Less than a year after the Droid 3 saw a release, Verizon and Motorola have announced the Droid 4 at CES. It’s basically a Droid Razr with a keyboard and smaller display, but that’s nothing to underestimate. Smartphone shoppers wondering how it stacks up next to the Razr and the Galaxy Nexus will want to read on.
A few key specs of the Droid 4 haven’t been officially announced yet. These include price (will it be $200 or $300?), release date (we only know that it will launch within “the next few weeks”), and the precise physical dimensions.
Let’s take a closer look at the blood and guts of these three phones:
Design and dimensions
The physical dimensions haven’t yet leaked for the Droid 4, but it’s definitely a thicker version of theDroid Razr, as the slide-out keyboard adds some girth.
No matter what the exact dimensions are, the Droid 4 will easily be the thickest of these three phones. The Razr is incredibly thin (7.1mm at its thinnest point), and the svelte Galaxy Nexus is only slightly thicker (8.84mm).
Display
Expect the Droid 4′s display to be identical to the Droid 3′s. Verizon documents list Super AMOLEDfor the Droid Razr, but the Droid 4′s display gets no such designation. The display’s four inch size and qHD resolution are confirmed; it will likely be using TFT LCD technology.
Processor
We’re taking liberties, as the exact model of the Droid 4 processor is unknown. We do know that it’s a dual-core 1.2GHz processor. As the Droid 4 has nearly identical hardware to the Razr, it’s probably the same Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 CPU.
RAM
All three phones are equal in RAM, with 1GB each.
Storage
The internal storage and SD card capabilities in the Droid 4 are another identical Razr spec: 16GB with an SD slot. The SD slot will support up to 32GB of storage. The Galaxy Nexus forgoes an SD card, but offers double the internal storage, with 32GB.
Download speeds
The US versions of these phones will all have identical download speeds on Verizon’s LTE network. International Galaxy Nexus owners will have to settle for HSPA+. If AT&T or T-Mobile eventually offer the Galaxy Nexus, then HSPA+ could show in the states as well.
Battery
The Droid 4 has the best battery of the three, by a small margin. That doesn’t guarantee the best battery life though, as software and other hardware will also determine uptime.
Camera
The Droid 4 will have the same camera as the Droid Razr. Some reviewers were disappointed with its image quality, so those extra megapixels over the Galaxy Nexus won’t guarantee a better camera.
Intangibles
In Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, the Dark Knight’s suit is made of Kevlar. Though it wasn’t supplied by Lucius Fox, the back of the Droid Razr is coated with the same material. The phone isn’t bulletproof, but it is more likely to survive a drop.
The Galaxy Nexus’s stock Ice Cream Sandwich firmware is a huge selling point. Android is growing up with version 4.0, and the Galaxy Nexus is still the only available phone that is running it.
The Droid 4′s biggest differentiator is its slide-out keyboard. Despite the dominance of multitouch display phones, some smartphone users still want physical keys. The Droid 4 will launch as the best phone on the market that has a physical keyboard.
Another miscellaneous feature of both the Droid 4 and the Droid Razr is their compatibility with Lapdock accessories. Both handsets are compatible with the 10.1 inch Lapdock 100, the 14-inch Lapdock 500 Pro, the HD Dock, and the HD Station with vehicle navigation mount.
Summing up
The Galaxy Nexus is, for most people, the best Android phone on the market. It might even be the best phone on the market. Its combination of high-end hardware and cutting-edge software is unmatched on the Android platform.
But if any Android phones can give it a run for its money, they’re these two Droids from Motorola. The Razr packs high-end specs into a ridiculously thin case, and — though it packs some extra girth — the Droid 4 sets a new benchmark for keyboard-laden handsets.
If we lived in a one-size-fits-all world, the Galaxy Nexus would be the clear choice. But since each customer has unique taste, your choice could just as easily be the Droid Razr or the Droid 4. Playing with all three phones (and others) in a store is the best — and most fun — way to find out.
Verizon and Motorola Droid 4 press release
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