Concensus - MAXX HD or SIII

[Bob61]

Thanks for all the feedback. both are nice; tinkering w/ wifes S3 a little I had the Fascinate before TBOLT and am aware of samsung lack of updates which led me to the Bolt; then expericned the same Crap w/ HTC/VZW; and have seen moto ignore other handsets as well. They delivered JB on time as promised for the RAZR M/HD/MAXX HD and hopefully can keep em current and close to Vanilla android in look feel over the future. I Don't want to root; I want Google to RULE as they should and ensure all the carriers get the H3ll out of the way; just as Apple does w IOS updates - no bloatware, no delays and allow progress to be made and launch phones on carriers simultaneous as possible to help w/ Consumer choice - samsung did a good job with the S3 and Note/NoteII so far and i'm sure they will go for a repeat w/ the S4. Need to find a buyer for my VZW 64GB iP5 now

The S3 and Maxx HD are both great units. As you scan back through this thread there isn't any one compelling reason for one or the other (when people compare slickness of the glass to validate one over the other then you know it's a stretch), so it comes down to personal preference. Each have a different look and feel (not UI feel, but weight and size), so which feels right in your hand. Coming from iP5 both will feel like a monster in your hand initially

 

[MikeLip]

The S3 and Maxx HD are both great units. As you scan back through this thread there isn't any one compelling reason for one or the other (when people compare slickness of the glass to validate one over the other then you know it's a stretch), so it comes down to personal preference. Each have a different look and feel (not UI feel, but weight and size), so which feels right in your hand. Coming from iP5 both will feel like a monster in your hand initially

Hey! The glass post was mine! And yeah you're right. It's really hard to choose between them. That's why I have both and swap the SIM between them about once a week. Assuming the OP isn't as stupid as I am, either phone is going to be awesome. And tell you what, I still cannot wait for the new BB

 

[Mitalis]

Anything but samsung!

Mosquitoes Refuse To Bite Me

This, Samsung smartphone radios SUCK. I've done signal comparisons between various Samsung phones vs the HTC Rezound, Motorola Razr Maxx HD and the consensus was Samsung Galaxy S3 phone consistently had a worse signal (give or take -30dBm higher) then the Rezound or Maxx HD. I just posted the same response in another thread asking about radio life here: http://forums.androidcentral.com/dr...7-motorola-has-best-antennas.html#post2526086

 

[anon(94115)]

They use to be terrible, but are now on par with everyone else.

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

 

[Eclipse2K]

They use to be terrible, but are now on par with everyone else.

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

This.

In fact, Motorola has gone down hill with the RAZR HD. I have far better signal with my Note II than my RAZR HD ever had after 4 units. I used to have an original RAZR Maxx and those had amazing signal. Samsung has gotten far better.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk 2.

 

[keithdroid]

I had both, found that the S3 simply had to much "going on" for my taste. Call it TouchWiz or whatever you want, but I prefer simple in my smartphone and the MAXX HD is that for me. I too have rooted devices and loaded the latest and greatest software, but again went back to stock for simplicity. Since you have been able to use both devices you should have a feel for which ones suits your liking. They are both very nice devices. The only thing I found noticably better was the camera on the S3. The HD's is fine, but theS3's was better IMO. And I'm hoping like many others that Google will keep all Moto devices up to date with the next software upgrade (Key Lime Pie).

 

[d1c1ple]

Had to commute today - (VZWiPhone5 versus VZW/GS3 - unplugged about 6:30am to trek into NYC for a 7am train for the 9am DR Appt. Here we are 8 hours later - iP5=55% battery left; Wife's S3=RED13% - she is not happy and very little usage today. I'm still considering the MAXX HD but certainly hoped better for her device. Any real world battery comparos out there of GS3 versus MAXX HD

 

[tech_head]

It boils down to personal preference.
I have a Razr HD. My previous smart phones:
SCH i600, Treo 700W, I760, BB Storm, BB Storm II, DroidX, Droid Bionic, Droid Razr, Droid Razr Maxx, Droid HD
My daughter has the S3.

As far as hardware, here in the US they use the same processor at the same speed and they benchmark within single digits of each other.
You might like one screen over the other, one skin over the other, build quality, etc.
Neither is really superior to the other in the hardware dept, except the S3 has 2GB of RAM.

The Maxx HD will definitely blow the S3 away on battery comparisons. My Razr HD after 8.5 hours on battery with 2 hours of tethering and streaming is at 67%.
If you need long battery life, get the Maxx. Otherwise play with both and get the one you like.

 

[anon(94115)]

Or spend ten dollars for one that you can actually replace. Save on repair bills down the line if it happens too...

