Verizon customers with Motorola DROID RAZR and RAZR MAXX 4G phones can grab new updates for their devices that bring an impressively long list of bug fixes and enhancements, like better stability when switching between hone screens and improved performance in areas with low-signal 4G.

Other improvements in the update include better battery life when using apps and Bluetooth, better Mobile Hotspot security, updates to Verizon’s VZ Navigator 3D mapping, improvements to Visual Voice Mail and updates to the Favorite Contacts widget.

About the DROID RAZR & MAXX
While both these Motorola phones come with support for the Verizon 4G LTE network – America’s fastest phone network – an 8-megapixel camera and solid 1.2GHz dual-core processor, the difference between the two devices lies in the size of the battery on the new RAZR MAXX.

Clocking in a colossal 3,300mAh the MAXX battery is much larger than than the RAZR’s 1780mAh. That difference translates to a talk time of 21.5 hours and a 379 hours on a single charge.

More on the RAZR MAXX here.

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Given it runs on a fast 1.2GHz dual-core processor, comes with a hefty 8-megapixel camera and features cutting edge apps like MotoCast and MOTOPRINT, focusing on the size of the battery in the DROID RAZR MAXX might seem a little boring.

But the battery size – and therefore the battery life – is the main difference between the MAXX and its close sibling the RAZR which has been a best-seller for Verizon over the last few months.

And at a humongous 3,300mAh – compared to the RAZR’s 1780mAh – that difference is considerable.

What that means in real life is a 4G phone that has a talk time of 21.5 hours and a standby time of 379 hours on a single charge. If you’re a heavy apps or net user, powering up the Smart Actions app on the MAXX will extend your battery life to the maximum possible by automatically adjusting your Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi or other battery-draining features when you step into your home.

This is just an example, you can configure Smart Actions to suit your lifestyle. You might want to set the ringer to a lower volume when at work for example.

Just about every other feature of the RAZR MAXX is the same as the RAZR, including the sharp 8-megapixel camera (which can be launched directly from the lock screen), 1GB RAM, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, bright and sharp 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display.

Like many Motorola 4G phones, the DROID RAZR MAXX also has a number of interesting accessories available like a lapdock and an HD station.

With the Lapdock 500 the RAZR MAXX can be turned into a full laptop device with 10.1-inch display, full QWERTY keyboard, trackpad and up to five hours of battery life.

The HD Station for the MAXX lets you view your video, games or other content on a bigger screen via HDMI. You can also use any of the three USB ports to connect a keyboard, mouse or any other peripheral device for a full PC style experience. It also doubles up as a rapid wall charger.

More on the RAZR MAXX
DROID RAZR MAXX (lowest online price) RAZR and RAZR MAXX Specs Compared

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Verizon Wireless is about to add another big hitter to its lineup of 4G phones with arrival of the Motrola DROID 4 on Friday.

First unveiled at the CES electronics show earlier this year, the DROID 4 is billed by Verizon as the thinnest, most powerful 4G QWERTY smartphone ever at less than half an inch thick.

The new 4G LTE slider phone comes with a 4-inch, a 960×540 resolution qHD display with scratch resistant glass, 8-megapixel camera (with 1080p HD video capture) and 1.3-megapixel front video chat camera with a large 1,785mAh battery.

Although the DROID 4 will ship with Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, Motorola & Verizon say the phone will get an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the second quarter of this year.

Under this particular Droid hood you’ll find a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 16GB of internal storage. In addition to 3G network coverage as a backup the new DROID will have access to Verizon’s 4G LTE network which currently covers 200 million phone users in 195 markets and allows for download speeds of 5-12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2-5 Mbps.

One of the main attractions of the new Motorola for those of us that like the feel of a physical slide-out keyboard over its virtual equivalent is the five-row QWERTY keyboard with edge-lit keys for ease of typing in the dark or low-light.

