Motorola DROID 4 / Reviews

Each new release of the DROID line seems to be greeted with less excitement than the last despite the fact that the device does seem to at least subtly improve with each release. This is definitely the best version of the DROID yet, but I haven’t exactly heard anyone clamoring for it. Now in part that could be because it was released only about 7 months after its predecessor, however Android users are somewhat accustomed to turnabouts like that by now so I doubt that is a significant factor.

Most of us have just grown accustomed to Sywpe or some other onscreen keyboard and if that’s the case then there is no reason to opt for the DROID 4 over the DROID RAZR MAXX or Galaxy Nexus. Now if you just can’t get by without a hardware keyboard, and I know there are some of you, then by all means the DROID 4 is probably the best Android device available for you today.

Read original review at Android and ME.

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The Droid 4 has gotten almost everything right: it's sized right for a phone that includes a keyboard and feels very durable, has acceptable battery life, a fast processor, and a nice display. While the Gingerbread OS is disappointing, the device still functions well and provides all the features that the typical user needs.

Read original review at Pocketnow.

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The Droid 4 is the decidedly the best keyboard phone on Verizon, and almost certainly the best keyboard slider phone for sale in the US at this time. Doing what it's designed for, the Droid 4 excels with great tactile feedback, key spacing, and keyboard layout. Even the slider mechanism feels solid and reliable.

Apart from that, however, the Droid 4 is merely an average smartphone, in the truest sense. Performance isn't bad, it's simply average. The camera isn't bad, it's just okay. Gingerbread with Blur isn't bad, but Ice Cream Sandwich would be better. The display is good for normal use, but also could be clearer and more vibrant. The battery gets through the day, but just barely.

If you need to have a keyboard and use Verizon's LTE, you can overlook all of thse flaws and the Droid 4 will be a great device for you . In fact, if asked to recommend just one slider phone in the current market, it would have to be the Droid 4. The problem is, if you don't have to have a keyboard then the Droid 4 really begins to fall short, even compared to Motorola's other offerings. Everything works fine, but all the little quirks add up to make the experience not worth it unless you are dedicated to the physical keyboard. If you are not, the RAZR MAXX will always be a better choice. Once again, if you need a keyboard then you can't really go wrong with the Droid 4, just don't expect the other aspects of the phone to be as stellar as the keyboard.

Read original review at Pocketables.

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The Motorola Droid 4 has somewhat of a captive audience: being one of the few QWERTY smartphones on Verizon, it's really your only choice if you want a keyboard, a dual-core processor, and 4G. If that doesn't sound like an endorsement, it would be because it's not. That one design advantage aside, the D4 is lackluster.

It has decent specs, including 4G LTE, but there are other devices just as good in that department, and the Droid 4 offers nothing else particularly special to the user. I'm sure that it'll find a useful niche for some people, but if you can wait, I'd suggest holding out for the next generation device. A Droid 5 with a MAXX-like battery and AMOLED screen would be a much more worthy step up than a Droid 4 which is little more than a retread of old specs sold as new.

Read original review at Brighthand.

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The Droid 4 is a notable step up from its predecessor thanks to exceptional voice calling and an incredible QWERTY keyboard. Unlike the Droid 3's short run, the addition of LTE will serve as the phone's most vital attribute—assuring a longer shelf life. Besides those three attributes, the Droid 4 dishes the same specs and performance as the RAZR smartphones. The dual-core is zippy, all of Motorola’s corporate features are intact, and it’s compatible with all the company’s accessories. And at $100 cheaper than the RAZR Maxx, we find it to be the better purchase for energy hogs, though the former is the overall superior model.

However, the Droid 4 also takes on the same ailments as the RAZR line. The built-in battery could be a major issue in the long run and the camera software needs serious improvement. In the end, the Droid 4 stands strong as the best QWERTY smartphone available now.

Read original review at Complex.

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The Droid 4 doesn’t look much like its other Droid siblings, but it does promise the same stellar keyboard and a solid construction. At $199 it won’t break your wallet, but it will offer most of the same specs we’re seeing go for $300, including a 4G LTE radio. If thin and light is important to you, the Droid 4 probably isn’t what you’re looking for, but keyboard purists should start getting excited… right… now.

Read original review at TechCrunch.

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The DROID 4 is a solid phone. In fact, it’s the best 4G LTE slider ever made (for now). To those that follow Android, that’s not the most difficult title to obtain, knowing that there is only 1 other LTE slider available. But let’s not allow titles to get in the way here. With mostly high-end specs, a great edge-lit keyboard, and a 4G LTE radio, this is the phone for those that can’t live without a keyboard. For those that would go either way on a new smartphone purchase, this phone isn’t at the level of the Rezound, Galaxy Nexus or DROID RAZR. It’s a nice phone, but with one of the worst screens we have seen to date, it’s tough for us to hide the fact that we would go elsewhere. Unless of course you have to have a keyboard.

Read original review at Droid Life.

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There's no two ways about it: the Droid 4 is flawed. If you buy one, you'll be settling for a device without the best screen, the best battery, the best camera, or the best software on the market. I'd even argue that it doesn't have the best keyboard, as the Droid 3's layout made more sense. And yet, despite all that, this phone is still pretty attractive to the right buyer. I wish Motorola had put a little more effort into making the Droid 4 the best phone it could possibly be: a truly top-tier handset instead of the second-class citizen that phones with physical keyboards have become. Still, on most every count, the Droid 4 is good enough for the job. It's pretty simple, really: if you truly need a good QWERTY keyboard, a dual-core processor and LTE, it's your only choice right now. I do. I bought one. We'll see how things work out.

Read original review at The Verge.

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The Motorola DROID 4 for Verizon has the best keyboard ever put on a horizontal slider. Nothing else comes close. If you are all about entering and editing text, it gets no better than Motorola's DROID 4. The thing is, people want more than that today, and the uninspiring 4-inch display on the D4 doesn't show off photos, videos, and web pages as well as higher end touchscreens do. For a business class phone like the DROID 4, we'd also have hoped for the inclusion of the same world roaming capabilities that were found in the DROID 3 and DROID 2 Global. But even still, the DROID 4 is a great weapon in the war on email, and it offers blazing 4G LTE data speeds. That will be more than enough for many folks.

Read original review at MobileBurn.

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The Motorola DROID 4 for Verizon has the best keyboard ever put on a horizontal slider. Nothing else comes close. If you are all about entering and editing text, it gets no better than Motorola's DROID 4. The thing is, people want more than that today, and the uninspiring 4-inch display on the D4 doesn't show off photos, videos, and web pages as well as higher end touchscreens do. For a business class phone like the DROID 4, we'd also have hoped for the inclusion of the same world roaming capabilities that were found in the DROID 3 and DROID 2 Global right off the bat. Instead, Verizon has merely said that it is coming, once it makes some adjustments to its network planned for the first half of this year. But even still, the DROID 4 is a great weapon in the war on email, and it offers blazing 4G LTE data speeds. That will be more than enough for many folks.

Read original review at MobileBurn.

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