By 
January 2011 is an awfully exciting month for Verizon Wireless employees and customers. At CES 2011, the company announced several 4G LTE phones including the Motorola Droid Bionic and the HTC Thunderbolt. Just a few days after the largest tech week of the year, Verizon Wireless announced details about the Apple iPhone 4. With many great choices, selecting the phone that works best for you can get awfully overwhelming. Fortunately, we’re back with yet another infographic with an in-depth look at three of our favorite upcoming Verizon Wireless smart phones.
We hope that this will help you find the device that best fits your daily needs. If you have any questions, feel free to ask below and we will try to answer them the best we can. If you like this, feel free to share this with friends and family. We even have a convenient share box off to the right. If you found an error or have suggestions for improvements, feel free to let us know.
OK that graph has many errors, the bionic has an expandable SD card slot up to 32gb and it comes with a 16gb SD card, and at CES it showes the battery has 1900 Mah(and the never stated the talk or standby times), it has a gyroscope, and they showed the same FM radio application in the app drawer as the Droid x(so like the Droid x it has an FM tunner), and the Motorola representative said that the qhd display has the same resolution as the iPhone 4. So please correct the mistakes on your graph and check facts before posting information, and don’t guess on information, it can be construed as misleading.
It isn’t an SD card, it uses microSD. The diagram is correct. I don’t see on moto’s website that they say gyroscopes anywhere. and neither do i see mention of radio anywhere on the web.
I want to see an official sheet that has all this info you are stating. I am considering buying this and I am hearing weird specs from you.
Great piece and discussion.
My priorities (I am a Verizon customer with a contract expiring soon):
1. Windows Phone 7 on Verizon near June – I think it will be the new “business” phone
2. iPhone 5 (definitely do not want the 4)
3. Bionic (if the ones above are not what I expect, or don’t come out by July 1st)
4. Thunderbolt (don’t like that it doesn’t have hdmi, probably a deal breaker)
I would get the Atrix right now, if I was an AT&T customer, or had any trust in AT&T’s service
i4 has a 960×640@326 pixels per inch, the XT865 has 960×540@240 pixels….thats hardly similar. The Mot rep couldnt have said they were the same. The XT865 has a magnetometer and an accelerometer, and that can almost emulate a 3 axis 6 input gyro, but it doesnt have a physical MEMS integrated circuit that provides gyroscopic feed.
I’m thinking of getting my first smart phone. I have an old flip phone from VZ. What happened to the days when people choose their phone by the physical style, flip, candy bar, full keyboard? It seems to me your comparing features most people would never use? Maybe I’m wrong. I would use the phone to …make calls, camera/video, internet access, watch some shows.wifi.. 300,000 apps? Really? I might use 5 good ones. Adobe flash would seem important? y/n? FM radio would seem cool? hdmi/usb also nice feature. I’m still undecided. I have an upgrade with vz. From what I’ve read I’m grandfathered in. I think I get $100 off the iphone if I choose that. I’ll wait till they announce the pricing plans. I also don’t want big and bulky. undecided.
This was a very good piece with a great graphic layout. I’m a verizon customer who is looking to upgrade around March and was originally considering the Droid X or the iPhone, but now I think I might just have to throw the Droid Bionic into the mix as it looks to be a great choice and perhaps the best. What is the release date for that one? Did I miss it?
The only date we know so far is for the Verizon Apple iPhone: February 10th. No official launch date so far for the other two.
Thanks.
nice article & comparison… bt i’m a little depressed now..
Oh mann….. i just very recently bought an HTC Desire…. I should have read this article earlier…
is the 3G battery life when 3G is on or when you are using to surf the internet?
It is for talk time.
The bionic KICKS ASS
Motorola could provide Android 2.2 to only a fraction of their Android devices so far (notice that 2.3 is released by now!):
https://supportforums.motorola.com
If you buy Droid Bionic phone, the chances are after 6 months you will end up with a brick with ancient software.
I wouldnt spend money on buying this phone however cool it looks at first place. I recommend waiting for a similar phone from another manufacturer which can provide software updates.
Will any support GSM for international travel? Thanks!
These are all CDMA phones, they do not have the traditional SIM cards. However, the Bionic and Thunderbolt have SIM cards for 4G LTE, which isn’t the same as 3G.
The Droid BIONIC Does have a 16GB microSD card pre-installed.You should also mention processors and RAM – The Droid BIONIC has 512MB’s of RAM, and a 1GHz Dual Core Nvidia Tegra 2 Processor.
