X

Get the HTC Droid Incredible for free

It's one of the top-ranked Android phones on the market, and it's available for new and existing Verizon customers. You can even add lines with it!

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
The top-ranked Droid Incredible runs Android OS 2.2 (a.k.a. Froyo). It's available free with a two-year Verizon contract.
The top-ranked Droid Incredible runs Android OS 2.2 (aka Froyo). It's available free with a two-year Verizon contract. Wirefly

The HTC Droid Incredible may not be the Rolls Royce of Android-powered smartphones, but it's definitely one of the Cadillacs. CNET awarded it four stars and an Editors' Choice--and that was back when it was selling for $199.99.

Starting today, Wirefly has the Droid Incredible for free when you sign up for a two-year Verizon contract. The offer is good for both new and existing Verizon customers, and even for add-a-lines and family plans (meaning you could get up to five Incredibles for free).

Shipping is free, though you will see a $35 activation fee (per phone) on your first bill from Verizon.

What's so incredible about the Incredible? According to CNET's Bonnie Cha, it's "blazingly fast" (courtesy of Verizon's 3G network) and stocked with goodies like an 8-megapixel camera, 8GB of onboard RAM storage, and a "smooth, vibrant" WVGA display.

The phone originally came with version 2.1 of the Android OS, but it's now running the latest and greatest: 2.2, aka. Froyo.

I've seen the Incredible selling for as low as $39.99, but I haven't seen it anywhere for free. Thus, if you're looking to hop on the increasingly popular Android bandwagon, here's your chance to do it for the best possible price.

Of course, the phone may be free, but Verizon's service definitely ain't. Plan on paying a minimum of $70 per month during that two-year contract. That's always the tough pill to swallow, isn't it?

That's why I'm over the moon for Virgin Mobile's Samsung Intercept, the first prepaid, no-contract Android phone. It's a little pricey at $249.99, but get this: monthly plans start at just $25, including voice minutes and unlimited text messages and data.

Sounds too good to be true, right? It's not: I bought one for Mrs. Cheapskate, and we're paying $25 per month--period. (Taxes and fees are included, if you can believe that.) The Intercept is no Cadillac, but it's solid, reliable Android-powered transportation. You can check out my write-ups here and here, and CNET's here.