No LED Light on Droid Maxx?

Dreamliner330

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2011
1,026
42
48
Visit site
This is almost entirely wrong. Most opinions have differed in regards to the utility of the active notifications. Mine continues to light up every few seconds until I clear them.
All the promo stuff suggested it would not continually display. Now that people have them, we know that it does. Still though, I'd rather have an LED, way more power efficient.

I also read somewhere that Active Display only shows your most recent notification, I was hoping they'd have a solution to work with all notifications without going into the phone.
 

Chiplg

Well-known member
Jul 24, 2010
166
0
0
Visit site
I've found two things have happen now that I use a Maxx with Active Notifications. One, I'm not annoyed by an LED anymore. I hate the LED. It bothers me. I'd check my phone just so I could make it stop. Even if the color of the LED indicated it was something I didn't care about, I'd check it. With Active Notifications, I can glance at the icons and I know that I don't have to mess with it if it is an email address or app I don't care about. And letting it continue to breath doesn't bother me one bit. It is not bright and annoying like the LED was on previous phones. If it is a text, email address or an app that matters, I know to check it right away. I have 3 different email addresses on my phone, and I use a different app for each one. Sounds complicated, but each one serves a purpose, and only 1 needs to be checked right away. The other two can wait. The real point is, I don't pick my phone up as often as I used to for alerts that don't matter, and yes, I still want the alerts.

Next, and this was unexpected, I rarely need the power button. As soon as I pull the phone out of my pocket, or pick it up the screen breaths and I can unlock the phone. That is really great. No fumbling for a button, or knocking on the phone like the G2 will want you to do. Pick it up, swipe the lock icon. I really, really love that feature.

Personally, I wish it would breath whether there is a notification or not. I still wear a watch, and use it as my primary timepiece, but a breathing phone might make me switch. The battery has already proven to be more than sufficient for my daily needs. I'm over 13 hours off my charger and still above 50%. I was very interested in this feature when I got the phone, and now I feel like I will not accept another phone with an LED notification ever again.
 

guesswhat_567

Well-known member
Aug 21, 2013
316
0
0
Visit site
This is almost entirely wrong. Most opinions have differed in regards to the utility of the active notifications. Mine continues to light up every few seconds until I clear them.

Sent from my DROID MAXX

Correct ..notifications pulses every few seconds until you address or dismiss them..I find it really usefull better than LED's I don't want to go back to a phone which doesn't have this feature..it gives me more info in peek view and I don't have to unlock my phone and wake up display to figure out what emails or text messages I got ..most of the occasions I just look at the peek view and decide if I have to unlock and address the notification or if it can wait...its so useful ..that's how notifications should be handled .

Posted via Android Central App
 

SteelGator

Well-known member
Dec 1, 2011
1,220
5
0
Visit site
All the promo stuff suggested it would not continually display. Now that people have them, we know that it does. Still though, I'd rather have an LED, way more power efficient.

I also read somewhere that Active Display only shows your most recent notification, I was hoping they'd have a solution to work with all notifications without going into the phone.

Are you sure LED is more power efficient? These phones were built for efficiency. The screen tech allows for only the necessary pixels to be lit up, and the positional awareness makes it so they are only lit when the phone is in a position to see it (ie. it does not breath in your pocket). Overall, I would think the Active Notifications are more efficient at the end.

I am not arguing your preference. If you prefer LED, that is fine.
 

Dreamliner330

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2011
1,026
42
48
Visit site
Are you sure LED is more power efficient? These phones were built for efficiency. The screen tech allows for only the necessary pixels to be lit up, and the positional awareness makes it so they are only lit when the phone is in a position to see it (ie. it does not breath in your pocket). Overall, I would think the Active Notifications are more efficient at the end.

I am not arguing your preference. If you prefer LED, that is fine.
Even if its only part of the display, it will still take more energy to fire those few hundred pixels for the Active Notification then 1 LED. It isn't some amazing new AMOLED screen technology; the RAZR & RAZR HD could have had 'Active Notifications'. There is a secondary processing core for the Active Notification, another item that uses power...

