Motorola Droid Razr Maxx (Verizon Wireless)

Pros: Long Battery
Solid build
Nice back
Bluetooth 4.0

Cons: No official ICS yet
No NFC
Branding

Summary: I rarely write reviews but I feel compelled to write about a solid product. Let me start by saying it is annoying to buy tech because soon as you get it something better comes out or is announced. That is what took me so long to settle for the Razr Maxx. I was going to hold on to my off contract phone until the latest Jesus phone was announced preorder and have it on day one until my old phone finally said No mas. So I looked at reviews and checked phones out in the store and was just torn between the beautiful Nexus and the Maxx. To make things worse the Maxx Hd is coming any day but I couldn't hold out and I pulled the trigger and hoped it would not disappoint.

It has not. First there are people making a whole to do about the screen. it is a phone not a theater. You want to watch legit movies go to a theater. IMHO this thing is clear, good screen quality movies show up clear, not just for a phone but for a movie on any platform. I mean seriously its a tiny screen if you really cared about the movie you would watch it on a legit screen. So to all the people who drove me nuts saying the screen was so so when I was reading reviews that is nonsense. It is sharp clear and a good size for my hand. I can use the phone with one hand and yet I am not looking at a tiny screen. Plus while I won't test it I hear the screen is scratch proof, water resistant and generally damage proof.

The biggest factor to me is the battery life. Wow. I am used to my phone being on the charger a few times a day especially if i fire up the GPS. I literally forget to charge this thing for about a week and I still have more than half battery with use. I hardly ever put it on the charger and that to me is amazing and the most important factor on a mobile device like a phone that stays on constantly. The battery life truly is incredible. This IMO makes this a must buy as a phone above all the other parlor tricks of any other phone. I'm not sure if I can go back.

Now the bad. I'd like to have seen the NFC on the phone only because when you sign a 2 year contract you don't want a phone without even all the current bells and whistles but you know it is what it is. I've had the phone a month and a half and never missed it. I'd prefer it not to say Verizon and Motorola across the front, that is a bit tacky and maybe if it would have come in white that would have been cool. However the Kevlar back is totally hot. It makes the phone look and feel boss. I peeped the Nexus and honestly it felt cheap.

So then there is the ICS situation. Unlike some I have not been waiting for ever so it is not a big thing. May 22 I hear. That is whatever. Out of the box I rooted and threw in an ICS rom. So many people can't/won't do that ok. I only played with the HC motoblur interface for a few minutes but it seemed fine and ICS is coming for all so chill out ( no pun intended.)

The cameras: First my impressions maybe affected by the roms so I will stick to the quality. The zero lag of the Nexus is nice but this phone shoots good photos. I have a Sony Cybershot and the pics are of about the same quality. I must say I'm old fashion and prefer my photos to be taken on a dedicated camera but I used both at my birthday to whatsapp some pics to my cousin overseas and again the quality was fine.

Overall a very solid phone, I'm pleased. I think some things are personal preference and I would not tell someone what phone to buy but IMO solid phone I feel comfortable with for a while. Nothing is perfect so I'll take a half a point off for that, the branding and lack of NFC but honestly all petty. Given the choice I'd do it again.