In April we reviewed the Motorola RAZR and thought it was a candidate for contract users in the process of upgrading. The last few weeks, I have had the RAZR’s “bigger brother”, the Motorola RAZR MAXX and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed.
The RAZR MAXX was one of the last devices that Motorola Mobility made before they were acquired by Google. The Motorola RAZR MAXX features: an 8MP camera, a large AMOLED touch screen and most things associated with a smartphone. The capacitive feedback that the devices creates when one taps one of the 4 buttons is one of the best experiences I have had with any cellphone.
The RAZR MAXX features the Android 2.3.6 operating system, which is an issue. At the moment all of these devices have the ability to be updated to the new operating system but the mobile networks have a say in whether it can be done. It really was disappointing not to be able to experience using the RAZR MAXX via Jelly Bean (the latest version of Android).
Is the fragmentation of the Android platform becoming an issue for companies like Motorola? I think so and I also believe that the acquisition done by Google earlier this year will lead to devices like the RAZR MAXX being put under the microscope of other Android OEM’s. The RAZR MAXX’s inability to upgrade easily to a new operating system is the ultimate deal breaker.
The RAZR MAXX felt bigger than the RAZR and I believe that the “phablet” (a phone with tablet characteristics) is something we will see more of. The device was super easy to setup and after one day of use led to familiarity with the devices menu items etc. The battery usage felt better in comparison to the RAZR.
Motorola has impressed me with their build quality. If I compare the profile of the RAZR MAXX to that of the Samsung Galaxy S III then visually the RAZR MAXX wins the battle.
The verdict:
The lack of the newest Android operating system is a big disappointment and a potential deal breaker. The Motorola RAZR MAXX is a very user friendly smartphone but not at the same level than Samsung Galaxy S III. As with previous Android smartphones, heavy Google users will love it.
