I think the Nexus and Razr are pretty close in HW.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/18/samsung-galaxy-nexus-vs-droid-razr-by-motorola-the-tale-of-the/

Thought the Nexus does have the new OS.

I'll consider the Nexus though. It all depends on the release date. I'm going to need a phone this week or the next.

I'd recommend The Verge over Engadget for reviews.

Take a look at this table:
http://www.theverge.com/products/compare/3581/3604/2946

The Galaxy nexus has a better screen and larger batter, plus it has Android 4 instead of 2.

Honestly, if you must buy a phone before the Galaxy Nexus is released, I'd recommend iPhone. The reality is that the Razr is not going to receive any support from Motorola.

That's fair. Thanks for the advice.

My bias: I went from an iphone 3 to an evo4g. Not that I think android is better, but because I'm well integrated into google and am a java developer (so I could build my own apps, should the mood strike me).

Keep in mind that androids, especially the larger ones (like my evo) require an absolute BUTT-TON of battery power. I swapped out my default battery for the one with dual capacity... why? So I didn't have to charge my phone during the day. The Razr has a big screen and tiny battery (which is why it is small), so I anticipate battery to be a monster issue.

The iphone's battery isn't terrible. You can go a day or two with it, plus you'll play the games all the kids rave about that either don't exist on android, or android has a weaker version of.

Also keep in mind with android, that only the newest phones can support the newest OS, and you want that. I, personally, prefer HTC or Google phones as well.

Other than that, abge has great advice.

Comparing an iPhone to a top of the line Android is silly. It's apples and googles because the iPhone doesn't even do 4G. That's right folks. It's 3G only on Apple's offering at the moment and even the iPhone 5 isn't supposed to have 4G yet. But the latest Android's are all 4G capable phones.

Abge's advice is solid, we have almost every worthy smartphone pass through our office and I do not recommend Motorola in the slightest. You need to answer these questions:
-Will my phone become my primary music device?
-Do I take pictures often and care about the quality of them?
-Am I going to be an app buyer?
-Am I primarily getting a smartphone to have quick access to browsing, email, and navigation? Or do I plan on automating everything from my vehicle to my thermostat with the device?
-Do I play games on the move?
-Do I mind software bugs and apps that might not work on my device? (This isn't a stab towards Android, Android is great, but it is something you need to consider.)
-How invested am I in social networks?

Essentially, you need to know why you want a smartphone. And if you're absolutely not going to buy apps, the iPhone isn't for you. $20 in apps can be the difference between a phone that has internet and the one device you couldn't live without, but some people just think anything useful software-wise should be free.

I can say, without personal conviction, that the iPhone is THE best smartphone in production. And there are plenty of cases that will prevent you from breaking it (it isn't "more" fragile than others, but it is much harder to repair)

Another consideration is LTE. If you want it, obviously the iPhone is out. But the average user isn't going to make use of it right now.

Draugnar, this is his first internet phone and I doubt he's going to be paying for tethering. For the 99%, LTE is a luxury, not a necessity.

That's not true. No Android phones on ATT are LTE capable. Some claim to be "4G", but they're really just HSPA+. Yes, LTE is a + in Android's favor *on some phones and carriers*, but I think the iPhone still wins out over the Razr.

My last response was to Draug. I got ninja'd by Geo. But, I agree with everything Geo said. However, I would argue that the Galaxy Nexus is on par with the iPhone 4s. Plus, on Verizon, it has the advantage.

Definitely not going to be tethering with it. If it has enough space, I'll use it as my primary music device. Otherwise, it'll be primarily for internet and the occasional game. Oh, and as a phone.

Oh, and I live in Canada so it being on Verizon is of no consequence to me.

Oh, if you live in Canada, check to see if the Galaxy Nexus is already available. I know it's out in the UK already. I'm not sure exactly how North American deployment works.

Bell says that it's going to be released on the 7th.

Well, there is no perfect device. I'm not going to sit here and argue otherwise. But I will say that for what I do, I could not use Android. I don't own an apple computer, I never would, but iOS is central to all my other devices in every aspect of my life, work, school, and social. You can't go wrong with either, all I want to say is that "out of the box" the iPhone is the device to have. And if gaming is at all a prerogative, then the decision should be easy.

I agree. As I've already said, I think the choice between the Galaxy Nexus or the iPhone 4s is really a matter of preference, as they are both excellent.

@abge - HTC Vivid and Samsung Galaxy S II are both Adnroid and both 4G LTE and both on AT&T. But more importantly, I didn't specify LTE, I just said 4G. Sprint has 4G Androids. Verzion does too, and so does AT&T.

As far as tethering... 4G isn't just fopr tethering. If you browse the web or download apps to your phone, the 4G comes into play there as well. And the 4G phones are capable of multi-tasking with both voice and data connections simultaneously. Last time I checked, talking on an iPhone while doing a google search only works on ATT. The Verizon iPhones are all EDGE based which precludes that capability.

Let's get something straight.

46 was originally supposed to refer to what is now called LTE. 4G is a marketing gimmick nothing more. The speed increase on an ATT 4G (HSPA+) is so much smaller than an LTE device it is a joke to even consider it. If anything, ATT 4G should be called 3G+. Non-LTE 4G networks are a joke and worse, a blatant lie by the telecom companies to confuse consumers.

As to ATT LTE, the only place I know of it existing is NY, so that's not too impressive, either...

Finally, the GSM version of the Galaxy Nexus doesn't support LTE, so it is *exactly* the same as the iPhone 4s for ATT.

@abge - You said ATT doesn't have any LTE phones. I just provided two right off their front page. Do you deny you were incorrect? Or will you continue to backpedal like Putin and TC?

Abegmacht +1000.
I'd of beat him to the punch if I wasn't on a "4G" network. =P

Selling an LTE phone does not equal providing LTE service.
But you should all stop. Yonni lives in Canada and just moved out of Bell's LTE coverage.

Yes, I was wrong; ATT has a couple LTE-capable phones, but what good are they without an LTE network to support them?

However, saying that all top-tier Android phones are 4G capable while the iPhone is not is simply not true, as is the case with the GSM Galaxy Nexus.

You mods all stick together. :-P

Just kidding of course. But the fact is abgemacht was mistaken when he said ATT had no LTE Android phones.

Yup. Very much out of the LTE coverage...

There is no true 4G. The sprint 4G (that's not really 4G, nor lte), I've found, is lightning fast, but the radio drains a crapload of battery, and takes ages to turn on. If I had to do a lot of browsing and downloading, I'd turn it on. I've had it for a year and all I can say is that it is a gimmick at best and I never use it.

4G LTE is available 3 phones for ATT: LG Nitro HD, Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, and HTC Vivid. ATT has been releasing LTE services in major cities and their surroundings and will continue to (they estimate that, by the the end of 2011, 70 mill. of the 300 mill. of Americans will have LTE capability).

There is sort of an increase in 4G speeds to 3G. While it is definitely an upgrade to 3G, sometimes it is hard to spot the difference in speeds, sometimes it is quite obvious. I think it would be safe to say to buy an LTE phone and reap the benefits of the ongoing deployment. Worse case scenario, you live where 4G LTE isn't available and still use 4G. Worser case, 4G isn't available, and you still have a fast (maybe that's pushing it, but) browser experience with 3G. Worst case, you live in the middle of nowhere and get freaking Edge on your phone, 2G, which goes at a woefully slow pace.

ATT FTW!