Droid Ultra/Maxx/HTC One/Galaxy S4/something else - Verizon - opinions?

Oj467

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My upgrade is here on VZW - I'm still unsure if I'm willing to give up my unlimited data plan for an upgrade - but I might.

Anyway - I currently have Galaxy Nexus's for both my wife and I - between both of us we probably have only been over 2gb in a month one time in the past 2 years. We are both on wifi the majority of the time.

I've been wanting a HTC One or Galaxy S4 but now with the new Moto Droid's I'm unsure what (if anything to do) - I especially like the idea that the new Droid's are relatively close to vanilla Android and not too overly "skinned". Just looking for some input on other's opinions on what phone they'd pick for an upgrade and why. I would ideally like to stick with the same phone for each of us (her upgrade is still a few months out) - just to keep things consistent since she's kind of technologically challenged.

Thanks!
 

garublador

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When we went from unlimited to the family plan we got 4GB shared for the both of us. I'm not sure we've ever hit 1GB combined.

The new Motorola phones seem cool, and the Maxx is easily a front runner if a longer battery life is high on your priority list. I'm not sure how useful I'd find the new voice features and that seems to be the only real advantage to them. Launchers are super easy to change and I'd probably run Nova over the stock Android launcher, anyway, so I don't see that as an advantage at all. They also seem to have lower resolution screens compared to the S4 and One, but are at least as expensive (the Maxx is like $300 on contract). So from my perspective there isn't really a big advantage to the new Motorola phones unless they find that the low power processor they use makes a big difference, which I'm skeptical of.

One big thing that's probably important to consider is the storage. The S4 has an external uSD slot so you can add 64GB of storage for about $50. It's possible to move some apps to this storage, but it's probably best used for only media (music, photos, movies, etc.) The One has more internal storage (though I don't know if the 64GB will be available on Verizon) at a lower price and comparable specs. There are other, relatively minor differences like the camera and sound as well.

All in all it sounds like the new Motorola phones have this continuous voice activation feature that's the only real advantage they have, though I'm not sure how many reviews are out on them yet. The Maxx has a bigger battery but all of the rest of the specs aren't any better, and many are worse, than what you get with the S4 and One. I'd watch the reviews over the next couple months, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the S4 and One are still top contenders after the verdict is in on the new Motorola phones.

Though I really hope this low power core idea takes off. I'd love to have a super low power processor taking care of stuff when my phone is asleep (screw voice, I want it for location services) rather than having thousands of wake locks suck my battery dry when my phone is sleeping.
 

Oj467

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Thanks both of you. The S4 has been high on my list for a while now. I really like my Nexus and the Samsung build/style. I especially like the fact the S4 has removable battery and memory - not to mention it has a pretty large amount of accessories available for it vs. most other makes (other than Apple).
 

popezaphod

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I am honestly torn between a One and a Moto X. I want as close to a "pure" Android experience, so I am leaning towards the Moto X despite the One having better specs. I know, I can replace the One's ROM with something else, but I'm kinda ready to stop putzing around and have a phone that just works out of the box.
 

Oj467

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I am honestly torn between a One and a Moto X. I want as close to a "pure" Android experience, so I am leaning towards the Moto X despite the One having better specs. I know, I can replace the One's ROM with something else, but I'm kinda ready to stop putzing around and have a phone that just works out of the box.
Currently using the Galaxy Nexus - I can understand wanting the vanilla android experience and the appeal of the new Moto phones. However - I STILL use Nova Launcher even with my Nexus just for the extra home screens etc. I'm torn between all the new Moto's, the One and the S4 and losing my unlimited data. Decisions, decisions...
 

JaredJ822

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I am in the same position OJ467.. I am having a ton of difficulty deciding if its worth it to get a HTC one or Samsung S4 even thought they cam out six months ago or get something else or wait some more. I have a droid bionic and had only Moto Droids in the past . They never seem to last the whole two years before they start acting goofy. For this reason I think I will stay away from Motorola. As of now, my Bionic works but has a issue that it only has reception 40% of the time no matter where I am. I hate that every time I buy a new phone, a better one comes out a week later so it makes me want to just make do with what I have and get the "next best thing". With that I also do need a phone that works so there's my dilemma. Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help
 

Oj467

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Been a while since I had a Moto phone (had the Droid X) and I experienced the same thing - after a couple years both my wife's X and mine flaked out and rebooted themselves constantly. Haven't had that issue with our Galaxy Nexus's and that's why I'm leaning toward the S4 this time (along with the removable battery and sd slot).
 

JaredJ822

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Did you end making a decision? I am killing myself over this one, everyday I read something that changes my mind. I'll be happy with either but hate the idea of making a wrong decision.
 

Oj467

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Actually yes. I got a new black 16gb S4 (and a 32gb sd card) at Costco yesterday. I used the upgrade steps outlined in the other "Keeping your Unlimited Data" thread elsewhere on the forums and it worked perfectly. Only have had it for a day but so far I'm very very happy with it. Costco had it on sale for $159 - plus $99 for the Square Trade plan.