1. Motorola DROID RAZR

Pros

• 1 GHz dual-core processor is incredibly fast
• The 4.3-inch qHD display is large, but the phone is still relatively compact in the hand
• Motorola's custom UI has seen tremendous improvements over the past few months, and that new version is what's installed on the BIONIC
• 8-megapixel camera shoots video in 1080p

Cons

• At $249.99 with a two-year agreement, it's pricey
• BIONIC utilizes PenTile technology for the display, which is known for its pixelation in comparison to the competitors
• BIONIC has a 1,735 mAh battery, and while it's the largest battery out of the 4G LTE devices, it still struggles to make it through a day with moderate use

Summary

Announced way back in January at CES, the Motorola DROID BIONIC has been redesigned and reworked, and is finally available in retail stores.  It's no slouch, with a 1 GHz dual-core TI OMAP processor, 4.3-inch qHD display, 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording, and Android 2.3 with the latest build of Motorola's custom UI.  BIONIC solves the carrier's rift between high-end dual-core devices (all of which happened to be 3G) and the 4G LTE devices (none of which have been dual-core until now).  The BIONIC brings together the best of all worlds, and while it has issues with battery life and is pricey, it's still Verizon's best smartphone at the moment.

2. Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Pros

• Offers blazing fast 4G LTE speeds for the price of a normal data plan
• The 1 GHz Hummingbird processor, while not dual-core, is reasonably fast
• The 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display is absolutely beautiful, and is easier to use outdoors
• 8-megapixel camera is impressive
• For an Android device, the 1,600 mAh battery performs well
• Offers Mobile Hotspot capabilities; service is free through June 16

Cons
    •    While the LTE is incredibly fast, it's also very intermittent; it's not uncommon to see it cut in and out (especially when using Mobile Hotspot)
    •    At $299.99 with a two-year agreement, it's a bit pricey

Summary

While it suffers from LTE connection issues, the DROID Charge is the second best smartphone on Verizon at the moment.  The 1 GHz processor, while not dual-core, performs well, and the 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display is absolutely gorgeous.  That said, the $299.99 price tag is a bit much.

3. Apple iPhone 4S

Pros

• Offers blazing fast (and very consistent) 4G LTE speeds
• The 1 GHz next-generation Snapdragon processor, while not dual-core, is an improvement over first-gen devices like the HTC EVO 4G
• It's a feature-packed device, with a 4.3-inch display, 8-megapixel camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, and Android 2.2 with HTC Sense 2.0
• Comes with a 32 GB microSD card and 8 GB of internal storage to total almost 40 GB of available storage space.

Cons

• Battery life is poor to terrible, depending on usage habits
• Occasional issues with text messaging application
• The number of "force close" (similar to "this program is not responding" on a PC) messages are a potential concern
• While it comes with HTC Sense 2.0, Verizon has stripped most of the fun from it, including access to HTCSense.com and the corresponding customization options

Summary

Despite issues with the battery life and some of the applications, the HTC ThunderBolt surpasses the iPhone 4 to take over the number one spot on our list.  The 4G LTE speeds are absolutely phenomenal (not to mention very consistent), and the device is feature-packed with an 8-megapixel camera, 4.3-inch display, and almost 40 GB of memory.  Unfortunately, the battery life is very poor, and there are some software issues.  Despite the cons, the phone makes it into the top smartphones list on Verizon and should please Android die-hards and intermediate users alike.