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iPhone 4S vs. Motorola Droid RAZR: Features, Pricing, Software

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A few days ago, Apple launched the iPhone 4S to much fanfare. The carrier has already sold millions of new iPhone 4S’ but we just get the feeling that there are those that decided to hold out to see what Motorola and Samsung had up their sleeves on October 18th, today.

Well, Motorola’s announcement has come and gone and it has introduced the Motorola Droid RAZR, a device that combines two of the most iconic mobile brand names, Droid and RAZR.

The Droid RAZR is shaping up to be a fantastic release, check out our hands-on with it here, but how does it stack up compared to the iPhone 4S?

Droid RAZR

Motorola Droid RAZR

Let’s take a quick look.

Features

Features iPhone 4S Motorola Droid RAZR
Weight and Dimensions
  • Depth: 0.37 inch (9.3 mm)
  • Weight: 4.9 ounces (140 grams)
  • Depth: 0.27 inches (7.1mm)
  • Weight: 4.48 oz (127 grams)
Camera 8 megapixels

  • Autofocus
  • Tap to focus
  • LED flash
  • Backside illumination sensor
  • Five-element lens
  • Face detection
  • Front camera with VGA resolution
8 megapixels

  • Autofocus
  • Image Stabilizer
  • LED flash
  • 1.3MP front-facing camera
Video Recording Improved HD video recording

  • 1080p 30 fps
  • Tap to focus while recording
  • LED light
  • Video stabilization
HD video recording

  • 1080p video recording
Display High-resolution Retina display

  • 960-by-640 resolution
  • 326 ppi
  • Multi-Touch
Super AMOLED qHD display

  • 540 x 960 resolution
  • 4.3-inches
  • Scratch resistant glass
Cellular and Wireless
  • UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA
  • GSM/EDGE
  • CDMA EV-DO Rev. A2
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • LTE
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n
Other Key Features
  • Siri Assistant
  • 16GB/32GB/64GB
  • 512MB of RAM
  • Apple A5 Dual-Core Processor
  • 16GB of storage
  • NFC
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 1.2GHz dual-core processor
  • Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread

Lots of differences here obviously but I’ll point out what I consider the biggest ones. First, the Droid RAZR has LTE capabilities. The iPhone 4S does not. If you want fast data speeds, the Droid RAZR is the one you want.

The Droid RAZR also features a stainless steel core, a Kevlar back, and a splash guard screen. We know how fragile the iPhone 4S’ design is, so, if you need a durable phone, again, the Droid RAZR is certainly something to take a look at.

Siri

iOS 5's Siri.

Software

The iPhone 4S runs Apple’s iOS 5 which has the much heralded Siri voice control assistant on board and a swath of improvements from wireless syncing to a new Notification system.

The Droid RAZR runs Google’s Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread operating system which is about be overshadowed by the company’s Android 4.0 announcement later today.

As we told you, the Droid RAZR runs Gingerbread well and the UI that Motorola has put over it is a vast improvement over previous versions of MotoBlur.

Dare we say enjoyable.

No word on when the Droid RAZR will be getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Release Date

Obviously, the iPhone 4S is already out. It was released on October 14th around the world and Apple sold 4 million units in three days. It’s a popular phone.

Unfortunately, Motorola and Verizon did not give the Droid RAZR an official release date. Instead, they just said November. Le sigh. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have a rumored date though.

November 10th is the anticipated launch date so we’re probably just under a month away from an official launch.

Pre-orders for the Droid RAZR begin on October 27th.

Carriers

Pretty obvious here. The iPhone 4S is currently available on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon here in the U.S. It’s also available on an assortment of carriers around the world.

The Droid RAZR?

It will be available exclusively on Verizon but it will also be launching around the world as the Motorola RAZR. Countries and carriers are currently unknown. We’ll know more once we get closer to November.

Pricing

Because the Motorola Droid RAZR is a 4G LTE phone, Verizon is going to be charging a premium to the tune of $299 on a new two year contract. In comparison, the iPhone 4S, which costs the same on all carriers, has an asking price of $199 for a 16GB model, $299 for a 32GB variant and $399 for the 64GB option.

Droid RAZR

So, the Droid RAZR is on par with a 32GB iPhone 4S, just for reference.

As for the off-c0ntract pricing for the Droid RAZR, it’s currently unknown. The iPhone 4S  off-contract pricing starts at $649. If the Droid Bionic’s off-contract price is any indication, we should see the Droid RAZR show up for about $569 off-contract at Verizon.

13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. Jaswanth Koppu

    10/19/2011 at 5:07 am

    the screen is to big ..it doesn’t fit in pocket. we need to hold the device all the time …

    the biggest drawback .. the smartphone screen size should not cross 4″ so that we keep the device in our pockets.

    • Sam P

      10/19/2011 at 2:35 pm

      It’s 10mm wider and 15mm longer than an iPhone 4.  If that doesn’t fit in your pocket, you probably can’t fit a wallet in either. Now, I prefer to not load up my pockets myself, but when necessary, I can usually fit a rack-sized paperback in most of my pants pockets, and even a B&N Nook fits in some.

    • I have a_iphoner

      10/22/2011 at 5:46 am

      Stick to your iphones, I recall all the iphone fanboys were saying that 4″ is way to big for a phone (3.5″ is the perfect size), but with all the rumor mill going on earlier this month, before the actual specs of the iphone 4s came out (supposely iphone 5 rumors to be a 4″ screen) now it’s acceptable, really? Then I have to sit here and listen to iphoners sayiing 4g LTE is a gimick, i don’t care for it, it kills your battery and such, etc….

      To me 4g LTE (as of now) is like nitrious oxide (NOS), used it only when you needed it. When you need the extra pep, pressed the button and enjoy the ride! Why do we even need it, you asked? Well try downloading a 400mb file/game through your little 3g phone? Exactly, welcome to 2010 buddy!
      I was able to achieved that in 5 minutes!

      But, we all have our opinions and freedom of choice to choose (unless you own a iphone, lol…. not) The speeds are getting faster, screens are getting larger and thinner, welcome to ever changing world of technology, that is all…..

  2. Jemmans

    10/20/2011 at 8:32 pm

    Seems a little bias here there was no comparison here it was just bashing the iPhone.

  3. Dod

    10/20/2011 at 8:44 pm

    This article is awful.. it doesn’t have clear points between two devices.

  4. Sensible Post

    10/21/2011 at 10:27 pm

    I think all these authors get kick-backs from whichever company they shine the most light on. Bottom line is your either going to buy android, apple or whatever floats your boat or what you can afford.

  5. johny

    10/24/2011 at 10:30 am

    can u help me? i dont know if the motorola droid razr will be able off-contract before december and i wonder if i could unlock it to use with other company

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