Verizon Tops Again for Consumer Reports: Latest Tips and Rankings

by Holly Shoemaker

Last week I provided the tablet trends from the December 2012 Consumer Reports Electronics Issue. Now, I gave gathered the latest smartphone trends and rankings by carrier.

Smartphone Trends

• Screen Size and Edges – Customers will see larger screens and rounder edges for easier viewing and holding. Most of the top-rated phones have 4.3 inch screens, measuring diagonally.
• Beyond Apple and Samsung – Despite the Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III making Consumer Reports top ten electronics list, the non-profit agency says to look beyond Apple and Samsung. The other standout devices were Verizon’s Motorola Razr phone, which Consumer Reports says has, “nifty apps," and the HTC One for its intuitive interface.
• 4G – This is now considered the standard, with the exception of the iPhone 4S on Verizon and Sprint. More speed may translate into using more data so keep track of monthly payments.

Smartphone Rankings by Carrier

As Verizon did in the Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2012, the carrier still ranks first in satisfaction, followed by Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T.

For Verizon subscribers, the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx topped the list with a score of 78, followed by the Galaxy S III (32 GB) with a score of 76 and the iPhone 5 (16 GB) with a score of 75. The Motorola Droid Razr M and Razr also scored in the top five.

For Sprint users, the Galaxy S III (16 GB) ranked first with a score of 76, followed by the iPhone 5 (16 GB) with a score of 75 and the HTC EVO 4G LTE with a score of 73.

For T-Mobile subscribers, the Galaxy S III (16 GB) scores first with 78 points, followed by the HTC One S with a score of 77 and the Galaxy S II with a score of 75.

AT&T subscribers show a similar trend with manufactures for T-Mobile. The Galaxy 3 III (16 GB) ranks first with a score of 78, followed by the iPhone 5 with a score of 77 and the HTC One X with a score of 76.

Droid 4 Comes to Verizon

by Holly Shoemaker

The Motorola Droid 4 garnered good reviews when industry insiders and retailers had the chance to view the Droid 4 at CES. Now, consumers may purchase the phone starting on Feb. 10, 2012 from Verizon. Those interested will need to pay $199.99 and sign a two-year contract.

The Motorola Droid 4 gives the company a competitive advantage for those looking for a QWERTY-slider phone. The phone also has a 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor, a four-inch touch screen and an eight megapixel camera. The phone also runs on the 4G LTE network. Consumers also have the option of purchasing a docking station if they want to use a larger keyboard. The Lapdock 500 is available for $299. This station is also compatible with the Razr.

The element missing from the Droid 4 is the use of Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest Android operating system. The Droid 4 will operate using Gingerbread. Verizon has said it plans on issuing an upgrade. At this time, the date of the upgrade remains unknown.

Concluding Thoughts

The Motorola Droid 4 has the ability to make up for disappointing sales of the Droid 3. However, if you want a more compact phone, this is not the device for you. The keyboard adds to the bulk, but all reviews thus far highly praise the keyboard. Indicators predict the Droid 4 will become a welcome addition to the QWERTY phones from Motorola.

Learn From Competitors to Gain App Customers

by Holly Shoemaker

What happens when developers have a mobile app idea and another developer or company puts a similar app on the market sooner? While some may feel tempted to give up, monitoring the competition is a good marketing tactic to use to come up with an even better app.

Follow the Competition

Blogs, websites, news articles and other media outlets provide many reviews and information. Developers may even turn on their TVs to gather information regarding the latest apps available for the iPhone, Android and Droid markets. Once developers have even a small tidbit of information, they can see how the competition is doing. Developers should also keep in mind that many people do not want to try the first version of a product – it depends on the audience.

Concluding Thoughts

Sometimes the best ideas come from existing ones. By no means do I advocate taking someone’s idea and stealing that. However, we cannot deny that what we see from advertising sparks creativity and bigger and better ideas. While someone may have already come out with an app that targets what developers want, that does not mean that app addresses all the needs of its targeted audience. By looking at what needs improvement, app developers and smartphone manufactures seize opportunities to develop and market new apps and devices.