Review: Droid Razr MAXX

When it comes to the latest cell phones, people most often look first at form, and second at function. Of course, price is always an important factor when making a purchase like this. Lately, I’ve been using a review unit of the Droid Razr MAXX. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using this phone as a gaming device and as a phone. Is the cost of the device worth it? How is the battery life of the Droid Razr MAXX? Is it easy to understand and use if you’re new to smart phones? Let’s find out.

So let’s get down to business.

The Droid Razr MAXX is one of Motorola’s recent smart phone entries. I’ve been putting the phone to good use, texting and calling friends, installing and using applications and games, and more. Sorry, no Angry Birds. Now, I know that it seems like a new phone comes out every day, and it can get confusing, since they all seem to have unique operations. To me, the Droid Razr MAXX was a very easy device to grasp, and was not as confusing as some devices on the market can be. Running tasks, calling friends, texting, and more were all very easy. One feature, however, that did bother me was the on-screen keyboard. When in a landscape orientation, the keyboard is functional and easy to use. In portrait orientation, however, the on-screen keyboard becomes very compact and difficult to use. I understand the limit, due to the screen size, but screens smaller than the Droid Razr MAXX’s 4.3 inch size manage to successfully implement portrait orientation on-screen keyboards.

Alternatively, the Droid Razr MAXX’s 4.3 inch touchscreen, which allows the user to scroll through each page and panel with ease. One cool feature was “pocket mode,” which automatically locks the phone’s screen as soon as you slip it into your pocket. It’s the first time I had seen such a feature, so I found it quite amazing. What does this mean for most consumers? No more butt-dialing! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had that happen with a phone in my pocket, so this was a great feature for me. The device runs Android 2.3.5, but can be upgraded to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). The device also features an 8 Megapixel rear camera that can provide 8x digital zoom and a 1.3 Megapixel front camera with 720p video capture. I don’t know about you, but I can’t recall seeing too many front facing cameras capable of 720p video capture.

The phone also includes an HDMI port that can be connected to your TV. Since I don’t have a cable, I was unable to try that feature out. As for the battery life, most people want something that will last throughout the day. There are a lot of phones out that die really quickly, even if you don’t use it much. I’ve been able to wake up in the morning, and by night, the phone is dead. I’ve reviewed other cell phones in the past, and that was a fairly consistent problem. I’d mess around with the device for a few hours, and next thing I know, I’m charging the device again. So, the chances of me finding a cell phone that keeps a good charge was quite hard. The battery life in the Droid Razr MAXX is great, providing me a lot of long-term functionality.

Overall, I’d definitely be willing to purchase a device like this. Even my sister, after toying with the device for quite some time, decided to purchase one for herself. With a price tag of $199.99, or less if on a special, it’s a decent deal for a decent phone. The phone might seem big at first, but it’s not at all bothersome when in your pocket or in use. The OS runs smoothly, and it’s easy to grasp how to use it quickly. A long list of applications are available for you to download, whether it’s work related, social media, or pure entertainment. Phones with this list of features and long battery life are definitely a big plus for me. This is a great phone, for a decent price.

This cell phone was provided by Verizon Wireless for review purposes. For more information on Verizon Wireless, click here.