LG Chocolate Touch VX8575 (Verizon Wireless)

The good: The LG Chocolate Touch has a great music player, a 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS, EV-DO, a 3.5mm headset jack, and a responsive touch screen.

The bad: The LG Chocolate Touch has a disappointing browser, and the overall look and feel of the phone is nothing we haven't seen before.

The bottom line: Despite our issues with the browser and the uninteresting design, the LG Chocolate Touch is a terrific music phone for Verizon Wireless.

When the LG Chocolate first came into the scene with the VX8500 model back in 2006, it was preceded by a ton of hype. And such is the case with its fourth and most recent incarnation, the LG Chocolate Touch. As the name indicates, it is a touch-screen phone with the famous Chocolate branding, and so we were expecting to see a brand new design and upgraded features.

As it turned out, LG actually introduced two Chocolate models with touch screens. The first is the LG Chocolate BL40, which features a cinematic 21:9 aspect ... Expand full review

When the LG Chocolate first came into the scene with the VX8500 model back in 2006, it was preceded by a ton of hype. And such is the case with its fourth and most recent incarnation, the LG Chocolate Touch. As the name indicates, it is a touch-screen phone with the famous Chocolate branding, and so we were expecting to see a brand new design and upgraded features.

As it turned out, LG actually introduced two Chocolate models with touch screens. The first is the LG Chocolate BL40, which features a cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio, multitouch capabilities, a 5-megapixel camera, and a bevy of impressive features. Unfortunately, it's available only in European and Asian markets (you can read our review of the LG Chocolate BL40 at CNET UK), so we had to settle for the LG Chocolate Touch VX8575, which is far less impressive.

Even so, Verizon Wireless's Chocolate Touch remains a decent phone. It's slim and lightweight, with a beautiful touch display that's surprisingly responsive. Like all the other Chocolate handsets, the Touch is a music-centric phone, with features like Dolby Mobile equalizer settings, an FM radio, and even a virtual drum kit. Combined with a 3.2-megapixel camera, EV-DO, and a full HTML browser, the Chocolate Touch VX8575 is a great music phone for Verizon Wireless customers. Just don't expect anything new in terms of design. The LG Chocolate Touch VX8575 is $79.99 with a two-year service agreement from Verizon Wireless.

Design
On the face of it, the LG Chocolate Touch VX8575 is similar to other LG touch-screen phones that we've reviewed, like the LG Vu and the LG Dare. Measuring 4.3 inches long by 2.2 inches wide by 0.47 inch thick, the Chocolate Touch is rectangular with slightly rounded edges. It is encased in a very reflective shell, save for four geometric shapes on its back side that are covered in a soft touch material. You get two changeable back plates with the phone: one with black shapes, and the other with purple. The reflective part of the phone is so shiny that you can use it as a mirror.

The LG Chocolate Touch VX8575 has geometric shapes on the back.

The 3.0-inch display is vibrant and colorful, thanks to 262,000-color support and 400x240 pixel resolution. It really shows off the drop shadows and color gradients of the graphics. You can adjust the backlight time, the charging screen (what shows on the display when the phone is charging), the clock format on the home screen, the menu font style, and the dial font size.

On the right side of the Touch's home screen are two shortcut icons, which you can choose to hide if you wish. They correspond to a shortcut bin, and the music player shortcut. When you tap the arrow for the shortcut bin, you'll see a pullout menu of application and media file shortcuts, which you can drag and drop to the home screen. Some shortcuts are also full-on widgets, like those for the clock, the calendar, and the memo pad. You can add and remove shortcuts easily from the pullout menu as well. Along the bottom row of the home screen are shortcuts to the messaging in-box, the phone dialer, the main menu, the contacts list, and the favorite contacts screen.

On the whole, the touch screen is quite responsive. We like the haptics vibration feedback, though you also can add a sound effect to let you know your touch has registered. You can adjust the length and intensity of the vibration, and there's also a touch calibration wizard to help ensure accuracy. It does take a bit to get used to the touch screen, though; sometimes we activated something when we just wanted to scroll down a list.

The Touch VX8575 has an internal accelerometer that will rotate the screen from portrait to landscape mode as you turn the phone in your hand. Keep in mind that it works only in certain applications, like the Web browser. What's more, when you rotate the phone to landscape mode while in the text messaging app, you'll see a full QWERTY keyboard. The virtual keyboard is quite easy to use. The keys magnify as you tap them, and there's a dedicated @ key that double as a ".com" key when you hit shift. You also can enter text in portrait mode via a nine-key alphanumeric keypad or via handwriting recognition, but we much prefer the full QWERTY keyboard.

The LG Chocolate Touch VX8575 has strangely shaped keys underneath the display.

Underneath the display are three physical keys: Send, Clear, and End/Power. The Clear key doubles as the voice record with a long press. The keys are shaped like amorphous blobs, which complement the geometric shapes on the back of the phone. On the left side of the phone are the charger jack, the volume control, and the speakerphone key. A 3.5mm headset jack is on the top and the camera key, the music player key, and the screen lock key are on the right side. On the back is the camera lens. The microSD card slot is located behind the battery cover.

Features
The LG Chocolate Touch VX8575 has a generous 1,000-entry phone book with room in each entry for five numbers, two e-mail addresses, an instant-messaging user name, and a street address. You can also organize your contacts into groups, and pair them with a photo and any of 21 polyphonic ringtones. Other basics include a vibrate mode, a speakerphone (which you can activate prior to a call), threaded text and multimedia messaging, voice messaging, a calendar, an alarm clock, a world clock, a stopwatch, a notepad, a calculator, a tip calculator, and a drawing pad, which you can use to make sketches for multimedia messages.

The Touch VX8575 also boasts a "Social Network Shortcut Key," which opens a menu that you can populate with shortcuts for updating your status or photo on a variety of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. These aren't real applications; they're just a way for you to quickly update your social network via SMS or MMS.

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More advanced features include USB mass storage, voice command dialing, and a variety of Bluetooth profiles like hands-free, dial-up networking, A2DP or stereo, file transfer, and more. And if you're willing to cough up $3 a month for it, you'll also get Verizon's Visual Voice Mail.

The Touch offers three e-mail options: mobile e-mail, corporate e-mail--and calendar syncing--through RemoSync, and mobile Web email, which just gives you quick browser access to popular Web e-mail sites like Hotmail and Yahoo Mail. The phone also has GPS with VZ Navigator support, and the EV-DO support brings V Cast video streaming.

The star feature of the phone, however, is the music player. We're happy to see that it has its own interface and doesn't just copy the look of the V Cast Music store. It organizes songs into artists, albums, and genres, and you can create and edit your own playlists. The player interface has the album art in the middle and the player controls along the bottom. You can set songs on repeat or shuffle as well. To load songs on the Touch, you can either purchase tunes directly from the V Cast Music store or sync with the PC using the V Cast Music with Rhapsody software. If you have a Rhapsody account, you can sync subscribed tracks as well. You don't need the software to load the songs though; you can just drag and drop them to the microSD card.

The main attraction of the music player on the Touch VX8575 is the Dolby Mobile equalizer. There are five equalizer presets (Flat, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Vocal Boost, and Classical), plus a manual equalizer if you really want it customized. A few extra player features include a visualizer effect, plus a "rhythmical beat" option that makes the phone vibrate along to the song. Our favorite, however, is the "Join the Band" option that brings up a full drum kit or a scrolling 88-key keyboard for you to play along to the music. It's not very useful perhaps, but it's a lot of fun to play. Other music player options include an FM radio with 12 presets (it only works when you plug in a wired headset) and integrated song ID.

