Deciding which smartphone to purchase can be a daunting endeavor.

I know, because I have spent the last few months deciding which phone I should purchase for my personal use.

Since I review cellphones, I have a wonderful advantage. I actually get to use many of the most current phones and to assess their special features. This, however, can also be a disadvantage because each phone is unique and there is no one phone that has every feature I long for.

The competition was hot and heavy. I really liked many features of the iPhone, including the clarity of the display and one of the best cameras that I’ve seen in a cellphone.

Yet because of its smaller 3.5-inch screen, lack of 4G connectivity and lack of removable memory, the iPhone 4S lost the competition.

I also really liked the Droid Bionic. With its dual core 1 GHz processor, it is plenty fast. It has a good 4.3-inch display, has removable memory, and runs on Verizon’s fast 4G LTE network. Other smartphones like the Galaxy Nexus were also in the running. The Nexus has a super sharp 4.65-inch screen, even bigger than the Bionic, and also has a special slightly contoured display.

In the end, however, the Motorola Droid Razr won my heart. Its ultra-thin design is extremely attractive. The 4.3-inch screen size makes it easy to see, while still easy to hold and to carry. The super AMOLED screen is one of the best on the market.

The backplate is made of Kevlar (think bulletproof vest), while the face is Corning Gorilla glass. The device has plenty of metal inside and it sports a water-repellent nano-coating, so it should be able to get me through any klutzy days that I encounter.

The dual core 1.2 GHz processor makes it overall a speedy little device and with the 4G LTE capabilities, it also speeds through Web pages and handles videos including Flash with aplomb.

The Razr comes with 16 GB of built-in memory and also comes with a 16 GB removable storage card which can be upgraded to a larger size at any time.

As an Android phone, this Droid is extremely customizable and can handle everything from voice commands to navigation. One of its best features is a Motorola feature called Smart Actions. These allow you to set up triggers that tell the phone how you want it to act in certain circumstances.

Once a trigger is activated, the phone automatically performs the action that you specified. The triggers can be anything from the time of day to the location of the phone. You can use these Smart Actions for a large variety of functions.

For instance, you can set up a Smart Action that automatically turns the phone to vibrate when you enter the church every week. Or you can set it up to automatically connect to Wi-Fi when you are at home. Or have it remind you to pick up some milk when you are near the corner grocery store. Smart Actions can be easily used to save battery life and to perform many other automated tasks.

Although winning my heart was important, like most average cellphone purchasers, I also shopped for the best deal.

The Droid Razr was introduced last November at $299 with a two-year contract. Motorola has already introduced its successor, the Droid Razr Maxx, which is the same phone with a bigger battery.

As a three-month-old phone with a slightly better version already in place, Verizon has started to discount the Droid Razr. So this was a great time to buy. All of the features of the phone are quite up-to-date, but the phone itself now has a lower price. I took advantage of a deal at Best Buy for $149 with a two-year contract.

I was able to use a Best Buy gift certificate that I had received over the holidays, making it a really good deal. This week Verizon is offering two Droid Razrs for $199.

The Droid Razr isn’t perfect. It came with the Gingerbread Android operating system, and it probably won’t be upgraded to the latest (Ice Cream Sandwich) Android operating system for at least a few months.

Because it is so thin and light, the battery is not user-replaceable. But after a few weeks of using my Razr, I didn’t find any other drawbacks, and I can honestly say that I love it.

There is no doubt that in a short time there will be another phone to grab my attention with some spectacular new features. Right now, however, I am happy with my Droid Razr. In it, I have a fast, thin, and very capable smartphone to keep me company on my daily adventures.

Contact Sandy Berger at sandy@compukiss.com.