Verizon 4 G phones: HTC Thunderbolt or Droid Bionic? -PCWorld

Fasten your seatbelts, friends: Verizon's first 4 G smartphone has finally arrived.

The long-awaited HTC Thunderbolt launches this Thursday, March 17. It will sell by Verizon for $ 250 with a two-year contract (although you can get for $ 200 if you from a third-party retailer Wirefly as buy).

The Thunderbolt has a lot going for it: run Google's Android operating system, the phone features a giant 4.3-inch display and a resemble popular HTC's EVO 4 G device. Just like the EVO comes the Thunderbolt even with a kickstand.

The Thunderbolt has more horsepower than its predecessor Sprint-based, mind you--768 MB RAM compared to the EVO's 512 MB--and a good bit more storage space, too. But the Thunderbolt is also some serious competition in the form of the following high-profile 4 G smartphone Verizon, the Motorola Droid Bionic.

So is it worth shooting for the HTC Thunderbolt now, or you would be wiser to wait for the Bionic? Check out this comparison and see what you think.

Verizon 4 G phones: HTC Thunderbolt vs. Droid Bionic

First and foremost, make no mistake about it: the HTC Thunderbolt is a multimedia powerhouse. The Thunderbolt runs on a 1 GHz processor with 768 MB of memory above. It has an 8MP rear-facing camera and 1 .3MP front-facing camera for video chat. Of course, there's that 4.3-inch screen with resolution of 480-by-800. And the Thunderbolt is ready to use Verizon's fast 4 G network, provided you're in a city that supports it.

Despite the impressive specifications, the Droid Bionic--set to launch sometime in the second quarter of this year--comes out ahead in a number of notable measures: The Bionic runs a 1 GHz dual-core processor. That distinction, also present in Android tablets such as the new Motorola Xoom, makes a big difference when it comes to multitasking and resource-intensive applications. The Bionic one-ups the lightning bolt with the HDMI output, too, as well as its higher resolution display at 540-by-960 pixels in the same 4.3-inch format.

Hang on, though: The Thunderbolt is not down for the count. While the Bionic, the dual-core processor, it only has 512 MB of RAM--less than the Thunderbolt of 768 MB help. And while the two phones are matched in terms of their rear cameras, of the lightning bolt front-facing camera beats of the Bionic hands-down; the Bionic has only a 0 .3MP camera on her face.

Then there is storage: the lightning bolt comes with 8 GB of internal space, plus another 32 GB via an included MicroSD card. The Bionic has 16 GB of internal space and can support up to 32 GB of external storage; as now, however, it is not clear what (if any) will level of SD card be included with the phone at purchase.

Finally, consider the software: while both phones come with Android 2.2, aka Froyo--hopefully with upgrades to Android gingerbread in the cards--each device has its own unique interface on the added by the manufacturer. The Thunderbolt runs the HTC sense UI, while the Droid Bionic a version of Motorola's Motoblur skin. Neither is objectively better than the other, but they are certainly different.

Verizon 4 G Faceoff: final thoughts

In the end there really is no clear winner between the HTC Thunderbolt and Bionic Droid; based on the specs and our early impressions, both phones have their advantages, and both are powerful and compelling devices promise.

The decision ultimately comes down to a matter of preference. Personally, I'd veer more to the Bionic; I tend to prefer Motorola's hardware design about Htcs, and I see a lot of value in having a dual-core processor phone. I am also not a fan of the Android UIs-baked-in manufacturer. Ideally I would prefer a phone with stock Android--but given the choice between sense and Motoblur, I'd choose Motoblur; for my taste, it is less invasive and more stock-like option. That's just me, of course; Some people swear by sentence and would not buy a phone without it.

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

Also, check if the Droid a phone X, though. Although it is certainly not the same as the Bionic, will give you an idea of how Motorola's hardware is and how feels the Motoblur interface 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 maybe the better option.

Whichever way you go, be sure: something faster and glossier along to seduce you will be six months later. Welcome to the wild new world of mobile technology; There is rarely a dull moment.

JR Raphael is a PCWorld editor and the author of the Android power blog to contribute. You can find it on both Facebook and Twitter.