The LG Chocolate Touch VX8575 has a 3.2-megapixel camera on the back.

The Chocolate Touch also has a 3.2-megapixel camera, which can take pictures in five resolutions (2,048x1,536, 1,600x1,200, 1,280x960, 800x480, 640x480), five white balance presets, and five color effects. It has three focusing modes, a self-timer, and special shot modes like Panorama and Intelligent shot. Photo quality is quite good overall. We didn't like the low-light shots due to the lack of flash, but images do look sharp and colorful for the most part.

The LG Chocolate Touch takes pretty good photos.

There's also a full HTML browser, which isn't as full featured as we would like. It lets us surf and browse full Web pages, and we like that you can view them in full-screen mode, add bookmarks, search through a page, and zoom in and out with the volume rocker or an onscreen magnifying glass. But the Web search function on the browser only uses the Microsoft Bing service, and whenever you want to enter a URL, you have to keep going back to a URL-entry page.

You can personalize the Chocolate Touch with graphics and ringtones. If you're not satisfied with the options on the phone, you can download more from the Verizon Wireless store. The Touch comes with two games--Rock Band and Sims 3--and you can get more games and applications via the mobile Web browser as well.

Performance
We tested the LG Chocolate Touch in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless. Call quality was impressive on the whole. Callers could hear us loudly and clearly for the most part. They did hear a slight fuzziness in the background and they said our voice quality was a bit harsh, but those were not deal breakers.

On our end, we could hear them clearly without any interference. Their voice sounded quite natural as well. Speakerphone calls fared similarly; they said they could hear us with plenty of volume and with a slight echo effect, but nothing terribly distracting. On our end, the speakerphone had plenty of volume, and though the callers' voices didn't sound as natural, we could still carry on a conversation just fine.

We really liked the audio quality of the Chocolate Touch. Of course, the speakers didn't really do justice to the music, but even without a headset, you could hear the difference of each equalizer setting quite clearly. You do really need a headset to fully enjoy the bass boost setting though.

We were pleased with the EV-DO Rev. 0 speeds too. It's not quite as fast as EV-DO Rev. A, but we still managed to download a 2.08MB song in around 40 seconds, and we loaded the CNET front page in about 25 seconds. We also managed to stream videos from V Cast with little to no buffering. The streaming video quality was mediocre at best, with a lot of pixelation and blurriness.

The LG Chocolate Touch has a rated battery life of 5.1 hours talk time and 19.6 days standby time. It has a slightly longer talk time in our tests with 6 hours and 52 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the Chocolate Touch has a digital SAR of 1.47 watts per kilogram.

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Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless)

Reviewed by:Kent German and Bonnie Cha Reviewed on: 10/28/2009 Updated on: 10/30/2009 Released on: 10/28/2009

The good: The Motorola Droid boasts a gorgeous display and the benefits of Android 2.0, including a faster Web browser, Google Maps Navigation app, and better messaging and contact management. It also offers excellent call quality, long talk time, and improved speed over previous Android devices.

The bad: The QWERTY keyboard feels flat and the dialpad control is restricted to the home screen. Music and video capabilities still trail behind the competition. Dual-mode functionality for world-roaming capabilities would have been a nice addition. The Droid does not support Bluetooth voice dialing.

The bottom line: Despite some design issues and a couple of missing features, the Motorola Droid is the most powerful and fastest Google Android device to date. It fully embraces the openness of the Android platform and offers Verizon customers a smartphone that certainly rivals the other touch-screen devices on the market.

Editors' note: On November 19, 2009, we updated this review to reflect further testing results.

On June 30, 2010, we adjusted the ratings to reflect new devices in the market.

You have to hand it to Verizon Wireless: though the Google Android operating system now extends to a handful of devices, the carrier was able to get the tech world "excited" about its first Android phone. First known as the Sholes, the Motorola Droid swirled into the gadget rumor mill this summer. And even as Verizon unveiled its television commercial attacking the iPhone, firm details on the Droid remained few and far between. That is, until now.

Officially announced on October 28 and set for a November 6 release, the Droid delivers on much of the hype. The display is gorgeous, the Android 2.0 updates are excellent, and the handset is lightning fast, particularly for an Android phone. We'll refrain from using the dreaded "iPhone killer" expression, but comparisons between the two devices are obvious, and we see the Droid as a real competitor to Apple's device. On the downside, we weren't crazy about the keyboard and dialpad accessibility, the calendars aren't fully integrated, and we'd prefer to see dual-mode (GSM/CDMA) capability. But for Verizon's first pass at Android, the Droid more than delivers. And even better, it's a clear departure from Verizon's locked-down past. At $199, the Droid is on par with T-Mobile's Android device, but it's slightly more expensive than Sprint's devices.

Design and display
At first glance, you might not think the Motorola Droid's design amounts to much. Its build is rather dull and the sharp angles result in a boxy look. But this is a smartphone with a lot of surprises, the biggest being the positively gorgeous WVGA display. At 3.7 inches, it surpasses even the iPhone and is firmly in the bounds of what we consider to be an acceptable size for a touch-screen display. Color support is generous (16 million hues) and the resolution (440x854 pixels) is some of the richest we've seen. We aren't kidding when we say that this display is bright and brilliant with vibrant colors and sharp graphics. It also lends itself well to the welcome Android 2.0 interface updates (more on that later).

As we said, the Droid's display is spectacular.

Of course, with such a large display, the Droid is rather big (4.56 inches tall by 2.36 inches wide by 0.54 inch thick), but that's a small price to pay for the top-notch display. You'll notice that the Droid is heavy (5.96 ounces) compared with other smartphones, but the trim design keeps it portable. We also welcome the solid feel in the hand, even if the slider mechanism is a bit quirky. The actual sliding motion is quite stiff, but the front face doesn't really lock into place on either end. Indeed, we noticed that even a gentle nudge can start to close the Droid. No, it's not a big deal, but it's something to consider.

The Droid is slightly larger than the iPhone.

The capacitive display's touch interface is quick and responsive and we love the added multitouch capability. As with previous Android phones, there's vibrating feedback only for certain functions (like a "long press"), though you can turn off the haptic feedback completely if you desire. When we selected items and scrolled through long lists, there was no lag time in performing the command (more on that later, as well). You also can customize the display's brightness, backlighting time, and animations. The accelerometer will adjust the display's orientation as you rotate the Droid in your hands, but you can turn this feature off.

Outside of the upgrades from Android 2.0 and the Droid-specific tweaks, the basic interface will be familiar to Android users. You get only three home screens--we prefer the five we got on the Motorola Cliq--but you can customize each pane with widgets. And, of course, the central pane has the Google search bar. The main menu is accessible via the pull tab at the bottom of the display. The menu's design is mostly unchanged. You can move icons around and add shortcuts and folders.

Keypad and controls
Below the Droid's display are four touch controls: Back, Home, Search, and Menu. They perform the same functions as on other Android phones, with the search and menu keys being the most useful. The former activates Google search with just one press, and the latter opens relevant menu commands for various handset modes and features. Though the touch controls are responsive, they're not very big. And at the end of the day, we'd prefer actual physical buttons. We know this all comes down to a personal preference, but that is ours.

The Droid has four touch controls below the display.

In a baffling change from previous devices, the Droid does not have a physical Talk control. Instead, you'll have to access the calling functions through a widget on the display. We're not in love with this change, mostly because we prefer to be able to call up the phone dialer without having to go through the home screen. For example, you have to close the browser if you want to make a call while viewing a Web page. The phone dialer interface is mostly the same. The buttons are square rather than round, but you get access to your call log, voice mail, contacts list, and favorites.

