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Hello everyone, I have faithfully used my eris since its release and now that I have had an upgrade available for use for quite a while, i've been getting antsy. I really would like to get an htc phone for the sense experience (i use footprints quite often), but also really like the screen on the droid charge and the dual core-y goodness of the dx2 (but hate that terrible motoblur and locked bootloader). I want to wait for the bionic, but really dont want a motorola phone.
I live near detroit, so I do have 4g support in my area, but how much of a speed difference does that make? I realize numbers-wise, 4g is a huge difference, but in actual real world performance, is it necessary? I feel that I barely use my eris now that I have my xoom (wifi only) and the only reason I think I would use a 4g phone would be to tether it to my xoom. The biggest issue i see is verizon starting to crack down on tethering and that in a few months I will be out tethering and a phone I am not particularly fond of.
Basically what it comes down to is that right now, I use my eris for texting, calls, quick browsing (for at the store or wherever, when i dont have my xoom with me), and basic apps such as weather and alarms. I would like to think that if I got a 4g phone, I still wouldnt use it to the best of its abilities just because i enjoy the tablet experience my xoom brings; leaving me with a phone that I use for the same things I use my eris for, but with worse battery life and such. I have always wanted to get the most cutting edge tech, but right now (and hopefully for the next 2 years ) I cant justify getting a 4g phone just for the 4g capabilities.
TLDR: Knowing I have 4g in my area and a xoom, which phone would you recommend?
PS: How's that droid commando?
If you have a Tegra tablet, which you admittedly use a lot more than your Eris, I don't think you really need a dual-core phone that badly, unless you'll be gaming a lot on your new phone. I suggest either the Droid Charge or the Thunderbolt, with my preference being the Charge. Verizon's 4G LTE is a lot faster than 3G, you want to have it if it's available to you, and both the Thunderbolt and Droid Charge will feel as fast as light compared to your Eris. I like the Charge because it has better battery life and a great looking SAMOLED+ display, but if you're a big Sense/HTC fan, you might prefer the Thunderbolt.
I like Moto phones, but no need to settle for a locked bootloader and a dual-core (and Blur until root comes to strip it out) when you'll be fine with a single core and freedom.
Sent from my Droid using XDA App
Why not the Droid Incredible 2? It's not 4G or dual core, but it seems to have everything that you want otherwise.
I was definitely looking at the incredible 2, do u have any experience with it?
The reason i wasn't too sure about the current 4g offerings were my distrust of most samsung products (had a glyde a while back and it was horrible) and haven't really had many experiences with LG products (other than my original env) I wish verizon would get an htc device with sense 3.0, as that is a huge deal for me. If what i have read is correct, both the thunderbolt and the incredible 2 have had sense 3.0 ported to them, but aren't the fastest (please correct me if i am wrong).
Sense 3.0 stock devices coming to verizon soon would be awesome, but i haven't heard any yet.
Sent from my Eris using XDA App
No, I still own and use an Eris. However, based on your typical use, based on your doubts about needing 3G, based on your preference for HTC products with the Sense launcher, you may want to go into a store and play around with one.
Sorry i didn't reply for a bit, but i've decided to stick it out with my eris until the sgs2 or bionic (but i really want the sgs2) come out. I flashed back to a 2.1 rom and it has been (in my experience) a lot faster than the cm7 rom i was on, making me less irritated and less impatient for a new phone. Thanks for all the help tho everyone
Sent from my Eris using XDA App
The HTC Vigor has certainly peaked my interest lately since I really like HTC phones better over Motorola or Samsung.
Rumors are saying it will have a 4.3″ 720p HD screen (1280×720 resolution), with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 8MP rear cam, 2MP front, Android 2.3.4 and will be similar in size and shape to the Thunderbolt, but without the kickstand.
Okay, looking to catch some advice from any of you RAZR MAXX or OG RAZR owners.
I'm contemplating throwing down the $300 for a RAZR MAXX, either through this deal somehow or by adding a line.
I guess, before I jump the gun (like I did with the D3), what are your general opinions with the Motorola Droid RAZR family compared to other phones you may have had or tried in the past. As far as I can tell with the 4G technology and battery capacity, the RAZR MAXX would land itself amongst the top-of-the-line smartphones offered by Verizon at the moment. I know some better phones will arrive soon, as they always do - but I would like to get your opinions and/or impressions of this phone in general.
Despite the locked bootloader, I've always loved the build quality of Motorola products. Saw the RAZR for the first time today and thought the AMOLED screen was nice and vibrant against my D3 in comparison.
1. - How does the screen really compare to others? I noticed the HTC Rezound has a 720p screen, but would that be worth it over the qHD AMOLED? I've also heard about tinting issues and black dots and so forth with earlier builds - would that be a worry now?
A few things about my D3 that disappoint - Lack of 4G, waiting for websites to load and such is almost a pain especially when I need something fast. I will be seeing plenty of 4G areas soon in my career (USAF) and I am grandfathered into the UNLIMITED data plan that I plan to switch the phone to on my primary line.
2. - How is the 4G working on the RAZR? I anticipate getting the MAXX, so battery life wont be an issue. My condolences go to those who jumped with the OG RAZR and got less than they expected in this sense.
Another big change for me would be jumping from the physical keyboard to the touch screen. I'm beginning to feel 'claustrophobic' with only a 4" screen on the D3 and kind of want a bigger screen.
3. - Can anyone provide their opinions about the on-screen typing? Larger screen size? Does it work well? I would hope auto correct would make it a bit easier to speed through texting and other typing scenarios?
Working with the D3 and only 512MB of memory, even with the dual-core 1 GHz processor I still experienced some lag between homescreens with widgets, the app drawer, etc. This sometimes interfered with my OCD a bit and I would expect butter-smooth performance with this kind of hardware.
4. - With the droid RAZR, how does the performance compare for any of you? Any lag with stock-live wallpaper? Motoblur? The stock phone in the VZW store seemed very smooth and up-to-par. I would like your opinions on this though.
So aside from those questions, anything else anyone would like to offer? Comparisons to other products? Stories of switching from the Nexus or Rezound to the RAZR? I know there are reviews already written that are out there, but those are usually one-person reviews. All of you here have your opinions, and I'd like you to share them - good or bad, the perks and the setbacks.
Thanks a bunch in advanced! I know this OP is long and detailed, but I'm sure with responses this thread could be helpful to more than just me.
1. For me, I found the screen really good. Colors were very vibrant. The black dots are apparently a part of the manufacturing process, according to the Moto sales associate I talked to. However, you don't notice it on normal usage. I've only actually seen it when I'm using the phone in a very dark room, with black background and low brightness (0%).
2. No idea for 4G, my country doesn't have that at the moment.
3. The keyboard is good, but I use Swype. It's the default input method. It's awesome. I can practically text without looking at the screen.
