Uninspired by iPhone, returned Galaxy Nexus, happy with Razr Maxx January 31, 2012

Reviewer:  D. Southern  (Miami, FL) -

I thought I would upgrade to the iPhone 4S when I was eligible, but I felt blah about it. Everyone around me has an iPhone, which they love, but there were things that excited me more about with the new Android phones. I decided to go with the Galaxy Nexus because of its stellar reviews and high rankings on phone lists. I liked the screen size and resolution, and Android 4.0 is wonderful. However, the connectivity to service was awful. I lost service when making a call when walking out of the Verizon store -- and in a major metropolitan area. I lost service on almost every call I made after that, which was frustrating and disappointing. The change the SIM card at Verizon, which didn't change anything. Service was moderately better on 3G, but I still had problems, so I decided to return it. In addition, the battery life was very short, and it got uncomfortably hot while talking on it during the few times I was able to do so.

The day after I bought the Galaxy Nexus, the Razr Maxx was released, but, since I could only do one return at Verizon, I was hesitant to try another 4G phone. I was resigned to get the iPhone 4S, thinking it was the safe option (upgrades, streamlined opeeration, iTunes, etc.). But, after having the Galaxy Nexus for two days, the iPhone felt so small and heavy, and I knew I couldn't use the widgets that I enjoy with Android. It's silly, but I wanted to be excited about getting a new phone, and I wasn't excited about the iPhone.

While the salesman was returning the Galaxy Nexus and preparing to set me up on the iPhone 4S, I wandered over to the Razr Maxx display. I liked it very much, so I decided to take a chance on another 4G phone, and I have been very happy with my decision.

SCREEN: I just prefer the bigger screen of the current line of Android phones of iPhone. The Razr Maxx screen may not have the much lauded pixel density of the iPhone 4/4S or the Galaxy Nexus, but it is very bright, and I barely notice a difference.

CONNECIVITY: No problems. And 4G really is very fast. I use it at home instead of WiFi since I was grandfather into an unlimited data plan.

PROCESSOR: Very quick. Just an occasional hick-up when going back to the home screen, probably due to the calendar and weather clock widgets I have running there. Not a big deal, and it may improve with ICS.

OPERATING SYSTEM: No, it doesn't have Ice Cream Sandwich, but I am coming from Froyo, and this is much better. I can live happily with it until the ICS update arrives. Also, I am a Google fan, and I would have a difficulty time without navigation from Google Maps, which is something a friend who switched from the original Droid to iPhone misses greatly.

BUILD: I love how it feels. Much more comfortable that the Razr. I'm not using a cover on it yet, and may not put one one due to the great build quality (Kevlar, Gorilla Glass). However, I did put on a screen protector, "just in case!"

And finally, BATTERY: Fantastic. I was so conditioned by my old phone -- and even by two days with the Galaxy Nexus -- to constantly worry about the battery, but I worry no longer. I easily get through a day with moderate to heavy use, and the batter has yet to go below 30%. For me, it's worth it.

I did research ad nauseum when my upgrade was approaching. I learned that no phone is perfect and no phone is for everyone. This one spoke to me, and I am enjoying it very much!

Sets a minimum standard for all my future smartphones February 26, 2012

Reviewer:  Daniel 

I was one of the first users to have the original HTC Droid Incredible; in fact, I pre-ordered it from Verizon before it came out and had it a day before it was released in stores, so I had the earliest model with the beautiful AMOLED screen (as opposed to the Super LED). My experience was very good with my Incredible: I had the slim extended battery from Seido (battery life still sucked), my Incredible worked smoothly with no bugs, the 8mp camera was pretty decent, it had plenty of space, and its 1gz processor was always fast enough to run anything I wanted. I saw a lot of Verizon android phones come out over the past 2 years that were sub-par to my Incredible. As a power user, I needed something that improved on battery life, had at least the same screen quality, had a dual core processor (to fight obsolescence), and had plenty of space. This phone has outperformed all my expectations.

BATTERY: First of all, the battery life is this phone's biggest selling point. During my first day of use, I turned OFF the wifi and used 4gLTE (which is FAST!) because I have the unlimited plan for Verizon. I spent much of the day downloading all my old apps and setting up school email and personalizing all my settings. I also got engaged to my girlfriend on the same day, so one can imaging all the texting I did and picture messaging of the ring and all. We went out late to celebrate and I used it lightly while out showing off my new phone and its features and when I got home, I still had 25% battery! Just as the reviews report, the battery on this thing really out-does itself. What is even more impressive is I do not have a lump sticking out of the back due to an extended battery.

SCREEN: I have no problem with it. It is a beautiful display and is slightly better than my old Droid Incredible AMOLED display. The best part about it is I do not need to turn down the settings like brightness and screen timeout like I did to conserve on battery. Some reviewers have compared this screen to the beautiful screens of the Samsung Droid Nexus and iPhone4s, which both have 300+ pixel/inch density. Sure, you MIGHT notice a difference if you were to put them side by side on same photo. However, I do not notice anything in terms of a lack of quality or really see any pixels. Coming from my old Incredible (which has the same AMOLED tech), this has a very slightly better pixels/inch and remains beautiful to look at and easy on my eyes. Also to note, it has a Corning Gorilla Glass screen. This is the same glass screen covering as the iPhone4s and makes it extremely hard. I'm still using a screen cover because I do not want to chance anything.

PROCESSOR: The Razr MAXX has a 1.2gz dual core processor. My old Incredible had a single core 1gz snapdragon processor, which ran things smoothly. After using the Razr Maxx, I can tell the difference. The same games, apps, and video feel like they run like butter. The Droid Incredible would have a very slight lag before it ran something fast and smooth. The Droid Razr does not have that lag. There are other phones that have a dual core 1.5gz processor; honestly, there really should not be any difference in performance that one notices.