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

 

[MagicMountainMan]

I've had both the Bionic and the Galaxy Nexus and I had multiple batteries with both. I could swap them out if I needed to on a long day, but that meant putting something else in my pocket and trying to remember if the spare was charged or not. Half the time I would forget to bring the spare with me so I would have to put my phone (especially the GNEX) into airplane mode so that the battery wouldn't die. Having two batteries isn't as convenient as having just one that's already built into your device and is awesome. It's just not. End of story. It's freaking annoying to have to power your phone down, take it out of its case, swap the batteries, put it back in the case, and the power it back up all while your trying to take a family picture at Disneyland. #Firstworldproblems

The Maxx HD is just ridiculous on battery. If that's your thing, then by all means your device is waiting in the wings. I'm also partial to on screen softkeys a-la Nexus and Moto phones of late.

Reader's Digest Version:
Screen-GSIII by a bit.
Battery-Maxx HD by a mile
Performance-Wash (S4, different GPUs)
Software-To each their own (I prefer stock-ish Android)
Physical build-To each their own (I prefer the premium build of the HD)
Dev Community-GSIII by 50 miles
Overall-It's up to you

It doesn't matter how many specs or other opinions we throw at you, at the end of the day the only opinion that matters is yours. Hence why so many people have iPhones.

^And save on repair bills?! I honestly don't even know what to say to that.

 

[anon(94115)]

First let me say it absolutely is a wash with all the pluses and minuses with both.... I agree with personal preference is all it comes down to.

There is no doubt that the maxx battery is better by a country mile.

That being said, this isn't a bionic or gnex. You cannot compare battery life of those to the s3.

If all you need is 14-16 hours of moderate to heavy use, it again becomes a wash. The sgs3 does that easily. The max even easier. I this is not disputable on either point.

I know what you are saying about wondering if the battery is charged or not, I had that kid of issue with my older phones (twice over with my rezound). I have only had to go to the spare maybe three or four times in the last six months and those were long trips/days.

For a normal sized battery, the life I get is very nice. Suits my needs well, and I am sure that a quick trip to the SGS forum will show that I am not alone.

As far as repair bills, if my battery dies and won't charge again, it costs me 10-20$ to repair, and no down time.

The same really cannot be said of the maxx. It is an uncommon thing, but still a consideration overall.

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

 

[Megaroad]

If all you need is 14-16 hours of moderate to heavy use, it again becomes a wash. The sgs3 does that easily. The max even easier. I this is not disputable on either point.

It's not a wash. The GS3 does not get you "14-16 hours of moderate to heavy use." What are you considering "heavy use" to be? Phone batteries go down quickly under true "heavy" use. And why is 14 hours acceptable? You never have a late night after work? When one phone can be relied on to keep going under unusual circumstances and the other cannot, there's no "wash."

 

[anon(94115)]

It most certainly gets you what I say, I have the screen shots to prove it.

14 hours is acceptable for most people and if not, again, I have a spare battery if I need it. I can also charge at work if need be.

Real world use, most people are not away from the house that long everyday. Leave the house at 8 back by 6 (give or take).

The battery life more than makes it.

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

 

[anon(94115)]

This must have been a normal use day...

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

 

[Megaroad]

This must have been a normal use day... http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/01/20/dyjugyta.jpg

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

I really don't see what that screen shots tells anyone.

 

[Megaroad]

It most certainly gets you what I say, I have the screen shots to prove it.

14 hours is acceptable for most people and if not, again, I have a spare battery if I need it. I can also charge at work if need be.

Real world use, most people are not away from the house that long everyday. Leave the house at 8 back by 6 (give or take).

The battery life more than makes it.

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

Spare battery, lol. Come on. The point is to not have to worry about extra crap, or whether it's going to give out if you have a long day.

 

[anon(94115)]

I don't, never had an issue.

I, like most people charge the phone once a day and make it fine, under moderate to heavy use. The spare battery is just a nice option.

I don't carry it like I did with the rezound. It sits in the car and waits. Once a week I might take it out and switch batteries to make sure it is charged.

It isn't a big deal nor any kind of hardship.

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

 

[keithdroid]

I really don't see what that screen shots tells anyone.

It shows 22 hours of use without charging and 16% battery left.

 

[Haunted_Toaster]

I had a Droid 2 Global with an extra battery. I liked being able to swap one in if I needed without much downtime. The problem, I didn't always have it when I needed it and charging was not always convenient. I upgraded to the RAZR HD in December and have no regrets. I have yet to drain this all the way. I never have to worry about getting low. Most days I go to bed with 70% remaining still. I will take dependable battery over replaceable battery any day!

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Android Central Forums

 

[anon(94115)]

You cannot compare them. The SoC changes everything. The D2 didn't have that...

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.