So the HTC Rezound is finally real. It managed to make it to market no worse for wear through the rumor mill though, and that’s pretty impressive. This isn’t a phone that, after launch, will be weighed down by all the hype or rumors. Nope, it stuck to its guns, and now here we are looking at one of the most impressive Android devices to land on the market to date, even if we do have to wait a week or so to get it. And after Taylor asked the lot of you whether or not you’d pick the Motorola DROID RAZR or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, I think it’s only fitting that we ask the same question, but this time we include HTC’s powerhouse for Verizon this holiday season.

I can understand that, right now, your holiday phone purchase has become something of a mess. Up until recently you probably thought you had it all figured out, didn’t you? (And maybe you still do, who knows. I’m sure you’ll tell me in the comments.) But now that the Motorola DROID RAZR has been announced, along with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, adding a device like the HTC Rezound may actually be a little overkill. Fortunately for the Beats Audio-fused handset, it stands out amongst the crowd on its own merits, so we’ll happily include it within the fray.

So let’s get down into the specs. First, let’s bring back the phone from the previous debate, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. This device is the latest and greatest in the Nexus family line-up, and for that alone it is probably on the top of many people’s lists, and for good reason. But, let’s get right down to it. The Galaxy Nexus will feature a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display, with a resolution of 1280x720. Under the hood you’ll find a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, with 1GB of RAM. The device will come in either a 16 or 32GB model of built-in storage; there’s a 5MP rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video recording; and it will have 4G LTE-connectivity. And, as everyone knows, it will ship with Android 4.0.

And then we’ve got the newcomer, the HTC Rezound. We’re looking at a 4.3-inch HD display with a resolution of 1280x720; there’s a 1.5GHz dual-core processor under the hood, with 1GB of RAM; it will have 16GB of built-in storage; there’s an 8MP rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video recording, with a 2MP front-facing shooter; and 4G LTE-connectivity. It will feature Beats Audio Technology, and it will ship with Android 2.3 right out of the box.

So, just looking at the specifications like they are, we can see that the HTC Rezound stands out on its own, and by quite a margin. Sure, the Nexus has a bigger display, but it will be interesting to see which display comes out on top, which we will only be able to tell next to one another. (The Galaxy Nexus’ Super AMOLED display is favored to win, but considering it isn’t a Super AMOLED Plus display, it’s anyone’s game at this point. The results will certainly be interesting.) But considering how popular processors are nowadays, with their speeds and cores, it will be hard to show someone the Rezound with its 1.5GHz dual-core processor and not recommend it, even compared to the Galaxy Nexus.

Now, like we mentioned above, the software may come center stage before the final purchase. The Galaxy Nexus’ launch will see the release of Android 4.0, or Ice Cream Sandwich. And, unfortunately for the Rezound, the Nexus will be the only device out there with this latest version of the mobile OS. The HTC-branded device on the other hand will come out of the box with Android 2.3, which is unfortunately not a surprise. However! HTC has made a bold statement, saying at the device’s announcement that the Rezound is coming Ice Cream Sandwich ready. Meaning, it should only be due to carrier testing that the upgrade from Android 2.3 to Android 4.0 is even remotely slowed down. HTC should never have a problem updating, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

Honestly, I think the struggle between the HTC Rezound and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a bit tougher than the Galaxy Nexus and DROID RAZR. The Rezound is an impressive device, and with the additions of Beats Audio Technology and Beats ear buds included in the box, it might be enough to push it ahead of the pack. Of course, the Nexus name goes a long way for Androids fans, so we’ll have to see how this close race pans out.