Besides, most people at work or in the car have the phone on a desk, table car seat or dash console...'breathing'.

I'd prefer both, actually. Given a choice, I'd take a LCD screen, so Active Display wouldn't work well anyhow.

Active Display is interesting, but I was sad to see Moto double down on AMOLED, expecially when the Nexus finally moved away from it.
 

Zorro1

Well-known member
Oct 22, 2009
710
10
0
Visit site
With Lightflow, I knew exactly what notifications were up since they were color coded. We'll see how the breathing plays out.
 

SteelGator

Well-known member
Dec 1, 2011
1,220
5
0
Visit site
Even if its only part of the display, it will still take more energy to fire those few hundred pixels for the Active Notification then 1 LED. It isn't some amazing new AMOLED screen technology; the RAZR & RAZR HD could have had 'Active Notifications'. There is a secondary processing core for the Active Notification, another item that uses power...

Besides, most people at work or in the car have the phone on a desk, table car seat or dash console...'breathing'.

I'd prefer both, actually. Given a choice, I'd take a LCD screen, so Active Display wouldn't work well anyhow.

Active Display is interesting, but I was sad to see Moto double down on AMOLED, expecially when the Nexus finally moved away from it.

Once I finally get my device I will be in a better position to judge the breathing. I have light flow and I have color coded everything as well, but I think I will like this tech. Time will tell. The battery life is efficient, so it using power is my last concern.

When I am in a meeting my phone is face down, which will work well for me.
 

russel5150

Well-known member
Jul 15, 2012
1,274
6
0
Visit site
Is there a way to make the active display brighter?

I think the point behind having it set to that was battery saving... I realize led uses little power.. Which is why everything seems to be going to it.. I don't think there is a way to change it

Sent from my XT1080 using AC Forums mobile app
 

darkmanbt

New member
Aug 26, 2013
1
0
0
Visit site
The biggest problem I have with no led is knowing whether or not the phone is charging when plugged in. I seemed to have not gotten the plug in all the way while charging it overnight a couple times and wake up to 35% battery life. Also, in the past I've had phones that after they're no longer new you have to jiggle the cord around sometimes to get it to charge, and if this phone follows suit it will be very hard to know if its actually charging while plugged in.
 

alee

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2010
203
7
0
Visit site
The biggest problem I have with no led is knowing whether or not the phone is charging when plugged in. I seemed to have not gotten the plug in all the way while charging it overnight a couple times and wake up to 35% battery life. Also, in the past I've had phones that after they're no longer new you have to jiggle the cord around sometimes to get it to charge, and if this phone follows suit it will be very hard to know if its actually charging while plugged in.
Seems like a non-issue to me. Turn it on and you will see it charging. In fact, if I'm not mistaken the device powers on when you start the charge.
 

elevated

New member
Jul 3, 2011
4
0
0
Visit site
Is there a way to make the breathing brighter or different colors? Its really hard to see outdoors if you have a message unless I hold the screen right up to my face, lol.

I really miss that big LED from the Maxx HD. I could see it from 20 feet away.
 

doogald

Trusted Member
Jan 3, 2010
4,425
55
0
Visit site
All the promo stuff suggested it would not continually display. Now that people have them, we know that it does. Still though, I'd rather have an LED, way more power efficient.

I also read somewhere that Active Display only shows your most recent notification, I was hoping they'd have a solution to work with all notifications without going into the phone.

Nope, it shows all notifications pending, not just the most recent. You can only open the most recent app with a drag up from the circle, but below the circle it shows all of the other pending notifications and you can drag own to power on the phone normally and then choose which app to start.

I liked the led myself, but it wasn't perfect. Without using a third party app, you couldn't distinguish two apps that used the same color; most apps you could not choose an led color (gmail and messaging shared a color, for example); it only showed the color for one notification if more were pending. My last phone was a 512 MB RAM device, so running a third party app to manage this wasn't worth the RAM.
 

Sportplumber

Member
May 18, 2010
16
0
0
Visit site
I'd prefer both, actually. Given a choice, I'd take a LCD screen, so Active Display wouldn't work well anyhow.

