Go for the Droid Turbo or stick with my Maxx?

[kingmeow]

I've had my Maxx for over 2.5 years so it's off contract. No complaints but the battery is a bit tired. With my usage pattern, I used to get 4 days. Now it's a consistent 2 days, still not bad. I was at the Verizon store looking for an iPhone for my son and the Turbo caught my eye. With Verizon's Edge program it's essentially a free phone over the course of the 2 year contract.

I rarely take pics with my phone as my Nikon goes with me to a lot of places so a much better camera on the Turbo is not really an incentive.

My biggest concern is the advertised big battery of the Turbo. Will it even come close to my current 2 days or is it even possible to get to 4 days? I know it will depend a lot on my usage pattern. I don't want to go to a Turbo and then feel like I'm going backwards in battery life. I am aware of the quick charger technology with the Turbo though.

I have searched this forum and I'm getting mixed data points all over the place so my head is spinning!

Any suggestions? Anyone coming from a Maxx and regretted (or elated) about the move?

 

[ibcop]

I've had my Maxx for over 2.5 years so it's off contract. No complaints but the battery is a bit tired. With my usage pattern, I used to get 4 days. Now it's a consistent 2 days, still not bad. I was at the Verizon store looking for an iPhone for my son and the Turbo caught my eye. With Verizon's Edge program it's essentially a free phone over the course of the 2 year contract.

I rarely take pics with my phone as my Nikon goes with me to a lot of places so a much better camera on the Turbo is not really an incentive.

My biggest concern is the advertised big battery of the Turbo. Will it even come close to my current 2 days or is it even possible to get to 4 days? I know it will depend a lot on my usage pattern. I don't want to go to a Turbo and then feel like I'm going backwards in battery life. I am aware of the quick charger technology with the Turbo though.

I have searched this forum and I'm getting mixed data points all over the place so my head is spinning!

Any suggestions? Anyone coming from a Maxx and regretted (or elated) about the move?

I don't think anyone will get 48 hours of battery like they advertise. I find it hard to believe you get 4 days on a Maxx. Maybe if the device sits idle but in a real world situation ( and I know everyone has different device usage) that is impossible to obtain. The most I've gotten using my device was 1 day, 17 hours and some change. This was over the course of a weekend where my usage was below normal. However, I can use this beast however I want and it will last the entire day and then some. I tend to charge my device at bedtime so running out of juice is something I don't worry about.

And I did the Edge thing for the Turbo. Like you said, it's a wash as far as charges go. I'd say give it a whirl and see what you think - after all you'll be the one using it.

 

[kingmeow]

I guess I'm a light user then.

Here's what GSAM reports on my Maxx as on now. Remember, I've had this for over 2.5 years now.

Averages Per Complete Charge
Battery Life: 2d 16h (10h 3m Active)
Screen On: 1h 51m (2h 36m Max)

I don't babble on the phone much but do check e-mail a lot. Not a streaming video or audio kind of guy either. OK, ok, I'm boring!

 

[Toes Up]

I had (and still have) a Maxx. In my opinion, the Turbo is an incremental upgrade. Nice phone, but so is the Maxx.

Relative battery life is hard to assess because usage and setup varies so much from individual to individual. I get about the same battery life out of the Turbo as I did with the Maxx.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[hal1]

Went from a Maxx to a turbo. Very marginal upgrade. Not even sure if I can tell any performance difference. Expecta slower shutter camera response. Other than that it's hard for me to see much of a difference in many areas. What I do it again? Yes. But that's only because I always have to have the latest and greatest

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[kingmeow]

I I get about the same battery life out of the Turbo as I did with the Maxx.

Good luck with your decision.

Thanks! That's the statement I was looking for. I don't want to go "backwards" in battery expectation should I go to the Turbo.

Just came back from the Verizon dealer and they said the Turbo is so hot, they don't have any in stock. I will have to order it. And with the Edge $25 monthly credit even after the 2 years contract, I think it's a no brainer to go to the Turbo.

 

[timshelby2098]

Not a big fan of Edge plan. If you are month to month like I am, you should be getting (need to ask) a $25/month bill credit per line. So over a 2 year period, the phone will cost you $600, which is the retail price, but your month to month credit will drop to $15/line. So over a 2 year period, I will be losing/paying 24x$10 or $240 additional. The new turbo will be costing you $840 or $240 more vs buying it retail and keep the credit. I am looking at Turbo but very hesitant to move away from Maxx since battery life was awesome.

 

[KPMcClave]

Thanks! That's the statement I was looking for. I don't want to go "backwards" in battery expectation should I go to the Turbo.