4. The performance is great. There's a slight bit of lag, but I'm using 65.1.12.XT910.PSHAsiaRetail.en.03. When I flashed to a different system version, the lag disappeared. Not sure if it's just me though.
Honestly, I had my doubts about buying the Razr at first. It was a tough choice between this, S2 or waiting for the Nexus. But I can say I'm satisfied with it. Only complain is the battery life, but since you're getting the Maxx, can say that it's a non-issue.
1.) I have an OG Razr, and I have to say that I'm very happy with the screen. It is "only" qHD but it's plenty sharp for reading text and watching movies. The colors are very vibrant, though reds can be a little too intense, imo. The little black dots do happen, sadly--but are only visible in conditions I would characterize as being outside of normal use (e.g. in the dark, with no lights on, displaying images that are pretty much all black). The yellowish tint that some users are reporting happens too, at low brightness settings, but I find that it's actually easier on my eyes than super whites for all the reading I do on my Razr. Check one out in-store and see if it's something that bothers you.
2.) 4G is great in my area, 30mb down and 20 up is pretty normal for me. 4G does tend to be a bit of a battery hog in my experience, but the humongous battery on the maxx should make that a non-issue.
3.) I actually ended up ditching the stock keyboard for Thumb Keyboard, and it works fairly well for a touch screen keyboard. I wouldn't recommend it for hammering out anything really long--I have a hard time not making mistakes when I type. The limiting factor for me is the width of the screen in portrait--it works plenty well in landscape but the amount of text that's viewable isn't enough for me. It should be fine for for texts and short emails.
4.) Performance is great. I run ADW in place of the moto launcher, have about 10 widgets running my home screens, and use pixel rain live wallpaper--I don't notice any lag, it's almost iPhone-like in its smoothness. It takes a little while for all of the widgets load up from the device being powered off, but once everything is up it's very smooth.
One of my friends (iPhone user) was playing around with my Razr and our other friend's GNex and he commented that my Razr--with ADW, widgets, and live wallpaper--felt smoother than the GNex with stock launcher, no live wallpaper, and just a couple widgets. Don't take that as gospel, by any means, but being that I was expecting to hear the opposite, it was a surprising observation.
My only quibble (minor) with the Razr is that the camera could be better. I don't know if it's the software, sensor, or both, but I feel like the camera on my iPhone 3GS actually took better pictures. It seems to have a bit of a hard time in low and artificial light. Again, try it out in store and see what you think.
All in all, I'm really very happy with my Razr. If you wind up getting one too I hope you're as happy with yours as I am with mine Hope this has been helpful!
Sent from my DROID RAZR using XDA App
xxspark89xx said:
Okay, looking to catch some advice from any of you RAZR MAXX or OG RAZR owners.
I'm contemplating throwing down the $300 for a RAZR MAXX, either through this deal somehow or by adding a line.
I guess, before I jump the gun (like I did with the D3), what are your general opinions with the Motorola Droid RAZR family compared to other phones you may have had or tried in the past. As far as I can tell with the 4G technology and battery capacity, the RAZR MAXX would land itself amongst the top-of-the-line smartphones offered by Verizon at the moment. I know some better phones will arrive soon, as they always do - but I would like to get your opinions and/or impressions of this phone in general.
Despite the locked bootloader, I've always loved the build quality of Motorola products. Saw the RAZR for the first time today and thought the AMOLED screen was nice and vibrant against my D3 in comparison.
1. - How does the screen really compare to others? I noticed the HTC Rezound has a 720p screen, but would that be worth it over the qHD AMOLED? I've also heard about tinting issues and black dots and so forth with earlier builds - would that be a worry now?
A few things about my D3 that disappoint - Lack of 4G, waiting for websites to load and such is almost a pain especially when I need something fast. I will be seeing plenty of 4G areas soon in my career (USAF) and I am grandfathered into the UNLIMITED data plan that I plan to switch the phone to on my primary line.
2. - How is the 4G working on the RAZR? I anticipate getting the MAXX, so battery life wont be an issue. My condolences go to those who jumped with the OG RAZR and got less than they expected in this sense.
Another big change for me would be jumping from the physical keyboard to the touch screen. I'm beginning to feel 'claustrophobic' with only a 4" screen on the D3 and kind of want a bigger screen.
3. - Can anyone provide their opinions about the on-screen typing? Larger screen size? Does it work well? I would hope auto correct would make it a bit easier to speed through texting and other typing scenarios?
Working with the D3 and only 512MB of memory, even with the dual-core 1 GHz processor I still experienced some lag between homescreens with widgets, the app drawer, etc. This sometimes interfered with my OCD a bit and I would expect butter-smooth performance with this kind of hardware.
4. - With the droid RAZR, how does the performance compare for any of you? Any lag with stock-live wallpaper? Motoblur? The stock phone in the VZW store seemed very smooth and up-to-par. I would like your opinions on this though.
So aside from those questions, anything else anyone would like to offer? Comparisons to other products? Stories of switching from the Nexus or Rezound to the RAZR? I know there are reviews already written that are out there, but those are usually one-person reviews. All of you here have your opinions, and I'd like you to share them - good or bad, the perks and the setbacks.
Thanks a bunch in advanced! I know this OP is long and detailed, but I'm sure with responses this thread could be helpful to more than just me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Og razr owner here.
1- I have not ever had an issue with the screen. It's a beautiful screen. Even side by side with the rezound and nexus you can't notice a major difference. I also believe that the screen issues were limited to the first batches of razrs.
2- The larger screen is great. You will get used to the on screen keyboard. If you don't like the stock keyboard there are countless different keyboard apps in the market.
3- 4g is amazing. No other word describes it. I average around 20-25mbps down and have gotten as high as 44 down.
4- The phone is very fast even in stock form. Even the stock browser is very snappy. Of course i don't use the stock browser anymore i prefer Dolphin, but you may prefer a different browser.
The jump from 512mb of RAM to 1gig will put a smile on your face. Live wallpapers and widgets flow seemlessly with no lag.
I returned a nexus for the Razr I have now, so that should tell you how i feel about the comparsion between those devices. My brother had a rezound, but also now owns a razr.
The razr is the best device I have ever owned.
If you spring for the Razr Maxx you will be getting all the goodness of the razr with twice the battery. I get great battery life out of my og razr, so the maxx should get amazing battery life.
You can't go wrong with either the og razr or the maxx. I think once you get one you won't want to put it down.
Also the expandable memory is great. I just ordered a class 6 32gig Sandisk SD card. I still had plenty of room on the 16gig it came with but i found a great deal on the class 6 32 gig card so I just went ahead and got it. Class 6 is more than capable enough for me.
Good luck with your choice!
