Verizon is currently hosting a “Red Hot Deal Days” event from today through May 12 (this Sunday), so if you were in the market for a new Big Red smartphone, now wouldn’t be a bad time to look. Well, assuming you aren’t interested in the Galaxy S4, since that won’t be out until May 30. But if the GS4 isn’t on your radar, you’ll find deals on the RAZR MAXX HD and regular RAZR HD, RAZR M, Incredible 4G LTE, Blackberry Z10 (hah!), and more.

The DROID line is headlining this show, with the RAZR MAXX HD at $149 on contract, RAZR HD at $49, and RAZR M and Incredible 4G LTE for free. The Samsung Galaxy S3 (16GB model) is also there for $99 on new 2-year contract.

Keep in mind that Amazon will beat almost all of these prices, starting with the RAZR MAXX HD at $99 on contract.

Via:  Verizon

Cheers Adam!

Verizon Hosting “Red Hot Deal Days” – RAZR MAXX HD for $150, RAZR M for Free, Galaxy S3 for $99 and More is a post from: Droid Life

Today, a source (Football4PDA) leaked HTC’s supposed list of devices that will receive an official Jelly Bean update. The list itself is really not all that shocking, given that most of these devices were released right on the eve of high Android 4.1 adoption/release, so none of these should really be a surprise for us. 

As for Verizon devices, the Incredible 4G LTE is listed. That’s it. We aren’t seeing the Rezound on here. Why that is or if the list will change, we don’t know. It meets certain requirements that were put in place, but it looks like HTC may let it go.

Full list of devices that are to be updated to Jelly Bean.

• HTC One X+ (Evitare)
• HTC One XL (Evita)
• HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE (Fireball)
• HTC EVO 4G LTE (Jewel)
• HTC One SV (K2)
• HTC One VX (Totem C2)
• HTC One S (Ville)
• HTC One S C2 (Ville C2)
• HTC J (Valente)

Via: GSM Arena | Twitter

HTC Jelly Bean Update List Leaked – One X+, Incredible 4G, But No Rezound is a post from: Droid Life

Today, the world is a better place for HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE owners. Since release, “un-official” development on the device has been slow due to its heavily locked bootloader, but thankfully, that has now changed. Thanks to some persistent folks over at XDA, Incredible 4G owners can now start diving into custom ROMs and everything else the community has to offer, once they’re actually made. 

The process is no laughing matter and should only be attempted by people with quite a bit of adb experience under their belt. In the picture below, it looks like S-OFF has not been achieved yet, however, this is still a great start. It also doesn’t involve exposed wires and tools like we saw with the HTC Rezound.

For full instructions on how to unlock the bootloader, please follow the via to the original thread on XDA. And please, before you attempt these tasks, make a backup.

Via: XDA 

Cheers Azra!

Bootloader Unlock Released for HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE is a post from: Droid Life

So, we’ve got a couple of readers who claim to have seen the global update for Incredible 4G LTE, tonight. In it, as you can see in the pic on the left, is a new option to switch between Global or LTE/CDMA. Other than that, the update contains a Remote Diagnostics tool, which is on the backend, and more stability in your LTE and WiFi connections.

In the original changelog for the update, it said that the device would now be ready for Isis Mobile Wallet, however, as of yesterday, that piece to the changelog was removed by Verizon. We aren’t sure why, but in case you were wondering, the Isis app is not included in the update.

Anyone else seeing the update tonight? If so, let us know if you are seeing any additional goodies.

Cheers LionStone and Matt!

DROID Incredible 4G LTE Global Update Starting to Roll Out? is a post from: Droid Life

Verizon announced a new update for the DROID Incredible 4G LTE last week, one that would include global roaming, their Remote Diagnostics tool, and support for Isis Mobile Wallet. In a semi-confusing move this morning, they tweaked the changelog for the update so that it no longer includes a mention of Isis.

We reported last week that Isis was set to kick off on October 22 in two test markets and that the Incredible 4G LTE would be the signature launch phone from Verizon for it. This move doesn’t necessarily mean that this phone isn’t going to be the lead device, but maybe that Verizon doesn’t want the entire country of Inc 4G owners asking about Isis when only Austin, TX and Salt Lake City, UT owners will be able to use the mobile payment service.

