With the iPhone 4, Droid X, and Droid Incredible now all out on the market, it's a good idea to educate yourself on the features of each one before making a decision on which one you want to invest in. After extensive research, we have found that while all three devices are truly remarkable and exceed consumer expectations, they are all quite different from each other and have different strengths and weaknesses in their features. 

iPhone 4

We'll begin by taking a look at the iPhone 4. It is definitely worth mentioning that as of the time of this writing, that Apple is in a bit of hot water with its customers  over a connectivity issue on the iPhone 4. It seems that many people are experiencing an issue with their new iPhones in which they lose their connection as soon as they manually touch their phones. As one can most likely imagine, this is pretty inconvenient. At this point it is not  entirely clear whether or not there will be a recall, but customers who have returned their iPhones have been given replacements which are not affected with this glitch. 

Despite the aforementioned issue, the iPhone 4 is still an amazing device and it is one that is sure to sell in great numbers and will undoubtedly satisfy many people. One of its greatest features is its 960x640 326 dpi Retina Display. This is the crowning glory of the iPhone 4. Text display is now more clear than ever and has a very crisp and clean look and feel. In addition to this, pixel borders are no longer visible, which makes for a much smoother viewing experience. The graphical improvement is also enhanced by way of the 800:1 contrast ratio. The display remains excellent in both sunlight and in dark conditions. 

The physical outer structure of the iPhone 4 differs significantly from Apple's previous models. Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple has been quoted as describing it's design as “like a beautiful old Leica camera”. It is smaller in size than the iPhone 3GS, but more solid and dense with a weight of 4.8 oz. It has a little bit more of a boxy look to it than previous models, yet is still highly sophisticated. It features two panels of smooth strengthened glass surrounded on the top and sides by a stainless steel band which serves as antennae for GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and UMTS services. Since the glass panels in this phone are 30 times  harder than plastic, it is a very sturdy device. The outside of the phone features   a speaker with microphone on the bottom along with a 30 pin dock connector port. On the right side of the phone, there is a headphone jack, a power/sleep button, a Metro SIM slot, and a noise negating microphone. On the left side there are circular volume control buttons and a redesigned mute switch. Some customers have been having a bit of difficulty with the placement of the mute switch, as it has resulted in instances of inadvertent activation The back of the iPhone 4 features a 5 megapixel camera long with an LED flash companion and the Apple Logo. On the front, above the display, a small slot for the camera and ear piece is embedded in the glass. A VGA camera is also included on the front of the device. The speaker is much louder and more clear than in previous models. Internally, the iPhone 4 features an ARM Cortex-A8 based CPU which allows for faster display and movement of graphics and a slightly faster response time than what was experienced with the 3G and 3GS. 

While all three of the devices reviewed in this post have excellent battery life, the iPhone 4 is probably the weakest of the three in this category.  The battery included is a large lithium ion battery which is not very easy to replace. Despite this, its battery life has exceeded all expectations, topping out  at a little over 35 hours on a single charge under regular usage conditions. 

The operating system (iOS4) has some very clear strengths and weaknesses. On the positive side, it allows for unified mailbox threaded messaging and an overall more complete e-mail system. Both iBooks and iMovies are included. While some features of iMovie have been quite satisfactory, such as smooth transitioning between clips, tilting effects and themes, and the ability to add audio to clips, there have also been a few disappointing facets to it. The most significant of these is the fact that users are only able to edit and the beginning and end of clips which ends up requiring a fair amount of tedious work if you wish to do any heavy editing. 

Some of the more negative aspects of the iOS4 include a lack of widgets, the fact that one cannot truly multi-task in any way. This can easily be worked around though through fast app switching and automatic task completion when you have left an application. Additionally, the GPS system is able to remain active as a background function and the VoiP feature remains active with background audio.

A standout new feature of the iPhone 4 is a new application called FaceTime. FaceTime is a video calling application which can be switched on or off and any point in a call. While this is a feature that has been around for a while in foreign markets, it is fairly new to the United States. Its main weakness is the fact that it can only be used over WiFi connections that are strong and close by. This results in the fact that there are not a wealth of opportune times in which to use FaceTime, but this is an issue which Apple is likely to sort out in the very near future. 

While most of the iPhone 4's contemporaries are featuring 8 megapixel cameras, the iPhone 4 has a 5 megapixel camera. Most users are still quite pleased with it though, as it features an above average autofocus and a backside illuminated sensor which improves the overall quality. There are some stability issues in video recording if the user's hands do not remain very still while filming, but on the whole, the camera gets the job done and does it well, even if it is not overly elaborate. The same can be said of the the VGA camera on the front of the phone. 