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
I have a RAZR Maxx, and it's pretty snappy. The screen is great, and I'm not concerned about the lack of 720P HD. The battery life is spectacular, though it's still a little early to get some finite numbers on how long it lasts as it really depends on if you're on wifi, 3G, or 4G along with your usage style. I'm in Saint Louis, which was one of the first round of 4G roll-out cities, and my 4G coverage is pretty wide. I had a Thunderbolt previously as it was the only 4G phone available at first, but this is night and day better as far as battery life. I mostly kept 4G shut off on my Thunderbolt, and on the RAZR I haven't messed with it. No reason to.
The only issues I have are the stock Android FB app seems slow to start/load. Maybe it's just me. I rooted it for the wifi tether, and although it's only been a couple of days, I'm very happy with my purchase.
Jim
Rooted Droid RAZR Maxx
Thanks for these reviews. I'm considering exchanging my Nexus for a Razr Maxx. Anyone bummed about the smaller screen on the Maxx (4.65 Gnex vs 4.3 razr)?
Does it make typing/swyping in portrait mode more difficult?
Anyone ported ICS to the Razr with full functionality and loving it?
I received my new Razr Maxx on Monday and while I'm not a user of your comparison models I would love to offer some feedback.
1. I really like this phone. It's light, thin, sturdy, very fast. The screen is bright an the colors are crisp.
2. I use swype as my input method but I've noticed that if you turn the phone on it's side the soft keyboard buttons are very large and should be ideal for normal touch typing.
3. I work in downtown Sacramento and live in a suburb. Downtown I'm getting five bar 4G consistently even when I'm in an interior conference room.
4. Downloaded the Speed Test application and I'm consistently getting 25M on the download and 10M on the upload.
5. Battery life seems to be really, really good. Phone arrived half charged and I didn't plug it in until at least 24 hours later after doing all my setup and app downloading.
However it does seem to take a long time to charge which is probably due to the bigger battery.
Hope this helps.
rfeagan said:
Thanks for these reviews. I'm considering exchanging my Nexus for a Razr Maxx. Anyone bummed about the smaller screen on the Maxx (4.65 Gnex vs 4.3 razr)?
Does it make typing/swyping in portrait mode more difficult?
Anyone ported ICS to the Razr with full functionality and loving it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have Dhacker29 and Hashcode working on it. There is alpha and it is working pretty good for alpha stage. Can find the work at droidrzr.com
Sent from my XT912 using XDA App
Very cool, thanks. Looks like i can easily root the maxx and use wifi tether and titanium backup. Biggest advantages of rooting, imho.
What are the real downsides to a locked bootloader? Inable to flash kernels? Radios? Whats the downside?
rfeagan said:
Thanks for these reviews. I'm considering exchanging my Nexus for a Razr Maxx. Anyone bummed about the smaller screen on the Maxx (4.65 Gnex vs 4.3 razr)?
Does it make typing/swyping in portrait mode more difficult?
Anyone ported ICS to the Razr with full functionality and loving it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I exchanged my Gnex and now own a RMaxx,,,, and glad I did. You give up a little of width in the functional screen real estate (both are 4.3), but the Maxx Super AMOLED is no slouch (its really nice).
The superstar is the battery, and the overall build quality. The Maxx feels 1000 times more polished and solid.
There is some great custom ROM development going on at droidrzr.com. I rooted my device and had a droidth3ory rom within an hour of getting home.
Super cool! Now be honest... does your rooted Maxx feel faster or slower than your old Gnex?
My hypothesis: I sometimes wonder if the Gnex animations/transitions lag a little bit bc the device is pushing so many pixels.
My last device was a Sprint Galaxy S2 Epic Touch, super smooth UI/transitions, low pixel density...
Edit: Can anyone confirm whether GPS on the Razr will lock on when in Airplane mode? I have Backcountry Navigator app that requires this functionality.
THANKS ALL!
rfeagan said:
Super cool! Now be honest... does your rooted Maxx feel faster or slower than your old Gnex?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was running Th30ry's rom on the Gnex and now on the Maxx. The Maxx is blazing fast. I have it am running GoLauncher and GoLocker with ICS theme.
Hello, I have been on sprint with an Evo 4g for a while now, but due to sprints recent coverage change for my area, I might be switching to verizon. so my question is, which would you all suggest i get? galaxy nexus? or Droid razr Maxx? any big devs going for the razr? easy root process? moto going to unlock the bootloader on it? any and all help is greatly appreciated, thanks - Matt
When I was on the same boat as you 2 days ago, I have to admit it was the toughest choice I have done in a LONG time.
As it stands your looking at this:
Galaxy Nexus Verizon
-Unlocked Bootloader bust that **** open and destroy it with mods
-Nexus phone, quicker to get updates
-Good battery life. Nothing compared to the Maxx though. But check out the battery life on the 4.0.4 leaked update, it's AWESOME.
Droid Razr Maxx
-Great battery life
-No ICS
-Locked bootloader
-To me it's a Nexus with a crazy battery & motoblur skin.
Now, IF the Razr Maxx gets ICS and an unlocked bootloader it will be: Everything pretty much equal except for these:
Great dev modding community, Nexus updates, good battery life vs. Maxx battery (best battery), great dev modding community
There, I put it in a nutshell for you.
I had the Maxx and returned and decided to return it because I didn't need all the battery it supplied and I can adjust the battery on my Nexus to fit my needs perfectly and spare. Lastly, I don't risk Moto not unlocking the bootloader, but ICS it will definitetly get. It would hurt Moto way too much to not give ICS to the Razr Maxx it's tied for the best phones on the market now the other being the GNex. My personal opinion though ICS won't matter since it's not gonna really look AOSP, Motoblur isn't ugly but it's not the nicest when AOSP ICS is on the GNex.
So it's up to you, can you have some patience with the Nexus and adjust it's battery till you get it right to your usage and make it last 18-20 hours? (More with ext. battery)? I'm in that process now. And not risk Moto not making a fully moddable phone? Take your pick, both are excellent choices. WHATEVER you do if you go GNex don't give up on the battery it's really easy to make it last without limiting yourself to 5% brightness and 2G signal. Just have to pinpoint everything and what's the problem.
Lastly, most and all radio/battery problems are easily fixed (if you have them on stock) by not even rooting. Just unlock bootloader and flash 4.0.4. Best update ever.
**I did not consider Camera and other features because both are just fine for a PHONE camera.***
Good Luck.
It all depends on what your requirements are. Personally, I'm on my phone nonstop all, so anything less than enormous battery won't work for me. Plus I have a prejudice against Samsung phones in general.
Worth noting that the Nexus doesn't have a micro SD slot (although it's NAND flash memory is very fast), and the Razr Maxx's battery is not replaceable (according to Motorola -- I've heard from some VZW reps that it can be done).
Either way, it's a gamble.
