There are an awful lot of good phone choices on the market nowadays, and making an informed choice can be difficult. First, you need to choose an operating system, either the less popular Windows or RIM systems, or the market dominating Apple or Android systems.

Android seems to be more and more the operating system of choice though, given its ease of use and high functionality. But then there are hundreds of Android phones. Motorola’s new RAZR MAXX HD is a stunning smart phone, but then again, so is Samsung’s Galaxy S II. Making a choice between the two is exceptionally hard. Let’s see how they measure up against each other…

The RAZR MAXX HD, What it Does Well…
Okay, let’s talk screens for a minute. The RAZR has a bigger screen at 4.7 inches versus the Samsung’s 4.3 inches. It’s also higher resolution by about two and a half times. Plus, it has a higher PPI (pixels per inch), meaning pictures should be better defined on the RAZR.

You might think that all this adds up to better picture quality in general, and it should. There’s only one problem though, and that’s Motorola’s choice of screen material as opposed to Samsung’s. We’ll talk more about that when we discuss Samsung’s advantages.

As for speed, well, the RAZR does run a faster processor. It comes with a 1500 MHz processor compared to Samsung’s 1200 MHz, making the RAZR more powerful, snappier, and more responsive. It also has a three times faster maximum data speed, meaning you get quicker downloading and faster web page opening.

You get double the internal memory, meaning you can store twice the amount of videos and pictures than you can on the Galaxy.

And you get around twenty one hours of talk time per battery charge cycle, which is a lot longer than Samsung’s 8.6 hours.

So far, the Motorola’s looking good…

The Galaxy S II, What it Does Well…
But the Samsung also looks good. Sure, it may be a little slower, but not by much, it’s really hardly noticeable. And what really pushes it over the edge is the screen.

Yes, Motorola’s screen has higher specs. But the Samsung screen is a Super AMOLED Plus, and the Motorola’s is only a Super AMOLED. The plus makes a difference, it’s clearer, thinner and uses less energy, and frankly looks amazing.

The Galaxy is also lighter and thinner than the Motorola, and yet doesn’t feel flimsy, in fact it simply looks sleeker and better designed than the Motorola.

So Which to Choose?
It’s a tough one. On paper, the Motorola’s specs look better, but in reality, there’s little noticeable difference in the performance of the phones. The Motorola comes in slightly more expensive with a lot of providers, which could be a deciding point for some people. But if we have to name a winner, it’s going to have to be the Galaxy. It simply looks better, and feels better in the hand. It’s a tad slower, but that Super AMOLED Plus screen looks amazing. It was a very close run race though.

Phil Turner has spent the past few weeks researching mobile phone deals available in the UK and has come to the conclusion that customers get better deals from smaller operators.