Droid Razr Maxx HD - any chance for a review at AT?

[XJustMeX21]

I picked up the note 2 last week and I'm not a big fan of the size of the phone. I've read some reviews that said the maxx was uncomfortable in the hand, do any of you feel that way?

 

[Bateluer]

I got the MAXX HD for $149 last week and I am very impressed. Top notch build quality and battery lasts forever. I put the JB leak the day I got it and now I am on the OTA JB leak and it's a totally different phone compared to ICS. Also call quality and reception is a lot better than all the HTC and Samsung phones I have used including the iphone. Motorola uses their own custom radios right?

The official JellyBean OTA was pushed earlier this week, not sure if the leak will update to the official build.

I picked up the note 2 last week and I'm not a big fan of the size of the phone. I've read some reviews that said the maxx was uncomfortable in the hand, do any of you feel that way?

I don't find it uncomfortable, but I do miss the more rounded corners of the Gnex. And its curved glass.

 

[XJustMeX21]

Alright that works for me. The Gnex was one of the most comfortable phones I've held.

 

[Eug]

 

[Qbah]

Here did you get those from Eug?

I don't see a review at AT (maybe I'm blind D. so how did those values end up on an AT graph?

 

[Eug]

Nexus 4 review. Note the green bars in the graphs.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6440/google-nexus-4-review/2

 

[Red Storm]

So, the Razr HD is now on order. I thinking of cancelling my Nexus 4 order now.

But one is a Verizon phone, the other is unlocked GSM?

I've since jumped over to the Nexus 4 and Straight Talk, but my employer is still paying my Verizon unlimited bill. I'm thinking of eventually getting a Razr Maxx HD and just using it as an LTE hotspot on the go.

Nexus 4 review. Note the green bars in the graphs.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6440/google-nexus-4-review/2

Hmm, so why exactly do they have numbers for the Maxx HD for talk time and hotspot but not web browsing?

 

[Eug]

But one is a Verizon phone, the other is unlocked GSM?

I've since jumped over to the Nexus 4 and Straight Talk, but my employer is still paying my Verizon unlimited bill. I'm thinking of eventually getting a Razr Maxx HD and just using it as an LTE hotspot on the go.

Mine is on Fido (Rogers) in Canada. Yes it's carrier locked, but the total out of pocket cost to me was only about fifteen bux.

There are no cheaper comparable plans, with subsidized phone or without. The difference is if you take the phone you have to sign a 2-year contract. If you don't take the phone, it's month-to-month.

The reason is that there is a huge pre-Xmas price war right now between all the main discount carriers up here in Canada. I don't mind sticking with this discount carrier (Fido) because its parent company is Rogers, and so it uses the same towers. Rogers is one of the biggest carriers in the country, if not the biggest, and has excellent LTE support. The plan I got is this one.

BTW, as you know, the Nexus 4 has unofficial LTE support in Canada, and that's true with Fido too, but reports are saying it's annoying to use because resets with every reboot, and it really kills the battery too. (HSPA+ on Rogers/Fido is 21 Mbps officially, although there are reports that a few pockets in Toronto have 42 Mbps. Rogers/Fido doesn't claim 42 Mbps support though.)

Hmm, so why exactly do they have numbers for the Maxx HD for talk time and hotspot but not web browsing?

No idea. Ask Brian.

 

[Eug]

This is where I live and work, which along with the price is why I'm finding the Razr HD kinda compelling now.

Too bad it's not stock Android.

 

[gus6464]

This is where I live and work, which along with the price is why I'm finding the Razr HD kinda compelling now.

Too bad it's not stock Android.

It's pretty close to stock Android but I see what you are saying since we are at the mercy of Motorola for the updates instead of google.

 

[Eug]

It's pretty close to stock Android but I see what you are saying since we are at the mercy of Motorola for the updates instead of google.

Speaking of which...

If it were 4.0 with no promise of a 4.1 update, I'd be a lot less interested. I think it's a pretty significant jump from 4.0 to 4.1. It'd be nice if it got 4.2 too (although a less buggy version than what is out there), but I could live with 4.1.

Judging by the update cycle for Motorola phones, I'm optimistic for a 4.2 update. It seems even the old Razr is getting 4.1. So I suspect the Razr HD and MAXX would get 4.2, but then stop there. Nothing past 4.2.

 

[bearxor]

I thought some of you would find this interesting. This is a RAZR HD, not a MAXX.

I made it my mission this weekend to really use the RAZR. I put my email on it and, when I normally would have reached for my iPhone, I reached for the RAZR whenever I could.

