Welcome to Verizon Wireless Phones, a part of infoSync Reviews. Here you'll find in-depth reviews of Verizon Wireless phones by RIM, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, Nokia and LG. If you don't find the Verizon Wireless phone you're looking for here, please check out the following resources: Resource Center for Cell Phones, Ask The Editors and Expert Guides.
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| Motorola Droid |
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 The Motorola Droid is a fascinating device, and a great addition to Verizon Wireless' lineup. It's the exact opposite of the Motorola CLIQ. While the CLIQ provides an innovative and deeply integrated social networking platform on top of a shoddy piece of hardware, the Motorola Droid is one of the most solid phones we've used, but it adds little to Google's own innovation. That's fine with us, since Google has added plenty of cool new features to Android 2.0 that will change the smartphone market for the better. Google Maps now includes a great, free turn-by-turn navigation system, and the interface gets improvements like a dedicated in-car mode that make us wonder why nobody else thought of this. The Droid hardware is rigidly constructed and loaded with high-end features. We especially liked the dazzling screen that packs more pixels than any other U.S. carrier phone, the 5-megapixel camera (though our unit's camcorder feature was bonked) and the fast processing that kept the system at a steady sprint. Even battery life was great on this phone, a rarity among Android devices. If Verizon Wireless and Motorola really want to dethrone the Apple iPhone 3GS, they'll have to significantly improve the music and video players, and we're hoping to see Flash 10 support in the Web browser sooner rather than later. But in the last couple months, Motorola has made a significant turnaround, and we're pleased to be able to highly recommend a Moto phone once again. Release: November 2009. Price: $200.
Pros: Excellent build quality. High-end features, especially the large display. Google Maps with Navigation is fantastic and free.
Cons: Verizon Wireless didn't add much to Google's stock interface. Camera was disappointing. Most features were superlative, but nothing unique.
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| RIM BlackBerry Storm 2 |
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 If you are already decided on the BlackBerry Storm and you've only been waiting for RIM to fix the long list of problems with the first model, fear not, because the BlackBerry Storm 2 addresses almost all of the complaints buyers had with the original. The BlackBerry Storm 2 is faster, more responsive, built better and more feature-packed than the first Storm. Even so, the interface was wildly inconsistent, as if the phone could never remember when you're supposed to press and when you're supposed to lightly tap; when you're supposed to swipe or when you should just point. Sometimes, it simply didn't work. Sometimes, the interface design was so counterintuitive that we decided to give up. Even with the improvements, and they are significant, using the BlackBerry Storm 2 was a real chore, as the extra pressure required to 'click' makes every action a bit harder compared to other touchscreens. The interface design was continually frustrating, even while newer phones, like the HTC Hero on Sprint, manage to surprise and delight with clever and adaptive touchscreen interface ideas. All the basic BlackBerry features are present in the Storm 2, like the great integrated messaging inbox, the deep access for IT managers, and newer features like the BlackBerry App World and the tightly integrated Facebook app. Plus, the screen on the Storm 2 is one of the best we've seen on a phone, and it's great for watching movies and videos. But if you want BlackBerry features, buy a classic BlackBerry with a keyboard, and if you want a touchscreen phone, there are much better options on the market. Release: October 2009. Price: $180.
Pros: Faster, more responsive than original BlackBerry Storm. Fantastic display quality, great for movies. Well-organized messaging.
Cons: Interface design is frustrating and cumbersome, even when SurePress works well. Browser still lagging. Some features could use a serious graphical boost.