CAMERA: Wow, great camera on this thing. I proposed to my girl friend at the local Botanical Gardens and the camera takes amazing photos both close up and far away. Digital zoom is excellent and the best part is NO SHUTTER LAG! When you press the snap button, BAM! That's the picture you get! There is no holding the phone steady as you wait for it to capture the photo. I can't be more pleased.

SMART ACTIONS: Great job Motorola! Take a moment to check out the Smart Actions features. This allows you to program your Droid Razr Maxx (or regular Razr) to automatically change settings or launch applications. When I showed this to my fiance's brother, who is a big iPhone user, his eyebrows raised and he was impressed.
For example:
- I set my phone so when I arrive at my work's address, my phone will automatically go into vibrate mode.
- I set my phone so it makes all text messages/email notifications quiet during my sleeping hours during work nights
- My phone automatically puts the screen dimmer and turns off sync when battery reaches below 25%
- My phone now notifies me to charge it at night if it is below 25% battery life
- *This program does pretty much whatever you want. If you have done programming, you might know what a "macro" is. It is a macro creation tool. In short, it allows you complete automatic control over your phone. It is EXTREMELY easy to use, especially if you choose from the large sample list of tasks.

SPACE: Advertises as a total of 32gb. Need I say more? The system reserves 8gb for its own use, it leaves 8gb of internal memory for user use, and it comes with a 16 gb MicroSD card. In reality, the user gets 24 gb of space, which is pretty good.

KEYBOARD: Has a standard android software keyboard. I prefer the Swype keyboard, which comes preinstalled on it. Make sure you check it out, it is the FASTEST keyboard to use out there (Faster than iPhone or other keyboards on the Market). To use it, when you go to type in a text field, long press the field until a menu pops up, select on that menu "Input Method", then select "Swype". Swype allows you to drag your fingers through all your letters of words instead of individual presses. Quite fast once you get used to it (which does not take long).

SOFTWARE: Currently runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. This is one of the latest versions and it runs very smooth. The Razr Maxx will be upgraded in 2012 to Android 4.0, which will pretty much make this into a whole new phone. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich (codename) will redefine how Android and raise the bar for competition (iPhone, Windows phone). I will not explain how important this will be for the Droid Razr, so if you are interested in this be sure to Google Android 4.0's new features and changes/reviews.

In summary, if you are trying to decide to get this phone versus another, get the Droid Razr Maxx. I do not think you will be disappointed.

Ever Ready January 27, 2012

Reviewer:  paul arbor  (Jersey City, NJ United States) -

This is the best phone i have ever owned period, it was an upgrade from the first generation Droid (which i was generally happy with).

Pros:
- The 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Screen is gorgeous, colors are brilliant and the blacks are deep & rich.
- Voice quality is outstanding, no matter what else it does, this is still a phone and the primary feature for me.
- SPEED, this may be true for all Verizon 4G LTE phones. Downloads are blazing fast. You can easily enjoy movies, sports, or videos without interruption.
- THE BATTERY is simply ridiculous. I have always had an issue with batteries and often carried a spare. While it is true the battery is not removable, i need to repeat myself... it is simply ridiculous. Today i ran video, audio and calls on & off all day and still have juice to spare (granted its new).
- It is not an Apple, i like choice in my life and am growing concerned about Apple's market dominance. I enjoy and am delighted to support options.
- Build - this is a solid phone with Gorilla Glass front and Kevlar backing, (note i am 6' so i have to laugh when people say this is to big a phone, like gloves, I guess it depends on your hand size).
- 32 GB - 16 GB internal & 16 GB on a Micro SD minus the normal OS requirements
- Duel Core chips.
- Idiot guides for those who have a disdain for instructions. They walk you through smart actions which extend battery life and reduce the need to manage daily functions.
- Smart camera / audio slide with out necessitating needless menus and turning on off the phone.
- Audio nice sound / player & the 4 G LTE allows for excellent streaming via Pandora, Spotify, Google music, Amazon or anything but i-tunes.
- No slide out keyboard, a feature i did not like about the original Droid.

Cons:
- There is a learning curve esp comming from my original Droid.
- Price is this model worth 50-100 more (than the Droid RAZR) for what is essentially just a bigger battery? YES, YES it is.
- Odd curved corners not as elegant as some of the new phones e.g., the samsung G3.
- 1.2 Mhz processor wish it was 1.5 (although i don't really know what the difference would be but more, more, more = future proof on these things).
- Camera is only adaquite esp in low light it could be better.

At the end of the day nothing is perfect and each new season will surely see newer /better phones but i am very happy with this model.

Reliable, Powerful Phone February 3, 2012

Reviewer:  Rich1 

I have had my Razor for a little over a week now, I had a Nexus phone that had many issues. I live in the DFW area and I travel alot so I need a reliable phone, having said that here is why I like the Razor Maxx. The Brand new Nexus phone kept loosing signal, it didn't matter if I was moving or not; The Razor Maxx show 3 to 4 bars constantly and hasn't dropped the signal once. The Nexus ate the battery at an alarming rate, the Razor Maxx will take you to a place you have never been, I went two days without charging an android smart phone. I even tried streaming a movie to see what would happen to the battery, It drained 30%. Just to be fair the Nexus and the Razor both have beautifull screen, Now listen to this (The speaker on the Nexus is crap), The Razor speaker is excellent and powerful. When I used the bluetooth link with the Nexus there was a high pitch shrill soud, no such sound with the Razor. The razor looks and feels Like a quality piece of equipment. The Razor has an HDMI out that works great. I am so pleased with the look, the feel, and the speed, and so far the reliabilty of the connection. You will not be disapointed!
P.S. The Nexus phone pretty much stayed in 3g mode as I drove around Dallas the Razor Maxx stays in 4g most of the time, Same city diffent performance HUM!

solid phone February 19, 2012

Reviewer:  bookaholic  (Washington Court House, Ohio) -

Ok, so I bought the new Razr Maxx and received it Feb 17.