No matter what, this shouldn’t be cause for  concern. Isis will rollout nationwide before we know it, and our wallets will soon be replaced by phones. Assuming they are accepted into the program, that is.

Verizon Tweaks Changelog for Incredible 4G 2.17.605.2 Update, Removes Isis Support Section is a post from: Droid Life

Verizon has approved the first update for the DROID Incredible 4G LTE as build 2.17.605.2. The update will introduce a couple of major items – global roaming across 220 countries and support for Isis Mobile Wallet. It will also include Verizon’s Remote Diagnostics tool, improved LTE and WiFi connectivity, and support for Tango. The big players, again, are the global goodness and Isis readiness. 

With Isis set to kick off in its first test markets any day, we had actually heard that this device was going to take the lead. We’ll have more details on this later. Also, HTC and the Incredible line have been known as global roaming devices, so we’ll happily welcome in its new global capabilities.

Once these support docs go live, we tend to see the update in a matter of days. Let us know if you see it!

The update is 154MB in size.

More info.

DROID Incredible 4G to Receive First Update – Includes Global Roaming, Support for Isis, and More is a post from: Droid Life

This morning, Verizon dropped the price of the DROID Incredible 4G LTE to $99 on 2-year contract. In my opinion, this phone should have launched at this price and should be even cheaper today. Now that the DROID RAZR M is out at $99, and is a far superior mid-range device (our review), I’m not sure why anyone would choose the Incredible 4G over it. The Incredible’s poor screen and cheap build quality should deter most consumers from committing to it for 2 years. But, if you love HTC and need to own every Incredible that comes out, you can have it for $99. Or, you could buy it from Amazon for $50.

Buy.

Cheers Nico!

DROID Incredible 4G LTE Drops to $99, Where It Should Have Been From Day 1 is a post from: Droid Life

The Jelly Bean update situation on Verizon is a tricky one. I say that because most Android phone manufacturers have yet to even update most of their phones to Ice Cream Sandwich. So how can we start talking about Jelly Bean updates? Well, we know that many of you are always looking for the most current information on this subject and thought we may as well create the official page for it just like we did with Android 4.0. Once word starts trickling out from Motorola, Samsung and the rest of the major players, we will update this post. I’d say that this is definitely one that you should bookmark. You will also find a shortcut to it in the sidebar. 

Samsung

• Galaxy Nexus:  Update approved and began rolling out September 21.
• Galaxy S3:  Update approved and began rolling out December 14.
• Galaxy Tab 10.1:  Assuming that this will make the cut – no time frame given.
• Galaxy Note 2:  Already running Android 4.1.

Motorola

• RAZR M:  Update approved and began rolling out November 9.
• RAZR HD:  Update approved and began rolling out December 3.
• RAZR MAXX HD:  Update approved and began rolling out December 3.
• RAZR:  Update approved and began rolling out March 7.
• RAZR MAXX:  Update approved and began rolling out March 7.
• Bionic:  Update approved and began rolling out April 15.
• DROID 4:  Update approved and began rolling out March 19.
• XOOM 4G LTE:  Assuming that this will make the cut – no time frame given.
• XYBOARD 8.2 and 10.1:  Assuming that this will make the cut – no time frame given.

LG

• Intuition:  Assuming that this will make the cut – no time frame given.
• Spectrum:  Assuming that this will make the cut – no time frame given.
• Spectrum 2:  Assuming that this will make the cut – no time frame given

HTC

• Incredible 4G LTE:  Assuming that this will make the cut – no time frame given.
• Rezound:  Assuming that this will make the cut – no time frame given.
• DROID DNA:  Already running Android 4.1.

*As you can see, we left a lot of phones off of this list. We basically went back a year and took all of the higher-end phones that we think will get the Jelly Bean update. Almost all of these are already on ICS and are likely candidates to see another major update to Android 4.1. If other phones make the cut or some of these don’t, we will add them to or remove from the list.

