The Best Verizon Phone in 2011

Verizon is arguably the United States’ leading mobile network.  So, if you are in the market for a Verizon Phone, you will surely need a catalog of the best phones available. In this post we will cover all of the various phones available which we consider to be worthy of your attention. Although it might seem strange, especially considering that we are an Android related site, we have opted to cover all the platforms and brands, ranging from HTC, Samsung, RIM, LG and Motorola, to their non-Android counterparts. In other words, every manufacturer and platform has been taken into consideration for the purposes of this post. Now, let’s take a peak at the bestselling phones these brands have to offer below. Just to let you know, the phones are in no particular order.

1. HTC Thunderbolt

Thunder has struck market with the arrival of this phone. It offers extremely fast 4G data speeds. Released on Feb 13, 2011, this phone has a list price of $249.99 on a two year contract. Users are quite satisfied with the overall experience of this mobile. The only complaint is poor battery life.

Let’s look into some of its features:

• OS: Android 2.2
• 1Ghz processor (not dual core)
• 4.3” touch screen
• Excellent Camera: 8 Megapixels with LED

2. LG Octane

This is a phone for all the messaging addicts. The Octane pretty much looks like a successor in the LG EnV series. Unfortunately, it does not have amazing features, but is an easy to navigate and handle QWERTY keyboard phone. On the negative side it doesn’t has a 3.5mm headset jack and is a bit bulky.

LG Octane is priced starting at $.01 to $239.99 with different contracts and service types on various online stores.

A peak into its specifications:

• Camera: 3.2 Megapixel
• Size: 4.11”, 2.13”,.65” ; Weight: 4.64 ounces
• Visual Voice mail, Family Locator and seamless social network integration.

If you text at a medium to high frequency this phone will surely interest you.

3. Motorola Droid X

A powerful smartphone with brilliant video playback. It also has great multimedia features which include exciting ones like HD video capture and DLNA support. One feature it probably should have boasted as well was a front camera.

Droid X can be used as a mobile hot spot. With enriching multimedia experience & connectivity, the Droid has a list price of $559.99.

A look at some of its amazing features:

• Camera: 8 Megapixel with HD video capture (LED light source)
• HDMI output with DLNA support
• Screen: 4.3” TFT capacitive

4. Samsung Fascinate

This phone fascinates us because of its powerful and sleek features. It boasts an excellent 1GHz processor and offers a great multimedia experience. Although its GPS isn’t always accurate it does look remarkable with its super AMOLED touch screen.

It has a list price of $599.99. Let’s gaze at its specs:

• Camera: 5 Megapixels (with LED light)
• Display: OLED display 4”
• OS: Android 2.1

Albeit, this phone was launched in September, 2010 we think it might survive and fare well this year.

The lineup surely should contain a mention of RIM. It’s an excellent manufacturer after all.

5. RIM Blackberry Curve 3G 9330

This is one of the phones which simply won’t die. For business thumb happy types, the user would be satisfied with its decent features – A good optical touch pad, slim profile and an affordable price. The only negative feedback is that its photo quality is poor. Besides, it’s not too different from its predecessor, the Curve 8530.

This phone has a list price of $349.99.  Here are its specifications unleashed:

• User Memory:512 MB
• Camera: 2 Megapixel
• Display: 2.4” TFT capacitive
• OS: Blackberry Handheld Software

You can well wear this phone for a decent experience. But, it’s not something great though.

How can we forget Uncle Apple when we chat about Smartphones?

6. Apple iPhone 4

People waited for four long years to witness a new choice of carrier. Verizon iPhone rumors were buzzing around for quite some time. Undoubtedly, for iFans it was received with thrill and elation. Still, you can’t argue with the fact that the iPhone is an extremely good product. The best thing about this phone is its extremely crisp and responsive screen.  Another feather to its cap, as we all know, is the hotspot feature not available in its AT&T counterpart. We are afraid to let you know that it didn’t work that well though. But, we can surely welcome the consumer choice which it brings.

The price you have to bear at various online stores for this phone ranges from $199.99 to $689.99.

Let’s have a sneak into its particulars:

• OS: iOS with user memory of 16GB
• Camera: 5 Megapixels (with LED light)
• Display: 3.5” LCD

7. HTCIncredible

The tag line of this phone reads,” the future of computing in the palm of your hand.” Well, they are right. It boasts some seriously awesome features. It can be a fun ride with this phone. It has a powerful processor with a large high-resolution screen. Again, this was launched way back in April 2010. But, we think due to its great features it will survive through the year.

It has a list price of $599.99 . A look at its amazing features:

• OS: Android 2.1 with 8 GB internal memory
• Camera: 8 Megapixel
• Screen: 3.7” with AMOLED capacitive touchscreen

It also has a very polished design. It topped the charts and was the device to beat in the market when it was launched. The multimedia experience it offers might not necessarily appeal to you though.

Well, all the above were the phones which we already have on board. The list to choose the best phone on Verizon in 2011 isn’t complete without the mention of the new arrivals.

So, we also get you through the best phones expected to rock the charts this year but haven’t yet landed. We start over with LG and carry on with others like Samsung, RIM and Motorola.

8. LG Revolution

This phone was announced way back in January. It is rumoured to have good features which include a 5 MP sensor with autofocus camera, HD cam-recorder, an LED flash and a 4.3” touchscreen. It would also boast the hotspot feature, the Froyo OS with the HDMI port and DLNA. We can expect this to be revealed in Q2.

9. Samsung Droid Charge

This was also announced in January this year. The 8 MP camera and 1GHz processor guarantee an excellent experience. It will be an LTE enabled device running Android 2.2 with a 4.3” display. That’s all we know for now.

10. Motorola Droid Bionic

This phone created a huge buzz with its specs when it was announced on Jan 5. This can be said to be the first Android handset to support Verizon’s 4G LTE network. It has an excellent 1 GHz processor with 512 MB DDR2 RAM and a 4.3” qHD display. Moreover, it boasts a 8 MP camera and even supports HTML5, as well as HDMI output for large TV screen love.

11.Other Leftovers

HTC Droid Incredible 2 is also lined up for a launch this year. We can seriously expect something good from it as its predecessor fared excellently.

Motorola Targa is another awesome expected phone this year. It’s released pictures in mid-March reveal a 13 MP/AF camera (with 4.3” display) which is quite astonishing. The device is also said to support 4G.

We are also expecting HTCWildfire CDMA as HTC Bee and the RIM Blackberry Style 9670 on Verizon. They have fared decently on Alltel and Sprint respectively (where they were available initially). We expect them to do well here as well.

We think these are the most awaited and amazing phones on Verizon in 2011. The coveted title of ‘best phone’ really is a matter of personal discretion.  So think for yourself, and weigh the features you wish for in your phone. What is your budget? Do you wish for hotspot capabilities? Or do you want an excellent camera? Do you want good looks with a sleek design?

The biggest question of them all: Which OS suits you the best? We obviously think Android, but still, we respect peoples’ choices.

We feel a phone from the upcoming line-up might end up being the best, and this will likely always remain the case. But, the problem is until we have a hands-on, we cannot be assertive.  For us, the HTCThunderbolt or the HTCIncredible are two Android phones that make the cut. They have really amazing features, and are both available now.

So, we leave it to you dear reader – what is the best phone on Verizon’s network? Was there a phone we missed that you feels worthy of mentioning? As always, we would love to hear from you. Remember, we do this day in day out, night in night out for you – the Android phone fan!