Performance: The first day I had it, I set it up, let it charge, then unplugged it and the test was on. From 3pm until 7am, I listened to music both streaming and stored media, played games, downloaded apps, searched the web, watched Youtube, and talked on the phone. With all that, I got nearly 16 hours of battery life. I finally had to plug it in at 10 percent so I could make a phone call. Conclusion? Other reviewers weren't kidding about the battery in this thing. This battery kicks butt. The screen is gorgeous and very sharp; the Gorilla glass is very smooth and somehow keeps the fingerprints to a minimum. Not sure how that is achieved but I like it. Set up was easy but it's worth noting that it is not possible to use your regular SIM card in this phone; you'll receive a micro SIM card to set up 4G service. I'm not wild about the SIM/SD card port on the side of the phone. It's stiff and hard to open and you really have to hold on to it in order to take out the cards. I feel like if I grab it too hard I'll pull it off the phone, so be careful if you have to change out SD cards or something. Go easy on the little door. That said, the phone does not have a flimsy feel to it with the rubber textured Kevlar back and case and Gorilla glass screen. So many times, when phones are made "lighter" they feel cheap and have a correspondingly cheap case that scratches all to hell and back or cracks or something else. I don't think that will be the case with this phone. I do however look forward to when a silicone case is made for this phone because the case has a slick feeling to it and I worry that one day it will slide off the counter or out of my hand and - god forbid - fall on the floor. It's possible to connect your phone to your TV and play your games on it or connect the HDMI to watch movies, but I'm not sure if I'll ever use it for that.

Apps and Media: I like the fact that there are fewer bloatware apps on this than on my Incredible 2 from Verizon. Some of the apps on here give you the option of deleting them, like GoToMeeting and NFL 12. Will never use those, so they were deleted. I kinda miss the FM Radio app from my Incredible 2, but there's iHeartRadio for those odd moments I want to hear the radio so that's good enough. It's possible to hide from view apps that you will never use but that cannot be uninstalled or frozen unless you root your phone. I really like that feature and proceeded to hide all the VZW media/tones/etc crap that bills me extra. It's an Android phone and there are free apps that do the same thing better. Ice Cream Sandwich is slated for this phone but according to Motorola's website, the date is yet to be announced. Meanwhile, I updated the software and now have Android 2.3.6. The phone I purchased comes with a 16GB memory card but I had one with my Incredible, so I just swapped it out. Not sure if I'll ever need to go to 32GB seeing as how it has 16GB of onboard memory (that's crazy!) but I'm glad the option is there. A really useful and interesting app is called Smart Actions. My god, someone made an app that's just like the Automator app on Macs. This will configure for you different actions on your phone based on a set of criteria that you choose. If you want the phone to go silent while you sleep, you can set a time that will happen and a time that the ringer will be turned back on. I work 3rd shift so I turn the ringer off usually, but no more! I have already set this up and it will do that task for me on days and times I specify. It will also configure your phone to maximize battery life and prompt you to activate the Smart Actions when the battery gets low. It will do other things for your phone too, but I haven't checked out all the possibilities yet.

General: The microUSB port is on the top of the phone instead of on the side or somewhere else stupid. Finally! Can't tell you how frustrating it is to plug the phone up in my car and have the charger sticking out of the side of the device to where I can't put it in a dock while I drive. Also, there is the HDMI port located right next to the microUSB.

So far, I am really enjoying the phone. It's sharp to look at but it's beauty is more than skin deep. It's a perfect combo of form and function. I'm happy with 4G service in areas where I spend the majority of my time and in areas where I only get 3G at best (at home), then I can use my WiFi and get some blistering speed - all data free. Oh! and yes, I was lucky enough to get on with Verizon before they ended their unlimited data plan, so now I have unlimited data with 4G service. Nice.

Get over this screen crap March 3, 2012

Reviewer:  Kinchas  (Maryland) -

My comments address two areas. The quality of the Maxx screen. And the impact of so much battery power.

First the screen quality. I am totally amazed and impressed with the screen on my Maxx. Colors look perfect. The screen is bright and text is easy to read. And black is BLACK. From a CNET post..[...]..."We comment on the depth of black a TV is capable of producing. Since deeper, "blacker" blacks lead to more-realistic pictures, higher contrast, and more "pop" and color saturation, we consider black level the most important single performance characteristic of a TV". From CNET's January 26, 2012 review of the Maxx...."Colors were rich and deep, and blacks were endless". The test of black levels is how much contrast there is in the black on your phone's screen and the black bezel next to it. On the Maxx, in all but the most severe lighting..you have to look hard to see where the black of the bezel ends and the screen begins. That said...auto brightness can throw things off. All amoled screens suffer when brightness levels drop.

Real world comparisons. I took my Maxx to my local Verizon store to compare with other high end smart phones. Specifically, the two phones most sited as the top screens...the Galaxy Nexus and the iPhone 4s. Side by side, looking at a variety of screen uses..the Nexus looked superior, followed by the 4s and then the Maxx. But here's the thing..not by a lot. The range between the 3 was pretty small. And separate the three, and the difference seemed even smaller. Pretty fine frog hairs here. With a lot of the difference falling in the range of personal preference.

There has been a lot of stuff thrown out there about the Maxx's pentile aberrations. Brian Klug in his [...] review..credits the Maxx with pretty low levels of aberrations..because of a change in the pentile setup that the Maxx uses. To quote "Subjectively I'd even say that the RAZR has less characteristic PenTile grain than the RGBW LCD variants I've seen recently".