Just came back from the Verizon dealer and they said the Turbo is so hot, they don't have any in stock. I will have to order it. And with the Edge $25 monthly credit even after the 2 years contract, I think it's a no brainer to go to the Turbo.

I've also found that while the Turbo may be a bit stronger in battery, it isn't a notiocable difference for me. It seems to be largely similar to my Maxx battery (definitely *not* a step back by any means though). This has to be the best sort of info you can get, as you obviously know by your question. A comparison of the two phones by people using the same apps, service area, usage patterns, etc.

I've been mildly frustrated in discussing battery life in other forums where I'm told the various things (I already know) that can impact your battery drain, when I am comparing my own two phones under ths same circumstances. So, for example, higher Cell Standby use on my (and others) Turbo than Maxx is a legit question.

Note that I got my Maxx after it had updated to KitKat 4.4. I didn't have it as an early adopter as I do the Turbo, which I have had since Halloween. When the Turbo gets its first major OS update (Lollipop in this case obviously), I do expect noticeable gains in performance, as battery use is one thing they claim is significantly tweaked in Lollipop generally. Combo of that and the bigger Turbo battery should provide a noticable bump. That's my educated expectation, anyway.

 

[KPMcClave]

...of course the Maxx is getting Lollipop eventually, as well.

 

[jec11718]

I guess I'm a light user then.

Here's what GSAM reports on my Maxx as on now. Remember, I've had this for over 2.5 years now.

Averages Per Complete Charge
Battery Life: 2d 16h (10h 3m Active)
Screen On: 1h 51m (2h 36m Max)

I don't babble on the phone much but do check e-mail a lot. Not a streaming video or audio kind of guy either. OK, ok, I'm boring!

That 2h36max screen on time.... Is 25% of the turbos battery. I consistently get 2to 2.5 hrs per 25% and I'm a heavy user....so 2hrs a day....4days IMHO. See I'm still at 60% with just shy of 4 hours. So 4 hrs for 40% usage of my battery. Not too shabby...

DRoID TuRBo this...

 

[doogald]

I've had my Maxx for over 2.5 years so it's off contract.

You must mean a Razr Maxx and not last year's Droid Maxx. I don't think it's worth it to upgrade last year's model, but I think I'd upgrade a Razr Maxx in a heartbeat if I started having battery issues with it. The only caveat is that the turbo only does simultaneous voice and data with the new advanced calling feature, and that seems buggy for some people so far if you use your phone that way often (ie, access data while you talk on the phone.)

 

[dcallan]

You must mean a Razr Maxx and not last year's Droid Maxx. I don't think it's worth it to upgrade last year's model, but I think I'd upgrade a Razr Maxx in a heartbeat if I started having battery issues with it. The only caveat is that the turbo only does simultaneous voice and data with the new advanced calling feature, and that seems buggy for some people so far if you use your phone that way often (ie, access data while you talk on the phone.)

I concur with this advice. Last year's droid maxx is excellent. The only practical advantage I see to the turbo, as compared to last year's maxx, is the improved screen. The speed, memory, and storage improvements are only important of you are doing some fairly intensive computing with it. Some call it future proofing. My opinion is that spending extra money today for features you don't need, versus the "do nothing" approach, assuming you're satisfied with what you have, is pure speculation at best. If you have the Razr Maxx, you might consider upgrading for battery capacity and kit Kat. I had that phone and enjoyed it. However, the Maxx was a notocible improvement. The improvement from the Maxx to the Turbo is marginal and really boils down to the screen quality for me.

 

[KPMcClave]

I concur with this advice. Last year's droid maxx is excellent. The only practical advantage I see to the turbo, as compared to last year's maxx, is the improved screen. The speed, memory, and storage improvements are only important of you are doing some fairly intensive computing with it. Some call it future proofing. My opinion is that spending extra money today for features you don't need, versus the "do nothing" approach, assuming you're satisfied with what you have, is pure speculation at best. If you have the Razr Maxx, you might consider upgrading for battery capacity and kit Kat. I had that phone and enjoyed it. However, the Maxx was a notocible improvement. The improvement from the Maxx to the Turbo is marginal and really boils down to the screen quality for me.

And the less pricey option could also be to upgrade to the Droid Maxx now that it's been marked down. Especially since it will eventually get Lollipop, as well.

