Wall of text ahead---if you don't want to read it all skip down to the TL;DR & pictures.
==========================
I was torn between the One and MAXX when I walked into the store today. I played with both of them and compared both to my old GNex for almost an hour. After playing with both phones I decided on the MAXX. Keep in mind that I made these decisions based on my needs and preferences. Also keep in mind that these were both demo units. For those that are still on the fence, here was my thought process as I played with each device:
The first thing I wanted to check out was the power button on the One. The rep let me play with a new phone (still wrapped in protective layers) to check it out. It was a big concern for me, but it wasn't as big of a deal as I thought. I have big hands (6'4") and it wasn't necessarily easy to use with only one hand, but it was doable. A very slight shifting of the phone was required. It would definitely make me more cautious every time I turn the phone on, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.
The next thing I looked as was build quality. The One's build quality and overall feel are unsurpassed. It is an amazing device and there is nothing else to say about that. The MAXX isn't aluminum, but it is a solid-feeling phone. It definitely feels like a quality device, and in the realm of plastic smartphones I would rate it near the top. Being made of sturdy plastic gives the impression that this thing is able to handle being tossed around without being damaged. I am a fairly active person, so this was a big factor. With the One, I feel like I would have to put on a case to avoid dinging or scratching the aluminum, but I wouldn't want to cover up that beautiful aluminum body.
The screens on both devices are amazing. The One definitely wins--there is no doubt about it. The sharpness and color reproduction looked better than the MAXX (to me). The MAXX is a step down from the One, but it's a baby step. Comparing either device to my GNex is like night and day. The MAXX is better than my GNex by leaps and bounds, so I have no problems with the 720p display on the MAXX.
I then compared the speaker quality between the two. The loudness is equivalent--based on what I heard in the store I might even give the edge to the MAXX. The One had a bit cleaner sound, but it didn't quite blow me away as some reviews suggest. Both of these new devices did, however, blow my GNex out of the water. The GNex has been plagued with crappy speakers and low volume since it was released. There is a much bigger difference between the GNex and these two devices than there is between the One and the MAXX.
Regarding software (Sense vs close-to-stock-Android), I have no preference. The one thing that the One had in the software that I am very curious to try out is Zoe. IR Blaster isn't something I see myself using, so that wasn't a big factor for me. The MAXX has two things that I have been very interested in: Active Notifications and Touchless Controls.
I've already found myself using both features quite a bit. The Active Notifications are just sweet--I find myself saying "that's so freakin' cool" every time I get a text or email. I can check my text and swipe it out of the way without ever turning my screen on. Having the time pop up every time I pick up the phone is also a really cool feature, and the whole concept seems like it will come in handy. Regarding the Touchless Controls, I'm sure the "cool" factor will wear off, but it is an extremely handy feature to have when I need it. If I'm laying in bed on a weekend and want to keep napping...."OK Google Now, set an alarm for 30 minutes". If I'm at work craving some tunes and my hands are dirty...."OK Google Now, play Pandora". If I'm handling raw chicken in the kitchen and I have a cooking question for Grandma...."OK Google Now, call Grandma". This seems like something that I would actually use regularly.
The camera is one of the most important features for me. I have a D300s for real photography, so I'm spoiled with image quality. The camera reviews on the Moto X have had me extremely worried about the camera on the MAXX, but I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. I tested both the MAXX and the One against my GNex while in the store. I took pictures of displays (ie-text), pictures of people, and pictures of my personal items (my watch, in particular). All pictures were taken on Auto mode. Similar to the speakers, the biggest difference was between the GNex and these two devices. The difference between the One and the MAXX (at least on the two demo units I tested) was negligible. I was very surprised at how well the MAXX was doing indoors. Of course I couldn't test outdoors, but the MAXX had already exceeded my expectations for indoor shots.
Since the cameras were so close I decided to go with the MAXX for the features listed above as well as the huge battery life. Using my GNex has made me appreciate how critical battery life is. In most cases I am near a charger. In the instances I'm not, however, it will be very nice not to have to worry about killing my phone.
==========================
TL;DR:
I'm extremely pleased that I went with the MAXX. Shown below is a quick battery comparison as well as a few pictures (all Auto-mode & unedited):
I charged my GNex and MAXX until they were both at 100%. Then I walked around the apartment for a little under 30 minutes taking picture samples with both units at full brightness. It should be pretty obvious which battery results belong to which phone. I'm already in love:
GNex on the left, MAXX on the right. I'm blown away by how much detail is in the MAXX's picture. Both the shadows and highlights have enough detail to tell me that any problems people have with the camera are heavily software-related. My camera has been great thus far.
GNex on the top, MAXX on the bottom. GNex often overcompensates the WB when indoors, as you can see from the extremely warm tint to the picture.
The rest are just random shots with the MAXX indoors (not great lighting)....
Goose Island (a far cry from the under-saturated pictures I've seen in the Moto X reviews):
Sponge for Dog Bowls (very sharp for an indoor shot):
Salt & Pepper Shakers:
==============================================
Perhaps the post-processing in the MAXX is different than the Moto X? I'm not sure, but either way I can say that I'm extremely pleased with the results thus far. I'm very anxious to get out tomorrow and take some daylight pictures to see how those stack up. I know a lot of you are worried about the camera (as I was), but I can say that the unit I have has been phenomenal. I'm very, very happy with the MAXX.
Thus far the only weird thing I've found occurs when powering off from the camera. When I turn the phone back on and unlock it, the phone goes to the home screen. All other apps work properly and are still open when I unlock the phone. Any ideas?
If you guys have any questions please feel free to ask. I would not hesitate to recommend this phone to anyone.
