This year saw the release of the Motorola Droid 4 Android-powered smartphone available in the US through Verizon Wireless. The phone sports compatibility with Big Red’s 4G LTE network, but buyers have to pony up for one of Verizon’s expensive data plans where watching one HD movie can use up most of the monthly allowance.
The Motorola Droid 4 is high-end Android powered smartphone available in the US through your friends at Verizon Wireless. Copyright Motorola
Texting fans take note. The Droid 4 features a convenient slide-out QWERTY keyboard that works well. The dual cameras sport resolutions of 8MP (rear) and 1.3MP (front). HD video capture is a breeze. Finally, the whole thing is powered by Android Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest in Google’s unfortunately nicknamed mobile operating systems.
Motorola Droid 4 Features
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
- 4-inch qHD Display
- 1.2 GHz Dual Core Processor with 1GB RAM
- 16GB Internal Memory with Support for 32GB microSD Card
- Slide-out QWERTY Keyboard
- Dual Cameras (8MP/1.3MP) with HD Video Capture on the Rear-facing Camera
- Mobile Hotspot Capability (For a Price!)
The Droid 4 fully supports the Google Play app market, and the convenient music app integrates nicely with Last.FM. Adobe Flash is also supported, but does anyone really care?
Impressions of the Motorola Droid 4
The Droid 4 seemed bulkier and more difficult to handle than the Motorola Droid RAZR I reviewed, probably due to the slide-out keyboard. The review unit was pretty beat up as well; it was impossible to keep the battery cover completely installed.
Verizon’s 4G LTE network in Columbus worked fine, although the antenna lost some of its signal when in the former basement studios of Eternity’s Jest Records. Android Ice Cream Sandwich seems like a nice upgrade from older versions; Google has definitely learned some UI lessons from its work on tablets.
I’d recommend customers new to Verizon to check out other Android phone models before deciding on the Droid 4. I think HTC’s Droid Incredible and the Motorola RAZR MAXX are better smartphones and worth the extra price. Big Red is going to get you on their data plan prices anyway!