 

[88horizon5speed]

I have the proof to back up that as a heavy user I do infact easily get 48 hours. Having said that as a light use you will definetly get more than that. It may not be worth upgrading yet because your pone lasts 2 days as it is. It may not be worth that hassle of reinstalling everything and setting it up if you can still go two days without charging. If I were you I would wait until it doesnt last a full day and then find the best phone avilable.

But yes the Turbo does indeed last what they claim and honestly can go more if your a light user. I keep detailed records of every charge cycle my phone goes through and all the usage data and time data, it lasts.

 

[kingmeow]

Thanks for the various info and opinions. Yes, I have the Razr Maxx and I am still getting a solid 2+ days. I think I'm going to hold off on upgrading since I have no issues with the phone and one poster suggested to wait until I get a day from the Maxx and then look at what's out there. The thought of reinstalling the apps and customizing them has crossed my mind. It's like getting a new PC, whoa, nice shiny new hardware until you start to realize how much stuff you have to migrate!

I have already requested the $25/month off so I'm going to live off that as long as I can.

 

[ChuckG73]

Love my Moto Maxx on AT&T

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[KPMcClave]

I have the proof to back up that as a heavy user I do infact easily get 48 hours. Having said that as a light use you will definetly get more than that. It may not be worth upgrading yet because your pone lasts 2 days as it is. It may not be worth that hassle of reinstalling everything and setting it up if you can still go two days without charging. If I were you I would wait until it doesnt last a full day and then find the best phone avilable.

But yes the Turbo does indeed last what they claim and honestly can go more if your a light user. I keep detailed records of every charge cycle my phone goes through and all the usage data and time data, it lasts.

I'm certainly glad your setup works for you, but I suspect for many of us, and definitely for me, I couldn't use my Turbo without the Moto Display feature, which is among the apps you disable. That is one of the singular best reasons to have a Motorola phone now. I disagree strongly with referring to the Moto apps (as opposed to the carrier and Amazon apps) as "bloatware." I think by any reasonable definition they aren't, any more than GPS is bloatware.

So, the highly aggressive disabling of apps you use, and your more aggressive shutting down of data/WiFi than is the norm to get to your 48 hours, I suspect is far outside the norm.

It all comes down to how much someone is willing to cripple the features of his or her phone, I guess. We could all get three or four days if we never did anything at all with the phone.

 

[leehardballer12]

Thanks for the various info and opinions. Yes, I have the Razr Maxx and I am still getting a solid 2+ days. I think I'm going to hold off on upgrading since I have no issues with the phone and one poster suggested to wait until I get a day from the Maxx and then look at what's out there. The thought of reinstalling the apps and customizing them has crossed my mind. It's like getting a new PC, whoa, nice shiny new hardware until you start to realize how much stuff you have to migrate!

I have already requested the $25/month off so I'm going to live off that as long as I can.

My son had the Droid RAZR (not Maxx) before upgrading to the LG G3. I have the Droid Turbo on an Early Edge. While, I didn't have extensive experience with my son RAZR, from what I did see compared with what I know myself with my Turbo, there is no honest comparison. Nor, would there be between any recently released device compared to an at least 3yr old device. Also, you pay the retail price for the phone on the Edge program, no more. Its not free, but you are not getting gouged for more than retail. Also, you have the option to Edge Up early with trade in when conditions are met. There is also the $100 (or is it $150?) when you trade in your old phone. In my experience with the Turbo, the screen is the biggest battery killer. If I'm only using it for phone calls or messaging, I keep the brightness turned down and that helps significantly. Personally, I like my screen bright so I tend to turn it up often. But even at a high brightness setting, WiFi left on, and all the Moto and Google stuff turned on, the phone lasts 24hrs +. I only need it to last about 17hrs since it gets charged every night anyway. If I need it to last longer I can always mess around with the settings. I would say its a no-brainer to upgrade if that's what you're looking to do. You certainly would not be 'going backwards', imo.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[ibcop]

I have the proof to back up that as a heavy user I do infact easily get 48 hours. Having said that as a light use you will definetly get more than that. It may not be worth upgrading yet because your pone lasts 2 days as it is. It may not be worth that hassle of reinstalling everything and setting it up if you can still go two days without charging. If I were you I would wait until it doesnt last a full day and then find the best phone avilable.

But yes the Turbo does indeed last what they claim and honestly can go more if your a light user. I keep detailed records of every charge cycle my phone goes through and all the usage data and time data, it lasts.

Can you post said proof? I'm curious to how you get 48 hours as a heavy user.

 

[ChuckG73]

Nice Benchmarks but I am averaging around 20+ hours with heavy usage. All day without a charger is great but no way I would get two full days. I am on AT&T with the Moto Maxx.

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