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Thinner size vs. sharper displaySize is likely to be the first big difference you'll notice between the Droid Razr and the iPhone 4S. The Razr is bigger but thinner, coming in at 5.2" x 2.7" x .3", while the iPhone 4S is smaller and thicker at 4.5" x 2.3" x .4".
The iPhone 4S has a 3.5", 960 x 640 retina display, while the Razr has a 4.3" qHD Super AMOLED Advanced 960 x 540 display. Admittedly, that's a whole lot of numbers and marketing speak. What it all boils down to is that the Razr has a larger screen, but the pixel density on that screen is slightly lower than the display on the iPhone 4S. We're not saying the Razr screen looks bad by any means, but side-by-side with an iPhone 4S, it's possible you'll notice that the iPhone 4S screen is slightly sharper.
The OS under the hood
Other than size, the most dramatic difference you'll notice between the Razr and 4S is in their operating systems. The iPhone 4S runs iOS, while the Droid Razr runs Android. Both operating systems have their strengths and weaknesses, not to mention their fans. iOS is in general easier to use and has a bigger app store. Android, however, also has tons of available apps and can be customized more to meet your own personal needs. You can learn about all the difference between the two in our Android vs. iPhone guide.
At launch, the Droid Razr ships with Android 2.3.5 (aka Gingerbread). Google has already announced the release of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), and while the phone will be updated to 4.0 at some point in 2012, it won't come out of the box that way. Should you still be using the phone when Android 5.0 comes out, the Razr may or may not be supported; if it is, you may have to wait for a while for the update to come to your phone. Ice Cream Sandwich is a pretty dramatic redesign from Gingerbread, so if you do update later on, you should be prepared to spend a little bit of time to learn how the new version of the OS works.
The iPhone 4S comes running iOS 5, the latest version of Apple's operating system. When Apple makes a new version of its OS available, it goes out to all of the people using its phones simultaneously. That means when iOS 6 is announced, as long as your phone supports it (Apple traditionally supports older versions of the iPhone with OS upgrades), you'll get it the same day as everyone else.
Which carriers can you use?
In the United States, the Droid Razr is a Verizon exclusive. If you want one of these phones, you'll have to sign up for service with Verizon. The iPhone, however, is available on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, which may make it a better choice for people who are part of family plans on one of these carriers, get significantly better service in their area with a particular provider, or have other discounts on Sprint or AT&T.
If you have your heart set on a Droid Razr but don't want to use Verizon, a few online stores sell unlocked versions of the handset that can run on GSM networks. Those phones are sold at full price (without a carrier discount for signing a new two-year contract) but are not bound to Verizon's network.
The Razr is a 4G-capable phone and will run on Verizon's 4G LTE network when available. The iPhone 4S, however, is not capable of running on LTE and will likely get slower data speeds than the Razr in LTE areas. If you travel overseas, the iPhone 4S is a world phone that can be used during your travels; the Droid Razr is not.
Focus on photo quality
Both the iPhone 4S and Droid Razr come sporting 8-megapixel cameras with 1080p video recording capabilities. Picture quality also has a bit to do with the phone's software and other hardware components. While both cameras have the same resolution, the camera on the iPhone 4S is consistently rated higher than the Droid Razr's by phone reviewers.
Both phones have a forward-facing camera. The Razr's 1.3-megapixel forward camera trumps the iPhone 4S' VGA-quality one here.
Built-in vs. memory card storageThe iPhone 4S is available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB sizes. With the iPhone, all that memory is built in, so if you buy a 16GB iPhone 4S, you'll only be able to store 16GB of data on the phone. If you ever meet that limit, you'll have to delete some files before you can save anything new.
The Droid Razr comes with 16GB of built-in memory but also comes with a 16GB microSD card, making the total out-of-the-box storage for the device 32GB. The added benefit of using a microSD card, however, is that you can swap cards out if you need more storage space. The phone supports microSD cards up to 32GB in size, making it possible for you to tote around 48GB of data at a time.
Cards can be swapped out on the fly. In theory, you could bring a card full of movies with you on a trip and swap the existing card into your phone out to watch them, without needing to juggle apps and other data.
Costs: The bottom line
The carrier-subsidized Droid Razr on Verizon runs $299.99 with a new two-year agreement. The 32GB iPhone 4S (the same storage capacity as the Razr) runs an identical $299.99 with a new two-year agreement.
More Android vs. iOS
The Droid Razr and iPhone 4S are two entirely different animals, both with their own strengths and weaknesses. Your wants and needs will probably dictate which one is a better choice for you. Still on the fence? Check out our Galaxy Nexus vs. iPhone 4S guide for a look at another landmark Android phone on the market and to learn a little more about Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
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