Bottom line. Is the Maxx screen slightly less beautiful than the Nexus/4s? Yes..slightly. That said..the Maxx screen does not fall short by enough when taken as a part of the phone as a whole. That leads me to the real strength of this phone.

Battery performance. The usefulness and value of any smart phone is whether it is able to be there when you need it...to do the things you want it to do...at any given moment. Not matter all the other wonderful attributes a phone may possess, if it out of juice and won't run...its got a major flaw. And that extends to having to restrict and baby your phone to avoid running out of battery. I was not aware of this until the Maxx. When you start out the morning with a fully charged Maxx...and for the rest of the day...you don't self limit the use of your phone for fear of running out of battery before the end of the day...a world of possibilities open up. What are these possibilities...they will be different for every user...that's the beauty and importance of this kind of battery life. The smart phones of 2012 have hardware and software capabilities that that make them true marvels. Don't hamstring all that your phone can to for you because of inadequate battery performance.

So if the screen is a little less perfect compared to phone X and pictures are little perfect than phone Y, do yourself a favor and let battery performance offset some of these things. You will NOT regret it.

UPDATE: I have been using my Maxx for awhile. In my original post I only commented on screen quality and battery life. The speed of this phone is great. Even though I only have 3g in my area...because of the faster processor speed...browsing is noticeably faster. I am turning to my Maxx to surf much more often than my Droid X. When I am in a 4g area...surfing is fantastic. Battery life is still the greatest. Even with daily music streaming using bluetooth (a real battery killer for my Droid X), surfing the web, movies occasionally, games, calls etc...I have not had less than 30% battery life at the end of the day. I continue to be impressed with the screen quality. Color accuracy and saturation are perfect. It is not quite as bright as the Galaxy Nexus...but plenty bright just the same. The one thing that is a step down from my Droid X is 5 homepages vs 7 on the X. I had my hompages perfectly tuned on the X. I have used files to convert back to 5 homepages...and that is working fine.

Grrr, no sound! May 17, 2012

Reviewer:  F. Nightingale  (Hercules, CA) -

I chose this phone because of the great reviews, but mainly because of the impressive battery life. For 6 weeks I had no problems and was very happy with this phone, until the speaker started cutting out. I looked at other complaints about this, and it did actually help to put pressure on the area just beneath the speaker on the back as suggested on other websites. Well, this worked for a short time, and I found that I had to do this several times a day. Finally, after 2 weeks of this, there is no sound at all from the speakers. If I use headphones, it's fine. The only way that I know someone is calling me is when I put the phone on vibrate-no ring tone. I lost all of my music and data, because Verizon asked my to do a factory reset, which of course didn't help to solve the problem. I didn't have insurance, but I would probably get a refurbished phone anyway, since it was past 30 days. So I've sent it in to Motorola, because it does have a warranty of 1 year. Hopefully, they will able to repair the problem which seems to be affecting many Razr Maxx owners. I'm generally happy with this phone and would have given it 5 stars if it weren't for the speaker problem.

stupid crazy fast and -amazon smack down price vs verizon June 29, 2012

Reviewer:  Alexis 

The usual praise as I have read before I bought; incredibly fast, good reception, streaming is stupid-crazy and no dropped connections. I am in the mountains so this is a must. The smart app is interesting but needs better instructions, too confusing to set up. Perhaps i am just lazy and haven't put in the required time to figure it out. One step at a time. The phone is light weight and feels great to hold. I use it all day, usually online and the battery last for an easy 14 hours. I took out my old 16gb card from the Droidx and put it into this updated one and had those apps ready to run.

Now, here is what really impressed me...more of a kudos to Amazon and a money saver for anyone if thinking of buying...I wanted to upgrade my phone before deadline with Verizon so I could continue with the unlimited data. It would be grandfathered in...and thankfully I was due an upgrade. I first went to Verizon site, price of phone to update was 199 and then you would get the honor of paying Verizon and additional 30 dollars for a phone they don't even own. Just kill me.

So I needed to check out some things with the Razr Maxx and my accessories from my original Droidx. Two days later I go to the Verizon store. Get all my answers and am ready to purchase. I am told the price has jumped from 199 to 299. In two days??? I show the store Amazon's price , bringing it up on their computer. Nope..won't match it. Go home, call Verizon and am told IF I buy from a 3rd party no guarantee I get the same benefits, package and would have several restrictions. My 4th call to Verizon that same day, I finally get a representative that tells me honestly that I'll receive the same upgraded package upon activation.

Bottom line, I got the phone for a hundred less, no 30 dollar excess phone fee, no activation fee as it was an upgrade and no tax. The extra condition...i had to remain with carrier for 6 months or receive a fine. As I just signed a 2 year contract seemed to be a moot point. If you are looking to buy a phone, definitely look at other 3rd party sources because the carriers will take and take and take. Don't reward bad behavior.

The one truly negative on this phone is the god-awful camera. It's too dark to see what you are viewing on screen. Using the zoom is pointless unless the phone is on a tripod because any tiny shake and the picture is blurred. The video is a little better but still worthless in the day because again, the viewing is so dark you aren't certain what you are shooting. I hope this upgrade to Ice Cream will address this issue. Verizon has started rolling out the upgrade from Gingerbread to ICS. Over all, for 200, this phone is an absolute bargain. Solid, multi-functional and an entire entertainment center held right in your hand.

