Verizon 4G Faceoff: HTC Thunderbolt or Droid Bionic?

15.03.2011

In the end, there's really no clear-cut winner between the HTC Thunderbolt and Droid Bionic; based on the specs and our early impressions, both phones have their perks, and both promise to be powerful and compelling devices.

The decision ultimately comes down to a matter of preference. Personally, I'd veer more toward the Bionic; I tend to prefer Motorola's hardware design over HTC's, and I see a lot of value in having a dual-core processor phone. I'm also not a fan at all of the . Ideally, I'd prefer a phone with stock Android -- but given the choice between Sense and Motoblur, I'd pick Motoblur; for my tastes, it's the less invasive and more stock-like option. That's just me, of course; some people swear by Sense and wouldn't buy a phone without it.

If you're debating between getting the Thunderbolt and the Bionic, the best thing I could suggest would be to think carefully about what it is that you want in a phone. Check out the Thunderbolt in a store later this week. If you like the way it looks and feels and are happy with the way the device works in terms of its software, it might just be the one for you.

Also check out a phone like the Droid X, though. While it's certainly not the same as the Bionic, it'll give you a basic idea of what Motorola's hardware is like and how its Motoblur interface feels to use. If that style strikes your fancy -- or if the idea of a next-gen, dual-core phone is important to you -- then the Bionic might be the better option.