Sent from my Droid Razr Maxx
Had the Nexus for 3 days then returned it for a razr. That should tell you my opinion.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
Adauth said:
Had the Nexus for 3 days then returned it for a razr. That should tell you my opinion.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. Got a Nexus demo at work for 2 weeks and did not fall in love with it. I hear 4.0.4 fixes battery but twice it went from 80% to 0% overnight doing nothing but 2 email accounts. Also, the Nexus just felt strange in my hand (I have large hands). I did not like where the power button was because i hold it in my left hand to read email and my index finger kept pressing the button and blanking the screen. The Droid Razr Maxx is in similar place but my index finger ends up well below the button when holding. The Maxx feels more secure in my hand and not like it's going to fall out like with the Nexus.
I rooted and did ROMS on all my previous phones (OG Droid, Droid 2, Droid Incredible) and enjoyed doing away with BLUR on my Motorola's but I'm sure I will do the same with the MAXX. I did like the idea of having the NExus with all the latest updates and development but the Samsung phone just didn't seem as well put together as the Maxx.
My speed tests showed the Maxx faster on WIFI and 4G. The 4G fringe areas work much better after the latest update (this past week), and I was having some issues with the Nexus getting 3G network in some light areas and not with the MAXX.
had the nexus for a week. returned it.
Not sure why anyone would want an AOSP phone. It's like having generic frosted flakes.
Battery life is not an issue for me so even though i knew about the maxx, i got the razr. The nexus is just awkward, buggy and just plain. you NEED a custom rom if you get the nexus.
I prefer the HTC sense UI's over anything else. If HTC would just make a thinner, better looking phone, i would jump all over that. You gotta see a ROM with HTC 3.6 and ICS. it will blow you away. I gave my kid the Sensation XL and loaded this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1429953
The greatest ROM i've ever seen. If you want a UI that will just make you smile everytime you use the phone, this is it. But for the RAZR, i'll take motoblur over AOSP anytime.
I don't know how you people like skins over aosp, gross
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
MrDrumngun said:
I don't know how you people like skins over aosp, gross
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the same reason that there are tons of launchers, widgets, etcc on the market. Because AOSP means, As Obviously Super Plain as possible. Just kidding of course, but AOSP really is out of the box google. It's meant to offend no one, not step on apple toes (like samsung), and not dazzle anybody. It really reminds me of APPLE iOS.
call someone you know on both phones and ask them which sounds better. then call a voicemail with both phones and listen to playback and listen to the difference in how you sound. if everyone did this Samsung couldn't sell a single phone.
mmrox117 said:
Hello, I have been on sprint with an Evo 4g for a while now, but due to sprints recent coverage change for my area, I might be switching to verizon. so my question is, which would you all suggest i get? galaxy nexus? or Droid razr Maxx? any big devs going for the razr? easy root process? moto going to unlock the bootloader on it? any and all help is greatly appreciated, thanks - Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do realize this is a Razr forum right? Then you cant possibly expect an objective voice. Those 80% overnight drop to 0% on Nexus is simply untrue or not true for all. Maybe on that unit yes. 4G speed? I don't know. I had a test on two phones side by side and GNEx beat Razr 4 G speed EVERY time buy at least 1mb. This is based on 20ish tests.
Battery life on Razr Maxx is just KING . So original razr is simply out of this competition PERIOD .
Except it is thinnest which you can't really USE that 7.1mm to do anything . Except cutting a cheese.
Gnex is for dev. Its openness is best. Razr Max is for regular user . So depends on which type you are
Disclaimer. I own both phones.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
The 5MP cam on the Nexus is an Absolut deal breaker for me. If it wasn’t for that, if the Nexus had an 8MP cam, it would be a fairly hard choice. But i use my phone cam like crazy so it completely ruled the Nexus out for me.
Hi all-
I ended up getting both. I got spoiled very quickly with ICS on my Xoom tablet. I have to admit that I also love ICS on the Nexus as well... However, and this is just my humble opinion.. The battery life is considerably better on the Razr than on the Nexus. Yes I have removed all of the battery draining apps. Tried several roms, Blah blah. On and on it goes. I've spent many an hour doing things that others claim to be the 'solution' to achieving great battery life on the Nexus. Well, I'm here to tell you that as far as I'm concerned, Samsung desperately needs to return to the drawing board and practice up on their battery design as that has been my number one issue with their device to date. Believe me, I got really SPOILED with the Razr's supreme battery performance. I easily achieved two days with it, yet with the Nexus I have not been able to make a full 12 hour day, and this is even with the extended battery. It isn't an ICS issue either as my Xoom plays for hours on end with little concern over battery life. I have also found that RF-wise the Razr wins hands down. I am aware of radio software improvements in ICS 4.0.4 and above. Perhaps with those updates coming down the pike some positives will be made in that area and I'm good with that.
No doubt other Nexus owners will disagree with me and that's fine. I'm only commenting on what *I* have experienced with the Nexus. Even though I have the freedom of running stock Android on the thing which truly is very very nice, I still have to confess that from a hardware standpoint my experience so far has been less than stellar.
I want to wait and see what Moto has up their sleeve with ICS once they implement it on the Razr. I may well take the leap back to it once that happens, but even with the mediocre battery life and RF performance on the Nexus, I plan on retaining it afterward if nothing else as a developer unit as I don't expect Moto to ever release the bootloader on the Razr.
The developers who are cranking out the roms for the Nexus (as well as the Xoom) are incredibly talented. It fascinates me to sit back and watch all of this in action. It makes me wonder where did all of this creativity come from prior to the emergence of smart phones.
Bottom line is that I firmly believe both handsets are worthy of ownership in their own right but I still lean towards the Razr. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
skoone68 said:
Hi all-
I ended up getting both. I got spoiled very quickly with ICS on my Xoom tablet. I have to admit that I also love ICS on the Nexus as well... However, and this is just my humble opinion.. The battery life is considerably better on the Razr than on the Nexus. Yes I have removed all of the battery draining apps. Tried several roms, Blah blah. On and on it goes. I've spent many an hour doing things that others claim to be the 'solution' to achieving great battery life on the Nexus. Well, I'm here to tell you that as far as I'm concerned, Samsung desperately needs to return to the drawing board and practice up on their battery design as that has been my number one issue with their device to date. Believe me, I got really SPOILED with the Razr's supreme battery performance. I easily achieved two days with it, yet with the Nexus I have not been able to make a full 12 hour day, and this is even with the extended battery. It isn't an ICS issue either as my Xoom plays for hours on end with little concern over battery life. I have also found that RF-wise the Razr wins hands down. I am aware of radio software improvements in ICS 4.0.4 and above. Perhaps with those updates coming down the pike some positives will be made in that area and I'm good with that.