Easily the best phone I've owned. February 1, 2012

Reviewer:  D. Hentze  (United States) -

I was hanging on to my 3G Droid X because just about all the 4G phones recently released had mediocre battery life even with their extended batteries. When the Razr Maxx was announced, it immediately caught my attention. As soon as I saw it in the Verizon Store, I was hooked. It's hard to believe how they squeezed a 3300mAh battery into a phone this thin. Not only is the phone still very thin, it actually feels better in my hand than the standard Razr Maxx. As for it's performance, I find it excellent all around. Call quality is excellent. Radio reception is very good. The phone does come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread which is a disappointment, but Android 4.0 ICS should be right around the corner. The usual "Motoblur" UI is still there too, but it's not as bad as in the past. The phone also comes with some unwanted bloatware, but supposedly it can all be removed if wanted when Android 4.0 comes out. The rear camera takes very good pictures in good light, and fair at best pictures indoors under poor light. I've taken a few seconds of test video, but from what I can tell, it is good. The 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen is in my opinion very good. I've seen some mixed reviews on it, and I'm sure there are better displays out there, but I have no problem with it. It's bright. Text is clear, and colors are accurate. Battery life is excellent, and even better than expected. I've gone 2 days of moderate to heavy usage, and I still have 40% left. Amazing. All in all, I totally love the DROID RAZR MAXX, and highly recommend it. It's not totally perfect, but comes as close as any phone I've ever owned.

Pros:
Spectacular battery life.
Excellent call quality.
Very good radio reception.
Very fast 4G LTE data performance.
Thin and lightweight.
Dual-core 1.2 GHz processor.
16GB internal memory, and 16GB microSD card included.

Cons:
No Android 4.x ICS yet.
Phone takes up to 3 hours to fully charge.
Mediocre camera performance in poor light.
qHD 540x960 display might disappoint some.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 6/23/12:
I just received the Android 4.04 ICS update. An already great phone just got better. The phone seems faster, and you can either uninstall or disable most of the included bloatware.

Close Call January 28, 2012

Reviewer:  Joseph Mccullough 

I'm coming from a Droid Incredible(a phone with few glithches until the updates), i did alot of reading about the Razr, Rezound, and Nexus. They all had positive reviews but usually it was the Nexus that got the edge. This was mainly due to the fact it had ICS. So i went to the verizon store and played with all three(plus the Spectrum). Quick findings
Rezound: Very familiar feel and operation. Nice screen but bulkly(with reported bad battery life an extended battery is not an option for me). Camera was fast and took good pics.

Nexus: Best looking phone, camera was fast and took good pics. ICS seemed weird but it was fast. Samsung Screen impressive once again. No sdcard is tough to live with. Not heavy at all.

Spectrum: Feels cheap. The UI isn't the best in the world. Very light. Takes great pics. Honestly i was just worried because its a LG phone. They have not been very good so far.

Rar Maxx: Nice solid feel. Very nice screen. Very zippy. The camera was dissappointing. But the idea of a super battery and reports of ICS builds coming out soon, it was hard to pass up.

Anyway, i have had the MAXX for about 24hrs now. I haven't cycled the battery though. So i really can't comment on the battery. But it seems like the real deal so far

Pros:
Big Sharp screen.
UI not quite as useful as Sense UI but it looks Much better
Easy access to SD/SIM cards
Uses standard micro usb cord
Signal is strong( I don't live in a 4G LTE area though)
Good call quality

Cons:
As far as I know lack of FTP support over bluetooth
Camera still isn't very good(But i think its a software thing thus can be improved)
A ton a bloatware!
Price! (I realize some patience goes a long way. By next month it probably be $149 - $199)
Screen Bezel. Its too thick. When typing in landscape i find myself tapping the bezel and not the space key. I thought the screen was being unresponsive.
Developer Support - I'm not a developer but i look to them for help alot. Motorola hasn't been too cooperative with the Razr's

Overall - Good phone. Verizon needs to stop with these $299 phones. (I know.... i got it like an idiot!) If you get this phone i don't think you will be dissappointed. Motorola is really supporting this phone. Its sad LG got the best TV commerical though (R2D2 vs Spectrum lol)

So good I don't miss a physical qwerty March 23, 2012

Reviewer:  L. West "gadget geek" 

This is only my 3rd smartphone. Surprising to some because I'm kind of a techie, and love my electronics, but I usually avoid being a first adopter. I had a WinMo phone a few years ago (horrible), then went to Android 2 yrs ago with the LG Ally. It got a bad rap but I liked it, I was just ready for a little more memory, power, and screen. I got good battery life on it too with ATK so that was important for the next phone. I hadn't been impressed with some of the androids so was waiting for the right one, and an iPhone wasn't for me.

When I heard the Droid 4 was being released with 4g I had decided on it because of the physical QWERTY. Then came the Droid Razr Maxx. Wanted to get my hands on the two (literally, because I have narrow hands) but really hoped I'd like the Maxx based on the battery. The online leap day sale preempted me getting my hands on them, so I leaped and ordered the Maxx. So glad I did!

FFWD 2 days - major issues out of the box - kept freezing up even during activation. Then it tried to do a system update and wouldn't get a signal after that. Nothing helped, 2 hard resets, etc...I called the next day, they didn't make me go through hoops since I'd tried everything they would've had me do anyway. Had to wait 10 days before the 2nd one came - but it was worth it. Worked perfectly and the system update was already done (I suspect that was part of the wait).

Battery - Not much to say, it's great! It sets a new standard.

Size - Wound up not being an issue and glad I didn't pass up the leap day sale to hold the phone first. It was awkward at first coming from the Ally, and I normally don't like super thin phones because I like to feel like it's not going to fall out of my hands. I think this is where the extra battery size of the Maxx makes it probably more comfortable to hold than the regular Razr. I adjusted to the size and width surprisingly quickly.

Keyboard - I use the regular onscreen, not Swype, and can usually type just fine in portrait mode too. Someone with bigger hands/fingers shouldn't have a problem in landscape. May try Swype again but my try at it, wasn't for me. Also have auto correct turned off, but I do have suggestions on. I miss the auto-cap and some auto punctuation which I could previously get on the Ally without having the auto correct on, but I've learned to use the suggestions for that.