Business users are also well catered for with government-grade encryption (FIPS 140-2) for email, calendar and contacts data as well as the option to make presentations from the phone by connecting it to an HDTV or by using the optional Lapdock 500 with its 14-inch display, full-keyboard and full mobile office suite and web browsing experience.

The pre-installed MotoCast app can also stream documents, videos, music and pictures other work or home computers to the DROID 4, meaning documents and other files can be viewed and edited on the smartphone without needing to be transfered or synced to the device.

Like many other Verizon 4G phones, the DROID 4 has a built-in hotspot feature allowing connection sharing between up to 8 other Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

DROID 4 Price
The new Verizon 4G phone will be priced at $199.99 with a two-year contract.

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Get ready – the new Samsung Galaxy Note is about to change your ideas about how big a big phone really is. With an official AT&T launch date of February 19th, this is a 4G phone so large it might be more accurate to describe it as a small tablet.

Samsung has been in the business of making large screen phones for a while now. The Nexus for example won wide-spread critical acclaim for its Super AMOLED Plus screen, which has one of the larger displays around weighing in at 4.65 inches.

But with the Galaxy Note Samsung are taking things further by introducing a massive 5.3-inch 1280 x 800 resolution screen. It uses the same Super AMOLED Plus display technology as many of Samsung’s other top-of-the-range 4G phones – it’s just much larger.

You could really describe it as hybrid device where a phone meets a tablet. It has a much larger screen that any previous phone (more than an extra inch wider than the current 4.3 standard) but at the same time it’s more portable than the average tablet.

It’s also a pretty powerful device. Note users will get access to AT&T’s growing high-speed 4G LTE network, a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor, a full GB of RAM and Android 2.3 with future OTA updates to Android 4.0.

For users who don’t like messing up their gorgeous phone display with fingerprints – or simply prefer the precision of stylus input – the Galaxy Note is equipped with an S Pen stylus that really comes into its own with tasks like making sketches or drawing quick plans or annotating emails and todo lists.

Other features worth noting are the 8-megaplixel auto-focus main camera on the rear, front-facing 2-megapixel camera and the whopping 2500 mAh battery.

Price & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Note will be available on pre-order from February 5th, for delivery by February 17th. Official launch date in AT&T stores and online is February 19th.

Pricing will be $299.99 on a two-year contract, making it more expensive than the other high-end AT&T 4G phones like the LG Nitro and the Samsung Skyrocket – but that’s not surprising given the both the impressive size and specs of the Galaxy Note.

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Many phone buyers and reviewers consider the Sprint variant of the Samsung Galaxy S II to be the best version of the best-selling Samsung phone available.

Not only does it come with that glorious 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display but it also runs the powerful 1.2GHz Exynos dual-core processor under the hood for a no-lag user experience when using apps or on the mobile web.

While the AT&T version retains the dual-core Exynos it has a smaller 4.3-inch screen and the T-Mobile version of the Galaxy S II has the same large display of the Sprint version but it replaces the 1.2GHz Exynos with a 1.5Ghz Qualcomm processor. But don’t let the higher clock speed fool you – many reviewers and users prefer the incredibly fast and smooth performance of the Exynos.

All this means that the Sprint Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G has not only one of the longest names of any 4G phone but is also arguably the best Android 4G phone on the market today.

And it’s just become all the more interesting given the price reduction that’s now on Amazon which pusheds the price of the Sprint Galaxy down to less than $150 for both new and existing Sprint customers.

The price details: The limited time offer is for $79.99 for a new line, $99.99 when adding an additional line to an existing Sprint account or $149.99 for upgrading customers.

All three discount prices are for the standard Sprint two-year contract. The Sprint store price remains $199.99 so this a pretty smart option for those looking to grab a great 4G phone at a price that’s not likely to be available for long.

Source: Amazon

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For a phone that’s only recently been launched the Nokia Lumia 710 for T-Mobile is already turning out to be a best-seller.