No doubt other Nexus owners will disagree with me and that's fine. I'm only commenting on what *I* have experienced with the Nexus. Even though I have the freedom of running stock Android on the thing which truly is very very nice, I still have to confess that from a hardware standpoint my experience so far has been less than stellar.
I want to wait and see what Moto has up their sleeve with ICS once they implement it on the Razr. I may well take the leap back to it once that happens, but even with the mediocre battery life and RF performance on the Nexus, I plan on retaining it afterward if nothing else as a developer unit as I don't expect Moto to ever release the bootloader on the Razr.
The developers who are cranking out the roms for the Nexus (as well as the Xoom) are incredibly talented. It fascinates me to sit back and watch all of this in action. It makes me wonder where did all of this creativity come from prior to the emergence of smart phones.
Bottom line is that I firmly believe both handsets are worthy of ownership in their own right but I still lean towards the Razr. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you comment on the quality of *outgoing* voice quality when comparing the two handsets?
So what kind of future will a Maxx have if I buy one?
I love the things I can do with my Thunderbolt, but want the battery. Will ROM's be as diverse as my TB? I love the CM7 ROM's I have. I am just unclear as to what the bootloader will stop me from doing in the future.
Is it possible that CM9 could eventually work on it?
Are there any ROM's that have the hotspot enabled without the carrier option?
Sorry for newb questions. Just want to make sure I dont buy a phone I hate.
iolinux333 said:
Can you comment on the quality of *outgoing* voice quality when comparing the two handsets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having had both, didn't notice any difference
jiwengang said:
You do realize this is a Razr forum right? Then you cant possibly expect an objective voice. Those 80% overnight drop to 0% on Nexus is simply untrue or not true for all. Maybe on that unit yes. 4G speed? I don't know. I had a test on two phones side by side and GNEx beat Razr 4 G speed EVERY time buy at least 1mb. This is based on 20ish tests.
Battery life on Razr Maxx is just KING . So original razr is simply out of this competition PERIOD .
Except it is thinnest which you can't really USE that 7.1mm to do anything . Except cutting a cheese.
Gnex is for dev. Its openness is best. Razr Max is for regular user . So depends on which type you are
Disclaimer. I own both phones.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I also own both phones! I have the Razr Maxx because for work I need to have good call and sound quality and the Razr is awesome in both areas but for the inner geek I have the Nexus which can't be beat for Dev support and updates and pure fun but the sound quality is poor on calls and speaker phone. I have also had many calls where the person I am talking to can no longer hear me.
My advice! Get both!
reimerj
I had the RAZR for 2 months now.
One thing I don't like about it, is the display. The colors looks beautiful, but the text doesn't play nice with my eyes. I've heard it's because Motorola uses Pentil display. Other than the display the phone is great, with solid and premium build quality.
Get the Maxx. I got the Nexus when it came out, and I have had nothing but disappointment from it. I really wanted to love it. I wanted to have a *true* google phone... but they just skimped out too much on the hardware.
The cell antenna in it downright blows. It's unusable at my house, where the Maxx works just fine (other people with Verizon phones in my house also work fine).
The camera on the Nexus also blows. It's fine outside, or in really really well lit rooms during the day, but don't even bother trying to take pictures in any kind of low light, they just look terrible. I don't care about megapixels, but I do care about whether or not the pictures look like junk.
The battery on the Nexus blows (seeing a pattern here?). It lasts 12 hours, with very minimal use. It's aggravating to have to run and drop it on the charger as soon as I get home.
There's no SD slot on the Nexus... which didn't matter to me, but some people care. You can still copy files on and off it from windows, and 32 gigs is a lot of space for most people.
The only good thing about the Nexus is the screen, which is admittedly awesome. The Maxx's screen looks pretty good though, even side by side with the Maxx. And don't let the dimensions of the screens fool you, they're very very close in usable size - the Nexus loses a bunch of pixels for its on-screen buttons, which seem to only disappear when watching videos. The height of the screens are just about the same, the Nexus is just slightly wider.
ICS is also SO much better than gingerbread... but if you're here, you can install a ROM and do just fine with the Maxx.
Im waiting on a razr maxx to arrive fed ex tomorrow. I am coming from a samsung charge with a total bad experience. Signal,battery and gps issues. Hope this is all solved with the new phone as Im sick of hearing it from the wife. She now swears samsung off and wants a motorola because when she had the dx2 gps was never a problem.
blueis300 said:
Im waiting on a razr maxx to arrive fed ex tomorrow. I am coming from a samsung charge with a total bad experience. Signal,battery and gps issues. Hope this is all solved with the new phone as Im sick of hearing it from the wife. She now swears samsung off and wants a motorola because when she had the dx2 gps was never a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had the Droid charge too. After the lousy development, went to the Nexus Galaxy to get the A++ development. It was there, but too much plain ol AOSP for my liking. Saw a co-worker with the razr and instantly loved the blur and exchanged my phone. The 7mm thiness of the phone is just aluring to me. i love handling such a light and thin phone. The little bump on the top backside also helps to give it an angle when i lay it down. Its like the designers thought of everything.
Hey everyone,
I'm currently rocking a SGS2 i9100 International edition and 'm just getting tired of the battery life or lack there off. I love the tons of ROMs but to be honest I'm getting tired of the lack of stability and battery life. I just want a stable setup, great reception, pretty good camera and most importantly BATTERY LIFE!!
Most i9100 extended batteries are soo small and all the large ones end up being some cheapie far east crap that has a much lower rating.
So here are my Questions for you guys (I will also search the forums for answers)
How awesome is the battery for light-medium users?
Is the boot loader thing still an issue?
Can the phone be rooted/s-offed or whatever the term is for the RAZR?
How is the ROM support for ICS? Is GB better?
Is there a lot of development for this phone still or do you guys notice it's waning?
How's the camera/video on the phone?
How's the reception for calls and speakers? (I find my old Moto Razr V3 to still have better reception than my SGS2 and better sound too)
How's the accessories market for these?
Any flaws, issues, comments and advice concerning this phone?
Thanks for any help possible!
*goes to search the forum as well.
djpharoah said:
Thanks for any help possible!
*goes to search the forum as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sold my beloved GSM Galaxy Nexus for this phone. I loved the Nexus and Jelly Bean, stock, etc, but grew tired of toting two batteries with me. That and grew tired of low audio on ringers and the speakerphone. The GSM RAZR MAXX has totally fixed these issues and I've found ICS to be perfectly fine for daily use. JB is great and all, but the phone hardware, call quality, and battery life have made be a believer.
In short, I don't miss stock Google and my GNEX at all. Buy one.
[*] How awesome is the battery for light-medium users?
Easily cruises through an entire day with heavy use.
[*] Is the boot loader thing still an issue?