When is My Android Phone Getting Jelly Bean (Android 4.1)? [Verizon] is a post from: Droid Life

The DROID Incredible 4G LTE sort of came at a bad time, just like the Motorola Atrix HD. Both phones were released far too close to the phone of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S3. And just like the Atrix HD, I have had this phone for over a month now, but when the GS3 was released, the Inc 4G immediately took a back seat until things cooled off a bit. Actually, “back seat” is the perfect way to describe this phone. It took a back seat to not only the Galaxy S3, but also the entire HTC One series that was released earlier in the year. It didn’t receive the coveted “One” tag, nor did it receive any of the high-end specs of that series. Hell, maybe we should go with “stepchild” instead of “back seat?” Anyways, let’s talk about it. 

The Good:

• Battery:  One of the few highlights to the Incredible 4G has been battery life. With only a 1700mAh battery inside, I was initially worried that it wouldn’t be able to get me through much of a day, especially while running on 4G LTE. To my surprise, this phone lasted all day and then some. As you can see in the screenshots, with steady usage on nothing but LTE, I had around 46% left after having been up and running for almost 16 hours. You can probably thank the Snapdragon S4 inside that is the most efficient processor on the planet, right now. It’s not the same processor that powers the Galaxy S3, but is instead a 1.2GHz version that could have been underpowered to help extend things like battery life.

• Camera:  The 8MP camera on the Incredible 4G is really good. It’s incredibly fast, sports a f/2.2 aperture, and 28mm lens. You click and it shoots. If the lighting is great, you may not even notice that you just took a picture – that’s how fast it is. Unfortunately, it doesn’t contain the ImageSense chip that came with the One Series, so options like burst mode are not included. Still, you should be able to take some beautiful stills with this camera. If there are two massive highlights for this phone, it’s in battery life and the camera.

• Price:  At $149, the Incredible 4G is priced reasonably well. It could easily go for $99 with its lower-end specs and small frame, but it does have NFC, 4G LTE, and enough goodies to help justify the $149 mark. I’d personally buy it through a dealer who would likely have it for $99 or less. In fact, Amazon is selling it for around $49 as of today.
• NFC:  Yep, this phone has NFC. While Verizon refuses to let it use Google Wallet, you can at least beam links, contacts, and apps to your friends who also have NFC phones. NFC should be standard in all smartphones going forward, especially with more mobile payment options on the way, so we have to give props to Verizon and HTC for adding it in, even though this is a mid-tier device.

The Not-so-Good:

• WiFi Notification:  Before we get into this section, we need to start off by calling out Verizon (again) for the most obnoxious ongoing notification of all time. We aren’t sure if this is a hint for you to get off of their network or because you may have a new Share Everything plan, but the “Tap to turn Wi-Fi on” notification that cannot be removed is easily the most annoying change on any phone in the last year. Seriously Verizon, we get it, we know how to turn WiFi on and off. And even if we didn’t, you should still give us a way to remove this notification, because at some point, we are going to know how and not want this massive notification taking up precious screen space.

• Specs:  Normally we start every review off with specs, because well, most phones have great specs. This phone, does not. It sports a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor that we have been told is “different” than the Snapdragon S4 in the Galaxy S3 and many other phones. We don’t know what “different” means, but it certainly doesn’t mean “upgrade.” It also rocks out with a low-end 4″ qHD Super LCD display, VGA front camera, and around 8GB of internal storage. I’m calling this a “not-so-good” because the Incredible was at one time a top tier phone, but has since been shoved into the mid-range game.
• Display:  The display on the Incredible 4G is not good. It’s a Super LCD, so the pixel arrangement is what you would want, however at a qHD resolution and incredibly low pixel density, this thing isn’t impressing anyone. Take a look at the picture below and you’ll know what I mean. The colors are also off, with whites looking almost yellow at times. I’d call the 4″ display too small for my liking. I’m sure the iPhone 5 will launch with a 4″ display and the fankids will claim it’s the sweet spot, but for an Android guy who has been using 4.5″ and above displays for months, this thing feels tiny.

