Review: Verizon DROID RAZR MAXX by Motorola
There is no question that the DROID RAZR MAXX is for all intents and purposes just a DROID RAZR with a massive ‘ol battery crammed into a somewhat embiggened frame. So what then is the massive deal and why does it warrant its very own critique?
Everyone knows that the single biggest complaint about every single 4G LTE cellphone that Verizon has released to date has been the battery lifestyle. The typical 4G LTE telephone is fortunate to make it a lot more than 14 hrs on a charge if you use your phone at all – even left virtually untouched you are unlikely to be greeted by anything but a blank display in the morning if you commit the cardinal sin of forgetting to plug your cellphone in at evening. Would a cellphone that could turn all of that on its ear be some thing you may be interested in? If so, study on for my total review.
one. Battery Daily life
So as my preamble suggested, the 3300 mAh battery is the large highlight function for the DROID RAZR MAXX. So if it failed to impress, this evaluation would have kinda blown up on the launch pad. Fortunately it manages to live up to the billing and beyond.
In my time with the DROID RAZR MAXX I in no way as soon as was ready to burn up the battery down entirely in less than 18 hrs and with light usage I managed to eke out above 60 hours on a single charge.
Sure that light use outcome is unrealistic for the power users, but then again we cannot imagine not plugging our phone in at night anyway. For far more casual end users, and as a result customers that are significantly less likely to keep in mind to plug their phone in, I can see 36-48 hrs of battery lifestyle as a genuine possibility.
This variety of battery lifestyle in a 4G LTE mobile phone is really merely astounding and offers the DROID RAZR MAXX a large advantage above the rest of the present crop of devices out there that can frequently struggle to make it by way of a normal work day.
2. Efficiency
The 1.two GHz TI OMAP 4430 processor that powers the DROID RAZR MAXX does its work admirably, just as it did in the authentic RAZR. I never skilled any slowdowns with apps, movies or games. NVIDIA particularly and even Qualcomm may possibly do a greater occupation at pushing their mobile processors branding, but I haven’t really had any complaints with my TI driven handsets.
I wouldn’t peg this as the mobile phone for high powered gamers due to some of its other specs, but it’s not for a lack of processing energy.
three. Call Good quality
Motorola continues to be my gold normal for contact quality amongst the Android suppliers and the DROID RAZR MAXX was no exception. Callers were regularly loud and cost-free of static and actually that is about all I’m looking for from my mobile phone.
I’m not a large speakerphone user, but in my cursory testing with the DROID RAZR MAXX it worked as advertised with just a slight hit to the audio top quality as compared to the earpiece.
four. Show
The four.3-inch PenTile qHD Super AMOLED display on the RAZR MAXX is also identical to that of the original RAZR. I basically fall into the exact same camp as Anthony did in his review of the RAZR and that is that the typical user is going to be pleased with the display. The screen reproduces colors well, is sufficiently bright and text seems sharp when viewed at a standard distance.
With that mentioned this is not a top rated of the line screen anymore so it will rely on how critical that may be to you. The HD displays in the HTC Rezound, Samsung Galaxy Nexus and even the LG Spectrum are undeniably superior in my mind so if you are going to be watching a lot of video or are merely a pixel peeper you ought to almost certainly look to one particular of individuals devices.
5. Build Quality
The DROID RAZR MAXX shares the Kevlar backing and splash proof coating of the unique RAZR. It is just a nicely constructed mobile phone and I truly can’t find something to complain about here.
The thicker 8.99 mm frame actually is an improvement above the authentic RAZR to me as I just couldn’t uncover a secure way to hold the unique. The advertising showing the RAZR slicing through almost everything in sight failed to mention that your hands would be it is primary target.
six. Aesthetics
Alright, it is been primarily sunshine and roses so far, but here we run into 1 of my 1st issues with the DROID RAZR MAXX. It’s going to seem like a really straightforward and most likely minor point to a lot of of you, but I merely could not get above it during the complete time I had the mobile phone. The bezel on this point is tremendous! Every single single time I looked at the gadget it bothered me. The phone’s frame could effortlessly have supported a four.5-4.seven-inch screen and I think about if the improvement time on this phone had been much more than just a number of months that they would created that occur. Visions of the Droid RAZR MAXX XL HD are already dancing in my head.
7. Software program
This was my other large dilemma with the DROID RAZR MAXX, and thankfully this one particular can be corrected. I have by no means felt the downgrade in the OS so greatly when reviewing a device as I did in moving from Android 4. on my Galaxy Nexus to Android two.3 on the DROID RAZR MAXX. There’s nothing particular on the update timeline from Motorola however, but it’s shared software program with the RAZR really should aid.
I’ll also say that Blur is just a non-problem to me at this point. I’m sure it’s slowing the updates a bit which is obnoxious, but I really don’t see it as really marring the end users Android expertise any longer. We’ll see whether or not that holds genuine in the move to Android four..
eight. Camera
The cameras on the DROID RAZR MAXX are passable. When lighting circumstances are optimal the 8 MP rear-facing camera is capable of some nice images and as constantly I have far fewer complaints about the top quality of the video capture. I will say that I think Motorola may possibly have a tendency to push their default settings toward accuracy instead than vibrancy and I consider most end users would prefer the latter. You can take a search at the samples pictures and videos beneath to judge for oneself no matter whether the RAZR MAXX will meet your point and shoot requirements.
9. 4G LTE
We are quickly encroaching on the point where this will be table stakes for Verizon, but for the time being I’ll nevertheless grant a +1 to the DROID RAZR MAXX for it’s LTE radio. I didn’t have any trouble pulling in a 4G signal in any of my nearby haunts and speeds had been in line with the rest of my LTE devices.
ten. NFC
Alright, I’m not fairly as dismissive of NFC as I once was. I’ve in fact utilised it a couple times for payments with my Galaxy Nexus and if you have a lot of close friends with Android phones the beam function is at least entertaining even if it isn’t essential to the functioning of your cellphone. I wouldn’t pass on this phone just for it is lack of NFC by any means, but I will contact it an unfortunate omission.
Final Thoughts
DROID RAZR MAXX7.five / ten
While the score may not be terribly impressive that doesn’t tell the entire story of the DROID RAZR MAXX. The big bezel and the lack of NFC are minor issues that almost certainly won’t even register to some customers and once again I have to think this phone will see an update to Android four. in the 1st half of the year.
If you want the newest software and (for the most part) hardware then totally go with the Galaxy Nexus, but if you are either a first time smartphone user that is utilised to the battery daily life of a function telephone or a business user that’s dependent on your phone to get function accomplished then I would strongly advocate that you think about the DROID RAZR MAXX. A 4G LTE smartphone that provides you the freedom to not worry about your battery life is a thing we had yet to see on Verizon and I’m not totally specified when an additional such gadget will come along.
General I thoroughly enjoyed utilizing the DROID RAZR MAXX and I believe that for a large area of the smartphone getting population that this is the single very best device available today.