How about voice to text capability. I think this comes “out of the box” for the Droid X…..nice feature to have when you can speak into the phone and have it translated into a text message automatically. I don;t think this is the case with the iphone, but might be available via a 3rd part application.
Any thoughts or experience with this feature on the Droid or installed as an app on the iphone?
I have actually used the Voice Actions feature by Google on the HTC EVO quite often. It works pretty darn well. I can just hold down the dedicated “search key” for about two seconds until a prompt appears. Then you can say “send text message to John Smith [pause] when do you want to meet up?” Assuming that the person’s name is in you address book, it works almost perfectly. However your mileage may vary depending on your accent or voice.
We will definitely consider that category, thanks for pointing it out.
Sahas, I still have yet to find an explanation of why LTE needs SIM cards. Do you know? All I have found is that just having a SIM card will not make them swappable like GSM phones. But if not, I can’t figure out why they are needed.
I am sitting on an upgrade to my first “smartphone”. My primary use will be watching streaming video – Slingbox or other live events streamed online (ESPN3 and a local college team both broadcast games online that I want to watch on my phone). Is there any reason to wait for the Bionic instead of getting the Thunderbolt? I’ve waited this long for the upgrade, I don’t want to waste it for a month or two and end up with a phone that doesn’t do what I want. I don’t understand the specs enough to answer my question, so I’m hoping someone can help me
First off, if this is your first smart phone, there’s no way either one will disappoint. Both are rock solid devices. The Bionic is much faster since it features two processors compared to one, but the Thunderbolt has the HTC Sense UI which is much friendlier and prettier. However the Bionic has a larger battery and will last longer on a single charge.
For the most part, if you are not looking for a specific “must have” feature, you can not go wrong with either device. I would suggest walking into a Verizon Wireless store and playing with both before buying. Pick the one that you feel comfortable with.
I’ve been eligible for an upgrade on verizon for a couple months now. I’ve bee holding for the iphone to come out and it finally has, but it seems like everyone’s saying the iphone 4 isnt the way to go. I thought the thunderbolt was looking good and am really deciding between that and the iphone. I also live in a smaller town and probably won’t see 4g coming my way any time soon, so I don’t know if no 4g with the iphone should totally change my decision. I mainly want a phone for texts, music, calling, and messing around on apps. I use itunes and know the iphone would be solid for my music library no doubt. Does the thunderbolt have a good layout for music as well, and could I sync it with itunes? Also, is the thunderbolt pretty bulky? Does it compare in size to the htc Evo? I don’t know what to go with, iphone or thunderbolt?
Hey Daniel,
I would suggest reading this article I wrote recently: http://skattertech.com/2011/01/5-reasons-not-to-buy-the-verizon-iphone-4/
Quick Summary: The iPhone 4 is not new hardware, just slightly tweaked for Verizon Wireless. A new iPhone will come out in a few months and you may not want to be stuck with an old model for two whole years.
The Thunderbolt is much larger than the iPhone 4, no question. However, I wouldn’t call it bulky. If Verizon ends up charging the same monthly price for the iPhone 4 as the Thunderbolt, you might as well get the latter. Both the Bionic and Thunderbolt phones are entirely backwards compatible with 3G, you do not need to be in a 4G area for it to work. If you ever travel to a 4G city, you can enjoy the faster speeds.
The Thunderbolt does a great job handling music, but it is still a slight step down from the iPhone 4. You will only be able to transfer iTunes Plus tracks to the Bionic or Thunderbolt. If you have MP3s or other ripped files, there should be no problem. You can not use iTunes it self to move stuff to an Android phone since Apple only built it for their devices, but you can either manually copy files over or use a program like DoubleTwist which is a great solution.
Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. Do you know when verizon’s 4g will be nationwide? I live in a smaller town in minnesota a couple hours away from minneapolis. Will I see 4g any time soon?
I would suggest checking http://network4g.verizonwireless.com/#/coverage for detailed maps.