Bloatware - Yeh, every phone's got it, we hate it, but oh well. I update some of it just so it won't keep telling me I have updates. Like most everyone, wish we could uninstall. But there's a couple I like that I wouldn't have even looked for if they weren't already installed.

Screen - Beautiful, ok probably not a fair comparison coming from the Ally. I put an anti-glare screen protector on, which is coming off as soon as I get a new regular one. Once you see how nice the display is you don't want to muck it up with anti-glare.

Case - Doesn't come with one of course, but if anyone's wondering I got a holster case when I ordered the phone. It's the standard shell that fits on the phone (adds very little to the size and makes it comfortable to hold), then that slides face in to the holster. The holster portion is also thin and doesn't feel bulky. The phone is harder to slide in and out than the Ally case I had that was made the same way, but, that's a plus. My Ally popped out of the holster several times. The Maxx won't. The back of my Maxx now has an easel thanks to the case. It's a feature I love that I didn't know I'd want. Looking at the Otterbox cases but you only get the belt clip with the bulkier defender.

4g - I live in a 3g area and work from home most of the time. In fact my home internet is 3g (unlimited) as we don't have dsl or cable available. I got to test the 4g out a few days after getting the phone. Downloaded the speedtest app, ran tests at different locations around the city, and a couple were in the 20 down/10 up range. Awesome! I took advantage of the speed while I was there to download my music from amazon. I was able to keep my unlimited plan, which will be especially nice when 4g expands a few more miles to me.

Don't get me wrong, there are days when I want just a good old regular little flip phone. Quicky and easy dialing. No tapping a phone button to bring up phone options of dialer, contacts, etc. But the fact is, I rarely use mine for the phone. I have a little computer that happens to handle voice calls when I need to, and it handles them well.

Lots of Cons but still 4 stars April 12, 2012

Reviewer:  Kevin Osborn  (MD USA) -

I replaced an original Droid with the RAZR Maxx. I really like the phone and would recommend it. Even with the larger battery the phone is still super thin and I would not recomend the Droid RAZR as you won't notice the thickness but you will notice the battery life.

PROS:
- Battery, battery, battery - Can pretty much use it all day with GPS, Bluetooth, Wifi and everything else turned on and not run out of battery.
- Comes with Swype delivered
- Screen is bright and clear
- Love the internal battery - one less door to deal with and allows the phone to be thinner than with a replaceable battery.
- Smart Actions are great - There are apps in Google Play that do the same thing but this app has a better and more intuitive interface.
- Comes with a messaging app that is better than stock Android as it allows a consolidated inbox (Gmail, corporate, other)
- External Storage Card - Comes with a 16GB card. Replaced that with a 32GB card and I have all my music on the phone (great for plane rides and no need to use bandwidth to play music).
- The home row of 4 buttons can be customized (mostly, see below) to have whatever apps you want appear on every page.
- 4G LTE is lightning fast.

CONS:
- Crapware - this phone comes with so much useless junk apps that cannot be uninstalled that I cannot begin to count them. Luckily with 3GB of app storage it doesn't create memory issues.
- Its slippery - sides are glossy and rounded so it could easily slip out of my hand. Will be getting a rubberized case
- Its hard to use with 1 hand and I wear a men's large glove
- The bezel around the screen is wide. I would have preferred the phone to be slightly thicker and have a smaller bezel making the height/width less and easier to handle and hold.
- Dislike the Motorola OS overlay (MotoBlur or whatever its called).
- The Application app (used to access the apps) is locked into the home row. It cannot be removed.
- Finicky Wifi (see note below).
- No ICS (but should be coming ... hopefully without MotoBlur)
- Included charging cord is only 3' long and is 2 piece (plug with 2 USB ports and USB cord).

Additional Note: When I set up the phone to access my Wifi it initially had problems. I downloaded Wifi Analyzer (great app) from Google Play and found that every 2 seconds the signal would decrease to 0 and then come right back. To fix this I had to set my router to broadcast the SSID (before I had it hidden) and this fixed the issue.

LOOK NO FURTHER! February 21, 2012

Reviewer:  Lou  (Staten Island, New York United States) -

I upgraded to the Razr Maxx from the HTC Droid Incredible and could not be happier. All the reasons why I am completely satisfied with this phone: Large, crystal clear display; very responsive; 4G is excellent; no dropped calls; loud and clear sound; many great pre-installed apps; swype feature on keyboard is amazing and makes texting easy and fast; numerous ringtone options, far more to choose from than previous phones; solid build; gorilla glass is wonderful; battery life is quite extensive, allowing me to charge my phone about every 4 days with normal use, and every 2 or 3 days with heavier use; connects quickly to wi-fi when in range; recent upgrade shows all settings in living color; syncs with my Xoom and PC quickly and easily; and numerous others as you will experience for yourself. All in all, I am a big fan of the Motorola Razr Maxx and would highly recommend this phone.

The next level February 12, 2012

Reviewer:  Twiddles42  (MN, USA) -

Just got one of these things to replace an AT&T phone (Captivate) where the contract was close to expiring.

*WOW*

The phone charged from 30% to 90% in just over 2.25 hours (full recharge time is said to be 2.5~3.5 hours). That's REALLY good given how massive this battery is...

The battery is big, but not much bulk is not added. And given how smartphones were a decade ago, yet for such tiny screens in return, I have no complaints on the form factor and the battery within at all.

Also, every time I bought a 3rd party battery, it died within 6 months. So the need to have a spare battery is eliminated by this device, and I don't need to trust the quality of third party replacements. So the need to worry that this battery cannot be replaced by me is a non-issue.