Active Display is interesting, but I was sad to see Moto double down on AMOLED, expecially when the Nexus finally moved away from it.
Have you considered the Mini? Isn't that an LCD display with an LED for notification? Curious why you prefer LCD displays?
 

Dreamliner330

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2011
1,026
42
48
Visit site
Have you considered the Mini? Isn't that an LCD display with an LED for notification? Curious why you prefer LCD displays?
LCD sort of kills the benefit of Active Display. I'm considering the MAXX. I shy from AMOED because if non-uniform sub-pixels. The AMOLED that these MotoDROIDS use are better than most, though.

Personally display clarity and outdoor legibility is paramount, LCD is better in both these regards.

I've sacrificed display quality since 2010 and its tiring.
 

Sportplumber

Member
May 18, 2010
16
0
0
Visit site
So sounds like the AD rules out the Mini for you. I looked at them both today at the Verizon store and can't decide. The Mini is brighter but the Maxx seemed to have more contrast. Would probably need to live with them a while to decide.
 

Dreamliner330

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2011
1,026
42
48
Visit site
The Mini is brighter but the Maxx seemed to have more contrast. Would probably need to live with them a while to decide.
Sounds like a classic AMOLED vs LCD observation. :)

Although I prefer LCD, I'd have a hard time saying taking a MINI over a MAXX, especially with AD...and the battery life. In the end, functionality wins.

Newegg has the MAXX at $179.00, so....
 

Saltysteele

New member
Aug 29, 2013
1
0
0
Visit site
Saying your leaning towards a g note, gs4, or just complaining about a feature of a phone that you don't possess, is silly. Get the note or gs4 if you like the feel of lightweight plastic in your hands, or knowing that you own a phone with a 2nd class radio in it.

I took my maxx off the charger at 530 am yesterday. At 1100 pm I still had 84% charge (with medium/light usage. Add to that the fact that no Samsung or htc could grab and keep a call in some of the areas that my Motorola can, and it's a no brainer. I'm coming off a droid razr to the maxx, and they have only improved a damn good phone. lean whatever way you want. If you buy something else, you will always know you could have purchased a better device by buying a maxx, ultra or mini. I have been looking at upgrading for over a half year now, but haven't found a device worth my hard earned dough, until now. Would have rather kept my almost-2-year-old razr, then settled for a gs4 (not impressed by them at all). In fact, that is what I was planning on doing, until I saw the info for the maxx and held it in my hot little hands and knew it was the one.

Look, you're not going to like everything about a new phone/technology, but over time you will begin to appreciate why changes were made. We're all the same- we fear change.
 

Eclipse2K

Well-known member
Mar 22, 2011
5,722
107
0
Visit site
Saying your leaning towards a g note, gs4, or just complaining about a feature of a phone that you don't possess, is silly. Get the note or gs4 if you like the feel of lightweight plastic in your hands, or knowing that you own a phone with a 2nd class radio in it.

I took my maxx off the charger at 530 am yesterday. At 1100 pm I still had 84% charge (with medium/light usage. Add to that the fact that no Samsung or htc could grab and keep a call in some of the areas that my Motorola can, and it's a no brainer. I'm coming off a droid razr to the maxx, and they have only improved a damn good phone. lean whatever way you want. If you buy something else, you will always know you could have purchased a better device by buying a maxx, ultra or mini. I have been looking at upgrading for over a half year now, but haven't found a device worth my hard earned dough, until now. Would have rather kept my almost-2-year-old razr, then settled for a gs4 (not impressed by them at all). In fact, that is what I was planning on doing, until I saw the info for the maxx and held it in my hot little hands and knew it was the one.

Look, you're not going to like everything about a new phone/technology, but over time you will begin to appreciate why changes were made. We're all the same- we fear change.

The Note II does not have a second class radio in it. The S4 has been said to but I can't confirm thism

Sent from my Motorola Droid Maxx using Tapatalk 4
 

Forum statistics

Threads
943,219
Messages
6,917,889
Members
3,158,893
Latest member
TexasIndia