We don't love the Droid's keyboard just yet.

When you open the Droid to display the physical keyboard, the screen orientation will change automatically. Though many users will welcome a physical keyboard, we weren't particularly impressed. The keys are flush and squashed next to each other, which makes it difficult to text quickly or by feel. Also, though the buttons do give a slight downward "push," they're a bit slick and we were thrown off by the "dummy keys" on either end of the bottom row. On the whole it is a better experience than the T-Mobile G1, but typing is not nearly as comfortable as with the Cliq or even with the Samsung Moment. Sure, you'd probably get used to it eventually, but on the first pass we have our reservations.

The letters on the keys are large and backlit for dialing in the dark. Four rows of keys do mean that numbers and common punctuation and symbols double up with letters. That's common on smartphones, so we won't make a big deal and we like that the top row of keys isn't too close to the slider. Fortunately, there are a fair number of additional controls. We welcome the two Shift keys and the two Alt keys (they sit in pairs on either side of the keyboard), the large and convenient space bar, and the menu and search keys. You'll also find the usual back and delete buttons. Additional symbols, however, require a separate virtual keyboard.

Speaking of which, the Android virtual keyboard is largely the same, but Google says it revamped the keyboard layout for faster, more-accurate typing. We haven't noticed specific design changes just yet, but we'll explore a bit more. Also, as Google puts it, "the multitouch support ensures that key presses aren't missed while typing rapidly with two fingers." When using either keyboard, Android 2.0 offers a better dictionary that includes contacts names.

The toggle and central OK button next to the display is easy to use. It can help you browse through the menus and select items, but with the exception of games, we barely used it given the fantastic display. It's flush as well, but it's quite large and accessible. On the downside, however, it does shrink the width of the keyboard. Some users may not mind, but we noticed its impact.

The Droid has a 3.5-millimeter headset jack.

The remaining physical controls consist of a volume rocker and a camera shutter on the left spine. Both are almost flat, but we could find the rocker when on a call. The Micro-USB port is used for a USB cable and (thankfully) the charger. You also use it to connect the Droid with the multimedia dock. We're pleased with the 3.5 millimeter headset jack on the phone's top end. Not only can you use your own headset, but it's also in a convenient place. A stiff power control sits next to the port, while the camera lens, flash, and stereo speakers rest on the rear face. Unfortunately, you have to remove the battery to access the microSD card slot.

You must remove the Droid's battery to access its memory card slot.

Features
The Motorola Droid offers a number of the same core features as previous Android devices, such as the HTC Hero and the Samsung Moment. However, it's distinct in that the Droid is the first smartphone to run Android 2.0, which brings a crop of new features and interface enhancements. For this review, we'll concentrate more on the new rather than the old, but to learn more about some of Android's main functionalities, please check out reviews of other Android smartphones.

Android 2.0 updates
As we mentioned earlier, the home screen and main menu on Motorola Droid don't look terribly different from, say, the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G's at a glance. However, as you use the device, you'll notice subtle changes and enhancements that make the user interface a bit more refined and streamlined; the gorgeous display doesn't hurt, either.

Also, although it's a Motorola phone, the Droid does not use the MotoBlur software that we saw on the Motorola Cliq. Part of the reason is that the Droid is targeted for a bit of a different audience than the Cliq (read: older, more business-oriented) so it didn't really jibe with the experience that Moto and Verizon want to offer to its customers, and we think that was a good decision. In MotoBlur's place, there is a Facebook widget on the Droid that you can use to update your own status and scroll through your friends' updates. Other preloaded widgets and shortcuts include YouTube, a corporate calendar, and something called "Power Control" where you can turn on/off your wireless connections, adjust brightness, and so forth--quite handy.

Some other minor changes include the slightly revamped onscreen dialer mentioned in the Design section, as well a new lock screen that features a sliding curve that allows you to unlock the phone as well as adjust the its volume simply by dragging your finger from one side of the screen to the other.

E-mail, calendar, and contacts
Perhaps one of the top highlights of Android 2.0 is the expanded capabilities of the personal information management tools, including e-mail, calendar, and contacts.

The Droid now offers native Microsoft Exchange synchronization out of the box for e-mail, calendar, and contacts, in addition to support for Gmail and POP3 and IMAP accounts. Note that only Exchange and Gmail offer push delivery, while POP3 and IMAP messages are retrieved at user-specified time intervals, starting at every 5 minutes up to every hour. With Android 2.0, you can have messages from various accounts displayed in one unified in-box; messages are color-coded by account so you can visually differentiate them at a glance. Of course, you can also choose to separate them if you like to keep your personal and work lives separate.

Unfortunately (well, depending on your preference), it doesn't appear that you can combine work and personal calendars as you can on the Palm Pre. Instead, you'll find separate apps for your corporate calendar and your personal one. The corporate calendar is full featured in that you can send messages to meeting attendees, see who has RSVP'd to an event, and/or create your own invites and have it all synced back to your PC.

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With the support for various accounts, contact management could get a bit dodgy, but the Droid offers a pretty smart contact management system. Similar to the Palm WebOS Synergy feature, the Droid merges contact information from various accounts, Exchange, Gmail, and Facebook, and combines them on a single contact card for an individual. When you pull up a contact, you'll then be able to see the contact's Facebook status, photos, various e-mail addresses, IM handles, and so forth.

There's also a handy Quick Contact feature: you simply tap on a contact's photo and a toolbar offers you the various ways to get in touch with that person. It's also smart in that you can choose to sync all your Facebook contacts or just those who are already in your contacts database.

Browser
Android 2.0 also brings some improvements to the Web browser, which now supports HTML5. You can add visual bookmarks and toggle between multiple windows through a simple list view. What's more, thanks to the aforementioned multitap support, you can now double-tap on the screen to zoom in and out of Web pages. It's certainly easier than tapping the magnifying glass numerous times, but we still like the simplicity and ease of use of the pinching gesture used on the iPhone or the Palm Pre.

Most importantly, though, the browser feels faster. With a cortex A8 processor and support for Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A network, CNET's full site loaded in 14 seconds while CNN's and ESPN's mobile sites came up in 8 seconds and 5 seconds, respectively. For comparison, we checked out the same sites on the Samsung Moment for Sprint and the Moment's browser results were 40 seconds, 9 seconds, and 8 seconds in the order listed above.

Finally, while the Droid's browser doesn't have Flash Lite support, it does have a plug-in that will support Adobe's Flash 10 player when it's available. We also like the refurbished browser interface that includes bookmark thumbnails.

Universal search
With all this information stored on the Droid and the World Wide Web in the palm of your hand, search is key and the Droid certainly delivers on that front. From the home screen, you can easily enter terms into the Google search box either by typing or using Google Voice search and the Droid will search the Web, your text and multimedia messages, your contacts, and your multimedia library for any relevant results. It can search through messages, but you must be in your in-box to do so.

Google Maps Navigation
The Motorola Droid is equipped with GPS/A-GPS, but what's different is the new Google Maps Navigation app. While still in beta, you can now get voice-guided, text-to-speech directions, instead of just text-based instructions, on Google Maps. And the best part? It's free. You don't have to sign up for a monthly subscription or pay a day-use fee for a location-based service, such as VZ Navigator, and in fact, VZ Navigator isn't even offered as an option.

Google Maps also offers layered maps with traffic data, satellite view, and Google Latitude. You can perform searches simply by typing a term, or you can use Google Voice search and speak a business name or general category right into the phone. Once done, Google Maps displays your search results; you can tap on a result, which will bring up numerous options, including navigation, call, or street view. While all of this is wonderful, there are some limitations. For example, you can't plan multidestination trips.