• Violent Haptic Feedback:  The haptic feedback on this phone is crazy violent. When you press one of the soft keys, you can actually hear parts moving around. It almost vibrates out of your hand if you don’t hold it tightly enough. OK, that last part was a bit of an exaggeration, but not much of one. When this thing vibrates, you can tell that this is one of the more cheaply made phones in some time. Tone it down, HTC!
• Build:  This bullet is sort of a continuation of the end of the haptic feedback section in that this phone feels remarkably cheap. It creaks, makes odd noises, and scuffs easier than most phones. When the camera focuses, you can actually hear a mini-popping noise, which is scary.
• Sense 4.0:  I really do not like Sense 4.0 any longer. When it was first introduced on the One X, it was a breath of fresh air over previous Sense versions, however, it’s grown to annoy me just like most skins. The 3D animations and sluggishness are not fun to deal with. Now that Google has turned stock Android into a minimal and incredibly beautiful operating system, skins like this just seem like a downgrade. If you buy this phone, please install a 3rd party launcher immediately, to help hide most of Sense. If you would like to see a full overview of Sense 4.0, check out this video.

• Bloatware:  Our official bloatware count comes to 13, a number we gathered thanks to a special “Verizon” tab in the app drawer. It’s a lot less than we have seen on other phones in the past, but with most of them being permanent fixtures unless you disable them, it’s flag-worthy.
• Keyboard:  The Sense keyboard needs a major overhaul. It’s slow, only vibrates with every other key press, and has a row of arrows on the bottom that I have never used one time in my life. It also doesn’t auto-add spaces when you choose word predictions, something that drives me insane. If you force yourself into using this keyboard, at least go into keyboard settings and turn on its swipe/trace feature, as it works fairly well.

• Hardware Soft Keys:  HTC tried to do the right thing when it eliminated the Menu button from its navigation keys, but since developers have been slow to adopt this standard in their apps, you are often left with a black bar across the bottom of your screen with a single button to access menu options. They fixed this issue in the One X with a software update, but have not provided a fix for the Incredible 4G. On a screen that only measures 4-inches, you need all of the screen real estate available at all times.
• Size:  This phone is too small for my liking. Coming from big phone after big phone, it was a struggle to use something this small. Typing on it, browsing the web, and multi-tasking were painful at times because of the small icons and screen size. If you have dainty little hands, you may love this size – I just, do not.

Unboxing and First Look:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Gallery:

The Verdict:

With no reason to beat around the bush, I’ll just come out and say it directly – this phone is a mid to low-tier Android device that you shouldn’t waste your time with. Verizon chose to pass on the One Series and instead gave HTC fans this. It’s specs aren’t enough to make it a powerhouse, and the build quality is so iffy and cheap, that I’d be afraid to attach 2 years of my life to it. It’s $149 from Verizon, but you can pick up the Galaxy S3 for $50 more and hang out with the Android device of the year. It’s battery life is great, as is the camera, but those aren’t big enough selling points to mask all of its downfalls.

HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE Review is a post from: Droid Life

HTC’s latest version of the DROID Incredible line didn’t impress many people, namely because it couldn’t stand up against the One X and even the One S. Nevertheless, some people did stick with the Inc 4G LTE and those customers are going to be happy with today’s news. HTC has taken to their developer website HTCDev and posted the kernel information for the device, available for download right now. This should spur some better development for the device, so if you do any work on the Incredible 4G LTE hit the source link and get your download on.

HTCDev

HTC Posts Kernel Source Code for DROID Incredible 4G LTE to HTCDev.com is a post from: Droid Life

After the FCC ruled that Verizon could no longer block tethering apps, as it violated the “C Block rules” attached to their purchase of the C-Block spectrum that their 4G LTE network now runs on, we wondered if other non-tethering apps would be a included in the deal. From what we’re hearing, it does apply to other apps, specifically Google Wallet. 

As you know from numerous reports in the past, Verizon was blocking Google Wallet from their NFC-equipped phones because the app was “different” than normal apps. But after after the FCC ruling was handed out, and Google released the new cloud-powered version of Wallet, it suddenly became available to all of Big Red’s NFC-equipped devices, including the Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S3, and Incredible 4G LTE.

If you cruise into the Google Play store today, and search for “Google Wallet,” you likely won’t find it for whatever reason. However, if you click the new direct link to the app on either your phone or web browser, you can install the app to your device.

Here is the direct link.

Once installed, it seems to still be blocked on the Galaxy S3 and Incredible 4G LTE from working, giving off a “Unfortunately, Google Wallet is not yet available for your device or mobile network,” message. If you own a Galaxy Nexus, there is a pretty good chance that it will actually work, whether you are rooted or not.

