iPhone 4S vs HTC Thunderbolt: 4G Verizon Phone Duel

While HTC Thunderbolt is older than the still new iPhone 4S, it's much cheaper, has a bigger screen and the Android system running it all. Which one you choose to buy will depend on what you plan to do with it. If you are always downloading and uploading things, you might want to consider the Thunderbolt because it's 4G and iPhone isn't. Apple may one day release the iPhone 5, and it may be 4G, but none of the other iPhones are. That could be because those high speeds tend to be hard on the battery. In that regard, iPhone 4S does well, but the battery is not replaceable. Thunderbolt does have a replaceable battery, and there is even an extended battery available that will give longer life.

So, iPhone has a better battery, but Thunderbolt is cheaper with a bigger screen. Bigger, yes, better, maybe not. iPhone 4S has better resolution in part because the screen is smaller. Smaller screens can pack in more pixels, and that means a clearer, more lifelike image. Additionally, iPhone 4S has more memory and more internal storage, but Thunderbolt has a microSD card slot to add to the storage. Storage is less of a concern for iPhones now that the iCloud system is up and running. All your iTunes content can be stored on Apple's servers so you don't have to carry them around with you.

Speaking of iCloud, it's part of Apple's newest operating system update, iOS 5. It debuted with iPhone 4S, and features a new messaging system, new photo editing tools and integration with Twitter so you can send messages right from certain functions without opening a new app. Thunderbolt is an Android phone, and the Android 4.0 update should start rolling out to many devices very soon. HTC has announced several of their devices will get the update, but Thunderbolt was not listed among them. That doesn't mean it won't get the update, but that remains a possibility. That, combined with the fact iPhone 4S comes with Siri the digital assistant makes iPhone 4S the winner. It does cost $200 with a new contract compared with $100 for the Thunderbolt, but it's a better deal. Tell us in the comments if you are a Verizon customer and if you're considering these phones with your next upgrade.