I don't know since I only flashed an ICS leak. I'm not into the ROM scene any more (maybe I grew up?). ICS stock is perfectly fine.
[*] Can the phone be rooted/s-offed or whatever the term is for the RAZR?
See above.
[*] How is the ROM support for ICS? Is GB better?
ICS stock is great. GB feels very old, so flash ICS on day one.
[*] Is there a lot of development for this phone still or do you guys notice it's waning?
Don't care at this point.
[*] How's the camera/video on the phone?
Typical phone quality. Ok for snapshots, not for billboard size photos and wedding photos.
[*] How's the reception for calls and speakers? (I find my old Moto Razr V3 to still have better reception than my SGS2 and better sound too)
Incredible. I get 4 bars in my basement and no dropped calls. On my GSM GNEX, I had 0/1 bar and dropped calls like crazy. The "sidetone" on Motorolas is awesome (ala home phones).
[*] How's the accessories market for these?
Ok I guess. Pick up a navigation dock for around $30 and an Atrix Webtop for ~$60. Accessories are cheap because its not the hot sexy new phone any more.
[*] Any flaws, issues, comments and advice concerning this phone?
None that I see.
See that's perfect. I too am getting tired of all these SGS2 roms and their inherit flaws/stability. I'm over ROms too because I've outgrown it. I just want a fully unlocked phone so that I don't have any limitation.
djpharoah said:
See that's perfect. I too am getting tired of all these SGS2 roms and their inherit flaws/stability. I'm over ROms too because I've outgrown it. I just want a fully unlocked phone so that I don't have any limitation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the thing I agree with you. My brother still has his sgs i9000 and its driving me nuts with ****ed up roms and unstable ****. I am glad I got rid of mine
Sent from my XT910 using xda premium
romdroid. said:
That's the thing I agree with you. My brother still has his sgs i9000 and its driving me nuts with ****ed up roms and unstable ****. I am glad I got rid of mine
Sent from my XT910 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah - I'm still looking for a MAXX but it's seemingly hard to find one. Anyone else got any advice?
Have a look at the official Battery Extender pack from Samsung for its Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The Nexus keeps it nice looks and has a big battery. Just like the razr maxx.
The hardware of the GNex is superior (better camera (note that this means 8 mpx > 5 mpx Oh, and by the way: 5 mpx Pictures are smaller than 8 mpx pictures, that's why they can be saved faster), bigger display, battery replaceable) and most importantly:
The software isn't bloated, old, slow or locked.
I own a Motorola Razr right now and it has very nice hardware. It looks awesome (especially in white) and isn't that expensive.
But the software... Dear god... bloated, locked, old, way too late updates from Motorola (only for US customers on time and even they had to wait for a long time), no custom roms (with some tools they are possible, but there are always some essential issues with those workarounds).
As I received my regular razr, I was pretty happy, it was fast (was GB 2.3, ICS is fast too if you unbloat it(!)), it has nice battery life (about 5-8 hours with very heavy usage and I'm talking about the regular razr, so the maxx has to be amazing) and that's why I started to think about a razr maxx. Battery life? Sure I want that!
But I will sell my razr, get a Nexus and will have nearly the same features as a razr maxx has. This will cost me some bucks more, but I will get updates way faster and longer. If google stops support for the Nexus, the unlocked bootloader will allow to install newer custom roms and therefore the latest android version. With Motorola, this is NOT the case. If Motorola says 4.0.4 was the last update, you're stuck with 4.0.4 forever or you use tools to work around these locks. But the issues raised by those tools and workarounds, destroy the hardware superiority of the razr next to other devices (you get less RAM that you really have, blame Moto!)... So... why a razr then?
- old software
- late updates and you're stuck with what you get
- bloated with so much software preinstalled and consuming precious RAM (can only be removed with root aka. tinkering with your phone for eventually a long time)
- bad camera (there is even a thread about this topic on here somewhere)
- with the latest ICS update even the webtop got removed and replaced by a standard ICS tablet mode UI (which is to be honest very good IMHO - but that's not a webtop anymore (as they advertised it), so that feature got taken (remember, you get what Motorola gives you with this phone)
tl;dr: Do NOT get a razr (maxx) and look for something like a google experience phone (e.g. GNexus). I am a razr owner and STRONGLY recommend to get another phone (because of the software - which is a shame, blame Moto).
EDIT: I have to be fair and add: GB and ICS from Motorola were and are very stable. I get very long uptimes with my razr. But again: It's slow if you don't mess with it. And if somebody says it's not slow: It's also not as fast as it could be, not as battery saving as it could be, so the bloat DEFINITELY disturbs the performance of the razr.
hihipunkt said:
Have a look at the official Battery Extender pack from Samsung for its Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The Nexus keeps it nice looks and has a big battery. Just like the razr maxx.
The hardware of the GNex is superior (better camera (note that this means 8 mpx > 5 mpx Oh, and by the way: 5 mpx Pictures are smaller than 8 mpx pictures, that's why they can be saved faster), bigger display, battery replaceable) and most importantly:
The software isn't bloated, old, slow or locked.
I own a Motorola Razr right now and it has very nice hardware. It looks awesome (especially in white) and isn't that expensive.
But the software... Dear god... bloated, locked, old, way too late updates from Motorola (only for US customers on time and even they had to wait for a long time), no custom roms (with some tools they are possible, but there are always some essential issues with those workarounds).
As I received my regular razr, I was pretty happy, it was fast (was GB 2.3, ICS is fast too if you unbloat it(!)), it has nice battery life (about 5-8 hours with very heavy usage and I'm talking about the regular razr, so the maxx has to be amazing) and that's why I started to think about a razr maxx. Battery life? Sure I want that!
But I will sell my razr, get a Nexus and will have nearly the same features as a razr maxx has. This will cost me some bucks more, but I will get updates way faster and longer. If google stops support for the Nexus, the unlocked bootloader will allow to install newer custom roms and therefore the latest android version. With Motorola, this is NOT the case. If Motorola says 4.0.4 was the last update, you're stuck with 4.0.4 forever or you use tools to work around these locks. But the issues raised by those tools and workarounds, destroy the hardware superiority of the razr next to other devices (you get less RAM that you really have, blame Moto!)... So... why a razr then?
- old software
- late updates and you're stuck with what you get
- bloated with so much software preinstalled and consuming precious RAM (can only be removed with root aka. tinkering with your phone for eventually a long time)
- bad camera (there is even a thread about this topic on here somewhere)
- with the latest ICS update even the webtop got removed and replaced by a standard ICS tablet mode UI (which is to be honest very good IMHO - but that's not a webtop anymore (as they advertised it), so that feature got taken (remember, you get what Motorola gives you with this phone)
tl;dr: Do NOT get a razr (maxx) and look for something like a google experience phone (e.g. GNexus). I am a razr owner and STRONGLY recommend to get another phone (because of the software - which is a shame, blame Moto).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the super insightful reply. That's what I wanted to hear. I will look into the GNEX.
