Anandtech, please review the Droid MAXX.

[Samwise]

CNET has the Droid MAXX listed as the best phone currently available, over the SGS4, HTC One, and Iphone 5s. All of those have been reviewed by Anandtech and I wish the same Anandtech style in depth review could be afforded what other reviewers consider one of the best phones out there. Thanks!

 

[cronos]

CNET has the Droid MAXX listed as the best phone currently available, over the SGS4, HTC One, and Iphone 5s. All of those have been reviewed by Anandtech and I wish the same Anandtech style in depth review could be afforded what other reviewers consider one of the best phones out there. Thanks!

Isn't the Droid MAXX Verizon only? Is there even an international version of it?

 

[paperwastage]

It has 2g/3g gsm support (doesn't work for us based carriers though)(it's one of the LTE phones that verizon cannot lock) need to check if those gsm bands match your carrier

@op, what do you want out of an anandtech review vs other reviews? Just read all of them, combine all their summaries and decide

 

[lopri]

Isn't this phone a Moto X in a different outfit?

 

[Roland00Address]

Isn't this phone a Moto X in a different outfit?

Pretty similar
Same Processors and Internals
5.0 vs 4.7" inch both 720p
37 grams heavier, 6 mm wider, 8 mm taller, thinner for the X trys to do a curve back to be more comfortable in hand
3500 mah battery for the droid maxx vs 2200 mah

Essentially they are brothers, except the maxx had a longer growth spurt and went to the gym to bulk up

 

[bearxor]

Yes. Basically, read the motoX review, then take the larger screen size, face buttons and larger battery in to consideration. And the Verizon bloatware.

There. Done.

 

[lothar]

They don't need to give us a full review or a separate review for the Droid MAXX. That's a complete waste of time.
Just putting the damn battery benchmark of it in the charts when you're comparing/reviewing other phones in battery life is good enough.

 

[Bateluer]

CNET has the Droid MAXX listed as the best phone currently available, over the SGS4, HTC One, and Iphone 5s. All of those have been reviewed by Anandtech and I wish the same Anandtech style in depth review could be afforded what other reviewers consider one of the best phones out there. Thanks!

A few other sites have reviewed the Droid MAXX, though not as thoroughly as Anandtech does.

http://androidandme.com/2013/09/reviews/review-verizon-droid-maxx/

Verizon DROID MAXX8 / 10

Beyond that huge battery the DROID MAXX, like the Moto X, is not a specs powerhouse. But again like the Moto X, it offers a very solid user experience in terms of both the physical device as well as the software touches by Motorola. Also similar to the Moto X, the DROID MAXX feels a bit pricey at $299 (or $249 on Amazon). Although, the 32GB storage capacity and battery should assuage some of those feelings.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/16/motorola-droid-maxx-review/

In our review of the Droid Ultra, we concluded that the device didn't need to exist in Verizon's lineup, not with the Moto X also on sale, anyway. We can't say the same of the Droid Maxx, though: its larger battery, superior build quality, wireless charging functionality and increased storage make it a worthier purchase. Really, the Maxx is exactly what the Ultra should have been in the first place, and it's proof that you can fit a huge battery in a thin chassis.

The only thing we can't swallow is the price. At $300, there's only one group of people that will choose this over $200 flagships: heavy users who absolutely need the epic runtime and prefer not to carry an external backup battery. This device will suit that demographic perfectly, but even then, we can think of at least one device that offers battery life and better components for $100 less. So, while the Maxx's existence is at least justified, the price is not.

http://www.droid-life.com/2013/09/11/quick-review-motorola-droid-maxx/

Once again, this review was short for the simple reason that the DROID MAXX is the exact same phone as the DROID ULTRA, but with a larger battery and different exterior finish. For a more in-depth look at the software features and everything else this device offers, please see our ULTRA review right here.

As for whether the MAXX should be your next phone, I could easily see myself recommending it to anyone that doesn’t mind a large device or the $299 price tag. Sure, it has capacitive buttons instead of on-screen and its in-hand feel is somewhat over the top, but the device performs quite well, will easily last you all day long with heavy usage and blends just the right amount of stock Android with custom UI tweaks done by Motorola.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/27/4659876/motorola-droid-ultra-and-droid-maxx-review

4.7/10 VERGE SCORE
GOOD STUFF
Lots of useful additions to Android
Solid call quality

BAD STUFF
Awful design
Weak build quality
Poor battery life
Lots of Verizon bloatware
AMOLED display has a few issues

The HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4, and iPhone 5 made me believe that the days of phone manufacturers kow-towing to the whims of carriers were over. Those devices represent the beliefs of their makers, and are offered to users with only a few Verizon-induced blemishes. The Droid Ultra, on the other hand, appears to have been designed by a committee so large it was bled of every one of its assets. What’s left is as bland as it is ugly, without a single noteworthy flourish or feature. It’s the Moto X minus its design team, the Droid Maxx minus its battery engineers. In all my time with it, I’ve found nothing about it that makes it worth your $199.

The Droid Maxx almost avoids the same fate, if only because Motorola changed fewer things about the device from last year's model. It’s a better, slightly more premium-feeling device, but that doesn’t make it worth $299 on a two-year contract. Neither does its battery life, which doesn’t live up to last year’s model, and qualifies as something closer to “very good” than “epic.”

 

[Oyeve]

Who relies on CNET?

 

[dguy6789]

As said above the Droid Ultra and Droid Maxx are just enhanced Moto X's. So read the Moto X review, then consider a larger screen and significantly better battery life and there's your Droid Maxx review.

 

[Samwise]

Yeah, I would be fine with them just doing the battery test and give their thoughts on the ergonomics/screen. I don't rely on CNET alone which is why I would prefer to see Anandtech take a look at it. Sorry if my previous post insulted any of you.

 

[JimmiG]

They don't need to give us a full review or a separate review for the Droid MAXX. That's a complete waste of time.
Just putting the damn battery benchmark of it in the charts when you're comparing/reviewing other phones in battery life is good enough.

I agree, battery life is IMO the most important thing in a smartphone. What good is a super-powerful GPU and 8 friggin' cores if the phone dies after 2 hours of use?

The LG G2 looks like the king for battery life right now. Of course there are extended batteries available for most phones, but since they're not designed for them, it makes them too bulky with lots of empty space inside the housing.

 

[lopri]

Off-topic story: I have a friend who carries TWO spare batteries for his S4. (total 3 including the one inside the phone) He isn't exactly a power user of a sort but he does majority of his business on the phone and I haven't seen his phone leaving his hands. I asked him if he really goes through all 3 batteries a day and he says he is usually OK with 2, and the 3rd one is for "just in case". I call him "call girl" jokingly.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

CNET has the Droid MAXX listed as the best phone currently available, over the SGS4, HTC One, and Iphone 5s. All of those have been reviewed by Anandtech and I wish the same Anandtech style in depth review could be afforded what other reviewers consider one of the best phones out there. Thanks!

to me the maxx is the most appealing phone out there because of the battery life. i really dont get why other companies done come out with phones like this. youd have to be a cracksmoker to get any other last gen phone though, with all the new phones having snapdragon 800, thats a BIG upgrade