The DROID RAZR MAXX didn’t take too long to come our after the original DROID RAZR after its début at CES 2012 and less than three months from the originals release. The missions the RAZR MAXX has is to give you a large battery but keep the same slim and thin design and close as possible. Do they succeed in this mission?

Hardware & Design

The design is nearly identical to the first DROID RAZR with a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Advance display with qHD resolution that’s protected behind Gorilla Glass and a Kevlar backing to keep your device well protected from damage. They also put a water-resistant coating on the internal electrical components so that if they get wet the water beads off. Internally you have a 1.2 GHz TI OMAP 4430 dual-core processor, 1 GB or RAM, 16 GB of on-board storage (11.5 available to you)  with another 16 GB micro SD card included, 4G LTE data, 1.3 megapixel front facing camera and 8.0 megapixel rear facing camera with LED flash plus 1080p video capture. You can see our sample video and pictures below. The camera is good but you will get some grain in the pictures if you’re not in perfect lighting conditions.

The biggest difference in the hardware is the 3300mAH battery inside that Motorola claims that you get 21.5 hours of talk time and 380 of standby time.All this while keeping a slim 8.9mm frame. Does the RAZR MAXX live up to this claim?

Software & Usability

For software the device runs Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread with Motorola’s user interface on top. Much of the software is similar to many other Motorola devices so we will get into some of those apps later. The main feature here is the battery life. In our test we setup the device as a user would normally use it.

Battery Test Setup:

• 3 Email Accounts
• Facebook & 2 Twitter Accounts
• Google Music, Google Voice
• Netflix and YouTube streaming
• Bluetooth Streaming Audio
• 10 Phone calls (Avg 10 min/Call)
• All settings set as they were “out of the box”

The phone was unplugged and off the charger Sunday 9:30 am and after 12 hours the battery was at 50%. From there we continued the test until he battery died fully Monday 9:30pm which gives you a maximum battery life of 36 hours. This is tremendous results especially for a power user. I’m sure once you start to tweak the settings with brightness, data connections and Motorola’s Smart Actions software you can get even better results. It’s also upgradeable to Android 4.0 which will improved the battery life even more.

Also included with standard Verizon apps such as VCast, VZ Navigator, Mobile Hotspot and My Verizon there are Motorola specific  apps such as MOTOACTV for fitness, MOTOPRINT for wireless print sharing and MOTOCAST which lets you stream any content from your computer anywhere over a 4G LTE connection a file manager that lets you move and manage files between the internal storage, SD card storage shared folders and  MOTOCAST connection computers and mention earlier Smart Actions which the phone will automate certain tasks based on how you set them via date, time, location, app etc.  A solid package of apps that make the DROID RAZR MAXX a well-rounded experience.

Overall

The Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX makes you wish that this device came out at the same time or in place of the original one. The beefed up battery is much appreciated and while doesn’t solve all the issues with Android and battery life it does help the power user out there have confidence that they will get through a whole day and not have to worry about running for a charger or changing they way they use the smartphone around. This is a recommended buy for anyone looking to grab an android device on Verizon even over the original Motorola DROID RAZR.

The DROID RAZR MAXX is an update to the original DROID and aimed for the mobile professionally on the go. Much of the specs are the same as the DROID RAZR with a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Advanced display with qHD resolution, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of dual-channel RAM, 8 megapixel rear facing camera with 1080p HD video capture, front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera that has 720p HD video capture, 4G LTE and Android 2.3.5 but is upgradable to Android 4.0 ICS.  The biggest change is the battery as it sports a 3300 MAh battery to give you an estimated talk time of 21.5 hours and standby time of 380 hours.

The DROID that started it all for Verizon is now getting its 4th incarnation and it looks to be the best of them. The DROID 4 comes with a 4 inch qHD display, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB  of RAM, 16 GB of storage, 8 megapixel rear facing camera with LED flash + 1080p HD video capture. The DROID 4 is touted as the “thinnest 4G LTE slider phone” with a 5 row backlit QWERTY keyboard.  It’s going to ship with Android 2.3.5 gingerbread with Motorola’s user experiences on top of it. No word on if it will get Android 4.0 ICS down the read but we can assume it’s in the works. This is the phone the DROID 3 should have been.

Source: Verizon

The DROID Bionic is on of those phones that went down a long path before it made it release. We first saw it at CES 2011 and the looks and specs have change drastically since then.  Long delays came soon after it CES début and finally released back in September which we did our unboxing, hands-on and first impressions. The Bionic is a much thicker phone that before but runs along the same thickness as most 4G LTE phones on Verizon. The screen is 4.3” and comes with qHD resolution for a sharp-looking images and video. You have your usual touch sensitive menu controls for menu, home, back and search, HDMI and micro USB ports and power buttons on the side. Power button on top and 3.5 mm headphone jack.
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Above the screen is a VGA camera for video chat and in the rear there is a 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and 1080p HD video capture. The quality runs along the same lines as most high-end Motorola cameras and good enough for people to upload pictures and video to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. You can check out the sample images and video at the bottom of the review.