==========================
I was torn between the One and MAXX when I walked into the store today. I played with both of them and compared both to my old GNex for almost an hour. After playing with both phones I decided on the MAXX. Keep in mind that I made these decisions based on my needs and preferences. Also keep in mind that these were both demo units. For those that are still on the fence, here was my thought process as I played with each device:
The first thing I wanted to check out was the power button on the One. The rep let me play with a new phone (still wrapped in protective layers) to check it out. It was a big concern for me, but it wasn't as big of a deal as I thought. I have big hands (6'4") and it wasn't necessarily easy to use with only one hand, but it was doable. A very slight shifting of the phone was required. It would definitely make me more cautious every time I turn the phone on, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.
The next thing I looked as was build quality. The One's build quality and overall feel are unsurpassed. It is an amazing device and there is nothing else to say about that. The MAXX isn't aluminum, but it is a solid-feeling phone. It definitely feels like a quality device, and in the realm of plastic smartphones I would rate it near the top. Being made of sturdy plastic gives the impression that this thing is able to handle being tossed around without being damaged. I am a fairly active person, so this was a big factor. With the One, I feel like I would have to put on a case to avoid dinging or scratching the aluminum, but I wouldn't want to cover up that beautiful aluminum body.
The screens on both devices are amazing. The One definitely wins--there is no doubt about it. The sharpness and color reproduction looked better than the MAXX (to me). The MAXX is a step down from the One, but it's a baby step. Comparing either device to my GNex is like night and day. The MAXX is better than my GNex by leaps and bounds, so I have no problems with the 720p display on the MAXX.
I then compared the speaker quality between the two. The loudness is equivalent--based on what I heard in the store I might even give the edge to the MAXX. The One had a bit cleaner sound, but it didn't quite blow me away as some reviews suggest. Both of these new devices did, however, blow my GNex out of the water. The GNex has been plagued with crappy speakers and low volume since it was released. There is a much bigger difference between the GNex and these two devices than there is between the One and the MAXX.
Regarding software (Sense vs close-to-stock-Android), I have no preference. The one thing that the One had in the software that I am very curious to try out is Zoe. IR Blaster isn't something I see myself using, so that wasn't a big factor for me. The MAXX has two things that I have been very interested in: Active Notifications and Touchless Controls.
I've already found myself using both features quite a bit. The Active Notifications are just sweet--I find myself saying "that's so freakin' cool" every time I get a text or email. I can check my text and swipe it out of the way without ever turning my screen on. Having the time pop up every time I pick up the phone is also a really cool feature, and the whole concept seems like it will come in handy. Regarding the Touchless Controls, I'm sure the "cool" factor will wear off, but it is an extremely handy feature to have when I need it. If I'm laying in bed on a weekend and want to keep napping...."OK Google Now, set an alarm for 30 minutes". If I'm at work craving some tunes and my hands are dirty...."OK Google Now, play Pandora". If I'm handling raw chicken in the kitchen and I have a cooking question for Grandma...."OK Google Now, call Grandma". This seems like something that I would actually use regularly.
The camera is one of the most important features for me. I have a D300s for real photography, so I'm spoiled with image quality. The camera reviews on the Moto X have had me extremely worried about the camera on the MAXX, but I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. I tested both the MAXX and the One against my GNex while in the store. I took pictures of displays (ie-text), pictures of people, and pictures of my personal items (my watch, in particular). All pictures were taken on Auto mode. Similar to the speakers, the biggest difference was between the GNex and these two devices. The difference between the One and the MAXX (at least on the two demo units I tested) was negligible. I was very surprised at how well the MAXX was doing indoors. Of course I couldn't test outdoors, but the MAXX had already exceeded my expectations for indoor shots.
Since the cameras were so close I decided to go with the MAXX for the features listed above as well as the huge battery life. Using my GNex has made me appreciate how critical battery life is. In most cases I am near a charger. In the instances I'm not, however, it will be very nice not to have to worry about killing my phone.
==========================
TL;DR:
I'm extremely pleased that I went with the MAXX. Shown below is a quick battery comparison as well as a few pictures (all Auto-mode & unedited):
I charged my GNex and MAXX until they were both at 100%. Then I walked around the apartment for a little under 30 minutes taking picture samples with both units at full brightness. It should be pretty obvious which battery results belong to which phone. I'm already in love:
GNex on the left, MAXX on the right. I'm blown away by how much detail is in the MAXX's picture. Both the shadows and highlights have enough detail to tell me that any problems people have with the camera are heavily software-related. My camera has been great thus far.
GNex on the top, MAXX on the bottom. GNex often overcompensates the WB when indoors, as you can see from the extremely warm tint to the picture.
The rest are just random shots with the MAXX indoors (not great lighting)....
Goose Island (a far cry from the under-saturated pictures I've seen in the Moto X reviews):
Sponge for Dog Bowls (very sharp for an indoor shot):
Salt & Pepper Shakers:
==============================================
Perhaps the post-processing in the MAXX is different than the Moto X? I'm not sure, but either way I can say that I'm extremely pleased with the results thus far. I'm very anxious to get out tomorrow and take some daylight pictures to see how those stack up. I know a lot of you are worried about the camera (as I was), but I can say that the unit I have has been phenomenal. I'm very, very happy with the MAXX.
Thus far the only weird thing I've found occurs when powering off from the camera. When I turn the phone back on and unlock it, the phone goes to the home screen. All other apps work properly and are still open when I unlock the phone. Any ideas?
If you guys have any questions please feel free to ask. I would not hesitate to recommend this phone to anyone.
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That should equate to over 12.5 hours of on-screen time with above moderate usage, which is freaking amazing.
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