After reading a few forums worth of information since the day the phone came out, I decided to go and get it (on Verizon). I've had it for 3 days now and I think I've messed with just about everything there is to mess with on the phone, so for what it's worth, here is my take on it listed in order of importance to me.
TL/DR:
Pros:
Battery life, Signal strength, Camera, Screen (when it works)
Cons:
Bluetooth audio quality, Screen (when the touch sensor goes nuts)
Full Version:
Battery life:
Coming from a RAZR MAXX HD, I was wondering if this phone could stand up to what that phone gave me. Being a moderate to heavy user throughout the day, I just want a phone that I can unplug and not even have to think about the battery. I've noticed that Play Store and downloading apps takes the most power out of any type of usage on this phone and rightly so as it downloads apps in no time at all (it is blazing fast). Going from 7AM-1AM, I've gotten down to 20-30% before charging and that's enough of a cushion for me. The phone sitting in standby is very efficient too and barely consumes any power.
Signal Strength/Quality:
The signal strength was a big wonder for me. Coming from a Motorola, I was expecting it to be noticeably worse since we all know Moto radio quality is pretty up there. I was pleasantly surprised that its about the same for 4G, and a little better for 3G. Wifi strength is great as well. Very happy with the signal, in my area at least. If anyone tells you that it's going to be crappy quality, don't believe them. It's pretty top notch.
Camera:
As many have said, this camera is amazing. Being a photographer, I consider myself a pixel peeper (or someone that is very picky about the quality of a photo). No its not DSLR levels of course, but its darn good for a smart phone; better than any other phone camera I've used. Low light doesn't seem to be an issue for my uses, and HDR mode works very good for those challenging scenes.
Bluetooth streaming (to car stereo):
Very disappointed. It sounds like terribly low bit rate sound quality. I have a Hyundai Genesis Coupe with the upgrade infinity sound system. I get a lot of static and distortion in loud highs (guitar solos, drum/cymbals, high pitch voices). This is comparable sound quality to my old Galaxy Nexus which was horrible and I'm shocked to hear the same crappy sound 2 years later. The RMHD had comparable sound quality to a CD or Satellite radio, where as this phone sounds like AM radio.
Screen:
Amazing. I have no complaints about the clarity or color. Its simply beautiful. I was used to having the saturation of an LED screen on the Razr Maxx HD, and although its not THAT saturated, it's more true to life colors. I do have the touch screen issue where it goes haywire while using it. I just wait a sec and it fixes itself, but the fact that it goes berzerk is disappointing. Also, when I knock on and then swipe to open, sometimes it turns back off. I've made conscious note to avoid the sensor and to make sure it wasn't that, and it still does it maybe 25% of the time.
If any one has any questions or is still on the fence, just ask!
Edit: Added picture of screen going nuts. I know there's a thread on here about it, but I don't think there's a fix yet.
TL/DR:
Pros:
Battery life, Signal strength, Camera, Screen (when it works)
Cons:
Bluetooth audio quality, Screen (when the touch sensor goes nuts)
Full Version:
Battery life:
Coming from a RAZR MAXX HD, I was wondering if this phone could stand up to what that phone gave me. Being a moderate to heavy user throughout the day, I just want a phone that I can unplug and not even have to think about the battery. I've noticed that Play Store and downloading apps takes the most power out of any type of usage on this phone and rightly so as it downloads apps in no time at all (it is blazing fast). Going from 7AM-1AM, I've gotten down to 20-30% before charging and that's enough of a cushion for me. The phone sitting in standby is very efficient too and barely consumes any power.
Signal Strength/Quality:
The signal strength was a big wonder for me. Coming from a Motorola, I was expecting it to be noticeably worse since we all know Moto radio quality is pretty up there. I was pleasantly surprised that its about the same for 4G, and a little better for 3G. Wifi strength is great as well. Very happy with the signal, in my area at least. If anyone tells you that it's going to be crappy quality, don't believe them. It's pretty top notch.
Camera:
As many have said, this camera is amazing. Being a photographer, I consider myself a pixel peeper (or someone that is very picky about the quality of a photo). No its not DSLR levels of course, but its darn good for a smart phone; better than any other phone camera I've used. Low light doesn't seem to be an issue for my uses, and HDR mode works very good for those challenging scenes.
Bluetooth streaming (to car stereo):
Very disappointed. It sounds like terribly low bit rate sound quality. I have a Hyundai Genesis Coupe with the upgrade infinity sound system. I get a lot of static and distortion in loud highs (guitar solos, drum/cymbals, high pitch voices). This is comparable sound quality to my old Galaxy Nexus which was horrible and I'm shocked to hear the same crappy sound 2 years later. The RMHD had comparable sound quality to a CD or Satellite radio, where as this phone sounds like AM radio.
Screen:
Amazing. I have no complaints about the clarity or color. Its simply beautiful. I was used to having the saturation of an LED screen on the Razr Maxx HD, and although its not THAT saturated, it's more true to life colors. I do have the touch screen issue where it goes haywire while using it. I just wait a sec and it fixes itself, but the fact that it goes berzerk is disappointing. Also, when I knock on and then swipe to open, sometimes it turns back off. I've made conscious note to avoid the sensor and to make sure it wasn't that, and it still does it maybe 25% of the time.
If any one has any questions or is still on the fence, just ask!
Edit: Added picture of screen going nuts. I know there's a thread on here about it, but I don't think there's a fix yet.
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