With the iPhone 4 now being officially released, the real question on everyone's mind is, "How is it going to stack up against the currently superior DROID Incredible?" Well, we finally have that answer, and it looks like Apple has done it again. The new iPhone 4 packs quite a punch especially considering many of it's features are not only comparably better than that of the DROID Incredible but also outside the realm of possibilities for the DROID Incredible due to Apple's proprietary software and hardware. This isn't to say that the iPhone 4 is better in every aspect however, there are many features that the DROID Incredible still offers that the iPhone simply can't match. Even so, it's been a hard fought battle up to this point for about the past year with regards to market share, but with this new release I see nothing short of a landslide victory in the coming months. The real competition that the iPhone 4 will now face is the HTC EVO.
A couple of reasons the DROID incredible has seen such a large gain in market share during this period is due to two reasons. One, the enormous marketing push to show how and why the DROID Incredible was better than the iPhone 3GS, plus the DROID Incredible's ability to multi task. Now that Apple's OS 4 operating system that comes with the iPhone 4 allows multi tasking though, the DROID Incredible may not be so "credible" at all. One of the biggest differences between the two platforms is the number of apps available for each. The iPhone 4 comes with the Apple Store's 215,000 plus apps, while DROID's Incredible can only boast around 70,000. A lot of times, this and this alone is the reason that many buyers choose Apple's phone products versus the DROID's. Since you are taking the time to read this however, I will assume you want a little more info on both to help you make your decision and that is why we put together a thorough comparison of both platforms main selling points and features. Hope you find it useful!
Cosmetics
Apple is of course known for their sleek designs and the iPhone 4 isn't going to be the exception. The new phone comes with a stainless steel band that couples as the iPhone 4 antenna is engineered to be 4 times stronger than steel and allows for the extra thin and rigid design. In addition to the stainless steel band, both the front and back are made with engineered aluminosilcate glass (the same stuff used in high speed trains and helicopters). The glass is designed to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times stronger than plastic. Also it's extremely durable. In comparison, the DROID Incredible... well... it's plastic. No comparison needed here, the iPhone has much more curb appeal.
Size and Weight (Dimensions)
The new iPhone 4 weighs in at 4.8 ounces (137 grams) and measures 4.5 inches (H) by 2.31 inches (W) by 0.37 inches (D). The DROID Incredible comparably weighs in 4.59 inches (130 grams) and measures 4.63 inches (H) by 2.3 inches (W) by 0.47 inches (D). As you can see the differences here aren't that astonishing. The iPhone 4 dimensions differs slightly in weight and the depth is considerably thinner than that of the DROID incredible. This is as a result of many of the internal factors that Apple painstakingly designed in to fit perfectly in their new glass metallic casing. However, for most consumers, this really won't be a factor when considering which device to purchase.
Networks--Cellular/Wireless
Verizon and Alltel use the Dual Band CDMA 2000 system they offer for the DROID Incredible. AT&T will continue its affiliation with the iPhone 4 as expected, operating their GSM/EDGE network. For more detailed differences please review the article on our website comparing AT&T's network to Verizon's.
As for wireless capabilities both the iPhone 4 and DROID Incredible offer 802.11 b/g/n. Additionally each also offer Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and I believe the new iPhone 4 is going to offer wireless tethering via the OS 4 release which will allow for automatic syncing much like the MacBook's and other current Apple devices.
The current cellular carrier, AT&T probably accounts for the majority of all complaints with the current iPhone 3GS. Some may find this to be a huge factor in which phone they choose, and AT&T and Apple both know this and thus have made promises to make their network much stronger. This would help to resolve the current issues of dropping calls and spotty 3G coverage that users complain of so often. Even though they may have "promised" to do so, they seem to be dropping the ball on it as those changes have yet to be noticed by the majority of iPhone users. So keep in mind that at this point, if you go with the iPhone 4, your probably going to have some of the same encounters with network problems that everyone else is having right now.