I also heard this during a press conference “We will quickly expand 4G LTE, and by 2013 will reach the existing Verizon Wireless 3G coverage area.” – Dan Mead, President and CEO of Verizon Wireless
Thanks for the link, very helpful. I think I’m gonna go for the iphone 4. I’m in serious need of a new ipod/music player. Thats the main reason, I need a phone thats really music integrated and smooth and I need it pretty quick. As much as I’d like to wait for the iphone 5, I just cant do it. Having the latest in technology is almost impossible, especially when dealing with apple, and thats something Ive come to accept. I see why people go for droids, but I think the iphone is more suitable for me. I’m a high schooler living in a smaller town in desperate need of a phone/music player. The free market on droid seems great, but its all stuff I feel I could live without. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate the help and will probably be checking out scatter tech for more wisdom in the future. Cheers
Thank you so much for posting this – I am a Verizon customer who currently has the DROID 2 but was eyeballing the new iPhone4 option for obvious reasons. Finally being able to see the side by side comparison, I am now convinced to stick with the DROID. I mean, hands down, the iPhone is sleeker and prettier, with a cleaner interface. However, if it doesn’t have the free turn by turn nav (which I use ALL THE TIME – I am useless without it), Swype (which makes typing on those virtual screens much easier), or Adobe Flash, that’s a dealbreaker. Plus, with my DROID, I can sync with my Outlook work mail for free on my regular $29.99 unlimited data plan. With the iPhone, in order to get your corporate mail, you need to get a more expensive data plan ($15 more!) Stickin’ with Android…
Glad it helped you make a decision. And I actually completely agree with your choice. The Droid 2 is a fairly new phone. It may not have some fancy extras like 4G support, but I would definitely hold onto it for at least another year before upgrading. Unless it is broken of course.
Also, we made an infographic that compares the iPhone 4 and Droid 2 specifically last year:
http://skattertech.com/2010/08/infographic-epic-4g-vs-iphone-4-vs-droid-2/
P.S. I’m not 100% positive, but I don’t think you would need to pay extra to access MS Exchange with a regular iPhone data plan.
We use an Exchange Server & a BES Server. Currently we support blackberries & iPhones. A lot of us are interested in the new Droids. Does anyone know how a Droid can work in an office environment? Someone told me if I buy TouchDown for $25 per phone. Any ideas?
I currently have the motorola devour, and I just dont like how the phone works. My phone is running off the 1.6 and its not much older than the other Motorola droids. I have also been told that it is not going to upgrade anymore, and im hesitant about waiting for the droid bionic even though this makes it look better than the thunderbolt(i read the bionic is sluggish). So what im worried about is after a new 4g motorola droid comes out, what happens to upgrades on this one?
The Motorola Devour was definitely a bummer. I honestly think that things have changed since back then. Android was in its infancy at the time. In less than a year, they have gone pretty darn far. I don’t know about the Bionic being sluggish since I have only tried the early prototype at CES last month. I can say for sure that the Thunderbolt will be a pretty great performing Android device.
I also wouldn’t worry too much about updating. Your phone will likely get 1-2 major Android updates before they stop pushing out any more. At that point, you will probably want a new phone anyways as your standard two year contract runs up.
If you want to compare the Droid Bionic vs. HTC Thunderbolt vs. LG Revolution go here http://exm.nr/hhpkeo
Infographic is awesome! Just stumbled upon your site while researching options for a new phone and wanted to say I was really impressed with the your site! Lots of useful info presented in a really easy-to-use manner. Thanks!
may be dumb question but this will be my wife and i’s first smart phones. i love to tinker and dont mind haveing to “figure things out” but my wife gets confused easily so i am trying to figure out which phone is the most user friendly. i.e. which one will she not get frustrated with and blame on me:)
I think your wife will enjoy the HTC Thunderbolt the best. The HTC Sense UI is very polished and it looks gorgeous. Some people are afraid of Android since they think it is robotic or overcomplicated, but I can honestly say that is no longer the case. The latest versions have plenty of polishing to make for a easy to use experience. My mother, who isn’t too tech savvy, was able to figure out how to use most features on a Droid X the first time she used it in about 30 mins.
I’ll be getting a Thunderbolt or Bionic, but having played with both Android and iOS, I think the iPhone is actually simpler to use. If I had to get my mom one, it would be the iPhone. Give her only one button to remember and which will get her out of trouble every time and she can handle that.
I have heard that the HTC Evo has a short Battery life. Will the HTC Thunderbolt have the same issue? I only need the phone to last a day.
It has a more efficient snap dragon processor, so it should be better. I don’t know if Verizon 4G is more power hungry than Sprint 4G. I can only imagine that there will be improvements after a year.
Well after much searching and painful decisions I decided to get the droid x and my wife got the iphone.can’t tell you how glad I am I got the droid however my wife loves her iphone.I couldn’t wait for the thunder bolt any more and I’m am completely happy.
