Motorola Droid RAZR vs. Apple iPhone 4S

The Motorola Droid RAZR is one of the most-hyped phones in recent memory. But you don't need to think back too far to recall the months of rumors and speculation surrounding the Apple iPhone 4S. So now that the RAZR is available, how does it stack up to Apple's month-old iPhone? We've compiled specs for each phone in the table below to find out.

Priced at $299.99 with a two-year contract, the Droid RAZR is astoundingly thin, at just 0.28 inches. But it manages to pack in a dual-core 1.2-GHz TI OMAP 4 processor, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED advanced qHD display, and 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video recording. There's also 16GB of internal storage, along with a 16GB microSD card, expandable to 32GB. And of course, there are the numerous accessories, not included, that can transform the RAZR into other devices, such as a laptop (via a laptop dock similar to the one available for the Motorola Atrix 2 and Droid Bionic).

The RAZR is shipping with Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread), but Motorola has said that it will receive an update to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) in early 2012.

The iPhone 4S ($199.99—$399.99 with a two-year contract), meanwhile, is powered by Apple's new dual-core A5 chip, which Apple claims can deliver up to two times more power and seven times faster graphics performance than the iPhone 4. In addition, the iPhone 4S is a world phone, meaning it supports both CDMA and GSM networks. It has an 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capture, and is available in 16, 32, or 64GB versions.

While the specs for both phones are relatively similar, one of the biggest differences is that the Droid RAZR taps into Verizon's 4G LTE network, while the iPhone 4S uses 3G. While Verizon's 3G network offers excellent coverage, it is no match for the blazing speeds devices can reach over 4G LTE. In testing speeds on the Droid RAZR, we saw downloads range from 3 to 16 Mbps down. That's significantly speedier than 3G, over which we saw an average of 0.76 Mbps down when we tested for the Fastest Mobile Networks earlier this year.

Then there are some features you can't compare in a spec box: like the diamond-cut aluminum accents, tapered corners, stainless steel core, and laser-cut woven Kevlar fiber that make up the Droid RAZR; or the impossibly sharp retina display and beautiful industrial design of the iPhone 4S.

So which phone is the winner? Judging by specs alone, there is no clear cut answer. Take a look at our review of the Motorola Droid RAZR, or the Apple iPhone 4S. Though we reviewed the phone on Sprint, it should give you a good idea of what you can expect on Verizon.

Will Apple iPhone 4S Lose to Top 6 Android Phones?

Apple Inc.'s iPhone 4S has generated an overwhelming response by consumers, but the smartphone has experienced battery-life problems for weeks now. Amid these continuing issues, the iPhone 4S is predicted to face tough challenges from Android devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Motorola Droid RAZR, HTC Vivid, and HTC Rezound or Vigor.

Early last month, Apple took the wraps off the iPhone 4S, instead of the highly anticipated iPhone 5. Nonetheless, the Apple smartphone officially sold 4 million units during its opening weekend.

Within a week of the device's release, however, there were persistent battery-life complaints from iPhone 4S users. And some Apple customers suggested that the iOS 5 mobile operating system has also had a negative effect on power usage by other iDevices. To rectify the issue, the company recently released its iOS 5.0.1 software update.

The iOS 5.0.1 update came more than a week after Apple first acknowledged that some users were running into problems with shorter-than-anticipated battery life after upgrading to the latest version of its iOS. The software update was designed to fix bugs affecting battery life, in addition to making three other key improvements.

Despite missing prominent specifications like edge-to-edge design, a larger display, 4G LTE, and near-field communication (NFC) technology, the iPhone 4S has some important features that were rumored to be part of the imaginary iPhone 5.

The features of the Apple smartphone include a 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU, Apple A5 chipset, and 8-megapixel camera. It also has a 3.5-inch TFT Retina multitouch display, and is loaded with iOS 5.

Top 5 Android Phones That Could Beat Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which is the first phone running on Google's Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, is expected to arrive in the United States after Nov. 25, Black Friday. However, some Android smartphone contenders will try their best to spoil the party.

Google Inc. and Samsung unveiled Galaxy Nexus which runs on Ice Cream Sandwich, the newest version of Android, at an event in Hong Kong Oct. 18.

Ice Cream Sandwich is a combination of Gingerbread and Honeycomb in one unit. Android Head of Engineering Mike Claren announced that the new OS is Google's "most ambitious release to date."

Nokia Lumia 800 vs. iPhone 4S vs. Nexus Galaxy

Nokia is betting its future on Microsoft’s mobile OS, and on Wednesday introduced its first Windows Phone 7 device, the Lumia 800. If the Lumia 800 looks familiar, that’s because it’s similar to the Nokia N9, which runs OS (MeeGo) soon to be ditched. The Lumia 800 brings a few improvements over its relegated sibling, including a faster processor, but compared to the big boys, the iPhone 4S and the latest Android Galaxy Nexus and Droid RAZR, Nokia’s flagship is still falling behind.


The Lumia 800 has a smaller curved 3.7-inch screen than the N9, which had a 3.9-inch display -- a change needed to accommodate the three hardware buttons Windows Phone 7 OS requires under the display. Lumia’s display is slightly larger than the 3.5-inch screen on the iPhone 4S, but significantly smaller than the huge 4.65-inch display on the Galaxy Nexus.

Nokia’s phone also has the lowest display pixel density at 800 by 480 pixels, a far cry from the Nexus Galaxy’s resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels, or the Retina display on the iPhone 4S, which has the highest pixel density in the comparison.

Nokia can’t brag about how slim the Lumia 800 is. At 12.1 mm, it’s the thickest phone in the line-up. It’s also the heaviest, at 142 grams, a hair more than the iPhone 4S and the Nexus Galaxy.

On the inside, the Nokia Lumia does not feature a dual-core processor: it has a 1.4GHz single-core processor with 512MB of RAM. In comparison, the iPhone 4S runs on a 1GHz dual-core chip with 512MB of RAM and at the top of the line there’s the Galaxy Nexus with a 1.2GHz dual-core chip and 1GB of RAM.

The Lumia 800 is a mixed bag in the camera department. It has an 8-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens on the back, like the iPhone 4S, but unlike Apple’s phone, it doesn’t record 1080p HD video, only 720p. Even Galaxy Nexus’ 5-megapixel-camera records 1080p video. Surprisingly, the Lumia 800 doesn’t feature a front-facing camera for video calls, which makes it the only phone in the comparison without one.

Overall, Nokia’s Lumia 800 could be an interesting proposal for those who want a smartphone that’s not an iPhone or Android, with solid guts and shiny looks. But when compared to its competitors, the Lumia 800 does not have anything extraordinary to offer: it’s not the thinnest or fastest of phone, nor has it the best camera or extra features (no expandable storage, no secondary camera, no HDMI, no NFC).

Nokia didn’t say which US carriers would sell the Lumia 800. The phone becomes available in November for around $584 unlocked.