It was reported earlier this month that Android OS devices surpassed iPhone OS devices in the first quarter of 2010 to take the No. 2 position among smartphone operating systems, according to The NPD Group. With that news, many have begun to wonder (more openly) if the Google-powered, Android operating system is poised for a long-standing reign over the iPhone. With rumors swirling, and news popping up every day, it seems more and more likely that this battle is something that may be with us for a while.

The latest challenger to the iPhone throne is the HTC Droid Incredible at Verizon Wireless. I had the opportunity to take the Incredible for a test drive last week, and I must say, I was very impressed.

The first thing you'll notice as you pick up the Incredible is its size. Unlike the Android phones of past, this phone actually looks and feels similar to the iPhone.

This may be the most one to one comparison between the two operating systems available. The Motorola Droid may still be the strongest and most adept at running the Android operating system, but its slide out QWERTY keyboard gives it some additional size, weight and functionality that make it distinctively NOT an iPhone.

Unlike the last Android phone I had the chance to test drive, the Motorola Devour, the Incredible doesn't seem to struggle under the weight of its operation system. Response is fast, load times are good and the touch screen navigation is consistent. HTC brings a great ease to making this phone personal (as their brand promises with all of its phones) and was very easy for me to jump into. Step-by-step walk throughs had my personal email, work email and calendars all set up within minutes of taking the Incredible out of its box. This seems to be the first HTC phone I've had my hands on that can actually handle the power of the Android operating system.

The only think I truly missed about my iPhone was its one button navigation. This is only a personal preference however. The HTC Incredible has four touch sensitive buttons underneath the screen to aid in navigation and search. I found myself inadvertently triggering these buttons when writing messages or using the keyboard. Some people may like this feature, and they are just about essential to getting the most out of the Android system.

The verdict? For those sick of the AT&T service that they are locked into with the iPhone (for the time being), this phone would be my suggestion for those who are looking for a similar phone on the Verizon network. If you don't want to take my word for it, take a look on Twitter for #incredible, and see what others are saying about their experience.

Kyle Stuef is a marketing consultant who blogs on Internet/technology trends, and being a young professional in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor for The Deuce and AnnArbor.com

He can be reached at:

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@KyleStuef

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