No doubt helped by T-Mobile’s huge advertising spend on the new Nokia 4G phone, the Lumia 710 is currently boasting a 5-star rating based on over 40 user reviews submitted to the official T-Mobile online store.

That’s great news for the new generation of Windows 4G phones as well as for Nokia who have been making noises for a while about wanting to become more of a force in the marketplace.

So what’s the fuss about?

The Lumia 710 is an affordable Windows Phone 7 smartphone (currently $99 on Amazon) that comes equipped with full T-Mobile 4G network capability (with 3G backup) and a comfortable 3.7-inch touchscreen.

Although you couldn’t describe the Nokia Lumia 710 as a high-end phone, it does come with a set of very respectable specs for a phone at this price point. As well as the latest version of Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango), which is vastly improved over previous versions of the OS, the Lumia has a fast 1.4GHz processor, 8GB of pre-installed memory, full Wi-Fi networking and Bluetooth as well as a 5-megapixel camera – which performs well even in challenging, low-light scenes and also has HD 720p video capture.

In terms of mobile apps and entertainment, this Nokia phone is pretty comprehensive. It comes pre-loaded with T-Mobile TV with instant mobile access to on-demand HDTV from networks like ABC News NOW, FOX Sports, PBS Kids and Azteca America.

With a premuim upgrade you can also enjoy a number of other channels including ESPN Mobile TV, Disney Channel, CNBC, En Español, Life & Style, and Crackle Movies.

Mobile web surfing is fast, safe and fun with Internet Explorer Mobile, Bing Search (with voice commands), and Local Scout for truly localized and relevant search results based on your current location.

Talk and standby time are pretty good at 7 hours and 384 hours or 16 days respectively.

All in all, the new Nokia Lumia 710 is an affordable 4G phone with enough new and improved Windows mobile features like conversation threads and text messaging by voice, where you can have incoming texts read to you and reply via speech, to have earned a place on your buying shortlist.

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AT&T is making good on a promise it made last year of expanding its new high-speed 4G LTE coverage to more markets.

The list of new areas getting AT&T 4G LTE includes the New York City metro area, Austin, Chapel Hill, Los Angeles, Oakland, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose. That’s a total of 11 new coverage areas, all live right now.

AT&T now has a total of 26 LTE markets covering around 74 million phone users. The carrier has promised to upgrade its entire network to 4G LTE by the end of 2013.

So far AT&T users in the new markets are reporting download and upload speeds comparable with Verizon 4G, currently the only other LTE network in operation.

Accessing the new network can be only be done with an LTE-capable phone like the HTC Vivid and the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket. Both phones can also be used with the regular 3G network if you’re in an area that isn’t covered by 4G.

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The long wait for Verizon’s much anticipated 4.65-inch screen 4G Samsung Galaxy Nexus is finally over. The Nexus is now available for $299 in Verizon stores or $199 $149 online.

One of the main reasons for the huge interest in the Galaxy Nexus is the pure version of Android 4.0 – there’s no TouchWiz or other UI sitting between you and the OS.

Of course, the massive 4.65 inch 1280×720 Super AMOLED screen, 1,750mAh battery with 17 hours of talk time (yes, 17), and zippy 1.2GHz dual-core processor also have a lot to do with the excitement.

The new Nexus also comes with Verizon’s famously fast 4G LTE network, a 5-megapixel “zero shutter lag” main camera that can also shoot 1080p HD video, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 1GB RAM, NFC and 32GB of storage and a/b/g/n Wi-Fi networking.

Best Price is Online

If you want to beat the hefty Verizon price tag the current best price is on Amazon.

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Things have come a long way since Verizon’s first 4G phones. Not only has the carrier’s 4G coverage expanded hugely but device manufacturers have improved their offerings – and prices – noticeably.

All this means the current two best offerings from Verizon – the Motorola DROID RAZR and the HTC Rezound are both seriously good 4G devices. But which one edges out the other?

