Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX Pro Reviews

There’s a lot to like about both devices – and choosing which one is better can be a tough decision for anyone, as it is subjective on what that person is looking for. But as it stands right now, we are going with the Samsung Galaxy S III on these points: the larger and higher resolution display, faster processor with more RAM, more polished user interface, and better camera. But the Galaxy S III does lack that “premium feel” that you get from the more solid Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX, not to mention the substantial difference in the battery life.

In many ways, the Droid Razr Maxx is the same phone as the Droid Razr but with an extended battery. The phones have a similar look and feel as well as a similar user interface. In many cases, the two Droid Razr phones were also neck-and-neck in the benchmark tests. Although the Droid Razr Maxx isn't quite as thin as the Droid Razr, the extended battery life is a worthy tradeoff for a bit of extra bulk. Even though the Droid Razr Maxx has a long battery life that will get most people through a work day and possibly even through the night depending on how demanding you are of the phone, we still wish the phone had a removable battery. Although its becoming increasingly less common, there are times when it's easier to reset an Android phone by removing the battery, and this is not an option with the Droid Razr Maxx.

If you want a smartphone that’s uncompromising about battery life and also includes 4G LTE connectivity, the Droid RAZR MAXX is a no brainer, especially over the Droid RAZR sans MAXX. There’s just no other device out there right now that lasts as long and isn't a feature phone or crippled in some way, and in a world where everything is being fabbed on a 4x nm process, battery life at the high end is entirely a function of battery capacity. Until 28nm SoCs and basebands start arriving in devices later this year, things aren’t going to change much, either - you just need a big battery to post the kind of numbers the MAXX does in our battery life tests. The RAZR MAXX is a device after my own heart, as I almost always end up buying or seeking out whatever extended battery option is available for whatever device I carry. There’s just nothing more frustrating than constantly worrying about having a dead device with no charger in sight. On trips and visits to cafes with intermittent or barely working WiFi, hotspot battery life ends up being probably the most important thing to me, and remains the big battery life equalizer.

The Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX is what the Droid RAZR should have been but wasn't -- a device that offers something more compelling to the user than an extra millimeter of thinness or an extra megapixel of camera resolution. Smartphone makers in general have been guilty of this, and Motorola has been one of the worst offenders, with a long string of new Droids that were at best minor upgrades of each other. With the RAZR MAXX though, they've delivered a smartphone that has the potential not just to be a true upgrade, but possibly even a game-changing device. It offers what really should be the standard on any smartphone that wants to call itself high-end... not just the features to earn that name, but the power to back it up. Whether you've got the biggest screen, or the sharpest, or the fastest processor, doesn't matter one single whit if you don't have the battery power to turn it on. With 4G LTE, a dual-core processor, and super-sized screens, smartphones have been finding more and more ways to drain their batteries to the point where getting even a full day of use has become a fantasy for many users. The RAZR MAXX shows that a good device can pack in a battery worthy of it, without making too many compromises on size. Is that worth the fairly spectacular $300 pricetag placed on the RAZR MAXX? That's hard to say, since there are a lot of excellent smartphones available on Verizon, which can offer if not such spectacular battery life, than enough for the average person. What I can say is that the RAZR MAXX makes a very strong case for why you should consider it equal to, and in some ways the superior of, the equivalent high-end phones like the Galaxy Nexus. That alone makes it very much worth looking at for any serious smartphone users.

Strolling down memory lane, it’s amazing to know that the DROID 4 is a descendant of the granddaddy Android device of them all, the original Motorola DROID, but in this day and age, the latest DROID-only branded device has seemingly passed on the flag to a newcomer. Sure, it’s $100 more in pricing than the DROID 4, but the $300 you’ll be shelling out on the DROID RAZR MAXX is undeniably worth every penny. Still, the DROID 4 is device to stick with if messaging so happens to be on the top of your list – though, its cousin isn’t too shabby as well in that area. In the end, the WOW factor accompanying the DROID RAZR MAXX is simply too much to contain, and that’s exactly why it’s going to be the dominant device for the foreseeable future.

With double the battery life of the Razr and a much improved camera, the Maxx is one of the best smartphones on the market. It has a dual-core processor, 4G LTE connection, Super AMOLED screen, great battery life, and it’s still one of the thinnest phones on the market. Though we still prefer the Android 4.0 operating system on the Galaxy Nexus, Motorola promises that Maxx owners will get it by mid-2012. As they say, good things come to those who wait.

All the things about the original Razr are still here (except for that profile). The AMOLED is just as gorgeous, the overlay is just as snazzy, and we're still impressed with the media player even after all this time. Add to all that the Razr Maxx can now go days without charging, or actively use LTE without destroying your battery and - all the sudden - the Razr goes from a winner to a champion.