Even with its restrictions, we were very impressed with Google Maps Navigation. We used the Droid for several trips, including one from the Marina District of San Francisco to Oakland International Airport. The phone's GPS found our position in less than a minute and created a route just as quickly, and results were similar in subsequent tests. The maps were bright and clear on the Droid's gorgeous screen, and as you drive along the route, upcoming turns are displayed on top of the display while your current street is located on the bottom right. There's also an option to switch to satellite map view, which is very cool.

The voice-guided directions are loud and clear, but the voice sounds a bit more robotic than most and the text-to-speech pronunciation wasn't quite as good. That said, these minor issues didn't hinder us from understanding the instructions or getting to our destination. En route to the airport, we did briefly lose our GPS fix when we first got on the Bay Bridge, but the Droid was able to quickly get its lock back. It was just as fast with route recalculations. One note about the Google Maps Navigation: it requires a data connection to work so if you happen to wander out of a coverage zone, the maps won't update even though the GPS will continue to track your position. Also, should you happen to get a phone call while driving, the Droid will display a call screen as usual, and you can choose to accept or ignore the call. If you choose to take it, Google Maps Navigation will continue to run in the background but won't give you turn-by-turn instructions until you're off the phone.

Our biggest complaints with Google Maps Navigation right now is that it doesn't always come up with the most efficient routes. For example, after exiting the freeway for the Oakland airport, it told us to take a small side street to get to the main entrance. While this route certainly takes you to the airport, we could have just stayed on the road we were on for a more direct path to the airport. Also, on our way back from the airport to San Francisco, it randomly told us to make a U-turn while on the Bay Bridge. The capability to create multidestination trips would also be nice to see in a future update.

That said, Google Maps Navigation is an awesome application, especially since it's free. The voice search capabilities are especially cool and useful for finding points of interest and yielded fairly accurate results in our tests. We also like that the app shows a street view of your final destination, so you get a better visual of the building. With a few added features and enhancements to the interface, Google could certainly change the business of location-based services and navigation in general.

We should note that a separate car mount will be available for $30. Once docked to the car cradle, the Droid will automatically display a navigation menu from where you can plan a trip, view maps and directions, and search businesses. Undocked, there's an app called Car Home that shows the same options.

Multimedia
One area that remains relatively untouched by Android 2.0 is the built-in media player. There aren't any major enhancements to the player in terms of interface or functionality, which is too bad. You still get support for MP3, AAC, AMR-NB, WAV, MIDI (to name a few), and Windows Media Audio 9 formats and the player includes shuffle, repeat, and playlist creation. You can advance and revisit previous tracks by tapping the forward and back buttons or you can swipe the album covers using the touch screen. Unfortunately, there is no syncing software to help you manage and transfer your music. As it is right now, you have to use the old drag-and-drop method using the USB cable or sideload them using a microSD card.

Of course, you can also download songs via the Amazon MP3 store. The store allows you to browse by album, song, artist, or genre. You can download the DRM-free songs over Wi-Fi as well as Verizon's 3G network, though the Droid advises you switch to Wi-Fi when possible since it's faster. We downloaded several tracks from Amazon using the carrier's 3G network and it took an average of around 1 minute and 15 seconds from purchase to download.

Music quality was quite good. Thanks to the 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, we plugged in our Bose On-ear Headphones and enjoyed rich-sounding songs. We listened to a variety of music, from punk rock to pop to classical, and found a nice balance between treble and bass. Songs even sounded decent coming from the phone's speakers. There was plenty of volume and while slightly harsh, the audio wasn't as tinny as it is on some other smartphones we've tested.

We like the Droid's multimedia dock.

Motorola offers a multimedia dock accessory, which also is sold separately for $30. When you slip in the Droid you get a nifty digital clock interface with instant access to local weather, the media player, the photo gallery, and the alarm clock. You can even change the backlighting color for a softer look. The dock is very handy as a stand for watching videos and you can connect the charger to power the phone while it's inserted. Unfortunately, a wired headset is not included in the Droid's box.

As with other Android devices, there's a dedicated YouTube app. You can comment on clips, favorite them, or share videos via e-mail and Facebook, as well as view them in high quality if available. Obviously, load times and quality depend on the video, but in general, we found that video playback was smoother and didn't require much rebuffering. One of the features that Motorola and Verizon highlighted when giving us a demo of the Droid was its multimedia capabilities, but we think that Google really has to step it up and make more moves, like expanding the video capabilities (for example, the capability to purchase videos from other services), in the near future to make the statement really ring true.

Camera
The 5-megapixel camera takes pictures in three resolutions and boasts a slick user interface. For example, it's now easier to switch to video mode. With previous Android phones, we've complained about the lack of camera editing options. Fortunately, Android fixes that problem by adding four white balance settings, several "scene" modes (night, landscape, sunset, and so on), three image quality choices, an autofocus, a macro setting, and seven color effects. The Droid also has a dual-LED flash.

The Droid's camera lens and flash are on its rear side.

Camcorder settings are fewer, but you can edit the video quality and the length allowed for each clip. You can film for 30 seconds if you're adding the video to a multimedia message, but you can go for up to 30 minutes in normal mode. When finished with your clips and shots, you can store them on the phone or transfer them off using e-mail, a multimedia message, Bluetooth, the memory card, or a USB cable. You even can upload shots directly to Facebook and Picasa with geotags.

The Droid's photos had a pinkish tone.

Photo quality was decent, but not spectacular. Though colors were bright, our images were a tad fuzzy and had a pinkish tone. The flash adds a decent amount of light, but still is a bit dim in completely dark situations. Video quality is actually fairly good--it could handle action better than its Android counterparts and there was little pixelation. Indeed, a closer look at the specs told us why. Not only do videos record at a 720x480 resolution, the Droid films at 24 frames per second (fps) (video playback can go up to 30fps). You can access the media gallery directly from the camera interface. Once there, the normal Android slideshow interface lets you view your work.

Android Market
You can download free and paid apps and games from the Android Market. The Market's interface received a much-needed upgrade with 1.6--we like the white background and the more intuitive search. Android 2.0 doesn't appear to offer any additional changes, which is fine in the short term. On the other hand, the quantity and quality of apps continues to grow every day. For updates and reviews of available Android apps, visit our Android Atlas blog. Of course, you must store apps on the handset's integrated memory, which is limited to 512MB ROM and 256MB RAM. The Droid's memory card slot is only for saving photos, music, and other attachment files. You get a 16GB card in the box, but the slot is compatible with cards up to 32GB.

Basic features
Essentials include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a calculator, and an alarm clock. And though we've said it before, we want Android to offer additional organizer options like a world clock, a notepad, a file manager, and a to-do list. Beyond the basics, you'll have 802.11b Wi-Fi, USB mass storage, Google voice search, Google Talk, instant messaging, visual voice mail, PC syncing, and speaker-independent voice dialing. Stereo Bluetooth is also onboard, but Android 2.0 adds object push and phone book access profiles.

Internal performance
The Droid makes a big leap in internal performance. Compared with its rather sluggish Android predecessors, the Droid is lighting fast when opening applications and menus, scrolling through lists and switching display screens. The integrated 600Mhz processor no doubt helps, but we came away impressed and almost amazed with the Droid's internal performance and its capability to run multiple applications at once.

Call quality and performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO Rev. A) Motorola Droid in San Francisco using Verizon service and call quality was excellent. We enjoyed crisp-sounding audio on our end, with little-to-no background noise, so we had no problems hearing our callers or using an airline's voice-automated response system. The signal was strong and consistent in most locations.

