Motorola Droid 4 or Samsung Stratosphere

[Eldogg]

Hi, I'm wondering if I could solicit the help of you all in making a decision. Due to limitations on the phones that are supported by my employer, I currently must choose between the Samsung Stratosphere and the Motorola Droid 4 (I can go with HTC Incredible 2 if I insist on an international phone, but I really don't need it and it would sacrifice 4g). I can also go with iphone 4s or BB, but I don't see any reason to do iphone (I don't own other Apple equipment) and I think BB is dying a slow death.

So it's down to the Stratosphere or the Droid 4. I've studied both, looked at both, held both. It seems to me that the Droid 4 is a superior and newer phone. But it is bigger, heavier, and the biggest problem - can't replace the battery (which I do now with my BB and I have needed to use that at times). I like the idea that both offer a regular keyboard, as I think it will take me time to get used to the Droid screen. Seems that the Droid 4 has more RAM, a faster processor, and actually, a longer life battery. But I believe the Stratosphere has removable battery and great screen technology.

Barring the company approving any new phones (I'd love the latest Motorola Razr, which I believe has a removable battery), but I believe I might have to wait at least 60-90 days for another one to be approved and I think they will force a decision sooner, which one would you all recommend? And if it's the Droid 4, how can one deal with the battery issue?

Thanks so much in advance!

Larry

 

[WilburNJ]

I have the Droid 4, so I'm obviously biased. But, I did go thru a few phones recently to decide on the D4, so I based my decision on my experience of actually using a few phones on a daily basis.

First, a quick point of correction. The Razr's battery is not changeable by the user. However, if you were to get the razr maxx with its huge battery, that's probably not a concern anyway.

Now to the phones. I've had an iphone for years and love it. If the iphone had an LTE radio, I'd probably still be an iphone user. I think it's an amazing device, and still much more polished than any android phone. And I don't think you need a Mac or other apple products to be happy with it. That said, the iphone gives you very little freedom to customize....

My wife tried the stratosphere and found it difficult to hold and type. She swapped for the BB Bold, which is a nice device. Not LTE, however, and the screen is somewhat small. My complaint about the stratosphere was that it didn't feel very solid. The sliding mechanism didn't feel like it would withstand the rigors of daily use. There was just too much play between the top/screen part and the bottom/keyboard part. The screen was nice, though.

The D4, by contrast, feels very solid and the sliding mechanism seems well designed. It does feel pretty heavy in my pocket, but fits reasonable comfortably in slacks, jeans, and even shorts. But, you can feel the weight always.

I had the razr for over 2 months and found it to be a great device. But, the physical keyboard drew me in.

By the way, I think the D4 battery lasts a lot longer than the razr although pretty comparably rated. I use it as a 4g hotspot to drive my ipad on my train commute everyday and it holds up very well. Empirically, better than my razr, at least with the particular units I had/have.

My first foray into android was the galaxy nexus. I found the radio terrible on that phone, so I returned it. By contrast, the 2 motorola devices, razr and d4, have great radios.

Bottom line for me was the phenomenal keyboard on the D4. I'm typing this on the train and I wouldn't have tried this with a touchscreen virtual keyboard. It would have been too painful.

Finally, I still have a work-issued BB that I carry around in my briefcase. I almost never use it. Only when I travel abroad. But, it's rumored that VZW will make the D4 a world phone (since it has a gsm radio). When that happens, goodbye BB!!

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Risk007]

I've actually owned both of them. My Stratosphere had an unfortunate accident with a hot tub and I had to get a new phone. I prefer the Droid 4 myself. It feels faster and I like the keyboard better. The Droid 4 is also supposed to get ICS eventually.