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Phone Reviews: Mobiles and Smartphones >
Florence Legrand
Translator: Sam McGeever
Test date: March 23, 2011
The Incredible S as a phone

The Incredible S is great at picking up network, whether you're browsing using 3G or Edge. We didn't have a single dropped call or any poor quality audio. Conversations come through clearly without any interference.

There's support for Gmail accounts, of course, but the Incredible S is also compatible with Exchange, which means you can receive all your messages via push e-mail.


After the success of the Desire HD, HTC's latest flagship Android smartphone is this new Incredible S—although it's currently running Froyo until an upgrade to Gingerbread at the end of next month.  Incredible is what HTC is calling it, and the manufacturer has fitted the phone out with a 4'' screen (the Desire HD's was 4.3''), as well as a bigger battery and a smaller price tag than its predecessor.

It's hardly a technical revolution and has neither a dual-core processor nor a Super AMOLED screen.  The American version, called the Incredible (no 'S') is even more powerful, but the European version still has plenty of features, especially when it comes to multimedia.  An 8 Megapixel camera is just one example of this.

So just how incredible is HTC's new smartphone?
 

Design

Whether you like the new look or not, it's hard to deny that the Incredible S doesn't sport a clean, simple and above all rather original design.


The handset mixes a blend of minimalist influences with an active, masculine profile: its matte black exterior has a rubber finish at the back, which makes sure it won't slip out of your hand.  It's slim with a slightly thicker section at the back, and the build quality is generally good, apart from the micro-USB port, which isn't protected.
 



The touch-sensitive controls below the screen flip around when the screen is in landscape orientation, and we're glad that they aren't sensitive enough to react when you brush across them, which avoids false positives.  Another great piece of design is the microSD card slot inside the case: you don't have to remove the battery to get to it.  That's something so rare that it's worth drawing attention to.

A front-facing 1.3 Megapixel camera is available for video calls.
 
 
Typing on the handy keyboard is comfortable

The 4'', 480 x 800 pixel Super LCD screen produces a convincing result.  It has good contrast—even if the blacks are deeper on a Super AMOLED screen—and is responsive, accurate and good at reproducing colours.

Responsive

Unlike many of its upcoming competitors, the Incredible S doesn't have a dual-core processor, but so what?  The combination of a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and excellent software integration is more than enough to keep this phone ticking over nicely with enough responsiveness.  Whether you're launching apps, flicking through menus, scrolling through a long phonebook, browsing the web or playing games, the Incredible S won't hold you back.  It's snappy—and even with several apps running at the same time.  It never seems out of breath or gives the slightest impression that it's struggling to keep up.
 

Android Main Menu
 
HTC is fond of its Sense interface because it allows the manufacturer to stand out from other Android smartphones which come with the 'basic' version of the OS.  As ever, the Sense layer, which is well thought-out and easy to use, doesn't place a burden on the hardware as it's designed to not slow the phone down.


 

You get seven different homescreens.  FriendStream, which allows you to manage your Facebook and Twitter accounts in real-time is still there, and there's a new interface for displaying SMS messages, which appear onscreen as little boxes you can slide out of the way.  Another new app is eReader, which allows you to take notes and read e-books and comes with a few classic titles thrown in.


FriendStream brings your social networks together
 
If you have your own Sense account, you can use HTC Hub to download new apps and receive personalised recommendations.

An 8 Megapixel camera: seriously?

We've not got much to say about the web browsing experience.  The Incredible S is a good way of getting online on the go, and its browser supports Flash.  Pages loads quickly, are sensibly resized and are easy to scroll through.  The management of your favourite sites and browsing history is as effective as ever.




 
The Incredible S can handle DivX and Xvid video files natively, and they look great on its 4'' display.  You're better off using your own headphones (not the ones provided ...) rather than the speaker, which is lacking is volume and clarity.

Now it's time for the most disappointing aspect of this mobile, its camera.  Despite having 8 Megapixels to play with, the Incredible S still takes pretty rubbish photos.  It's a shame, because the camera is responsive and has accurate autofocus, but as for the results ... We suggest you take a look at how it compares to the HTC Desire HD, which also has an 8 Megapixel camera.













Compare the HTC Incredible S to other cameras and camera phones in our Product Face-Off

Recording 720p video isn't a skip-free process, but is generally satisfactory in general.


To finish with a word on the audio quality, it's pretty clear overall, but the line out has a constant light crackle.

We ended up being pleasantly surprised by the battery life of the Incredible S, which lasted a good two days, even with plenty of WiFi.
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HTC Incredible S

Pluses

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Clean design with good finish

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Quality screen

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Web browsing and video experience

-

Responsiveness

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Sense interface is clear and simple

Minuses

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Disappointing camera

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Audio line out has a slight crackle

4
The Incredible S is a very good smartphone: it's got better battery life than the Desire HD, a very usable screen that's not too big and is generally very responsive. It's just a shame that the camera is so dreadful.
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