How's the Droid MAXX holding up?

[B. Diddy]

Oh, really? I always thought it referred to how a clam can look like it's smiling if viewed at the right angle.

 

[reggier14]

I'm reasonably happy. Other folks have commented about the good parts. I'm going to focus on the bad, only because they haven't been brought out that much, not because I'm unhappy.

1) Build quality- The phone feels pretty solid in your hand, but I'm on Maxx #3 already. The microphone in my first Maxx died after a few weeks (and then my second Maxx got hit with the software update problem). I've heard of other folks having problems with the microphone, so I wonder if that's going to be a bigger problem down the line. Verizon was pretty good about replacing it quickly.

2) Wireless charging- The wireless charger is really, really sensitive about placement. It seems to be far more sensitive than my coworkers Nexus 5.

3) Screen- The screen is OK, but not great. The HTC One and Galaxy S4 screens are qualitatively nicer.

4) Software- You're getting Motorola and Verizon's bastardized version of software. Despite being roughly the same hardware as the Moto X, the software builds are slightly different due to Verizon meddling. Notably, the Droid kit kat build does not have the redesigned dialer (and neither the Moto X nor the Droid has local business search). I worry about this in the long term. What happens when Motorola gets sick of making special changes for Verizon? Will Moto stop updating the Maxx before the X?

5) Accessories- There's not much in the way of accessories (e.g., cases, screen protectors, docks, etc.), because the phone isn't particularly popular. For instance, no one is making glass screen protectors, which I would have liked to try. Instead I use a Skinomi.

6) Speed- It's OK, but I've certainly noticed slow-downs in Chrome. It's a lot faster than my old Galaxy Nexus, but I suspect One and S4 are qualitatively and quantitatively faster.

7) Touchless controls have been disappointing. I've got to be pretty close to the phone to unlock it with "OK Google Now," and I think its capabilities are fairly limited. It has a special interface for voice dialing (which isn't terrible, but isn't great, either) and uses the voice commands with Google Now for everything else (composing texts is rather painful, and seems to require screen touches to confirm messages).

None of those are major deal-breakers for me. I'm reasonably happy with it. I probably would preferred to get a Nexus 5, but it wasn't an option on Verizon. Really, I would have loved to have a phone with the design of an HTC One and the battery of a Maxx.

 

[SteelGator]

2) Wireless charging- The wireless charger is really, really sensitive about placement. It seems to be far more sensitive than my coworkers Nexus 5.

3) Screen- The screen is OK, but not great. The HTC One and Galaxy S4 screens are qualitatively nicer.

6) Speed- It's OK, but I've certainly noticed slow-downs in Chrome. It's a lot faster than my old Galaxy Nexus, but I suspect One and S4 are qualitatively and quantitatively faster.

I have not experienced the alignment issues at all for wireless charging. I just put my phone down on the Tylt Vu and it always starts to charge. I guess the experience can be different with different chargers.

I love the Maxx screen. Qualitatively, I find it better than the S4. The One screen is better, but I would not give up active notifications and battery life to get the LCD.

I can't speak to speed versus the One because I have not used it enough. I find the Maxx to be as snappy or snappier than the S4. Touchwiz takes a toll on performance. Many of the side by side comparisons have shown this as well.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[SteelGator]

The saying started out as "happy as a clam at high tide." This makes a lot of sense, since clams can then feed with impunity and not worry about predatory clam diggers. The shortened form is snappier, perhaps, but doesn't mean much. That's the thing about idioms -- they're so familiar we don't notice if they're meaningless.

That's good knowledge by you.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[reggier14]

I have not experienced the alignment issues at all for wireless charging. I just put my phone down on the Tylt Vu and it always starts to charge. I guess the experience can be different with different chargers.

I bought Tylt Vu chargers as well because my experience with "cheap" Qi chargers was terrible. The Vu is probably the most forgiving Qi charger on the market when it comes to alignment. I don't have major problems with it, but I do have it get it fairly close to centered. A coworkers Nexus 5 is noticeably more forgiving about placement than the Maxx, even on the Vu.

But, as I said, it's not a major problem with the Vu. It's pretty easy to get it close to centered on the first try. I just wouldn't recommend any other Qi charger with the Maxx. (I actually pledged for the Air Dock car charger, but I'm nervous about whether its actually going to be useful due to alignment issues.)

