is frustrating... you may be very
disappointed if you don't wait to see what Verizon is offering for their
Christmas season blockbuster phone release -- it's always something that
turns out to be a high-demand item and it's possible that will be even
more so this year.
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[bbernardini]

4. After writing to Wirefly, here's what I'm trying to say:

"Is it possible to renew my contract through Wirefly and keep my current contract AS IS, or will I have to pay the extra $9.99/month if I renew through Wirefly?" (It appears that my current price per month is a grandfathered one, as the plan I have is now $9.99 more expensive.)

[PeaceNikki]

2. I prefer the Incredible

Both are very good, but I like the HTC better.

[Lucian]

5. There's better models of those phones coming out very soon.

Check out www.androidcentral.com for the latest news.

[pokerfan]

6. There are always better models coming out

but I think the OP was looking for advice on "free" phones which tend to be limited to last year's models.

[bbernardini]

7. Not necessarily free, but cheaper than straight from VZW. nt

[superduperfarleft]

11. I had to replace my beloved Droid 1 with a Droid 2 recently.

I guess I like it (I'm still addicted to the physical keyboard). With that said, the UI absolutely sucks. Motorola has filled it with so much bloatware that you pretty much have to root it to get past all the clutter. The camera is still awful. Other than that, I think it's okay for what I do with it.

As far as bloatware and the awful UI, HTCs are a bit better from what I understand. I guess it depends whether you prefer to customize it or just use it out of the box.