DROID CHARGE Don’t get overcharged

June 26, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Product: Verizon Droid Charge, a Samsung 4G smartphone

Features: Runs the Android 2.2 operating system with a 1 GHz processor and storage memory of 2GB, with an extra 32 GB MicroSD card included. Built with a 4.3-inch screen and two cameras: front-facing 1.3 MP camera, and rear 8 MP camera with LED flash. It also has an HDMI port for the option to connect to a larger high-definition screen for watching video. It can tap into Verizon’s 4G network, where available, plays Flash videos online, and can be a mobile hotspot for up to 10 devices.

Price: $299.99, with two-year contract.

Ups: Samsung’s screen technology, called Super-AMOLED, gets high marks for its vividly bright colors. It comes pre-loaded with a 32 GB memory card, which is unique since most Android phones don’t come with as much memory (without the card, there’s only 2 GB of memory built in). The Samsung camera is fantastic.

Downs: The build of the phone looks and feels like cheap plastic. During tests, the Charge’s battery, ironically, didn’t always hold a charge a full day. Many days it did, but there were moments it would drain faster, notably when spending time out of a 4G network. But it’s not a unique hiccup — some other 4G phone models also drain the battery as they hunt for a 4G signal. Verizon has said it since released a software update to addresses this issue, along with a few bugs. I never experienced any bugs.

Bottom line: There’s a lot in this Samsung phone to like, but it is grossly overpriced at $300. Its processor isn’t the fastest in the market, and features aren’t unique. If you’re wavering between this and the first Verizon 4G phone, the HTC Thunderbolt, they have similar specs and have similar speeds. If Verizon’s software update can fix the battery drain that occurs when it hunts for a 4G signal, then it’s a solid phone. Just don’t pay that Verizon price; Amazon and Wal-Mart sell it for $180 online.

– Bridget Carey, McClatchy Newspapers