Galaxy S4 or Droid Razr Maxx HD?

[BackwardsDuck]

Hi I was wondering which phone is the better phone to get, the Galaxy S4 or the Droid Razr Maxx. I am upgrading from a Droid Incredible on Verizon. I have no preference on anything. I was going to go with the S4 but the inability to move apps to the SD card is turning me of. I am worried about that because of the "low on space" glitch on my Incredible. Thanks in advance.

 

[rushmore]

Depends on how much storage you need. If less than 9gb will work for you, the S4 is fine. If not, might be best to go for the 32gbMaxx and have 18gb more storage. Even better IMO is the 32GB S3. I had the Incredible before and the S3 is a major step up.

Another option is to wait a while more and see if a 32gb S4 launches on VZW. That might be a longer wait than most would care for, on up to maybe never.

 

[bergeronjc]

Battery life is a bit better with maxx as well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Android Central Forums

 

[Garth Clark]

One main feature everyone ignores is, how good is the phone itself. After all, they are phones and the features of them are truly secondary to the entire package. I've read/heard about the S4 not doing as well in the voice communications department such as, dropping calls, poor or below average call quality in comparison to the razr max hd. Also, for those wondering, I hear the same about the i5 phone compared to the razr max hd, not so good or drops calls more often.

All the features on the Samsung S4 that are a winner over the Razr Max HD are: 1.9 quad core cpu, larger screen, removable and replaceable battery, better camera front and rear, weight is less and a few other things totally unrelated to telephone/voice matters.

Razr MAX HD advantages: Double the battery life when new, better voice call quality and connectivity, more ruggedly built and that's about it. It has a dual core 1.5 cpu.

For those looking for a cell phone that places and receives calls better and has excellent battery life (when new) the Motorola is the winner. How well those battery's last no one has reported so, maybe after 2 years, the Razr Max HD might have to be replaced since the battery is not replaceable. This is the most ridiculous design of all, expecting folks to throw out a $500 phone to replace a $20 battery which could fail on month 2 or just after the warranty ends.

 

[SirGeorgeKillian]

I came from the Razr Maxx and while the hardware was awesome, it always had an issue. Moto makes good stuff, but it just always seems to quit working. As for battery life, you can always upgrade your battery on your S4, I have yet to kill this one in a day...

 

[Lisa Levine]

The first three months the battery was lasting 2 to 3 days. The smartactions fried the phone. Then was lasting a day and half to 2 having it on sleeping for 8 hours and moderate use. There was a new update which makes the phone FASTER, the apps load quicker, no sluggish behavior at all, HOWEVER, slightly more batter drain. With HEAVY use this phone will last 15 hours of actuall usage. My next phone is the Samsung S4. I may add a line to get that one as all the other features are better on Samsung then Motorola.

 

[droidntn]

If you need battery life>>>Maxx.
If you want cool, beautiful screen and reliable performance with more bells and whistles that work well>>>S4.

I just came from a Maxx when I NEVER had to worry about a battery. Ever.
But I sure love my S4 better.

 

[MikeBinOK]

I have had the original RAZR MAXX (not HD) on Verizon since for exactly eighteen months. Initially I loved the battery life, and I loved Smart Actions and the strong signals. After eighteen months, the battery life has plummeted, and I cannot make it through a normal business day anymore (in fairness, I am a heavy user). Also, the phone has developed routine stutters and freezes that are driving me nuts. Hard resets, and even changing the case as one person suggested only helped a bit. I'm annoyed and inconvenienced enough that I am buying a phone off contract rather than put up with this for six months. I have always said that I'd get another RAZR MAXX when the time came, but after my experience, I now regard a replaceable battery as a necessity, plus I'm a bit concerned by what I read in the business news about Motorola. Staying with Verizon, the S4 seemed my only choice for a flagship Android phone with replaceable battery. So I've ordered a 32G version from Amazon, and it is expected to arrive in a couple of weeks. So in a similar position, I chose the S4. Doesn't mean it's the only or even the best choice of course!

The OP has probably ought a phone by now, but if not, he should note that the Apps to SD problem has been fixed, and the 32gb version overpowers the memory issue entirely.

 

[rushmore]

S4, since you can get an extended battery, better chipset and you have .7" more display in apps and games. That is a big difference and much higher resolution as well. Fixed nav bar on a phone display is lame, IMO.