Well I sold my GSM GNEX for the GSM RAZR MAXX, so yeah. Software is key, but not if you are changing batteries by 4pm.
ericshmerick said:
Well I sold my GSM GNEX for the GSM RAZR MAXX, so yeah. Software is key, but not if you are changing batteries by 4pm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True true. I'm also looking to try some new hardware and see how the reception is better with the razr.
ericshmerick said:
Well I sold my GSM GNEX for the GSM RAZR MAXX, so yeah. Software is key, but not if you are changing batteries by 4pm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I already linked the battery extension from Samsung itself. The razr maxx will eventually still have a bigger battery than the GNex, but maybe the big pack from Samsung will already be big enough for djpharoah.
djpharoah said:
True true. I'm also looking to try some new hardware and see how the reception is better with the razr.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To the reception:
3G and 2G (I'm talking about the EU GSM version) reception is very good, better than most other smartphones I know of or owned.
WiFi reception is okay. It is okay if you don't cover the lower right corner of the razr. If you cover it (e.g. holding it only in the right hand in vertical mode), the reception get's very bad - another thing that deeply disappointed me. I had good reception with my earlier phones (Palm Pre and LG Optimus 2x) when I stood in front of my house. With the razr, I don't get any signal, especially if I'm holding it in my right hand. Sometimes I get disconnects IN the house (never happened before). But I have to say, that this didn't bother me so much. Google this topic, you'll see that I'm not the only one experiencing this problem.
hihipunkt said:
That's why I already linked the battery extension from Samsung itself. The razr maxx will eventually still have a bigger battery than the GNex, but maybe the big pack from Samsung will already be big enough for djpharoah.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That extended battery is a small bump in mAh and really only provides a slight advantage over the stock battery. Yes, it's better, but not close to double as is the MAXX battery.
But I'm not arguing my point (not my intent). The GNEX is a fine phone, but that extended battery won't work miracles. It's a marginal improvement in reality. You are better off carrying a spare original battery in your pocket (as I did when I had my GNEX). It's mildly annoying but will get you through a day of normal (not heavy) use. The extended battery will require a second for all day use anyway, so there's that.
...and the extended battery will only fit the Verizon GNEX (I am assuming the OP has Verizon?). On that note, the Verizon GNEX is really bad vs. the GSM version. Poor connectivity, terrible battery (compared to the GSM GNEX) just to start.
But what do I know? I have AT&T. Guess I've just read enough complaints about the CDMA GNEX vs. the RAZR MAXX to have the opinion that the RAZR is the better device.
Edit: I see the OP's title (GSM), so no Verizon GNEX. The extended battery you linked will not work with the GSM GNEX.
hihipunkt said:
Have a look at the official Battery Extender pack from Samsung for its Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The Nexus keeps it nice looks and has a big battery. Just like the razr maxx.
The hardware of the GNex is superior (better camera (note that this means 8 mpx > 5 mpx Oh, and by the way: 5 mpx Pictures are smaller than 8 mpx pictures, that's why they can be saved faster), bigger display, battery replaceable) and most importantly:
The software isn't bloated, old, slow or locked.
I own a Motorola Razr right now and it has very nice hardware. It looks awesome (especially in white) and isn't that expensive.
But the software... Dear god... bloated, locked, old, way too late updates from Motorola (only for US customers on time and even they had to wait for a long time), no custom roms (with some tools they are possible, but there are always some essential issues with those workarounds).
As I received my regular razr, I was pretty happy, it was fast (was GB 2.3, ICS is fast too if you unbloat it(!)), it has nice battery life (about 5-8 hours with very heavy usage and I'm talking about the regular razr, so the maxx has to be amazing) and that's why I started to think about a razr maxx. Battery life? Sure I want that!
But I will sell my razr, get a Nexus and will have nearly the same features as a razr maxx has. This will cost me some bucks more, but I will get updates way faster and longer. If google stops support for the Nexus, the unlocked bootloader will allow to install newer custom roms and therefore the latest android version. With Motorola, this is NOT the case. If Motorola says 4.0.4 was the last update, you're stuck with 4.0.4 forever or you use tools to work around these locks. But the issues raised by those tools and workarounds, destroy the hardware superiority of the razr next to other devices (you get less RAM that you really have, blame Moto!)... So... why a razr then?
- old software
- late updates and you're stuck with what you get
- bloated with so much software preinstalled and consuming precious RAM (can only be removed with root aka. tinkering with your phone for eventually a long time)
- bad camera (there is even a thread about this topic on here somewhere)
- with the latest ICS update even the webtop got removed and replaced by a standard ICS tablet mode UI (which is to be honest very good IMHO - but that's not a webtop anymore (as they advertised it), so that feature got taken (remember, you get what Motorola gives you with this phone)
tl;dr: Do NOT get a razr (maxx) and look for something like a google experience phone (e.g. GNexus). I am a razr owner and STRONGLY recommend to get another phone (because of the software - which is a shame, blame Moto).
EDIT: I have to be fair and add: GB and ICS from Motorola were and are very stable. I get very long uptimes with my razr. But again: It's slow if you don't mess with it. And if somebody says it's not slow: It's also not as fast as it could be, not as battery saving as it could be, so the bloat DEFINITELY disturbs the performance of the razr.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give me the link for the topic about the camera?
I don't think Motorola will stop the update so easily, as Google owns Motorola for now...
Stock Motorola Rom has a lot of problems like bloatwares?
I'm thinking of getting this phone too.
ZRong223 said:
Can you give me the link for the topic about the camera?
I don't think Motorola will stop the update so easily, as Google owns Motorola for now...
Stock Motorola Rom has a lot of problems like bloatwares?
I'm thinking of getting this phone too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What has changed now that Google owns Moto? Has anything changed? Unlocked bootloaders? easier to get updates??
Also what's the camera issue?
Google bought Motorola for it's patents, not to immediately turn all Moto phones into hackable devices.
So the only thing that's changed is Google's patent portfolio got bigger.
ericshmerick said:
Google bought Motorola for it's patents, not to immediately turn all Moto phones into hackable devices.