Overall, the iPhone 4, as previously stated, has its share of pros on cons but is on the whole a fascinating piece of technology which should sell in great numbers and will earn its rightful place in Apple's rich product history. 

Droid X

Another new and highly anticipated superphone that is taking America by storm is the Droid X, which is a Motorola product. One could argue that of the devices discussed in this article that the Droid  X is the most simple device, but that is to take nothing away from the innovative and remarkable item that it is. 

The Droid X runs on the Android 2.1 operating system, but Android 2.2 will be available in the very near future and will be fully compatible with and installable on the Droid X. Its physical dimensions are somewhat different than that of the iPhone 4. It is 4 inches high, 2.6 inches wide, and .375 inches thick in most places except for at the top, where it is .4 inches thick. This makes for somewhat of a top heavy phone which can be a little awkward, but on the whole it is not a glaring inconvenience in any way, shape, or form. The Droid X weighs in at a  total of 5.47 oz which makes it a bit more solid and weighty than some of its competitors.

The Droid X owes its relatively larger top size to its camera which is located at the top of the phone. Unlike the iPhone 4 which features a 5 megapixel camera, the Droid X includes an 8 megapixel camera featuring a high definition video recorder. The camera array is ½ inch in size and is equipped with dual LED flash.  Outdoor photos are reported to be breathtakingly exceptional in their quality. Photographs taken outdoors on the Droid X have a very crisp, clean, and colorful appearance with none of the usual incidental fuzziness. Indoor pictures are unfortunately a different matter. They tend to come out with a rather cloudy appearance and focus is poor. The Droid X's camera includes a tighter lens than most models and its HD video shoots at 24 frames per second, with an encoding rate of 5.7 kbps. Many users have found the HD video to be a bit choppy and lacking in detail. Another small drawback to the camera is that since it's located at the top and makes the phone thicker at the top, users have a tendency to grab by the top and this causes a certain degree of lens smudging. With proper self-conditioning this is an issue that can easily be avoided, but for some users it may take some getting used to. 

Physically speaking, the face of the Droid X is almost entirely taken up by its screen. The display is 854x480 so it is not quite as well defined as the iPhone 4, but at the same time it possesses a larger screen so it will prove more friendly to people with visual difficulties or those who simply prefer a larger default text size.  While the display functions very well in darker conditions and in normal indoor settings, it does struggle a bit in bright sunlight. In very bright conditions, images tend to get bleached out and the abilities of the camera and view screen are considerably compromised. 

The Droid X features the usual four android hard keys below the screen, which consist of the menu, back, home, and search keys. Other external features of the Droid X include a 3.5mm headphone jack and centered power button at the top and micro USB and HDMI jacks (which are conveniently labeled) on the bottom of the phone. One of the most positive external features of this particular phone is widely reported to be a rear battery cover which is very easy to slide off. Ironically enough, one of the most maligned external features also involves the battery in that one must remove the battery before they will be able to access the micro SD card for removal. Verizon has included a pre-loaded 16GB card however, so this may not be as prominent or troubling of an issue as some are making it out to be. 

As mentioned earlier, the Droid X runs on the Android 2.1 operating system, which is powered by a 1 GHz processor and a 1540 mAh battery. The battery life is highly superior, with an eight hour rated talk time and a capability for 10 full days of standby time. '

The video display quality of the Droid X is nothing short of superb. While youtube videos will play in low quality by default, you are always free to change to the high quality versions. Blockbuster and Verizon have collaborated to provide video content which is an asset, but the registration process is rather difficult and tedious. Slide-loading content is the most advisable path to take.  

The Droid X features exemplary connectivity with nearly all mobile oriented pages and sub pages loading within less than 3 seconds. Full content HTML pages take a bit longer, with an average loading time of 5-10 seconds, with most pages being closer to the 5 second side of the spectrum.  A 3G mobile hotspot is also included which is capable of accommodating up to 5 users at a time.

In summation, the Droid X, much like the iPhone 4 boasts many positive aspects and harbors its share of negative aspects as well. Users are won over by its bright and colorful 4.3 inch LCD screen, efficient 8 megapixel camera and HD video recorder, 8GB of built in memory and pre-installed 16GB card and its VERY long battery life. Some remain a leery of the screen's tendency to fail in bright sunlight, low call volume, small physical control buttons, and top heavy design.

