As an EV-DO phone, the Razr Maxx Ve supports the full range of Verizon's 3G services, including the V Cast video service and the V Cast music store. The music player's interface is identical to those on other Verizon phones. You also have the option to purchase a variety of Verizon applications, including VZ Navigator and ChaperoneParent.
The Razr Maxx Ve includes a 2-megapixel camera that takes pictures in four resolutions: 1,600x1,200; 1,280x960; 640x480; 320x240; and a special size for photo caller ID. Editing options are plentiful and include a self-timer, brightness and white balance controls, three color effects, 10 fun frames, and a digital zoom. The flash is quite bright and as previously mentioned, it's about time we see one on a Razr. The autofocus is another good addition, but you can use the aforementioned control on the hinge to focus your shots as well. On the downside, it's rather annoying that you can't activate the camera for self-portraits when the phone is closed. Instead, you must open the handset, press the camera control, then close the Razr Maxx Ve before taking your shot with the smart key on the left spine.
The camcorder takes clips with sound in two resolutions (320x240 and 176x144). Clips meant for multimedia messages are capped at 15 seconds, but you can shoot for as long as the available memory permits. The brightness and white balance are adjustable, and you can select a color effect. The flash is usable as steady light. For saving your work, the Razr Maxx Ve has about 80MB of integrated memory, which is quite respectable. Photo quality was quite good, with sharp resolution and distinct color. Video quality was decent but nothing too impressive.
You can personalize the Razr Maxx Ve with a variety of wallpaper, screen savers, display themes, banners, clock formats, and alert sounds. You can download more options and more ringtones with the wireless Web browser. Extras on the phones are limited to demo versions of two games: Pac-Man and Texas Hold'em. If you want anything else, you'll have to purchase it. Verizon's VZW Web service provides a variety of content such as news, weather reports, and sports updates.
Performance
We tested the dual-band, dual-mode Motorola Razr Maxx Ve (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless service. Call quality was mostly admirable, though there was a slight harshness to the audio quality. It didn't permeate every call, but it was noticeable from time to time. Also, we could hear an echoey sound from our own voice on a couple of occasions. On their end, callers didn't report any problems, and we had no trouble being understood by automated calling systems. Bluetooth call quality was also clear. Unfortunately, speakerphone calls weren't as great. While there was plenty of volume, the audio was rather muffled.
We had no trouble getting a signal for making calls, and the EV-DO connection remained strong for most file transfers. We downloaded a 1.58MB audio file in just more than a minute, which is pretty fast. What's more, we experienced no interference form other electronic devices.
Music quality was pretty good, for the most part. As we said earlier, the rear-facing speaker isn't ideal as it means the audio source is facing away from you when the phone is closed. It manages to give off enough output, but it is best if you rest the phone upside down when listening to your tunes. In any case, a headset is much preferred, as it provides better stereo sound.
Streaming-video quality was fine, but nothing spectacular. Videos tended to be quite grainy with some pixilation. Also, the sound warbled in and out the slightest bit, and the V Cast connection was a tad shaky. The phone took a long time to connect, the menus were pokey, and the videos loaded slowly. On the upside, videos didn't pause for rebuffering, but it wasn't the most ideal experience.
The Motorola Razr Maxx Ve has a rated battery life of 3.58 hours talk time and 13.3 days standby time. Our tests revealed a talk time of 4 hours and 7 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the Razr Maxx Ve has a digital SAR rating of 1.31 watts per kilogram.
What You'll Pay
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