Results seem to be hit or miss for many, so all we can do is recommend that you give it a shot. Remember, you have to go through the direct link we provided above.

Let us know in the comments if you are having any success.

Cheers VZW Tipster and everyone else who sent this!

Google Wallet Installable on All of Verizon’s NFC Phones, Getting It to Work Another Story is a post from: Droid Life

HTC made a splash this year with the release of the One series lineup of phones. Combining great hardware with a toned-down Sense UI experience really sold well, and with the release of Jelly Bean, HTC promises that the One series will be seeing the update. In a short statement yesterday, the company said that they would be working to bring Android 4.1 to the One X, One XL and One S.

However, the Incredible 4G LTE that was released on Verizon just after the One series landed was not mentioned in the statement. We know that the Incredible was a bit of a different phone than the One series, but even still, we hope that buyers will get some tasty Jelly Bean action some time down the road.

Via: Engadget

HTC Confirms Plans to Upgrade One S, One X and One XL to Jelly Bean, Doesn’t Mention Incredible 4G LTE is a post from: Droid Life

If you have been looking to buy or upgrade to the Incredible 4G LTE (overview here) on Verizon, Let’s Talk is offering the device up for only $39.99. This sale, along with an additional coupon code (DROID20) that is good for an extra $20 off, can be used by existing Big Red customers and first timers. That’s $19.99 for a brand new phone.

Update:  It looks like the extra $20 off deal may have ended on Sunday. Feel free to give it a shot, but either way, you can still grab the phone for $39.99, which is cheaper than any other retailer.

As for the device itself, it is powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon chip, incorporates HTC’s Sense UI, and sports an 8MP back shooter. We’re working on our full review right now, but in the mean time, you won’t find a much better deal than this.

Via: Let’s Talk, Facebook

Cheers Jigga_Z!

Buy the Incredible 4G LTE for as Little as $39.99 From Let’s Talk is a post from: Droid Life

I spent my first full day with the Incredible 4G LTE yesterday after putting it off over the holiday, and noticed something a bit frustrating almost immediately. See that screenshot above on the left? The “Ongoing” message to turn WiFi on. As an “Ongoing” notification, it never goes away. I’m not kidding about this either. If you take a look at the “Advanced Wi-Fi” shot to its right, you can see that there isn’t an option to remove this. So no matter what you are doing on your phone or where you are, which could mean you are 400 miles away from the nearest WiFi router, you will have that WiFi icon with a slash through it telling you to turn WiFi on. The only way to get that obnoxious little icon to go away, is to connect to a WiFi network. 

To make matters worse, this doesn’t seem to be isolated to the new Incredible. Samsung Galaxy S3 owners who received shipments from Verizon this week are reporting the exact same thing. From what we have heard, Big Red actually went as far as to remove the WiFi toggle in the notification bar that Samsung’s TouchWiz has become known for, and replaced it with this ongoing notification, that again, cannot be removed.

It’s probably safe to assume that this move is to get people to use WiFi more. If they are constantly reminding you to turn on WiFi, you probably will turn it on. Then you’ll use WiFi and not their network, which might be a smart idea for those of you stuck on those tiered or ridiculously overpriced shared data plans. I can’t help but admit that I find this ultra-obnoxious, though. I understand that this is a good way to remind novice users, but give the advanced population the ability to turn it off if we don’t like it.

If anyway finds a way to turn this off, please pass it along.

Yo Verizon, What’s With This Ongoing Wi-Fi Toggle Notification on the Galaxy S3 and Incredible 4G? is a post from: Droid Life

If the Samsung Galaxy S3 is not the phone for you and you are ready for something new, then the DROID Incredible 4G LTE, which became available today, is not a bad option. At $149, it packs a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4″ screen, NFC chip, 4G LTE radio, runs Ice Cream Sandwich with Sense 4.0, and should be one of Big Red’s most efficient phones yet. We unboxed it already if you are interested in watching that magic go down, but our full review will happen over the next week or so.

Buy.

Is this your next phone?

DROID Incredible 4G LTE Available Today From Verizon for $149 is a post from: Droid Life