Motorola Droid X2

“Occasional stutters aside, the Motorola Droid X2 is an attractive, powerful phone. The problem is, with Verizon's speedy 4G network spreading like wildfire (the carrier announced 16 new cities this week alone) it's hard to recommend a top-of-the-line device that's stuck in the Internet slow lane. For now, HTC's attractive Thunderbolt remains our Editors' Choice, even though it's a single-core phone. (HTC's Android skin doesn't seem to slow down the phone as much as Motorola's does.) The LG Revolution, which we'll be reviewing soon, also runs on Verizon's 4G network and may be a better alternative. I'd recommend the Droid X2 as a good phone for folks who live out in rural areas, where 4G isn't an issue. Its top competitor in that realm is the Apple iPhone 4, which has even more apps and a higher-resolution screen, but less-integrated social networking.”

“We really want to like the Motorola DROID X2, much like how we accepted its predecessor with open arms, but when it doesn’t particularly set any new bars, it’s really difficult to side with it over the other competition. Sure it has that wonderful dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor under the hood and higher resolution display, but after those two distinguishable standouts, it’s basically unchanged from its predecessor. Obviously, we don’t recommend you moving up to this if you’re still sporting the original, but if you’re stuck with a feature phone and eligible for an upgrade, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t throw this into consideration.”

“The Motorola Droid X2 improves on one of the best phones of 2010 in some significant ways. You get a much better display and dual-core power for the same price, plus the ability to instantly share content over HDMI. Motorola has also done a pretty good job refreshing of its Motoblur software to make Android a little more user-friendly than the stock build of the OS. Too bad the X2 lacks 4G and a front-facing camera, pretty standard features nowadays for high-end Android phones. The stuttering camcorder and shorter battery life than the Droid X also don't help this smartphone's cause.”

“To be honest, we were pretty disappointed when we first heard about the Motorola Droid X2. The lack of 4G and some hardware features--such as a front-facing camera--didn't exactly have us jumping out of our seats. However, after spending a few days with the smartphone, we have come to appreciate what it does offer. Sure, those craving 4G data speeds (or Droid X users who were hoping for more) might shun the device, and if you fall into that camp, we recommend taking a look at the HTC ThunderBolt or the Samsung Droid Charge or holding out for the Motorola Droid Bionic. However, if you're fine without 4G, the Droid X2 currently ranks up there as one of Verizon's best smartphones and will reward you with fast performance and good battery life.”