When it comes to the screen, my main complaint is that small text really does appear fuzzier on Maxx than an S4. I was skeptical I would notice the difference in resolution, and for many things (e.g., videos, games) you don't But I notice when I real emails/websites/Flipboard/etc. Color and brightness is great. But for a $300 phone (at release), I really would have liked to see a 1080p screen.

Active notifications is a nice idea, though I don't think I actually gain much benefit from it. I tend to keep my phone face-down, because otherwise Active Notifications wakes up the screen every 30 seconds. I think that's by design, but I'm worried about battery life. I see a ton of events waking up my CPU from deep sleep, and I suspect some are caused by Active Notifications. I still get a full day's battery life easily, but I would never get close to making it two days.

 

[AustinAggie]

I know I'm just piling on a bit, but this is a great phone so I'll add my thoughts. I highly recommend it. I think it is the best phone you can buy right now, it just doesn't get much press since it is Verizon only and saddled with the Droid brand (which I don't care about one way or the other but for a lot of people it isn't perceived positively anymore. There is a bit of bloatware, but since I use Amazon and follow the NFL, that leaves just a few apps I need to disable.)

YMMV obviously depending on what is most important to you in a phone.. but for me I can't understand why battery life and performance/usability of core features are not #1 on everyone's list. That is where the Droid Maxx (and the Moto X though it's battery is not as good) really shine.

Reasons this phone is awesome:

• Battery life - you can have on all the features you want and never have to charge during the day.. if you pare it down you can make morning one day to evening the next
• Build quality - the soft kevlar back just feels good, construction is solid (surprised anyone has had issues)
• Snappy UI performance/vanilla android - phone never feels slow or laggy. Moto so far has been prompt with update as well, though the phone is so good as is I almost don't want them. I'm sure some feature will come along I feel strongly about though, so hopefully Moto will keep updating.
• Very useful software additions - active display, touchless controls, quick camera launch.
• Wireless charging - not a must have, but a very convenient (I use with a Tylt Vu, no placement issues)
• Speakers / speaker phone are very good (though not as good as the HTC One)
• Just my unscientific opinion, but the radios seem better -- near zero dropped calls and better audio call quality

Reasons not to get it - if these things are key for you in a smartphone

• Top performance in things like 3d gaming, S4 or HTC one is better. However, those phones often have lag for general use activities (especially the S4) - navigating the UI, launching camera, etc. The Maxx never does.
• The screen is plenty good but is not the best out there - I think that goes to either the HTC one or LG G2 based on reviews. It is better in bright light than previous generation AMOLED screens, but not nearly as good as the LCD on the One.
• The camera is just ok, the S4 or LG G2 are much better if that is what you are after. I do love the quick camera launch and simplified camera app on the droids and moto x though - no phone is easier to take quick pictures with. The camera app does not have all the bells and whistles though if you are an avid photographer, and it is very inconsistent -- sometimes the colors are noticeably off, sometimes they look ok.
• Design of phone is just ok -- I didn't buy it for the looks.. the HTC one is really nice in that department, and the Moto X gives you customization options that are cool
• Other phones also offer a lot of other niche bells and whistles - IR port, SD card slot, etc. Not stuff most will use a lot, but it might be a decision factor for you.
• Size/weight - if you don't want a phone that is large like the HTC One or S4 (Maxx is similar size to these but is even heavier), then go with the 32GB Moto X - essentially the same software and features and screen tech/resolution but smaller and lighter (though you give up some of the better battery life and wireless charging)

There is a very short list of things I had to alter or was frustrated with on the Maxx, but I'll list them just for completeness

• camera (as already mentioned)
• stock SMS app sucks - no dark theme, poor use of screen real estate. I use Textra
• I put Nova on mainly to get folders in the app launcher, though I use a few more features as well
• Lack of accessories is a valid point - not nearly as many as the more popular phones. There is an ok car mount/charger for example, but not many options and not a really good one.

That's about it.. everything else rocks..

 

[SteelGator]

Active notifications is a nice idea, though I don't think I actually gain much benefit from it. I tend to keep my phone face-down, because otherwise Active Notifications wakes up the screen every 30 seconds. I think that's by design, but I'm worried about battery life. I see a ton of events waking up my CPU from deep sleep, and I suspect some are caused by Active Notifications. I still get a full day's battery life easily, but I would never get close to making it two days.