4.3" Super AMOLED screen is really nice. The Captivate's screen isn't as saturated, but was slightly better in presenting darker colors (or maybe the gamut was limited and it elevated darker hues, resulting in an inaccurate appearance). This is a VERY minor nitpick, as only one game (Osmos) has a dark background where minute detail is no longer as visible, but for every other game there are no issues that shroud darker elements, and every other game looks FAR BETTER under the RAZR MAXX, thanks to the color gamut and darker hues.

The 960x540 resolution on the RAZR takes a moment to get used to (most models have 800x480), but it makes life easier for browsing and, again, the 4.3" screen size makes typing easier. (the PPI to the RAZR is 256, whereas the Captivate's was 216 - neither is as densely packed as a certain phone from a fruit vendor (300DPI), but I've no complaints on screen quality.)

FAST. This phone is FAST. No doubt other phones might be faster (e.g. those with the Exynos processor), but this one is no slouch. Every game and app I've worked on feel more responsive, especially Osmos (which I didn't expect to run better, but it did).

FEEL/SIZE: With case protector (Otterbox) on both devices, the RAZR MAXX is almost as thick as the Captivate, but taller. And just slightly wider. It weighs more, but the feel of the MAXX feels more solid and well-built.

Actually, I do have a gripe:

It has 16GB internal flash RAM and also includes a 16GB MicroSD card. It would have been ideal if a second MicroSD slot existed, which would really bring out the full potential of this phone.

Definitely 5 stars - there's nothing that's really detractable, not even the nitpicks. The fastest data connectivity sweetens the pot (YMMV, I chose Verizon), and reports on how it's impossible to drain this thing down in one day with moderate/heavy use are truly impressive.

A 4 year phone. No upgrade for me in 2014 LOL May 21, 2012

Reviewer:  Evan 

I've never been truly happy with a smart phone until now.

I always find something wrong with every phone I've ever bought, like it's clear there's no phone that "has it all" because otherwise there would be no reason to upgrade, but THIS THING??? Ho lee cow!

First off, obviously the battery life is awesome, but combined with software optimization it's absurd. I'm going on 20 hours now with 30% battery left, and I have definitely been using it (playing games, streaming music, checking email.)

This is the first phone I've used that it actually feels like a miniature computer based on speed and capability. 4G is crazy. At my parent's house, I was seeing 21mbps download speed using a speed test app. At my house, where 4g isn't even supposed to cover, I'm still getting 2 bars in 4g and getting around 5mbps download speed. The dual core processor definitely shines also, with web browsing feeling the smoothest I've ever seen on a phone before. Flash based websites run smooth as silk thanks to the extra core. Background operations can run fine while the process in front of you has what it needs as well.

The screen is very sharp also, you won't find yourself having to zoom in to read small text on the browser thanks to the pixelation. It's big and can be very bright, but I have to say the colors are a bit "warm" (if you don't know what this means, go look it up.) Compared to my last phone, the Fascinate, the whites definitely have a slight tinge to it, but I think this is done on purpose to make the images easier on the eyes.

Call quality is great, very clear, about as good as you can get, and the speaker can get very loud as well. They even have equalizer settings for the built in speaker. That's how capable it is. Also, me and my girlfriend have been using Qik. I never really messed with video chat before, but with 4g, it works seamlessly.

All in all, I think this is a 4 year phone, meaning I don't see myself upgrading in 2 years. I sort of thought this about the fascinate, but that phone was lacking in many different areas. This phone, with the 1GB of ram, dual core processor, 4g capability, and large screen, it has everything I could possibly want.

I'm glad I picked this phone! March 2, 2012

Reviewer:  Vicky 

First, the battery life really is amazing on this phone. I wanted to see how long it would last if I used my phone lightly, which I do most of the time. I didn't need to charge my phone for 46h... Almost two full days before the battery reached 5%! I sent some texts as usual, made quite a few calls, downloaded some music and a lot of apps, streamed a few videos, and did a lot of web browsing. Pretty impressive! Although I have to mention that the first two days I used the phone, the battery was decent, but it definitely wasn't great. It lasted a full workday before I had to charge it, but so did my previous phone. I thought something was wrong after reading other people's reviews about the battery life, but it really lives up to my expectations now. So give it a few days if you're having the same problem.

The phone is very large (I'm a girl and I have small hands), so at first I was hesitant. It took some time getting used to it, but the size doesn't bother me anymore. The phone feels sturdy.
For now, I don't mind that it doesn't have ice cream sandwich because my previous phone was an original motorola droid and after two years, this is already a huge step up for me. It would be nice to upgrade the OS by the end of the year though...
I thought the user interface was ugly. The icons were too large and blah for my taste and they actually made the phone look kind of dated. But I downloaded another launcher that allows more customizing and I can use different icons. It looks way better now. I'd suggest doing that to make the phone look sleeker, but that's just my personal taste.
I like the screen. I read in some reviews that it was dull, but it really isn't. I mean, sure the resolution is not as high as others currently available in the market, but dull?? No way. I can actually see really well in the sunlight as well.

The camera is okay. I like that there is almost no shutter lag, but if the lighting is not right, the pictures are just decent, not amazing. But who cares, that's not what I need my phone to do. Also, I wish I could delete some of the pre-installed apps. They take up a huge amount of space and I know I will never use a lot of them.

On the 4G network, the phone is FAST! I live in San Diego, CA, and we have a pretty strong network here. At home, my download speeds on 4G are higher than on my wireless network (22-24Mbps vs. 12Mbps). I literally download and install apps in seconds, that's amazing.

So despite minor complaints, I absolutely love this phone, and I'm really glad I chose it!