So the only thing that's changed is Google's patent portfolio got bigger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right - that's what everyone says. But as of now I'm only noticing 4-5 ICS Roms for the RAZR and is that because it's hard to get a ROM going on the phone due to restrictions or just that these ROMs are so stable and awesome that the RAZR audience seens no reason to mess about?
djpharoah said:
Right - that's what everyone says. But as of now I'm only noticing 4-5 ICS Roms for the RAZR and is that because it's hard to get a ROM going on the phone due to restrictions or just that these ROMs are so stable and awesome that the RAZR audience seens no reason to mess about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some developers already switched to other devices (like the maker of the ROM I'm currently using (Epsilon)). The only usable/not bugged versions are just debloated and customized Moto stock roms. They work good though.
djpharoah said:
What has changed now that Google owns Moto? Has anything changed? Unlocked bootloaders? easier to get updates??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing really. It's rumored, that the next Moto devices (razr HD?) will have an unlocked bootloader. But for current phones, nothing really changed.
djpharoah said:
Also what's the camera issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ZRong223 said:
Can you give me the link for the topic about the camera?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1834550&highlight=camera
I already gave you a link to a GSMArena comparison tool (click the image on the left over the text to view other parts in detail on the right)
ZRong223 said:
I don't think Motorola will stop the update so easily, as Google owns Motorola for now...
Stock Motorola Rom has a lot of problems like bloatwares?
I'm thinking of getting this phone too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's overloaded with bloatware. It's still usable, but it destroys so much potential of the phone. If you unbloat it, it's fast too.
And I honestly don't think, that Googles ownership of Moto will change anything related to updates. I doubt, that the razr will get Android 5. It's still far ahead, but a device that costs hundreds of €/$ and doesn't get updates? The iPhone 3GS released in 2009 got the latest iOS. The razr got out in November last year and is already outdated and no update in sight. Moto didn't even say a single word about JB for the razr.
Remember: It's not only about features, also about security. Old Android versions don't get security updates. Nobody uses Windows XP without any security updates and surfs the web. (Nearly) everyone knows that this would be suicide. On mobile phones, nobody cares all of the sudden.
ericshmerick said:
That extended battery is a small bump in mAh and really only provides a slight advantage over the stock battery. Yes, it's better, but not close to double as is the MAXX battery.
But I'm not arguing my point (not my intent). The GNEX is a fine phone, but that extended battery won't work miracles. It's a marginal improvement in reality. You are better off carrying a spare original battery in your pocket (as I did when I had my GNEX). It's mildly annoying but will get you through a day of normal (not heavy) use. The extended battery will require a second for all day use anyway, so there's that.
...and the extended battery will only fit the Verizon GNEX (I am assuming the OP has Verizon?). On that note, the Verizon GNEX is really bad vs. the GSM version. Poor connectivity, terrible battery (compared to the GSM GNEX) just to start.
But what do I know? I have AT&T. Guess I've just read enough complaints about the CDMA GNEX vs. the RAZR MAXX to have the opinion that the RAZR is the better device.
Edit: I see the OP's title (GSM), so no Verizon GNEX. The extended battery you linked will not work with the GSM GNEX.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I didn't know that. But there's also an extended battery for the GSM version: Samsung EB-K1F2KBUGSTD
My wife has a Droid Bionic and the thing freezes constantly, it's really a p.o.s. from the get-go. She's ready to get something else, not ready for upgrade, and we're looking at the Rezound used. I am an experienced Android user, but have a few questions about this particular model.
Most important question is what are the common problems with this phone keeping it stock and unrooted? She isn't comfortable letting me mess with it like that. But is the latest OS update stable? Does data stay connected well? Random reboots? Freezes? How is all of this?
How's battery life for you guys with this phone? What's a realistic expectation for an average user (not power user)?
Is this on ICS? I haven't found any clear info with a quick search yet - I'm sure I could work a little harder to find it.
Did HTC eol this device? Is there nothing more coming down the pipeline officially for this phone?
Anyone play with the Droid Bionic and this one as well want to chime in on the user experience? I used to own the HTC Evo 3D which is similar, some comparisons to that would be great too (currently HTC ONE - the rezound probably wouldn't even come close to comparing).
Biggest concerns are stability and a half-way decent battery that won't drop to nothing in an hour for no reason like the Bionic does. Thanks
gk1984 said:
My wife has a Droid Bionic and the thing freezes constantly, it's really a p.o.s. from the get-go. She's ready to get something else, not ready for upgrade, and we're looking at the Rezound used. I am an experienced Android user, but have a few questions about this particular model.
Most important question is what are the common problems with this phone keeping it stock and unrooted? She isn't comfortable letting me mess with it like that. But is the latest OS update stable? Does data stay connected well? Random reboots? Freezes? How is all of this?
How's battery life for you guys with this phone? What's a realistic expectation for an average user (not power user)?
Is this on ICS? I haven't found any clear info with a quick search yet - I'm sure I could work a little harder to find it.
Did HTC eol this device? Is there nothing more coming down the pipeline officially for this phone?
Anyone play with the Droid Bionic and this one as well want to chime in on the user experience? I used to own the HTC Evo 3D which is similar, some comparisons to that would be great too (currently HTC ONE - the rezound probably wouldn't even come close to comparing).
Biggest concerns are stability and a half-way decent battery that won't drop to nothing in an hour for no reason like the Bionic does. Thanks
Click to expand...
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The last OTA is very stable, data stays connected fine and there are no issues worth noting... no reboots, freezes, etc.
Battery life is a real issue with this phone... On a standard battery you can expect ~1.5 hours of screen on time depending on what you are doing, if all you are doing is checking emails, Facebook, and looking up little things here and there (light average user) expect 12-15 hours of use before you are in trouble and seeking a charger. I recommend an extended battery. On my son's Bionic with a standard battery he averages 2.5 to 3 hours of screen on time with the stock JB ROM, significantly better than my Rezound, and with most AOSP ROM's he gets slightly better times than that.
Yes, ICS is the current OTA, and no, there will likely be no more official updates to this device. The developer community is very active though, and many major ROMs are supported on the device (although not officially). We have Jelly Bean up through the current 4.3 release currently.
Honestly though, the Bionic is not a bad phone... My son has one and on the official JB update it was kind of flaky but with Safe Strap installed and running CyanogenMod or Avatar the battery life is much better and more stable. The Bionic has a lot of official supported ROMs too, that the Rezound does not including CyanogenMod, Liquid Smooth, PACMAN, CarbonROM, and Avatar.
Overall comparing the two, the display pushed the Rezound into the lead, but the Bionic is a solid phone and you are not gaining a ton by dumping the Bionic for a Rezound... You should look into something a little newer such as a Samsung Galaxy S3 or a Droid Razr Maxx to get significant improvements in battery life. The real issue here though is WHY is the Bionic draining like fruit in juicer, there has to be a reason and it should be investigated before just jumping to another device. Don't get me wrong, I love the Rezound and on Stock firmware it is fairly solid, but again battery life is less than wonderful.
Note that the Rezound has had it's share of problems as well, so be very careful buying used... proximity sensor failures, charge port issues, headset issues, SIM slot failures, and more. Also note overheating was a very common issue and phones that overheated significantly could have other random issues.
My two cents worth... if battery life is a significant concern, look into a Razr Maxx or S3.