Motorola DROID RAZR vs Apple iPhone 4S

Introduction:

If you are not already lured by one of the two big contenders in the contemporary mobile OS space – iOS and Android – you will probably be facing a tough choice this holiday season whether to snatch the Motorola DROID RAZR or the Apple iPhone 4S.

For the uninitiated, they both offer slim bodies and 8MP cameras with 1080p HD video capture capabilities, but differ in much everything else.

We are here to help with a comparison between the latest and greatest from Motorola and Apple, so read on for our findings...

For the purpose of this comparison, we are using the Motorola DROID RAZR in its GSM variant. It is identical to the one available on Verizon, except that active is its HSPA+ connectivity.

Design:

Designwise the Apple iPhone 4S is an antithesis of the Motorola DROID RAZR. It brings a boutique feeling with its steel and glass chassis that cuts in your palm, a more solid weight, and a compact size due to the 3.5” display. The RAZR is lighter but way larger, and the thick bezel makes it a handful, as it comes wider than other handsets with 4.3” screens.


 It sports some exotic chassis components in its turn, like a Kevlar-woven back and metal frame, which, however, don’t really contribute to a premium feeling, compared to the unique glass shell of the iPhone 4S. Kevlar actually feels like lino, less stellar than quality soft-touch plastic to the touch, for example.

The RAZR is unbelievably thin, though, with a 0.28” (7.1mm) profile, except for the 0.4” (10.6mm) camera part at the top, which also houses a microHDMI and microUSB ports, along with the audio jack. It’s undeniably a great design achievement by Motorola, which has brought on a non-removable battery, just like on the iPhone 4S. Apple's finest is 0.37” (9.3mm) thick at all places.

The two screens couldn't be more different - we have the 3.5” Retina Display with its enormous 326 ppi pixel density on the iPhone 4S, and a qHD Super AMOLED Advanced in the RAZR with 540x960 pixels.

The 256ppi pixel density on the RAZR is not as refined as on the iPhone 4S, and the PenTile matrix arrangement of its screen is visible at times. That’s only if you examine the display closer, though, and know what to look for – for everyday usage from normal distance it isn't an issue. The iPhone 4S screen is brighter than the RAZR's Super AMOLED, which helps for better outdoor visibility when the sun is shining.

The AMOLED colors are more saturated, even gaudy in the case of the RAZR, whereas the iPhone 4S screen is more toned down.swhile The cold colors of the Super AMOLED make white appear blueish, as usual with this screen type. The big question however is – a 3.5” screen in a more compact body, or a 4.3” display and a larger phone – we leave this one up to you.

We have side-mounted power/lock button in the case of the RAZR, and top-mounted on the iPhone 4S, and both are easy to press. The volume buttons on the two handsets are a tad small for larger hands, but on the iPhone 4S they are separated, while the RAZR has them in the form of a volume rocker that is too short and flush with the surface to be comfortable.