The Back Story: Smartphones with physical keyboards not made by RIM have become an endangered species. Thankfully, Motorola has kept the elderly school keyboard alive (and relevant) with its signature Droid series. The Google-owned company has put out a quantity of most powerful and quickest handsets on the market throughout the years, and have kicked off 2012 on a high note with the phenomenal RAZR Maxx. Looking to continue its hot streak, the company decided to pull the trigger one time again on a newer version of the original Droid phone. After misfiring massive time with the Droid three, Moto hopes to rejuvenate its trademark handset by welcoming a fashionable redesign, 4G speed, and an enhanced keyboard for its latest creation: the Droid four.
Marketed as the thinnest and most powerful 4G QWERTY smartphone, the Verizon powerhouse has progressively built a buzz amongst the Android faithful with plenty of labeling it the last great keyboard smartphone of this period. So with a couple of fresh upgrades and a sleek look, is the Droid four able to living up to this moniker?
Dope:
Industrial design and upgraded keyboard: From the dark-slate finish to the contoured edges, Motorolas newest kid sports the same streamlined aesthetics as the Droid RAZR (minus the Kevlar-coated rear). Its thought about the thinnest phone of its kind, boasting the slimmest profile of any QWERTY keyboard handset. Speaking of the QWERTY, Moto enhanced the keyboard with exceptional tactile feedback and long lasting buttons. Typing on the Droid four felt more comfortable than the last-gen model thanks to the smaller button layout and soft-touch keys. Composing emails, texts, and Facebook and Twitter updates appeared effortless. And with the edge-lit background, you'll be able to see and type on the whole keyboard in dark environments. It is arguably Verizon's best QWERTY phone.
Finally, A 4G Droid: With a handful of devices having adopted Verizons LTE network by mid-2011, reviewers were baffled to see the high-speed service excluded from the Droid three. Motorola smartened up and finally decided to bless its flagship series with 4G support. Our Speedtest.net analysis recorded download speeds of 15Mbps and 3Mbps download in Midtown Manhattan. Web browsing was instant as pages loaded quick, and Android Market purchases transferred over in a matter of seconds: somewhere between 7 and ten to be exact.
Solid battery life: The RAZR Maxx is not the only Android phone out there that can carryover a charge past ten hours on heavy use. All praises go to Motorolas Smart Actions software the energy saving feature that offers several energy preserving options. The same program can be found on both RAZR models (click here to see our breakdown). Moto's one,785 mAh battery holds up well, pulling an average 11 hours in the work of excessive web browsing and gambling sessions, while lasting a complete day on moderate use.
Verizon's best call phone: Its rare to discover a 4G smartphone with impeccable call quality. Verizon subscribers have a gem on their network, as the Droid four delivers great audio. Screened calls were loud, distortion-free, and clear on both ends. Wireless reception was strong throughout the Tri-State area, leading to no dropped calls. Motorolas Elite Sliver Bluetooth headset worked well with the handset and did a lovely job picking up vocals. The speakerphone also served its purposes for hands-free calls.
Strong processor and high storage capacity: Residing inside the Droid four is the same one.2GHz dual-core processor present in both RAZR models. Benchmarks stay the same as the phone generates super-fast navigation, pinpoint touch accuracy, and launches apps quickly. Its multitasking capabilities are great, with all operations jogging smooth when having up to eight programs open in the background. Moto's spec sheet claims the tool holds 16GB of memory, but only 8GB are available, along with two.73GB for apps. That is still respectable. And theres the choice of stuffing a 32GB or 64GB microSD card in there. And with the MotoCast app able to accessing documents and files from your computer, there is lots of memory to go around
Disappointing visuals: They actually found the 4-inch qHD touchscreen on the last Droid to be of the phone's largest strengths. With the Droid four rocking the same screen, they had high expectations for solid picture quality. Not the case. Images and videos lacked sharpness, and the color saturation and clarity was less than stellar.
Another Droid with camera issues: Motorolas track record with smartphone cameras isn't the best. A number of the same flaws found on the Droid RAZR and Photon 4G are still present here, such as delayed shutter speeds and unbalanced focus. Pics and videos also appeared dim and grainy, even in brightly lit settings.
Non-removable battery and case removal irritation: Motos recently become fixated with generating devices that prevent users from swapping out the internal battery. The Droid four falls in to that section. But thats nothing compared to the locksmith procedure necessary to pry open the back cover. The manufacturer requires users to place a little removal kit, which looks like a button with a little pin, in to a micro-hole located on the top right of the phone and apply pressure to slide down the cover. They ought to of given it the Kevlar treatment.
Final Review:
Final Say: The Droid four is a notable step up from its predecessor thanks to exceptional voice calling & an brilliant QWERTY keyboard. Unlike the Droid 3's short run, the addition of LTE will serve as the phone's most vital attribute assuring an extended shelf life. Besides those attributes, the Droid four dishes the same specs & performance as the RAZR smartphones. The dual-core is zippy, all of Motorolas corporate features are intact, & its compatible with all the companys accessories (Lapdock, HD Dock, etc.). & at $100 cheaper than the RAZR Maxx, they find it to be the better purchase for energy hogs, though the former is the general superior model. However, the Droid four also takes on the same illnesses as the RAZR line. The built-in battery could be a major issue in the long run & the camera program needs serious improvement. In the finish, the Droid four stands strong as the best QWERTY smartphone obtainable now.