DROID RAZR

Let’s start with Motorola’s latest, the RAZR. In two words it’s fast and strong.

Fast because it’s running 4G LTE network connectivity, packs a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and has a very useful 1 GB of LP DDR2 RAM.

Result? It’s zips along both online and when using apps. Not only does stuff work but stuff works fast. The only real lag noticeable is when using Moto Cast, the built-in personal cloud storage system that allows you to sync files and media to and from the Razr. But even that lag is minimal and doesn’t detract from the overall speedy feel of the phone.

The RAZR is strong because with it’s reinforced with Corning Gorilla Glass and laser-cut KEVLAR casing. In fact, it’s probably the best-protected phone ever. And if you think all that extra protection means a smartphone feels like you’re trying to grip a brick, think again.

Motorola have done an incredible job of squeezing a state–of-the-art device into a size and shape that’s the thinnest 4G smartphone on the market today.

User Reviews
Take a look at the online reviews and you’ll see the speed of the phone praised again and again. If you’re upgrading from Verizon 3G or from a non-4G LTE network like Sprint, T-Mobile or (except for a few cities) AT&T, the speed of the net on the RAZR is guaranteed to blow you away. This is the speed carriers have been promising consumers since the dark ages of 3G. Only this time it’s for real.

Tasks that would normally take forever on other phones and networks happen in a second or two.

It’s actually pretty hard to find a negative review about this phone. The one complaint the comes up here and there is battery life, which is always an issue to consider with a 4G phone (which are more power hungry than legacy 3G devices).

That said, the RAZR includes a number on built-in enhancements to help keep track of and reduce battery drain not only to an acceptable level but to one that beats just about any other 4G phone you can buy today.

Final Verdict: The best Verizon 4G phone available right now.

Best Price is Amazon‘s $169.

HTC Rezound

A close second to RAZR, the HTC Rezound has a higher price (even online) and hasn’t yet achieved fanatical reviews of the Motorola. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a few interesting trick up its sleeve.

There are two main areas which the Rezound excels at – audio and photography.

On the audio side, the Rezound is equipped with Beats Audio built-in, meaning the music you play is reproduced faithfully – complete with deep, rich bass tones, a full mid-range and clear high notes. Both the multimedia player and the speakers are top quality and the Rezound also comes with a set of lighweight Beats headphones custom developed to sound great with the Beats audio profile on the phone player.

Let’s be clear. The audio isn’t going to replace the experience of listening with the kind of sound setup you might have at home or in the car but it’s not designed to. It’s designed to provide the best sound on a phone and arguably it does.

The Rezound camera is a large 8-megapixel affair that works great in most light situations, including very low-light. That’s because of the advanced sensor technology HTC have given the Rezound, as well as the large f2.2 aperture on the lens. For our money, this is the best camera on a phone to date.

User Reviews
If you take a look at the online reviews of the Rezound you’ll find the high quality of the audio and camera mentioned frequently, along with some gripes about battery life and call quality, neither of which match the high standard set by the RAZR. Other than that it’s a solid device.

Final Verdict: If the RAZR wasn’t around this would be our favorite Verizon 4G phone. It’s still worth considering if more of your phone time is spent enjoying audio & video that other things. Great for mobile photography.

Best Price: Amazon’s $199.

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AT&T customers can now get their hands on the carrier’s first Android 720p HD 4G phone. The just launched LG Nitro HD comes with a super sharp, not to mention huge, 4.5-inch True HD IPS display.

Not only that but it’s also one of AT&T’s new breed of 4G LTE phones – able to access the expanding LTE AT&T network which provides speeds much faster than the standard 4G HSPA+ network. AT&T LTE coverage is available in 16 markets and has just launched in New York.

Other interesting features of the LG Nitro include a large 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture and LED flash and auto-focus, aGPS for faster positioning, powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor and standard features like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

The Nitro is available now for $250 with a standard two-year contract with AT&T.

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