Samsung Droid Charge

Droid Charge dazzles with its bright display and zippy 4G speeds

Critics are generally impressed with the Samsung Droid Charge, which comes "loaded with all the trimmings you could ask for," says Todd Haselton of BGR.com. Reviewers rate it highly for its brilliant 4.3-inch touch screen, fast 4G speeds, and high-quality camera and camcorder. Short battery life and older hardware may be a drawback for some customers, but the Charge still manages to beat out the HTC Thunderbolt (*Est. $150 with contract) in several performance tests.

Measuring 5.11 inches by 2.66 inches by 0.46 inches, the Charge is quite large, yet it weighs less than the Thunderbolt. Though its plastic body "lacks any feeling of prestige in the hand," Tim Stevens of Engadget.com says, most reviewers say buyers will overlook this when they see the screen. The 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display combines vibrant colors and rich, dark blacks for a display that outshines the Galaxy S line and challenges Apple's Retina Display.

4G offers speedy browsing and streaming

All that screen space is put to good use with the Charge's "painless" media streaming and web browsing, as Bonnie Cha of CNET describes it. Thanks to Verizon's 4G LTE network, most reviewers experience speeds that would "shame your average cable modem," says Engadget's Stevens. The 1GHz processor, paired with Android 2.2, "won't blow your mind with ridiculous benchmark scores," he says, "but, more importantly, it never left us waiting." Samsung's Media Hub allows users to download movies and TV shows and stream directly to their televisions using the HDMI port. The 8-megapixel camera takes "bright and sharp photos even in dim environments" and captures stellar 720p HD video recordings, Cha says.

Reviewers agree that call quality is excellent, and the battery lasts longer than the HTC Thunderbolt. However, Grant Hatchimonji of BrightHand.com says that with the screen lit up the "battery drains like a tub." Despite this, the Charge's vibrant screen and 4G speeds make it a strong choice for "people who like to stream high-quality video, use video chat or play Web-based games," Mark Sullivan of PCWorld.com says.

CNET offers the most comprehensive review of the smartphone's specs and performance, while Engadget.com compares the Charge to the Thunderbolt and the Samsung Galaxy S II. PCMag.com posts a well-rounded overview of its features and hardware, and BGR.com presents a brief look at its performance. PCWorld.com offers a short review of the phone, while BrightHand.com delves into more detail.