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Motorola's Droid 4 is probably at the top of your list if you're a keyboard fan. It's big and bulky, but in a sturdy sort of way, and the five-row keyboard is top-notch.
Verizon's 4G LTE network is the other star of the show, offering blazing speeds that put 3G phones to shame. It's hard not to be floored by download speeds above 20Mbps
We disliked:
The Droid 4 is still stuck on Gingerbread, and there's no word on when the upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich is coming.
And while we found the four-inch qHD screen was plenty big and the qHD resolution was favorable, it's hard to see in sunlight, and not as sharp as we'd like.
The non-removable battery is a major flaw, and even with moderate use you'll need to top-off to make it through an entire workday.
We Liked:
Having 20+ Mbps downloads is still mind-boggling, even after all this time. And with the Droid 4's awesome edge-lit keyboard, it's easy to navigate the internet, whether it's dark or light.
The Droid 4 also has an impressive build quality, and includes a water-resistant coating, and we kept thinking we were getting a lot of phone for $199.
Verdict:
If physical keyboards are your thing, and you're in the market for an LTE handset, the Droid 4 is aimed squarely at you.
Put simply, the keyboard rocks, and it's enough to make a diehard virtual keyboard user question his beliefs. Add in the blazing-fast speeds of Verizon's 4G LTE network, and you have a winner.
But the Droid 4 isn't without its drawbacks. It's stuck on the ever-staling Gingerbread for now, with no clear indication of when the jump to Ice Cream Sandwich will come.
Both the screen and the camera feel a bit dull, and the non-removable battery is a misstep on Motorola's part, especially since heavy usage quickly tax the phone's power reserves.
But, if you can look past its weaknesses, you'll have an incredible phone at an incredible price.
