Verizon 4G Phones Compared

Now that Verizon has a solid choice of 4G phones we thought we’d compare the three most powerful in the range -the Motorola DROID Bionic, Samsung DROID Charge and the HTC Thunderbolt – and see how they stack up for battery life, usability and design look and feel.

Good & Bad Points common to all three
If you’re upgrading from a 3G phone, each of these phones represents a major upgrade in the speed and responsiveness you’ll experience when using the mobile web or apps that use web connections for data transfer. While Verizon has a number of non-4G phones with great specs, like the Droid 3, the fact is without a 4G network connection anything that needs a web connection is going to feel treacle slow compared to a 4G phone.

There’s also a common downside to mosts 4G phones right now and that’s battery life. All that extra speed tends be a drain on the battery. The solutions are to charge more frequently, get in the habit of toggling the 4G network connection on your phone on and off to save power or – probably the easiest and most sensible – make a small investment in an extended battery so that each charge lasts a lot longer.

With those details out of the way, let’s compare the phones.

Motorola DROID Bionic

The Bionic is is only dual-core phone in this review and that already gives it a head start because the speed is nothing short of sensational. The 1GHz dual-core, 1GB RAM and Android 2.3.4 running right out of the box all make the Bionic fly along, especially when it’s running on the Verizon 4G LTE network.

Good
The dual-core processor makes this the fastest phone compared to the others. Call quality is excellent and the hefty 1,735 mAh battery is the biggest and longest lasting of all four phones.

Bad
The front-facing camera is only 0.3 megapixels and it’s the most expensive phone we’ve compared here.

Samsung DROID Charge

The DROID Charge has spent most of the year as the best-selling Verizon 4G phone. That’s down to a combination of a slick design and interface and – until the recent appearance of the DROID Bionic – being the fastest 4G phone on Verizon.

Good
The main draw the gorgeous Super AMOLED 4.3 inch display – it’s one of the brightest and clearest on any phone you can buy today.

Bad
The DROID Charge doesn’t feel as solid as the Bionic and not everyone will like the all over black look, which could be described as either sleek or plain depending your point of view.

HTC Thunderbolt 4G

As Verizon’s first 4G phone the Thunderbolt has proved itself to be a worthy best-seller and is a firm favorite of critics and phone buyers alike.

Good
The Thunderbolt feels solid in the hand and the kickstand is great for propping the phone up while watching movies. The User Interface is HTC’s Sense which is one of the best out there and includes a number of useful apps.

Bad
Now that a software update has fixed earlier random reboot problems, the one remaining downside is the battery. At 1400mAh it’s smaller than both the DROID Charge & Bionic and the LG Revolution. It’s a good phone but an extended battery is a must if you’re a heavy user.

Review Summary
Right now, the best Verizon 4G phone is without question the Motorola DROID Bionic. It’s a fast device on a fast network. If Verizon’s $299.99 price tag is too much to bear, consider going the Amazon where it’s less than half that.

If you’re buying on a budget we recommend the Samsung DROID Charge.