Our friends also had good things to say about call quality, though they could hear a slight echo at the end of sentences when we activated the speakerphone. On our side, we had no problems with the speakerphone; volume was plenty loud, with no disruptions. The Droid has a Hearing Aid Compatibility rating of M3 and T3.

We didn't have any dropped calls during our testing period and had no problems pairing the smartphone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset or the Motorola S9 Active Bluetooth Headphones. Bluetooth headset call quality was satisfactory

Unfortunately, the Droid does not support Bluetooth voice dialing or commands. In order to use the Voice Dialer feature, you first must select the icon from the main menu (you can move on a shortcut to the home screen). After speaking your command, you then must confirm it via a prompt on the touch screen. Though we found the voice dialing feature to be quite accurate--it successfully picked up a command when we were a few feet away--it is not an ideal scenario for people who need to be completely hands-free. We hope this omission is corrected in a future software update.

We admit we're disappointed the Droid doesn't have dual-mode capability for domestic CDMA networks and GSM networks abroad. The Droid is a nice device and we would hate to leave it at home when we left the country. Such capability would also be of great benefit to business users, who are among the Droid's main target market.

The Droid has a rated battery life of 6.4 hours talk time and 11.25 days standby time. We beat the promised talk time in our tests for a total of 7 hours and 35 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the Motorola Droid has a digital SAR rating of 1.49 watts per kilogram.

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Motorola Droid 2 (Verizon Wireless)

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.

Editors' note: Portions of this review were taken from our evaluation of the Droid X since both smartphones share a number of features.

It's hard to believe that it hasn't even been a year since the original Motorola Droid came out, but as we all know, Android has exploded over the past few months and there are simply bigger and better smartphones out there. Enter the Motorola Droid 2. As the successor to the Droid, the handset offers a number of improvements, including a sleeker design, better keyboard, faster processor, and the latest ... Expand full review

Editors' note: Portions of this review were taken from our evaluation of the Droid X since both smartphones share a number of features.

It's hard to believe that it hasn't even been a year since the original Motorola Droid came out, but as we all know, Android has exploded over the past few months and there are simply bigger and better smartphones out there. Enter the Motorola Droid 2. As the successor to the Droid, the handset offers a number of improvements, including a sleeker design, better keyboard, faster processor, and the latest version of Android OS. It lacks some of the higher-end features of the Droid X, but it's still an outstanding device on its own. There are enough improvements to make it worth the upgrade, and it will certainly satiate the need for those who want a physical keyboard. The Motorola Droid 2 is available now for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Verizon will also release a limited edition R2-D2 version of the Droid 2 in September. It will include exclusive "Star Wars" content and hardware designed to look like R2-D2.

Design
Clunky and boxy, the original Droid wasn't much of a stunner in the looks department, but the Motorola Droid 2 reveals a more refined design. Sporting rounder, more-tapered edges, the Droid 2 doesn't have such an abrupt look, and the silver-and-blue color combo is not only attractive but also makes the smartphone stand out in a crowd. It's still a handful; the handset measures 4.58 inches tall by 2.38 inches wide by 0.54 inch thick, but compared with the Droid X and HTC Evo 4G, the Droid 2 actually feels small. It's slightly heavy at 5.96 ounces, but it's a solid handset and has a high-quality construction.

The Motorola Droid 2 sports a much more attractive and sleeker design than its predecessor.

On front, you've got the same 3.7-inch, WVGA (480x854 pixels) capacitive touch screen. Though it might not be as large as the displays on some of the latest smartphones, it's still a good size, as well as sharp and vibrant, so reading text and viewing Web pages, pictures, and video is quite nice. If you do need to get a closer look at something or want more screen real estate, the display offers pinch-to-zoom support and a built-in accelerometer. Both functions work smoothly and quickly.

The screen will also automatically go into landscape mode when you slide the phone open. This is, of course, because the Droid 2 has a full QWERTY keyboard. As a number of Droid owners will tell you, using the keyboard on the Droid isn't exactly a pleasant experience. The buttons are flat, and there's the D-pad on the right side that makes it incredibly awkward to use the keyboard.

Fortunately, Moto fixed a lot of the errors this time around. First, it did away with the D-pad, so now you can hold the phone as you normally would and type more comfortably. Second, the buttons have a slight bump to them, so they're easier to press. Still, they're a bit stiff, so that slowed us down a bit. By comparison, we'd say the Samsung Epic 4G's keyboard is better because of the extra spacing between the keys, but this is definitely an improvement over the Droid. Plus, you've also got the option of using of Motorola's onscreen keyboard and Swype, which is perfect for firing off quick text messages.

Moto improved the keyboard by removing the D-pad and raising the keys, but they're still slightly stiff to press.

The Droid 2 keeps the touch-sensitive Android shortcuts below the display: menu, home, back, and search. Though we prefer the physical buttons on the Droid X, they were still responsive and provide haptic feedback. On the right side, there's a volume rocker and a camera activation/capture button. The top of the device features a power/lock button and a 3.5mm headphone jack, and on the left, there's a Micro-USB port. The camera and dual-LED flash are located on the back.

Verizon packages the Droid 2 with an AC adapter, a USB cable, an 8GB microSD card, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

User interface
Like the Droid X, the Motorola Droid 2 is running a toned-down version of Motoblur software. The latter looks nothing like what we've seen on the Motorola Cliq and Backflip. You still get widgets for your social-networking updates, weather, photo gallery, and favorite contacts, but they no longer take up huge chunks of space on your home screen, and you can even resize the widgets. It makes for a much cleaner experience, and you don't feel overwhelmed by all the information.

Aside from the Motorola widgets, you can also add Android widgets as well as shortcuts and folders to any one of the seven home screens. As you swipe through them, a small toolbar appears on the bottom to show you which panel you're on, and you can quickly jump to a page by pressing on the corresponding button. (After a couple seconds, the toolbar changes to a quick-launch bar for the phone, full menu, and contacts.) It certainly makes it easier than swiping through all the panels, but we definitely preferred the HTC Sense Leap screen feature, which gives you a quick thumbnail view of each screen.

Overall, the Motoblur experience is much improved; it's a more refined, sophisticated Motoblur, if you will. However, users coming from the Droid, which ran the stock Android UI, might need some time to acclimate, and even then it still might be too much for some. Just remember that, like all Android phones, it's completely customizable, so just keep tweaking the UI until you find a system that works for you.

Features
The Motorola Droid 2 is the first smartphone to ship running Android 2.2 out of the box. This means in addition to the Android staples we've come to expect, you're now getting Flash Player 10.1, voice dialing over Bluetooth, camera improvements, and more. We won't detail every new thing in this review, but you can read more about Android 2.2 in this article, and check out this post on some of the hidden features of Froyo.

Like other Android phones, the Droid 2 allows you to sync multiple e-mail accounts to the phone, including Gmail, POP3, IMAP, and Exchange, as well as social-networking sites. When you first boot up the phone, you'll have the option to add all your various accounts (you can also add them later if you wish), which is usually a matter of entering your log-in ID and password. If you're syncing up your corporate e-mail, you'll need additional information like your server address. We had no problems hooking up our Gmail, Facebook, Outlook Web Access, and Twitter accounts to our review unit.

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The Droid 2 offers both unified and separate in-boxes. There are also security protocols for remote password control and wipe, so corporate users can protect their phone's contents from snooping eyes. The smartphone also features a unified calendar, so you can see all your various appointments at once. This includes Facebook events and birthdays. All appointments are color coded by accounts, so you can easily tell them apart.

