Not sure if you should get the Motorola Droid 4 or the Apple iPhone 4S? we compare specs for each phone to help you decide.

To keyboard or not to keyboard, that is the question. At least, that’s probably the question if you’re deciding whether to get the newly released Motorola Droid 4 or the Apple iPhone 4S. But keyboard aside, how does the Droid 4 stack up to Apple’s four-month-old 4S? We’ve compiled specs for each phone in the table below to find out.

Priced at $199.99, the Droid 4 is nowhere near as thin as the Droid Razr (or even the Droid Razr Maxx, for that matter). it measures 5.0 by 2.7 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.3 ounces. that extra bulk is to provide room for the phone’s incredible keyboard. the keys are chiclet-style, which Motorola claims was done to mimic a laptop keyboard. They’ve been laser cut, so they’re super sharp and precise. Coated in soft touch plastic, the keys are backlit by an LED light.

The Droid 4 has a 4-inch qHD (540-by-960-pixel) display. Motorola claims the device is enclosed in a water-repellant nanocoating, which should make it a bit more durable than the average smartphone. There’s an 8-megapixel camera on the back of the phone with 1080p video recording, plus 16GB of internal storage, and a free microSD memory card slot expandable to 64GB.

The phone is currently running Android 2.3.6 (Gingerbread), which was PCMag lead mobile analyst Sascha Segan’s biggest knock against it in his review. But Motorola has confirmed that the phone will receive an update to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) early this year.

The iPhone 4S ($199.99 – $399.99 with a two-year contract), meanwhile, is powered by Apple’s new dual-core A5 chip, which Apple claims can deliver up to two times more power and seven times faster graphics performance than the iPhone 4. In addition, the iPhone 4S is a world phone, meaning it supports CDMA and GSM networks. it has an 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capture, and is available in 16, 32, or 64GB versions.

While the specs for both phones are relatively similar, one of the biggest differences is that the Droid 4 uses Verizon’s 4G LTE network, while the iPhone 4S uses 3G. While Verizon’s 3G network offers excellent coverage, it is no match for the blazing speeds devices can reach over 4G LTE. In testing speeds on the Droid 4, we saw download speeds average around 10Mbps down. That’s significantly speedier than 3G, which averaged a just 0.4Mbps down when we tested the iPhone 4S.

So which phone is the winner? if you’re looking for excellent network speeds and a keyboard, the Droid 4 is the phone to beat right now, regardless of carrier. still, the iPhone 4S provides an unsurpassed app experience, and is available on three major U.S. carriers. so in the end, the choice is up to you.

For more phone reviews, news, and tips, check out our Cell Phones Product Guide as well as our list of The 10 Best Phones with Keyboards and the Droid 4 slideshow below.

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Motorola Droid 4 vs. Apple iPhone 4S: Verizon Smartphone Showdown

The brand spanking new HTC Desire Z has been focused on messaging users and boasts a full QWERTY keyboard as well as a capacitive touch screen. The phone runs on the new Android 2.2 OS and utilises the HTC Sense UI, the digital camera is capable of HD video and advanced multi media will keep users entertained.

The Desire Z has a full aluminium casing and utilises an optical track pad as an alternative form of UI interaction. The 3.7 inch screen uses a 480 x 800 pixel resolution to display over 16M colours in WVGA quality. The keyboard has a unique mounting point which allows for a larger keyboard, and in-turn larger keys for optimized typing accuracy.

The Android 2.2 OS provides users with a nice little Google bundle which has various application throughout the phone, access to the Android Market is also possible allowing for additional applications to be downloaded. The HTC Sense UI is both intuitive and easy to use, you get a seven page home screen system which can be customized with dedicated apps on each one, and swiping through them or pinching the screen allows to see what app you have on each.

The HTC Desire Z is able to connect to 3G networks and the EDGE/GPRS technology allow it to connect to cellular networks. Wi Fi enables the phone to connect to the internet at high speed when near a local wireless hotspot of a home wireless hub. The internet is typically good thanks to the Android foundations. Saving bookmarks as shortcuts and having multiple tabs open are standard protocols for such an advanced smartphone.

As suggested by the keyboard, HTC have focused the Desire Z on messaging users. The phone has integrated support for social networking with Facebook and Twitter being given there own applications. But support for e-mail, SMS, MMS and IM are also included. A huge range of e-mail accounts can be handled with a universal inbox collecting together all of your communications into one place.

Despite the Desire Z only having a 5MP camera it is still capable of shooting video in 720p HD quality while capturing gorgeous high resolution still imagery. A well calibrated video player will comfortably handle all of your videos and the music player has integrated support for FM radio channels. A 3.5mm audio connection enables headphones to be plugged in and the phones external memory can be expanded for additional storage space. HTC has also thrown in Bluetooth and USB for hardware communications and GPS for navigational support.

The HTC Desire Z was released alongside the awesome HTC Desire HD, but not by a long way is the Desire Z inferior to its fellow handset, it is a mighty good phone in its own right. Both support HD and both have advanced messaging and multimedia capabilities. HTC have been busy providing the smartphone market with a touch of class, a touch of luxury. Both the Desire Z and Desire HD have been launched of the back of there successful older brother the HTC Desire.

The HTC Desire Z Was Released Alongside the Awesome HTC Desire HD