Disappointed September 28, 2012

Reviewer:  Vlad 

First problem appeared within first month of using this the phone. I wasn't able to return it to the seller, because more then one month passed since I've bought it. Had to send the device to motorola. Although motorola states on the website that the device will be shipped within 5 business days they actually have sent it to me within 9 business days, and I actually had to call them.
When I received the device though, it still wasn't working. Had to send it back to motorola again. This time they fixed it, and it was finally working.
The phone was scratched, I could see where they used tools to disassemble the phone. I noticed that the device is making squeak noises when you press on it a little, it wasn't fixed/glued tight. I wen't to verizon to see if other devices of the same model have the same thing, but looks like this is what happening to the phone after motorola service.
Now I've been using the phone for 3 months, and it started to misread the sim card. I've noticed that it happens 3-4 times a week, it shows no network coverage, and no sim card exclamation sign. I have to re-boot it in order to make a call.
As much as I like the battery life of RAZR, in general I have a really bad feelings about my phone.
I really regret I didn't get Samsung back then.

Great Phone, Great Battery Lift. Have owned it for 4 months. July 24, 2012

Reviewer:  Rudy1150 

First let me state that I have owned this phone for 4 months. I was hesitant to own another Motorola phone as my first droid (with slide out keyboard) crashed way too often. I have not had that problem with this phone. It is very stable.

Second, I updated the phone to Ice Cream Sandwich (the latest operating system) and I really like the look and how it operates. I have not had any problems with battery life. I can get a full day - literally 8 hours with the phone and screen on without any problems. Under heavy use you can still go at least a day and a half between charges.

I have never had an issue with the glass. Not sure what others are saying. The phone after 4 months in my pocket with keys and change doesn't have a scratch on it. Love the gorilla glass.

Does the phone get warm when the screen is on and it is doing heavy processing - yes. But its a lot less heat than my laptop and I have had no issues with over heating. And its been 100 degrees F outside half the summer.

The only issue I may bring up is that the phone takes a long time to charge. But that makes sense, because it holds that charge for longer than anything on the market. I love the phone, love the features, and would buy it again.

p.s. The turn by turn voice navigation is awesome - I am never lost in a new city. You wont hear that from an Iphone user.

A New Glitch worth mentioning: June 9, 2012

Reviewer:  D.T. O'Lalee  (Buffalo, NY) -

First off....I love this phone so far......well actually more like an on paper love because I've only had the thing for 2 days. The look & feel is awesome, the functionality is great....pretty much anything & everything you could want in a cell phone.

So with that said...onto the GLITCH! After only 2 days I've come to realize that the headphone jack doesn't work! And what makes it worse is after searching for info on it thinking maybe I did something where I shut it off, I found out this issue is very common. I tried all the simple fixes people recommended & nothin.

So I'm headin back to Verizon to swap out the phone. I'm just hoping it's that simple. SO LET THIS BE WARNING TO EVERYONE...CHECK THE HEADPHONE JACK BEFORE LEAVING THE STORE!!

Maxx-imum Performance May 3, 2012

Reviewer:  Lance 

I haven't written many reviews on here, and by that I mean "any". However, I felt compelled to write a review after my first four days using the Razr Maxx. I was so fed up with my Droid X2's sluggish performance and panic-mode reboots, I was willing to pay FULL price for a new phone. Verizon made me an offer I couldn't refuse on the Razr Maxx, but that's another story. Here are the things I wanted to comment on:

BATTERY LIFE: As has been discussed ad nauseum, the battery life is insane. I am a HEAVY user--navigation, phone calls, texting, and constant facebooking--so battery life is important to me. So important, in fact, I regularly buy an extra large battery for each phone I purchase. When I read the Razr Maxx's battery could not be accessed, I worried a bit. It made me feel better that it was 3300mAh, much larger than the 2800mAh I had on the Droid X2 which already suited me just fine. Let me just add my accolades to the long list of happy customers regarding battery life. After all my usage in the day, I still had 50% juice remaining at 2am.

DESIGN: I was a little disappointed with the functional design of the case. The power button is on the same side as the volume button, which makes for a frustrating experience when you accidentally trigger your Control menu popup instead of turn the volume up/down. Curiously, the charging port is on the top. It makes the phone "top heavy" when you're trying to text or place it in your car dock. The edges are rather smooth (plastic/aluminum), so you're VERY likely to drop it if not using a cover. They did place a small rubber strip in the center of the edge, but it's not enough to provide a firm grip, especially considering the thinness of the Razr. This was the only reason for my 4 rating. I now have an OtterBox case, so I breathe more easily when using the phone. The power button is flimsy and cheap. Unless you're dead center, you'll struggle with pressing it. The volume rocker is less flimsy, but I attribute that to the fact it's meant to be rocked side to side.

PROCESSING: Wow...the dual core processor makes the interface FLY, at least compared to my sluggish Droid X2! Opening and switching apps is a breeze, and it makes using this phone a real pleasure.

SMART ACTIONS: What a great addition to the interface. In a nutshell, Smart Actions makes your phone, well....smart. You can tell it to do things like turn the volume down while you're sleeping, or turn on your bluetooth when you leave the home (GPS based). I would be more excited about this if I didn't already own Tasker and have been doing this sort of thing for over a year. My only complaint about Smart Actions is that it doesn't *seem* to allow for negation of triggers. For example "If NOT plugged in, do x, y, and z". If this is offered, I haven't found it yet. I'm sure there are work arounds using multiple actions, but Tasker allows for negation so that's sort of my basis for comparison.

ACCELEROMETER: Strange thing I've noticed lately is that the accelerometer doesn't always rotate the screen properly. It doesn't happen often, and it's not a big deal, but it's something I'll keep my eye on.

Overall, I LOVE this phone! I will update my review if I find something later that needs to be addressed, but so far it's been great!