The contact management system is pretty good. The Droid 2 merges contact data from your e-mail and social networks and combines them on a single contact card for an individual. However, we ended up with a number of duplicates and had to go back and link them up. We do like that you can tap a contact's photo and get a quick list of the different ways you can get in touch with the person, whether it be by phone call, e-mail, text message, and you get the idea.

Voice features include a speakerphone, speed dial, voice commands, conference calling, Skype Mobile, and text and multimedia messaging with threaded chat view. Bluetooth 2.1, 3G, GPS, and integrated Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) are also onboard, and the Droid 2 can be used a mobile hot spot for up to five devices. We were able to connect the Droid 2 to our MacBook Pro, and based on five tests, we got an average download speed of 1.11Mbps and upload speed of 0.29Mbps. To use this feature, you will need to sign up for Verizon's Mobile Hotspot service, which costs an additional $20 per month and has a 2GB data cap. If you go over, you will be charged 5 cents per megabyte in overage fees. By comparison, Sprint's mobile hot spot plan for the Evo 4G costs $29.99 per month, but there is no data cap.

Aside from the standard Android apps, there a number of extras preloaded on the Droid 2. This includes BlockBuster On Demand, Kindle for Android, a demo version of EA's Need for Speed Shift, as well as such Verizon services as NFL Mobile and V Cast Video. The Android Market currently offers more than 70,000 apps in its catalog, and you can now save apps to an SD card. The Droid 2 also has double the RAM (512MB) of the original Droid.

Web browsing and multimedia
The Android's WebKit browser is quite capable in functionality and performance but even moreso with Android 2.2. As we mentioned earlier, one of the new capabilities of Froyo is Flash 10.1 support, so you'll be able to view and interact with Flash content, including videos and games. Sure enough, we were able to play videos from sites like CNET and ESPN, and even animated ads and splash screens were displayed on the pages. Videos took a little while to load but once it got going, the playback was continuous and looked great on the Droid 2's screen. We also checked out some Flash games on Kongregate.com, such as Pitch Hitter, and it was fun and seamless. Performance could be better, to be sure, but overall, we were quite happy with the experience.

For other modes of entertainment, the built-in music and video player supports a variety of music and video codecs, including MP3, AAC, WMA9, OGG, WMV, MPEG-4, and H.264. The music player isn't quite as attractive as the HTC Sense's Cover Flow-like interface but it gets the job done and gives you basic features, like shuffle, repeat, and on-the-fly playlist creation.

The Droid 2 keeps the same 5-megapixel camera.

Interestingly, Motorola didn't upgrade the camera on the Droid 2, so you're still getting a 5-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash. Camera options include different scene modes, effects, face detection, ISO and exposure settings, and more. Now, Android 2.2 brings new camera features, such as displaying some of these tools onscreen, so you can easily access them as you're taking photos, but unfortunately, Moto chose not to implement this functionality on the Droid 2. You still have to touch the right side of the screen to expand the tray of options, and the controls don't rotate when you turn the phone. It's not a deal-breaker, but it's certainly disappointing.

Overall, we were happy with the picture quality.

Picture quality was good. Colors came out bright and we could make out the subjects in our photos. We just wish the image was slightly sharper. Recorded video clips at the highest resolution (720x480 pixels) were watchable but looked very hazy.

The Droid 2 has 8GB of onboard memory and ships with an 8GB microSD card, but the expansion slot supports up to 32GB cards. You can share photos and videos through the usual avenues--e-mail, multimedia message, Bluetooth, Facebook, and so forth--but you can also stream media from your phone to a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)-compatible device. If you're not familiar with it, DLNA is a standard that makes it easier to move content, like movies, photos, and music, from device to device. Since the Droid 2 supports this technology, you can stream media from your phone to other DLNA-compliant tech, like the Xbox 360, without having to go through a whole setup process. You can find a list of DLNA-certified products here. Unlike the Droid X, the Droid 2 does not have an HDMI port.

Performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO Rev. A) Droid 2 in New York using Verizon service and call quality was OK. On our end, calls sounded a bit flat. It didn't interfere with having a conversation, but we definitely wished for richer audio. Friends also said that our voices sounded a bit far away and sometimes tinny, so again, the quality wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great, either. Speakerphone calls was pretty much what we expected: slightly hollow but clear and loud enough to have conversations in various environments.

We had no problems pairing the smartphone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones. We will test the voice dialing over Bluetooth capabilities once we get a compatible headset.

We didn't experience any dropped calls, and Verizon's 3G speeds were fairly swift. CNET's full site loaded in 24 seconds, whereas the mobile sites for CNN and ESPN both loaded in 9 seconds. YouTube clips loaded within several seconds and played back without needing to rebuffer and with synchronized audio and picture. Videos from our personal library also performed beautifully, and sound quality for music was balanced and rich.

One final improvement is a faster processor. The Droid 2 rocks a 1GHz TI OMAP processor, compared with the Droid's 550MHz processor, and the difference is noticeable. Apps launched without problem, and there was very little delay when working in and switching between multiple apps. We also played the demo version of Need for Speed Shift, and the smartphone was able to handle gameplay without problem.

The Droid 2 ships with a 1,400mAh lithium ion battery with a rated talk time of 9.6 hours and up to 13 days of standby time. We were able to get 6.6 hours of continuous talk time in our battery drain tests. According to FCC radiation tests, the Droid 2 has a digital SAR rating of 1.49 watts per kilogram and a Hearing Aid Compatibility rating of M3/T3.

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HTC Droid Incredible (Verizon Wireless)

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.

Editors' note: Portions of the user interface section were taken from our review of the HTC Legend, since they share similar features.

When you put an adjective like Incredible in a product name, it better deliver the goods, otherwise you end up looking pretty foolish and probably have a bunch of angry customers on your hands. Fortunately for HTC and Verizon, though, it looks like this won't be the case because the Droid Incredible lives up to its name and then some. While the Android 2.1 smartphone doesn't offer any new, groundbreaking features, what it does better ... Expand full review

Editors' note: Portions of the user interface section were taken from our review of the HTC Legend, since they share similar features.

When you put an adjective like Incredible in a product name, it better deliver the goods, otherwise you end up looking pretty foolish and probably have a bunch of angry customers on your hands. Fortunately for HTC and Verizon, though, it looks like this won't be the case because the Droid Incredible lives up to its name and then some. While the Android 2.1 smartphone doesn't offer any new, groundbreaking features, what it does better than any other Android product on the market right now, including the Motorola Droid and Nexus One, is enhancing those features with better software (courtesy of HTC Sense) and combining it with a sleek design and lots of power.

Though a lot of eyes may be on the Sprint HTC Evo 4G and we have little quibbles here and there, we have absolutely no hesitation in recommending the Droid Incredible. It's hands-down Verizon's best smartphone, and one of the best and fastest Android devices on the market right now, so much so that we deem it worthy of our Editors' Choice award. The Droid Incredible by HTC will be available from Verizon Wireless on April 29 for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Design
The Droid Incredible is another example of HTC's and Design & Company's handiwork. Though the overall shape and design is similar to many touch-screen smartphones on the market, it's the finer details and the HTC Sense user experience (more on this later) that make the Droid Incredible different and a step above the rest.

Roughly the same size as the Nexus One, the Droid Incredible officially measures in at 4.63 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.47 inch thick and 4.59 ounces. It does feel a bit plasticky compared with the Nexus One, but it also finally gives Verizon customers (well, those who can live without a physical keyboard) a viable alternative to the Motorola Droid, as it still offers some of the higher-end features, such as the Snapdragon processor and high-resolution display, that are missing on the carrier's other Android device, the Droid Eris.