Fair points on the screen, I like the Maxx better because it is not pentile. I think the whites are whiter - - not LCD white though.

I don't worry about Active Notifications and battery drain at all, but then I don't try to get to two days. The best thing about this phone is that I don't have to worry about the battery at all.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[SteelGator]

Reasons not to get it - if these things are key for you in a smartphone

• Top performance in things like 3d gaming, S4 or HTC one is better. However, those phones often have lag for general use activities (especially the S4) - navigating the UI, launching camera, etc. The Maxx never does.

That's about it.. everything else rocks..

Great write up, and well balanced. I am not sure the S4 or HTC One is better for 3D gaming as they all have the same GPU (Adreno 320). Most of the head to heads I remember show the Maxx launching slightly faster, then frame rates and performance being equal for all 3 phones. The HTC and the S4 do have faster CPU which was the topic of many spec wars on this board months ago, so I won't rehash here.

 

[vzwuser76]

I'm reasonably happy. Other folks have commented about the good parts. I'm going to focus on the bad, only because they haven't been brought out that much, not because I'm unhappy.

1) Build quality- The phone feels pretty solid in your hand, but I'm on Maxx #3 already. The microphone in my first Maxx died after a few weeks (and then my second Maxx got hit with the software update problem). I've heard of other folks having problems with the microphone, so I wonder if that's going to be a bigger problem down the line. Verizon was pretty good about replacing it quickly.

2) Wireless charging- The wireless charger is really, really sensitive about placement. It seems to be far more sensitive than my coworkers Nexus 5.

3) Screen- The screen is OK, but not great. The HTC One and Galaxy S4 screens are qualitatively nicer.

4) Software- You're getting Motorola and Verizon's bastardized version of software. Despite being roughly the same hardware as the Moto X, the software builds are slightly different due to Verizon meddling. Notably, the Droid kit kat build does not have the redesigned dialer (and neither the Moto X nor the Droid has local business search). I worry about this in the long term. What happens when Motorola gets sick of making special changes for Verizon? Will Moto stop updating the Maxx before the X?

5) Accessories- There's not much in the way of accessories (e.g., cases, screen protectors, docks, etc.), because the phone isn't particularly popular. For instance, no one is making glass screen protectors, which I would have liked to try. Instead I use a Skinomi.

6) Speed- It's OK, but I've certainly noticed slow-downs in Chrome. It's a lot faster than my old Galaxy Nexus, but I suspect One and S4 are qualitatively and quantitatively faster.

7) Touchless controls have been disappointing. I've got to be pretty close to the phone to unlock it with "OK Google Now," and I think its capabilities are fairly limited. It has a special interface for voice dialing (which isn't terrible, but isn't great, either) and uses the voice commands with Google Now for everything else (composing texts is rather painful, and seems to require screen touches to confirm messages).

None of those are major deal-breakers for me. I'm reasonably happy with it. I probably would preferred to get a Nexus 5, but it wasn't an option on Verizon. Really, I would have loved to have a phone with the design of an HTC One and the battery of a Maxx.

While I agree with you on some points, I have to disagree on #4. Yes, it does come with the obligatory bloatware, but so does every non Nexus device. As far as not having the search dialer, that only comes with the Nexus 5 unless you sideload it, same as with the Google Experience Launcher. Those aren't available from the factory on any phone other than the Nexus 5.

I am on Maxx #2, I had an earpiece speaker go bad, and it was replaced without question. It's not the first issue I've had with a phone, & I'm sure it won't be my last, so don't see it as an issue.

Other than that, easily the best phone I've had since my original Droid Incredible. That was my first smartphone, and the Maxx gives me the same feeling at times. Much snappier than my Galaxy S3, even after it got the 4.3 update and did a factory reset, the 3 month old Maxx beat the freshly reset S3. So much for the Maxx having last years hardware. I've found the key when using Touchless Controls is in the set up. When I would be far away, I'd speak louder and it wouldn't recognize me. My pitch goes up a bit when I yell, so when recording the launch phrase, I spoke in the same pitch at a normal level. Now when I yell, it recognizes me, even from 30 feet away.

As far as battery life, most of the time I take my phone off the charger around 8am, and put it back on at 10-11pm the following day. I usually get around 4-6 hours of screen time during that period. So needless to say, compared to the anywhere from 6-12 hours off the charger and 3 hours screen time tops I got with my S3, I'm very happy.