The Galaxy Nexus is a great place to wrap up, actually: I concluded my review of the original Droid RAZR by encouraging buyers to pass and wait for the Nexus, which offered a bigger, better screen and Android 4.0. That recommendation has been more than validated since the Nexus has been released — there’s no way you should buy a Droid RAZR over a Galaxy Nexus. So what of the Droid RAZR Maxx, which is fundamentally a Droid RAZR with an extended battery pack? I think the same reasoning applies: the Galaxy Nexus offers a better display, better software, and a better roadmap of updates directly from Google. Yes, it’s sort of amazing that the original RAZR was so thin that Motorola was able to stick a giant battery in the case while still keeping it svelte, but unless you absolutely need to go two days without charging your phone, the RAZR Maxx still suffers all the same flaws as the original RAZR. And hey — Verizon offers a 2100mAH extended battery for the Galaxy Nexus.

The Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx has been introduced to address the single most important issue that prospect 4G LTE users are facing: battery life. Of course, this is not a new challenge, and the original RAZR 4G LTE Android smartphone already had software features that made it battery-efficient. The most important of them is Smart Actions, a set of automated rules that can automatically turn the cellular broadband OFF whenever possible, whether it is at home, at work, or at any other known WiFi location. It is also capable or shutting many power-hungry systems at night. But despite all the software improvements, the most drastic way to solve the battery life issue is still adding a bigger battery. This may sound like a “duh”, but there are costs and design considerations that Motorola has solved here.

The Droid RAZR Maxx may deliver a lifetime of mammoth proportions, but we can't help but have mixed feelings. Why? As too often is the case (the Samsung Skyrocket series on AT&T comes to mind), Motorola and Verizon are hard at work pushing too many RAZR devices at once, and early adopters are left as the victims. We're sure there were a few people that purchased the original phone because they were bedazzled by its incredibly thin profile, but how many owners would much rather have a device that's still very reasonably svelte and offers astronomically superb battery life?

The Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX takes everything about the original RAZR and improves on it dramatically. The biggest niggles to me with the original RAZR were battery life and less-than-stellar radio performance. The RAZR MAXX is a much better data device than the original RAZR over both 4G and 3G, and the battery performance is second-to-none among Android 4G smartphones. The down side, if you call it that, is that the RAZR MAXX is thicker and heavier than the RAZR. Given the enormous performance improvements gained by the MAXX thanks to the tweaked radios and 3300mAh battery, the trade-offs are more than worth it to me. Perhaps the RAZR MAXX's only real weakness is that it doesn't ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Add Android 4.0, and the RAZR MAXX would easily be a better overall device than the Galaxy Nexus. Anyone who places a premium on battery life, the RAZR MAXX is the device for you. All the other good characteristics the RAZR MAXX delivers are just icing on the 4G cake.

The Droid Razr Maxx greatly improves upon what was perhaps the biggest weakness of the Droid Razr: battery life. If you plan on watching a lot of video or doing some heavy duty gaming on your phone, the Razr Maxx is a good match for you. If you’re looking to save money, however, you might opt for the original Razr; it costs $100 less than the Razr Maxx.

The Droid Razr Maxx fuses excellent Android performance with lightning-fast Verizon LTE and amazing battery life.

Motorola has put together a very capable phone here, and the DROID RAZR MAXX is probably what the original DROID RAZR should have been. It is, by far, the best 4G LTE phone on Verizon for people that actually wish to make use of 4G data. No question. The MAXX version of the Motorola DROID RAZR might not be as sexy thin as the original, but with all-day 4G battery life and a frame that still measures less than 9mm thick, it is by far the better overall device. If you are looking for an Android smartphone on Verizon, this is probably it.

The Droid Razr Maxx greatly improves upon what was perhaps the biggest weakness of the Droid Razr: battery life. If you plan on watching a lot of video or doing some heavy duty gaming on your phone, the Razr Maxx is a good match for you. If you’re looking to save money, however, you might opt for the original Razr; it costs $100 less than the Razr Maxx.

If you are a power user and are sick of continually charging your battery, you should take a look at the Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX. Its talk and standby times are the longest that we've seen on a smartphone, and the device has plenty of high-end features to quench an Android user’s thirst, with its only drawbacks being the non-HD screen and the mediocre camera quality.

In many ways, the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx is the smartphone the Droid Razr should have been. Adding a powerful battery yet keeping a slim and trim size makes this excellent Android handset extremely tempting. I really wish the phone came running Android's latest and greatest Ice Cream Sandwich instead of the mere promise of future upgrades. Additionally, its sky-high $299.99 price tag will give all but the most addicted gadget hounds reason to think twice. Still, with fast 4G LTE data speeds, an amazing HD AMOLED screen, and a battery built to make the Energizer Bunny green with envy, the Maxx may be more than enough mobile tech for your needs.

At just 7mm thick, the Motorola Droid Razr was a great feat of engineering. But was too much sacrificed for that slim profile? Well if that's how you felt then the Motorola Razr Maxx, with its 9mm profile and huge 3300mAh battery, might just be the device for you.