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| HTC Imagio |
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 To answer the critics who complain that Verizon Wireless doesn't have any unique smartphones, here's the HTC Imagio. The phone packs most of the best features we've seen across HTC's Windows Mobile lineup, then throws in Verizon Wireless' best services, including V Cast Mobile TV. It's a big phone, but touchscreen fans will like the huge, 3.6-inch, hi-res display. Plus, now that the phone comes loaded with Microsoft's newest Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, the latest mobile OS is as pleasant to use as ever. There are a few lingering remnants from the older generation that keep this phone from being superior, disappointingly in the multimedia and GPS features, both of which are usually perfect features for the form factor. The HTC Imagio has all the great calling and contacts features of the Touch Pro2, plus Web browsing with Flash video support, and even the blossoming Microsoft Windows Marketplace. The interface is still a bit flat, with few options to customize the main menu tabbed screens or add features to the main display, and Windows Mobile is still behind the curve compared to some of the more snazzy smartphone systems out there. But the HTC Imagio is still a rock solid device, with plenty of great and occasionally unique features, and if you're a dedicated Verizon fan looking for an innovative, high-end smartphone, the HTC Imagio deserves consideration. Release: October 2009. Price: $200.
Pros: Large, responsive touchscreen. Great features, especially for calling and contact handling. Solid Web browsing.
Cons: Disappointing camera. Media player could use an interface upgrade. VZ Navigator should be much better on this device.
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| Samsung Rogue |
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 If you just read the hardware specs on the Samsung Rogue and don't actually pick it up to use it, it's quite an impressive phone. That 3.1-inch AMOLED screen is really top notch, with a high resolution and gorgeous color. The phone also packs some nice features, like music and video playback, corporate and civilian e-mail access, a comfortable slide-out QWERTY keyboard and more. It does everything a feature phone can do, but it performed so poorly in our hands-on tests that we'd have trouble recommending the Samsung Rogue, a phone that is unresponsive and frustrating. Navigating the phone's interface is a sluggish, slapdash affair, as any errant press could land you in an unwanted feature. Some apps, like the music player and the e-mail client, were just poorly designed while others, like the Web browser and the phone's TouchWIZ interface, suffered from a touchscreen that had trouble distinguishing our flicks from our taps. This isn't surprising, considering the Samsung Glyde, which the Rogue replaces, had similar issues. The Samsung Impression, a near-identical phone on AT&T, performed a little better, but we're still waiting for Samsung to impress us with a touchscreen, full QWERTY phone. Release: September 2009. Price: $100.
Pros: AMOLED screen is crisp and colorful, packed with pixels. Great features, including 3-megapixel auto focus camera, corporate e-mail support.
Cons: Unresponsive screen hurts performance in most key apps. Unimpressive software design hurts the rest.
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| RIM BlackBerry Tour |
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 The BlackBerry Tour is a solid business smartphone with loads of messaging options. Thanks to diligent work by RIM building some very useful apps to connect to the major social networking and instant messaging services, the BlackBerry Tour isn't too buttoned up for business, and it makes a solid all-around choice. In fact, the phone has solid multimedia features with good music hardware and one of the best video players we've used on a smartphone. The screen is also fantastic, perhaps the best we've seen on a business device like this. Still, more and more the BlackBerry platform is showing its age. The Web browser is nearly useless compared to the desktop quality browsers you'll find on other advanced smartphones, even on new Windows Mobile devices. The calendar and messaging apps, while powerful enough, were downright ugly to use, and the phone still relies heavily on long, confusing, textual menus for settings and advanced features. Further, while Verizon Wireless fans have been clamoring for a new BlackBerry with a keyboard as an alternative to the touchscreen BlackBerry Storm, we'd have trouble recommending the BlackBerry Tour over AT&T's BlackBerry Bold, which can run all the same apps, but which also uses Wi-Fi. RIM has definitely polished the BlackBerry design to a glossy sheen, but there are better smartphones out there. Release: July 2009. Price: $200.
Pros: Sleek BlackBerry design with the best BlackBerry screen yet. Great selection of apps for social networking, instant messaging. Visual voicemail.
Cons: Call quality wasn't as good as other BlackBerry devices, like the BlackBerry Bold. Web browser falling farther behind the competition. We didn’t love the keyboard.
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