If Moto keeps the current way of thinking, and keep up the stellar customer care they've been showing recently, I will continue to be a customer. They had me at a stock experience and excellent radios, the rest is just icing on the cake.

 

[skatergirl]

Best phone I have ever owned and it is still perfect since early September.

 

[reggier14]

While I agree with you on some points, I have to disagree on #4. Yes, it does come with the obligatory bloatware, but so does every non Nexus device. As far as not having the search dialer, that only comes with the Nexus 5 unless you sideload it, same as with the Google Experience Launcher. Those aren't available from the factory on any phone other than the Nexus 5.

So, I think you're basically right- compared to other phones, the Droid lineup is basically stock Android with relatively little bloatware (which you can still disable).

But, there are customizations. Touchless Controls partially interferes with Google Now voice commands because they both use the "OK Google Now" hot word. That's kind of annoying, but not a big deal.

I'm more annoyed about some of the changes to the Droid software builds compared to the Moto X Verizon build. The Moto X did get a new dialer with the Kit Kat upgrade. It looks like the Kit Kat dialer- it just doesn't have local business search. The dialer in the Droid Maxx Kit Kat build appears to be exactly the same as the JB dialer.

There's little cosmetic things, too. The Moto X moved white text/icons in the notification bar, per the design of Kit Kat. The Droid Maxx kept the blue color, which Motorola said was done at Verizon's request.

I am on Maxx #2, I had an earpiece speaker go bad, and it was replaced without question. It's not the first issue I've had with a phone, & I'm sure it won't be my last, so don't see it as an issue.

I hope there's not a problem. I've had to replace defective phones before, but never this soon after getting it. I've never had to replace a phone more than once due to a hardware defect, and hopefully I won't break that streak.

Again, though, I'm pretty happy with the phone. I wanted good battery life, and I certainly get that with the Maxx. I'm happy to see Motorola making a serious effort at getting updates out the door quickly. I probably would have rather gotten a Nexus phone, or maybe even a Google Play Edition phone, but that wasn't an option on Verizon. And even if it were possible, it wouldn't have gotten the same battery life.

 

[vzwuser76]

The X getting a different dialer was news to me, but when I saw a preview of the search dialer, I was glad when I heard we weren't getting it. When I open my dialer, it's to dial a number or redial a previous number. If I need to search for a number, I open my browser. IMO, a dialer should be a dialer, not another search app, but maybe that's just me.

I also prefer them keeping the colored icons in the status bar. I have a N7, and after the update, they might as well have gotten rid of the WiFi indicator. I've lost signal and can't tell unless I go into the pull down. That's with a WiFi only model, with my Maxx that'll be the same for both WiFi and mobile data. I prefer to see that I have an active signal, and that it's transmitting, because sometimes I have a good data signal but the data transfer hangs. With the JB icons I can see that, but not with the KK icons. Just seems like a step back to me. And they finally add support for having the battery percentage appear in the icon, but with the monochrome color scheme you wouldn't be able to tell.

I understand they did all this to make it run with lesser hardware, but status icons should be animated. You could probably see even more performance gains if you had a smaller screen and no widgets, but then you'd have an iPhone. That seems to be the direction Google is going with android, and if so, not a fan.

 

[perkdog65]

The X getting a different dialer was news to me, but when I saw a preview of the search dialer, I was glad when I heard we weren't getting it. When I open my dialer, it's to dial a number or redial a previous number. If I need to search for a number, I open my browser. IMO, a dialer should be a dialer, not another search app, but maybe that's just me.

I also prefer them keeping the colored icons in the status bar. I have a N7, and after the update, they might as well have gotten rid of the WiFi indicator. I've lost signal and can't tell unless I go into the pull down. That's with a WiFi only model, with my Maxx that'll be the same for both WiFi and mobile data. I prefer to see that I have an active signal, and that it's transmitting, because sometimes I have a good data signal but the data transfer hangs. With the JB icons I can see that, but not with the KK icons. Just seems like a step back to me. And they finally add support for having the battery percentage appear in the icon, but with the monochrome color scheme you wouldn't be able to tell.

I have to agree with you on these.

 

[TexasMojo]

Couldn't be better, I had the old Droid razr Maxx for 2 years with no problems, Motorola phones seem to hold up better than all the others I have tried. (Samsung,HTC)