Droid Incredible

The last mobile device we will be discussing today is the Droid Incredible, which is the brainchild of the HTC Corporation and runs solely on Verizon, similarly to the Droid X. The exterior of the Incredible is 4.6 inches by 2.3 inches and is .47 inches thick. It is both thinner and lighter than the Droid X with a weight of 4.6 oz. It also shares, to a certain extent, the burden of small control buttons. Its physical characteristics include a large glass display and an optical d-pad rather than the traditional manual controls. However, the usual 4 touch sensitive buttons still remain. Users will notice a large red earpiece and will also see that the camera lens is encircled in red. The back of the phone consists of a 3 tiered design. This is where the speaker and speaker opening, which are considerable in size, are located. The backplate design has induced some complaints from users, as it adds a degree of difficulty in accessing the battery.

The Droid Incredible runs on the Android 2.1 operating system as well as HTC Sense. It has a Qualcomm 8650 SnapDragon 1Ghz processor. It is already becoming famous for its beautifully defined  480x800 AMOLED display and features 512 MB of RAM, along with 8GB of internal storage, a micro SD slot, 8 megapixel camera, FM radio, TV Out (through Micro USB), and advanced WiFi and GPS capabilities. It also contains an optical mouse which has proven highly capable in converting from screen to screen and moving among icons.

The only real knock against the Incredible's display is that the colors can appear a little more saturated than what is preferable which can potentially make reading outdoors difficult. It features a high degree of contrast which provides a real “pop” element. Due to its high resolution and thin screen, users are able to display large amounts of text at any given time and consequently have a more speedy browsing experience. While the small text may seem to be a challenge for visually impaired users at first glance, HTC has compensated by developing a superior pinch and zoom attribute. Video display is quite good, but as with the Droid X, youtube files will by default play in low quality, but it is very easy to select the high quality versions for display. Also, when making a calls, a list of recently dialed numbers will appear above the dial screen, which comes in handy for those looking to save a little bit of time.  Alternative and special characters are displayed on the buttons through which they are accessed, which is a positive thing as it does not require users to pull up a separate menu. Access to contacts and favorites is very easy and efficient, so this is an especially good device for those who are constantly on the go.

The HTC Sense user interface offers many improvements over previous models in areas such as status updates, calendar functions, and flash support. It also allows for a smooth, speedy and above all efficient browsing experience, even giving the user the ability to have 7 concurrent homepages. Users are able to manage their e-mail more effectively than ever before as they are now provided with a “push” style of e-mail management – e-mails are delivered as they arrive with no need to refresh browser windows. USB sync is provided, but unfortunately no e-mail sync attributes are in place for Outlook Express or Mac support.

The Incredible's camera is truly exemplary, thought it is known to be a significant drain on the battery power. There is no button to launch the camera with, but there is an easily accessible shortcut on the homepage for activation of the camera. Internal processing provides for very sharp images, but the smaller details may sometimes be mildly compromised by image compression. Performance is excellent in natural and bright lighting conditions, with colors presented in true and natural form, though results in darker conditions have not been quite as encouraging. Video footage is recorded at a resolution of 800x480 at a speed of 24 frames per second and 2000 kbps. It is also possible to record with a resolution of 640x480 at a speed of 30 frames per second. One must remember to keep a steady hand and to not move around too rapidly when recording, because when this advice is not heeded, it can lead to choppy video quality.

Multi-tasking is a strong area of capability for the Droid Incredible, though running background projects can quickly drain battery power. Its music player is best described as utilitarian, but it is besmirched somewhat by the fact that there is no capability to perform text searches for music files. The sound quality is very good, but some distortion will occur when the volume is moved higher than 80%.  Overall audio reception during calls is ideal with the speaker quality being very loud and clear even under noisy conditions. 

Battery life is exceptionally extensive, ranging between the high 30s and low 40s in hours. A unique battery feature is included which informs users of which applications are taking up the most power. Having this knowledge allows one to gain a better understanding of how to portion their time with different applications to provide for optimum battery life. The battery is quite easy to replace, though the back plate can initially present a few issues.

Simply stated, the Droid Incredible exceeds and smashes the bar of customer expectations. Though it has a few faults, it is by far a success for the HTC Corporation and will be a phone that everyone will soon be talking about.

To wrap things up, all three of the devices discussed in this article have a great wealth of applications, new features, and improved quality that will make any of them very hard to pass up for consumers. It would be nearly impossible to state that any one of these superphones is inferior or superior to the others, because so many of their features depend on personal preference. When considering the amazing quality of these devices, one can only sit back with amazement and wonder what the future holds for these phones as well as what surprises their manufacturers will have in store for us in the future.

To learn more and for purchasing information please visit these sites:

Apple - http://www.apple.com/iphone/

Verizon Wireless - http://phones.verizonwireless.com/htc/incredible/

Verizon Wireless - http://phones.verizonwireless.com/droid/x/