I might say that even the regular RAZR HD has great battery life and some people may even save that $100 in the choice. This isn't the terrible 1750mah battery in the original RAZR, this is a 2500mah beast with a much more power efficient chipset. The difference between the two is just not worth $100 unless you really, really need the extra battery life. But, if you can get the HD MAXX for $50 or less over the RAZR HD, then definitely do it. $100 is just asking a bit too much for it, IMO.

 

[dguy6789]

The Maxx is worth it because of the storage not just the extra battery life.

 

[bearxor]

If that's important to you, then sure. The RAZR HD has a MicroSD card slot as well.

I've been perfectly fine with 16GB phones for years though.

 

[Bateluer]

FYI, the Razr HD Maxx is only on the first graph, unless the Nexus 4 reviewer made a typo on the second.

 

[Eug]

FYI, the Razr HD Maxx is only on the first graph, unless the Nexus 4 reviewer made a typo on the second.

True. I missed that, thx.

If that's important to you, then sure. The RAZR HD has a MicroSD card slot as well.

Do know if it supports NTFS? I assume it does, but I'm not sure.

 

[dguy6789]

Definitely not a typo. I specifically remember the original Razr Maxx having 20-21 hours of talk time

 

[Eug]

Anyone have 4.1 on their Razr HD or Maxx HD yet? How different is it from stock? I have been looking around for 4.1 reviews for the Razr HD but haven't found any.

 

[SpongeBob]

Anyone have 4.1 on their Razr HD or Maxx HD yet? How different is it from stock? I have been looking around for 4.1 reviews for the Razr HD but haven't found any.

I haven't noticed much difference. Seems to be a little smoother. Obviously the increased features such as enhanced notifications and google now are nice. Only negative so far is that FoxFi doesn't seem to work anymore. This may just be a verizon thing.

 

[bearxor]

Do know if it supports NTFS? I assume it does, but I'm not sure.

It does not support NTFS. It gives me an unrecognized file system on two mSD cards I have formatted for NTFS.

Anyone have 4.1 on their Razr HD or Maxx HD yet? How different is it from stock? I have been looking around for 4.1 reviews for the Razr HD but haven't found any.

The skin itself is not significantly different from Moto's 4.1. It is a little bit smoother and Google Now is included. Other than that, videos of 4.0 should look identical.

 

[Eug]

The skin itself is not significantly different from Moto's 4.1. It is a little bit smoother and Google Now is included. Other than that, videos of 4.0 should look identical.

I haven't noticed much difference. Seems to be a little smoother. Obviously the increased features such as enhanced notifications and google now are nice. Only negative so far is that FoxFi doesn't seem to work anymore. This may just be a verizon thing.

I forgot about gus's post.

I got the MAXX HD for $149 last week and I am very impressed. Top notch build quality and battery lasts forever. I put the JB leak the day I got it and now I am on the OTA JB leak and it's a totally different phone compared to ICS. Also call quality and reception is a lot better than all the HTC and Samsung phones I have used including the iphone. Motorola uses their own custom radios right?

Hmmm... He says it's night vs. day vs. ICS. So, we're somewhere been slightly better and hugely better. I guess that's good.

I wish the Maxx HD were available here. I would have bought that instead. $100 more for 16 GB more storage and a ginormous battery? That would have been a no-brainer for me.

It does not support NTFS. It gives me an unrecognized file system on two mSD cards I have formatted for NTFS.

Ah nuts. I guess I won't bother with a 64 GB SDXC card then. I'll just get a 32 GB SDHC card. Now to find reviews on microSD cards. There was a thread here a while back talking about Class 10 cards vs. Class 4, and how most (but not all) Class 10 cards had crappy random write speeds, despite having excellent sequential large file write speeds. Most Class 4 cards just the opposite.

EDIT:

Here is the thread:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2246825

 

[Red Storm]

If you use Google Services, then Google Now is by itself reason enough to want JB. It is ridiculously useful and automated, I can't go back to a phone that doesn't have it.

 

[Eug]

I haven't used Google Now at all on my Nexus 7. But then again, it's not a phone. Maybe I'll give it a shot on the phone.

 

[WelshBloke]

...Ah nuts. I guess I won't bother with a 64 GB SDXC card then. I'll just get a 32 GB SDHC card. Now to find reviews on microSD cards...

The 64gb card should still work, you'll just have to let the phone format it first.

 

[zerocool84]

I haven't used Google Now at all on my Nexus 7. But then again, it's not a phone. Maybe I'll give it a shot on the phone.

It's definitely more useful on a phone. Good thing is that if you say search for something on your tablet, it'll still give you info about it on your phone from Google Now which is great.