Services Location Based
The iPhone 3GS previously offered maps and directions via Google Maps through a proprietary app, but with the release of the iPhone 4 they will now have assisted GPS and also their all important standard "digital compass," which, in my opinion is probably the most useless item on the entire phone. Also, as before the location services will be performed via wi-fi and cellular triangulation services. As for the DROID Incredible, they will be offering Google Maps with Navigation, which has been offered on the previous DROID versions as well. There is not a huge difference here either but it would appear that the Android compatible DROID Incredible may have slightly better offerings as it is coupled directly with Googles navigation services and their support will be a decisive advantage for not only the DROID Incredible but all phones taking advantage of the Android OS.
Power and Battery
The iPhone 4 carries with it the power of a lithium ion battery which is rechargeable via a USB connection with a computer or by plugging it into a wall with a standard power adapter. DROID's Incredible can do the same thing and comes with rechargeable lithium ion battery too. The battery for the DROID can be taken out though which allows you the ability to replace it with another battery if the one your using goes dead. Who really cares though unless your going out of town somewhere like camping or something and don't have any outlets for power around anywhere and no car charger. If this is the case, you probably won't need to charge it anyway because you may just not want to deal with it for a few days.
Being the second phone to come to market has given the iPhone 4 a chance to step up its game a little in the battery department however in regards to talk, standby, and usage times. This new smartphone can give you a seriously nasty 7 hours of total talk time if your using 3G, 14 hours if using 2G, and when your on standby, you can get in the 300 hour range! Plus when it comes to internet use, surf around as much as you like for about 6 hours if using 3G and about 10 if using your Wi-fi connection. Plus if you love videos and music like some do, the iPhone 4 will offer about 10 hours of video play and when listening to your favorite music you will be able to chill for like 40 hours.
In comparison, the DROID Incredible offers around 312 minutes of usage time with 146 hours of standby via their provided specs on Verizon.com. Not nearly a match for the far more advanced and larger iPhone 4 battery. For most users who plug in their device every night anyway, this doesn't become a huge issue. For the power hungry and media intensive users however, the iPhone 4 may be the best option.
Memory Storage Capacity
Although the new iPhone 4 was expected to provide up to 64GB of internal memory, the actual spec came out to be the same as the iPhone 3GS upscale model at 32GB of total internal memory. They also offer a 16GB version much like was previously offered when the 3GS entered the market. By comparison the DROID Incredible offers a only 8GB of internal memory with expansion capability of up to 16 GB via a mircoSD card for a total 24GB of storage. This may not seem like an overly large difference until you consider the fact that you cannot store apps on the 16GB of external memory.
Both phones should be able to bring plenty enough memory for pretty much any and all users requirements. If you are a big fan of downloading a lot of different apps, the iPhone 4 is going to be the best option. If you use your smartphone for other things like music, videos, and photos however, the DROID Incredible may be the best choice for one main reason. You can place all your videos, music, and photos on to separate microSD cards and then swap in and out the cards depending on which medium you want to check out at that point. They really are both great options for varying reasons.
Display
Now is when the two phones begin to separate themselves with some pretty ENORMOUS differences. The DROID Incredible and the iPhone 4 were both pretty evenly matched until now. When Apple stepped up the competition to a new level with a display that brings an amazing 960 x 640 pixel screen resolution and 326 ppi, they rained on DROID's parade. The DROID Incredible has what was a fairly brilliant 800 x 480 pixel screen res, and a slightly larger display (3.7") than the iPhone 4 (3.5"). The larger screen and less pixels will make an obvious picture difference, and when we begin discussing both phones cameras below, it will stick out like a sore thumb too.
In addition to the better pixel ratio's the iPhone 4 also offers a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on not only the front screen, but the back of the device as well. The contrast for the device is also significantly better at 800:1.
These are only a few of the comparisons of the iPhone 4 to the DROID Incredible. Hopefully it helped, and if you would like even more info on this phone, just visit our iPhone-DROID site(links below) for more info.
Go to this link if you want to see the rest of this comparison of the iPhone 4 vs. DROID Incredible, at our site on iPhone's and DROID's. Help yourself choose the best smartphone, iPhone 4 or DROID Incredible, for your needs.
(Credit: Sony/screenshot by John P. Falcone) 