The HTC Droid Incredible is compact and attractive.

Oh, and what a beautiful display that graces the mug of the Droid Incredible. The capacitive touch screen measures 3.7 inches diagonally and has a WVGA resolution (480x800) just like the Nexus One, but in a side-by-side comparison, the Incredible's display appears smoother and more vibrant than that of the Nexus One.

In addition, it felt more responsive, registering every touch right away and providing a smooth scrolling experience. The built-in accelerometer was quick to change screen orientation, and the proximity sensor kicks in as soon as you hold the phone up to your ear to take a phone call. Our only complaint about the screen would be that it's pretty hard to read in bright sunlight and like many others, the touch screen is an absolute magnet for fingerprints and smudges, so we'd recommend keeping a screen wipe close by at all times.

The onscreen keyboard is HTC's own rather than the standard Android keyboard, which is fine by us since the buttons are slightly bigger for easier typing, especially in portrait mode. We made fewer mistakes and could type a bit faster on the Incredible than the Nexus One. That said, we were definitely jonesing for Swype after having experienced how fast and accurate it could be. Currently, Swype for Android is in closed beta.

In place of the trackball navigator is an optical joystick.

Below the display, you have four touch-sensitive shortcut keys--home, menu, back, and search--and below them is a new optical joystick. Much like the ones found on the HTC Legend and the HTC Desire, it replaces the trackball navigator found on previous devices and operates much like a trackpad; you simply move your thumb over the control in the direction you want to move and you can even press down to select an item. Overall, it works as advertised, but the smaller size of the button makes it a bit awkward at first. In general, we used it mostly to scroll and select a smaller item on a Web site, such as a link, and used the touch screen for everything else.

The Droid Incredible features a topographic back cover and red insides.

There are very few other physical buttons on the Droid Incredible. On the left side, there's a volume rocker and a Mini-USB port and on top of the device, you'll find a power button and 3.5mm headphone jack. As with most all handsets, the camera and in this case, the dual LED flash, are housed in the back but what's unusual about the Droid Incredible is the back's topographic design and the phone's innards. Instead of a smooth surface, the battery door has bumps and ridges, and it's only after you pop it off that you realize it actually follows the lines of the internal parts of the phone. You'll notice that the insides of the phone are red. Does it add any value to the smartphone? No. But can we appreciate that HTC wanted to highlight some of the engineering that went into the device and make it beautiful inside and out? Absolutely.

Verizon packages the Droid Incredible with just the bare minimum: an AC adapter, a USB cable, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

User interface
Many have asked about the difference between the Droid Incredible and the Nexus One, and one of the key differentiators is HTC Sense. The Droid Incredible uses Sense, whereas the Nexus One uses the standard Android user interface.

While there will be purists who prefer the standard Android skin, in most cases, we'd choose a device running Sense, and we think it's something that actually gives the Droid Incredible a competitive advantage. Out of all our custom skins for Android (Motoblur, TouchWiz, etc.), Sense is our absolute favorite. Not only does it give Android a more user-friendly interface, it actually, in many cases, improves on the core functions by better integrating the features.

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Just like the Legend and Desire, the Droid Incredible runs the newer version of HTC Sense, which was announced at Mobile World Congress 2010. This includes a revamped mail widget that can take you to a list view of all your e-mail instead of just one message at a time. Once in the mail app, there's a handy tabbed interface at the bottom that lets you view unread messages, attachments, meeting invites, and more with a simple touch. The Agenda widget also now displays your whole agenda on the screen, and like the HTC HD2, you get an animated weather widget right on the home screen that automatically displays the current conditions based on your location.

You also get a new Group Contacts widget, which lets you, well, organize your contacts by groups. For example, you can set up one for work colleagues, another for friends, and another for just family--whatever you please. The UI looks good, and it's simple to add contacts to a group, though removing them requires a few extra steps.

Another feature called Friend Stream provides a single place for all your social-networking needs, piping in updates from Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr all into a single place. Unlike Motoblur, it's not server-based; the phone connects to the sites and pulls information directly from there.

By far, our favorite new feature, however, is the Leap screen. By pinching the home screen (or pressing the home button if you're on the center panel), it brings up a thumbnail view of all your home screen panels, so if you have your favorite apps and widgets on those screens, you easily "leap" to the screen you want and access them. The Droid Incredible offers seven home screen panels, and there are different "Scenes," which presents a whole new set of seven home screen panels that you can customize by the theme of the Scene (Social, Work, Travel, Play, and so forth). Admittedly, it can be overwhelming, but the best part is that you can use as many or as few of the features as you want; the device is completely customizable to your needs.

Features
Behind HTC Sense, the Droid Incredible is running Android 2.1, which means you'll get the latest features available, including live wallpaper, voice-to-text capabilities, and Google Maps Navigation. The smartphone also comes with the usual Android staples, such as Gmail, Google Talk, a dedicated YouTube app, QuickOffice, and Android Market. HTC throws in a couple of its own extras as well, including its Twitter app, Peep, and Footprints, which allows you to geotag photos and add notes and audio clips to the "digital postcards," among other things. In addition, Verizon has its own channel in the Android Market, so you can easily find and download apps specific to the carrier, such as Visual Voice Mail, VZW Tones, V Cast Media Manager, and NFL Mobile.

Aside from Gmail, the smartphone supports multiple POP3, IMAP, and Exchange accounts and combines them in a unified in-box. There's a setup wizard when you first use to the device to help you bring in all your contacts from your various accounts, including the aforementioned e-mail types, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. Often it's as simple as entering your user name and password, but you may need additional information when setting up your Exchange account. The Droid Incredible can sync your Exchange calendar and contacts as well. That said, we had some initial problems syncing our Exchange calendar to the Droid Incredible and had to remove and then add our account again to get it to work.

The contact management system is pretty good. If any of your contacts have Facebook updates, it will display them right next to their picture in the contact database. Again, Sense has done of nice job of making it easy to access as much information as possible with little effort. For example, you can see all your exchanges (text messages, call logs, etc.) with a single person from their contact card, and all your contacts are accessible within the phone app. However, we still had multiple instances of duplicate contacts and had to go back and manually link them together.

As a phone, the Droid Incredible offers a speakerphone, speed dial, smart dialing, voice commands, conference calling, and text and multimedia messaging with threaded chat view. Bluetooth, 3G, GPS, and integrated Wi-Fi are also onboard, and Verizon has said that the Skype Mobile app will be available for the Droid Incredible. The smartphone has the same WebKit browser as the Nexus One and Droid and offers Flash Lite and pinch-to-zoom support. If you want to use voice and data at the same time, you'll have to connect via Wi-Fi, because Verizon does not allow you use their network for voice and data simultaneously. The basic but drab music and video player have never been a selling point for Android, and that's still the case with the Droid Incredible, though HTC Sense adds a slightly more attractive interface to the player. Most important, however, is that it gets the job done and supports a good range of music and video codecs, including MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, OGG, WMV, MP4, and 3GP. In addition, there's an FM radio, but it requires a headset with a built-in tuner, which Verizon does not include in the box.

There are plenty of streaming radio services available in the Android Market, however, and there are several ways to get music onto the phone. Android doesn't have a native app for syncing your music from your PC to your phone, so you can either connect via USB and use the old drag-and-drop method or use a third-party app such as DoubleTwist to sync with iTunes playlists, podcasts, and more. Of course, you can also browse and purchase songs right from your phone via the Amazon MP3 Store, but it doesn't come preloaded, so you'll have to download it first. Storing your media files won't be a problem since the Droid Incredible offers 8GB of internal memory and an expansion slot that supports up to 16GB cards.

