HotHardware Holiday Gift Guide: Smartphones

Motorola DROID RAZR

As one of the thinnest new smartphones available today, the Motorola DROID RAZR is definitely attracting plenty of attention. In addition to its thin body which measures just 7.1mm (0.28 inches), the DROID RAZR is also durable and features a KEVLAR backplate, Corning Gorilla Glass display, and water repellent nanocoating.

In addition to a thin and durable design, the DROID RAZR features a 1.2GHz dual core processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced display with qHD (960x540) resolution. This smartphone also supports 4G LTE connectivity where it's available on Verizon Wireless' network. For storage, the DROID RAZR comes with 16GB of internal memory and a pre-installed 16GB microSD card.

Like some of the other popular Motorola smartphones this year, the DROID RAZR can be used with a number of accessories including the Lapdock 100 ($249.99) to expand the functionality of the phone. With the Lapdock 100, you'll basically be able to turn the phone into a slim laptop, complete with a 10.1-inch screen, keyboard, and touchpad mouse. Of course, there are other accessories available as well, such as a vehicle dock and an HD dock, which are also sold separately.

HTC Rezound

Audio lovers will appreciate the fact that the HTC Rezound features Beats Audio integration. Thanks to the partnership between HTC and Beats, this phone makes it possible for users to "hear music the way the artist intended with unique audio tuning by Beats that delivers thundering bass, soaring midrange and crisp highs." 

To help ensure the best audio experience, the HTC Rezound comes with lightweight Beats headphones that integrate with the Beats audio profile on the device. These headphones can also be used for hands-free calling with a built-in microphone and an on-cable remote that can pause, advance, or rewind your music and answer a call mid-song.

In addition to the HTC Rezound's audio and multimedia capabilities, the phone features a 4.3-inch HD 720p display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB DDR2 RAM, 16 GB onboard memory, 4G LTE connectivity, a front-facing 2MP camera, and a rear-facing 8MP camera. The phone comes with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and the latest version of HTC's Sense user interface. HTC has said that an upgrade to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) will available in early 2012.

Contract Price: $299.99

HTC TITAN

Featuring the largest screen of any Windows Phone, the HTC TITAN is designed with multitasking and multimedia entertainment in mind. This phone features a 4.7-inch screen (480x800 resolution) along with a thin design that measures 9.9mm (about 0.39 inches). Other key features include a 1.5GHz processor, 16GB of onboard storage, 512MB of RAM, and 4G connectivity via AT&T's HSPA+ network.

The HTC TITAN is available through AT&T. This phone runs on the latest version of Windows Phone 7.5, also known as Mango. With Mango, you'll get new voice control functionality, linked email inboxes, battery saver settings, Office Hub, and more.  

Multimedia enthusiasts will appreciate this phone's Zune and Xbox LIVE capabilities. The TITAN's 8 megapixel camera is designed to give you better than average photo taking abilities on this phone with a F2.2 lens, dual LED flash, and BSI sensor for capturing images in low-light settings. On the front of the TITAN, you'll find a 1.3 megapixel camera as well.

Contract Price: $199.99 (AT&T)