LIAR! BURRRRRN HIM! HE’S A WIIIIITCH!
the droid bionic looks incredible i am sooo gonna get that…..
The Thunderbolt does not have Swype pre-loaded. I hear it is somewhat buggy when you do install it as well. Time to fix the graphics :)
Thanks for pointing that out. You are correct. I have a Thunderbolt and it does not have Swype out of the box.
P.S. Full Thunderbolt review coming soon!
Well, this helped out alot, I’ve looked at alot of sites trying to figure out which one to get. This will be my first smart phone as well. The HTC is going to be my choice, however, will the price remain the same thru summer you think? Would it be prudent to wait and save a little coin, untill late May or early June when some of the other phones may be coming out of the closet?
My review is coming very very very soon. All the details will be inside. Sorry for the delay!
Sorry Boogy here again, I also wanted to ask again, I read all the comments, but I’m still confused on battery time. I like the HTC Thunderbolt, I want to get it, but I’m out in the field for extended periods of time and I’m not sure if 6 plus hours are going to do it. Most of the cons I have been reading are not being able to shut down 4G and the batter sux. Am I just looking to far into this, I’ve heard most smart phones all have batteries that leave alot to be desired. Am I gonna have to start backpacking a car battery around with me with a charger adapter so I can keep connected? I know my chiropractor would appreciate that.
Boogyman, take a look at the Thunderbolt forum at Android Central. http://forum.androidcentral.com/htc-thunderbolt . There are a couple of stickied posts up at the top where all the Thunderbolt owners list their battery experiences, problems, tricks, and tips. I’ve been skimming threads like that since it launched and it appears that people’s experience varies widely.
Some people just seem to have no problem at all and get good battery performance even with substantial use during the day. It seems like more people have less favorable experiences, but then there are all the tips and tricks people use that improve the experience, everything from reducing the frequency with which things like facebook check for updates to lowering screen brightness to disabling the Blockbuster app to using JuiceDefender etc. etc.
It also depends on where you are. It seems that people on the border of a 4G area go dead faster because it keeps trying to grab onto 4G. Other people just notice that if they toggle off 4G (there are several apps for that now as well as some more techie do-it-yourself techniques) they get better battery life.
Some people also use a technique called bump charging to get more juice. And while I didn’t believe them initially, HTC’s story about how the battery has to be conditioned initially seems to be true based on numerous reports. People report that for the first 5 or 6 days they get terrible battery life and then seemingly for no reason start getting better battery life. HTC says it’s something to do with the phone learning your usage patterns and then self adjusting its power management to optimize. But users on the above site were saying that these kind of batteries in general have to go through 5 or 6 full charge cycles to get conditioned, so it may not be something unique to the Thunderbolt, or both of those things are happening in this instance.
It sounds to me like the savvy user who reads all the tips can get decent battery life, with the understanding that, as you said, smartphones in general just don’t get good battery life like phones used to because they’ve got so much going on, such as giant, hi-tech color screens and high-speed web surfing. With that said, I’ve seen a number of threads there about people who felt like they had done all the tricks and still weren’t getting good battery life out of their Thunderbolt. Do some digging there and see what you see.
So it sounds like it’s a bit of a crapshoot but that your other options as of now aren’t spectacular either. The Droid Incredible apparently had bad battery life but I haven’t heard anything particularly bad about the Droid X or the Droid 2, both of which are still available, but are both 3g and at this point last-generation tech. The 4G Samsung Droid Charge will be out any day now and that has a 1500mAh battery, just a hair more than the Thunderbolt. I don’t think any previews have yet discussed battery life.
The Motorola Droid Bionic, originally rumored to come out towards the end of April, recently rumored to be delayed until May, has a 1930mAh battery, but nobody knows anything about how well the phone uses it yet. It’s got a higher res screen which I suppose will use more power but DDR2 RAM which should use less. And it’s dual core, which they say leads to lower power usage but some say current versions of Android aren’t yet optimized to take advantage of 2 cores. Who knows how it will come out overall.
The LG Revolution is the other 4G phone known to be coming out soon on Verizon. I don’t think we know anything about its battery situation. I stopped looking for news on that one. Good luck. I’m doing the same dance as you.
they should definitley resize the screen on the new droid bionic, or at least just widen it out a little more. that way it kind of sets itself apart from the iphone’s. also im hoping they make the new droid bionic with mobile hotspot capabilities, i see huge room for improvement in that area of mobile development. even still, 3G is difficult and makes for a choppy UX. guess we’ll have to wait and see what 4G brings. great post.