The Incredible's 8-megapixel camera took excellent photos.

Another area where the Droid Incredible bests the current crop of top smartphones is the camera. Rocking an 8-megapixel lens and dual LED flash, the smartphone took excellent photos indoors and outdoors. Pictures had a good color and sharp definition, and there was very little shutter lag. Nighttime shots still looked a bit gray and dull, but it was certainly better than most other camera phones, and objects were clearly defined in the image. The camera can also shoot video at WVGA resolution; the video quality was acceptable but a tad grainy.

Performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO Rev. A) HTC Droid Incredible in New York using Verizon service, and call quality was good, though not without issue. We enjoyed clear conversations with very little background noise or voice distortion, and there was plenty of volume--almost piercing at the highest level. Friends also reported good results with no major complaints about the audio quality on their side of the conversation. Though we didn't experience any dropped calls, there were a couple of instances where the sound cut out so we couldn't hear our caller. The situation was easily resolved by moving to a new spot, but it was nevertheless a bit annoying.

Speakerphone quality was nothing surprising. We could carry on conversations with relative ease and there was enough volume to continue in noisier environments, but callers did note that there was a slight echo. We paired the smartphone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Heaphones with no problem.

Verizon's 3G network provided reliable 3G coverage throughout our testing period and with swift speeds to boot. CNET's full site loaded in 16 seconds, and CNN's and ESPN's mobile sites loaded in 4 seconds and 5 seconds, respectively. Meanwhile, the Slacker Radio app (1.02MB) took 11 seconds to download from the Android Market. YouTube videos took a few seconds to buffer, but once going played continuously, though quality was a mixed bag. We had much better luck with our own MP4 files as clips played back beautifully with clear picture and robust sound. Despite having a lackluster music player, songs sounded rich and full through our on Bose On-Ear headphones.

Out of everything, though, the one aspect of the Droid Incredible that absolutely knocked our socks off is general performance. The smartphone is armed with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 512MB ROM and 512MB RAM and the Droid Incredible was one of the most responsive and fastest Android devices; heck, one of the fastest smartphones in general, that we've tested to date. The handset handled every task we threw at it without stumbling, and even with six open apps open, the Incredible never slowed down.

The smartphone comes with a 1,300mAh lithium ion battery with a rated talk time of 5.2 hours. In our battery drain tests the Droid Incredible provided 5.5 hours of continuous talk time on a single charge. In real-life usage, the smartphone was able to last just over day on a single charge with moderate use. According to FCC radiation tests, the Droid Incredible has a digital SAR rating of 1.4 watts per kilogram and a Hearing Aid Compatibility rating of M4/T3.

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ZTE Salute (Verizon Wireless)

The good: Verizon's voice commands and optional VZ Navigator spruce up the ZTE Salute's features lineup, while its slider design, visual details, and budget price earn it bonus points.

The bad: A dull Menu screen and bare-bones tools will disappoint customers in search of a midrange device.

The bottom line: Those looking for an entry-level phone at a rock-bottom price should consider the ZTE Salute.

Unless you're a MetroPCS customer, it's likely you haven't yet heard of ZTE in the United States. Until the Chinese manufacturer launched the ZTE Salute with Verizon Wireless, it had never cracked the U.S. market with a top-tier carrier. The basic tools and lackluster display won't make the entry-level Salute a memorable debut effort, but the slider phone's interesting design details and budget price make it a redeeming value. If you're entering a new two-year agreement, you can pick it up for $19.99 after a $50 ... Expand full review

Unless you're a MetroPCS customer, it's likely you haven't yet heard of ZTE in the United States. Until the Chinese manufacturer launched the ZTE Salute with Verizon Wireless, it had never cracked the U.S. market with a top-tier carrier. The basic tools and lackluster display won't make the entry-level Salute a memorable debut effort, but the slider phone's interesting design details and budget price make it a redeeming value. If you're entering a new two-year agreement, you can pick it up for $19.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate either online or at Verizon Wireless stores.

Design
The Salute stands to attention at 3.94 inches tall, 2 inches wide, and 0.54 inch thick. It's a little fat in the hand and pocket, but comfortable on the ear. The Salute easily fits into a purse or bag, and at 3.53 ounces it has a heft in line with that of a smartphone.

The ZTE Salute has a slide-up dialpad and interesting design details

An attractive handset, the Salute sports a glossy black face with matte silver accents, black and silver sides, and a silver backing. The 2.4-inch QVGA (320 x 240-pixel) screen supports 65,000 colors. Navigation is straightforward, but unfortunately, the Menu screen looks dull and fuzzy around the edges.

Below the screen are two triangular soft keys, a circular navigation array with central select button, and the Talk and End keys. At the very bottom is a Clear key. Slide up the phone to reveal an alphanumeric keypad. The keys are slightly raised above the surface, but on the whole feel fairly flat.

The dedicated camera button and 2.5 millimeter headset jack are on the right spine, while the volume rocker, speakerphone button, and Micro-USB charger port are on the left. A 1.3 megapixel camera and accompanying vanity mirror are on the back. We appreciate ZTE's attention to detail, which shows up in the Salute's rounded corners and visually interesting angles and textures on the spines, dialpad, and phone face.

Features
The Salute has a small 500-person phone book with room for five phone numbers, two e-mail addresses, a street address, and a note. There's also space for an instant-messaging screen name, a picture pairing, and calling groups. You can also choose to pair a contact to one of the Salute's 25 polyphonic ringtones. The phone also has a silent mode.

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A small vanity mirror accompanies the Salute's 1.3 megapixel camera.

A full complement of basic tools resides on the Salute, including a calculator, a tip calculator, a calendar, an alarm clock, a stop watch, a world clock, and a notepad. Slightly more sophisticated are the Verizon voice commands (powered by Nuance), Bluetooth 2.0, and assisted GPS. Verizon's VZ Navigator is a convenient feature for those who sign up for the $9.99-per-month subscription.

The Salute's WAP browser is accessible through the Media Center or Settings menu. Internet isn't very speedy over 2.5G; it took about 35 seconds to load CNET's mobile-optimized site. You can also download AIM, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo instant-messaging apps.

The Salute's 1.3 megapixel camera isn't going to replace your digital camera, at least not if you enjoy crisp images. The Salute produced a high percentage of overexposed and blurry photos. You'll need to be stock-still to get sharp edges, and you may want to dive into the camera settings to improve image quality. The Salute has four resolutions (1,280x960; 640x480; 320x240; 160x120), six white balance options, four color effects, four self-timer modes, and four shutter sounds. You can send a photo via text or Bluetooth and save it as your wallpaper or assign it to a contact. There's 62MB of internal memory for storing photos and other media.

Blurry, overexposed photos were the norm with the Salute's built-in camera.

On the customization front are the multiple portals to the Verizon store, which sells games, ringtones, and wallpaper art.

Performance
We tested the CDMA (800/1900) ZTE Salute in San Francisco on the Verizon Wireless network. We experienced so-so voice quality. We noticed a fuzzy quality to voices, with indistinct edges and a slight echo, but we didn't experience breaking up or background noise. On their end, callers sometimes found us difficult to understand and noted that our words tended to run together. There was no static, however, and volume was strong; most of the time we didn't have any problem carrying on a conversation.

Speakerphone quality is rarely impressive, and indeed, the Salute's speakerphone sounded typically distant and often produced echoes. Callers seconded the impression of distance.

The ZTE Salute has a rated battery life of 4 hours talk time and 9.16 days of standby. FCC tests measure a digital SAR of 1.52 watts per kilogram.

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