With HTC having already launched their new flagship Android smartphone, the HTC One X, the Android rumor mills’ attention seems to be currently focusing on the upcoming flagships from the two other main Android smartphone manufacturers: Samsung and Motorola. While during the previous weeks we have extensively covered the rumors and leaks regarding the Samsung Galaxy S3, Motorola’s upcoming smartphone, rumored to be branded as ‘the DROID Fighter’, is somewhat of a recent addition to the pre-launch interest list of Android fans worldwide.
Please note that while none of the rumored Samsung Galaxy S3 specs are set in stone, the image we currently have on the S3 was painted by a hefty number of reports and supposed leaks. Contrastingly, there are few reports on the DROID Fighter, although that did not stop some enthusiasts from spreading rumors left and right. We have no way of telling if the rumored specs for both the Galaxy S3 and the DROID Fighter will come true, but if they are to be believed, it looks like the Motorola DROID Fighter will be the toughest competitor to the next hardware iteration in the Samsung’s immensely popular Galaxy S series.
Note: Before you guys rush to the comment section and start blaming me for comparing two smartphones that aren’t even official yet, please note that this article only aims to compare the rumored specs, and should not serve as a buying guide. This is for all of you other there that are waiting for the next best thing.
Round 1: Display
As indicated by a leaked image of the DROID Fighter (catch it above: the DROID Fighter is in the left while the DROID RAZR is on the right), it is believed that the upcoming Motorola flagship will feature a 4.6 inch display. As there is no sight of any capacitive buttons, it’s likely that a small portion (0.3 inches) of the display real estate will be used up by the standard Android 4.0 ICS on-screen buttons.
What’s interesting is that Motorola have decided to make the entire device 0.3 inches bigger than the DROID RAZR, although the real screen size will remain the same in most situations (I said most situations because the on-screen buttons roll down in some situations), deciding to place a big Verizon logo where the capacitive buttons used to rest. There is no reason why Motorola won’t decide to go with a SAMOLED display in the DROID Fighter (as they’ve also done so – with success – with the DROID RAZR). A bump in the resolution is also expected, so a 720p resolution is what most specialists bet their money on.
One of the earliest leaks of the DROID Fighter, which at the time was known as the DROID HD
As the displays are likely to be both manufactured by Samsung, have the same rumored size and the same rumored resolution, there isn’t much in this. If rumors turn out to be true, don’t expect any major differences between these displays.
Winner: Draw
Round 2: CPU, GPU & RAM
As many of you probably already know, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is rumored to feature the Samsung-built Exynos 4412 SoC, translating into a quad-core ARM Cortex A9-based CPU running at 1.5-1.8 GHz and an ARM Mali-T604 GPU.
In the red corner, given Motorola’s previous SoC choices, it won’t be a surprise if Motorola decides to place a Texas Instruments OMAP4470 SoC inside the DROID Fighter. While the OMAP4470 won’t feature a quad-core CPU, the 1.8 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9-based processor should be fast enough for most Android users. On the upside, the OMAP4470 SoC features a PowerVR SGX544 GPU (built by Imagination Technologies), so it should balance its performance in the graphics sector compared to other SoCs. Another viable alternative for Motorola (given the recently signed Motorola – Intel agreement) is the Medfield CPU, although I wouldn’t bet on it showing up inside the DROID Fighter.
Both the Galaxy S3 as well as the DROID Fighter are rumored to feature 2GB of RAM, double the amount inside today’s top-end smartphones. While Android 4.0 ICS has demonstrated great operation on devices with as low as 768MB of RAM, anything but 2GB would be a serious shame for either device.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S3 (quad-core baby!)
Round 3: Battery
Techsnobs Rumors claim that the Motorola Droid Fighter (at least one version of it) will feature the same 3300mAh battery as the DROID RAZR MAXX. In this context, lasting an entire day on a single charge should not be a problem for the DROID Fighter, while not the same can be said about the Samsung Galaxy S3, which is expected to arrive with a standard <2000 mAh battery. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is for other manufacturers to step up, take Motorola’s example and include bigger batteries in their smartphones. What’s the use of having a smartphone powerhouse in your pocket if the battery is drained after just a mere 12 – or worse yet – 8 hours? The least we can hope is that the S3 battery will be replaceable, meaning you can stick another battery in when the first one is dead. But that’s only a compromise solution, as I’m sure you’ll agree.
Winner: Motorola DROID Fighter
Conclusion
So there you have it – the current rumored specs for these upcoming flagship devices from Samsung and Motorola make for a very interesting superphone battle. Ultimately, the S3 will surely sell more units due to huge inertia of the Galaxy S series, but the smart decision should be made based upon the design and build quality of the two smartphones.
Motorola have excelled in the design of the last few smartphones, and fans won’t settle for anything less with the Droid Fighter. In addition, given the amazing build quality of the previous Motorola DROIDs, we expect the Droid Fighter to be built like a tank. Don’t expect a big cannon on top, but a splashproof case built out of Kevlar will surely match our expectations.