Internally there is about 24 GB of storage for content with 8 GB of on-board storage and a pre-installed 16 GB micro SD card. there is 1 GB of RAM for plenty of multitasking between apps and a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor to keep Android 2.3.4 running nice and smooth with that Motorola UX on top (formerly known as MOTOBLUR). The software is pretty much exactly the same thing you’ve seen in other Motorola phone such as the DROID X2 [Review] and the DROID 3 [Review]. There is the standard Verizon VCast applications, Social Networking app and widget from Motorola, battery manager, task manager and file manager. All of these features will be familiar to you if you have used a phone with Motorola’s UI on it. The nice this is that for the most part it’s a skin that mimic most of the basic stock features of android but puts skin on top to give it a more appealing look and fills in the gaps where stock android lacks to make it more user-friendly for the average consumer.  There is some cool animations swiping between desktops and apps load up quickly.

The battery life is greatly improved with the battery management software Motorola has included this allows you to really fine tune the phone for how you use it during the day and get the greatest amount of battery life of out it. Power users can get through a full day on a single charger and your light to modern users can stretch this out to about 1.5 days before needing to put it back on the charger. Call quality is also good with solid clarity between both sides of the call.

The Bionic is a great 4G LTE phone. It’s a lot of what the DROID 3 is but missing the keyboard. If it wasn’t for the long delay the phone would be an easy recommend at its current price. But with last months unveiling of the DROID RAZR which shows that it will trump this phone from all angles and its release date officially confirmed you would be better off waiting for a price drop if you really want the Bionic.  Also with the DROID 4 images leaking we may get the DROID RAZR, DROID BIONIC and DROID 3 all in one.

Our unboxing and first impressions of the DROID Bionic for Verizon Wireless. It has been a long time since we first saw the DROID Bionic at CES 2011 in January. There were plenty of delays, rumors of its early demise and teaser pages but we finally have our hands on the 4G LTE super phone from Verizon Wireless and Motorola.  Check out our unboxing and first impressions and stay tuned for the full review.

DROID Bionic by Motorola Verizon Page

Press Release:

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and LIBERTYVILLE, IL — Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today announced DROID BIONIC™ by Motorola will be exclusively available beginning Sept. 8.

DROID BIONIC is the first Verizon Wireless smartphone to combine 4G LTE with the power of dual-core 1 GHz processors, 1 GB of RAM and a stunning 4.3-inch qHD display – all in a sleek form factor that makes it the thinnest 4G LTE smartphone from Verizon Wireless. Customers can expect to fly across the Web on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network with download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE mobile broadband coverage areas.

DROID BIONIC introduces a host of groundbreaking applications and accessories that turn the device into a multimedia hub, a ruler of remote access and a purveyor of virtuality. DROID BIONIC introduces ZumoCast™ by Motorola, an application that lets customers bring their digital world of videos, music, pictures and documents stored on their computers to their handset via remote access. With its revolutionary Webtop application, DROID BIONIC can beam a full-featured Firefox® Web browser 4.0, email or documents to a TV or monitor, like the separately purchased Lapdock™ with a 11.6” screen, keyboard and integrated trackpad.

Accessories such as the HD Station let DROID BIONIC users turn the phone into an entertainment center or home office. Customers can view pictures, video, and content from the DROID BIONIC on any HDTV or monitor by connecting a separately sold HDMI cable. They can also take a conference call while editing documents and surfing the Web. And, of course, the DROID BIONIC lets customers share their 4G LTE signal with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices when they activate the Verizon Wireless Mobile Hotspot. The device of the future today, the DROID BIONIC also includes the following features:

• Powered by Android™ 2.3.4 Gingerbread
• Dual-core 1 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM
• 4.3-inch qHD screen using scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass with dual-layer anti-reflective coating
• 8-megapixel autofocus camera with flash and 1080p HD video capture
• Front-facing camera for video chat over 4G LTE, 3G or Wi-Fi
• MOTOPRINT app to print via Wi-Fi-enabled printers
• Mirror Mode with HDMI out (HDMI cable required) supporting 1080p HD video playback
• Multi-window options for multitasking with ease when using the Webtop application
• Business Ready with advanced security policies; resizable and scrollable email, calendar and task widgets; device and SD card encryption; and Citrix® GotoMeeting® and Citrix Receiver™ for Android
• Adobe® Flash® pre-loaded
• HTML 5 capable
• 32 GB memory: 16 GB on board and 16 GB microSD™ card pre-installed (actual formatted capacity is less)
• Support for up to 32 GB microSD cards
• Supports wireless charger

Pricing and availability:

• DROID BIONIC by Motorola will be available in Verizon Wireless Communication Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.comon Sept. 8 for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 for 450 minutes per month and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.
• Verizon Wireless Mobile Hotspot data plans are available beginning at $30 for 2 GB.
• For a limited time, customers who purchase a Lapdock with the DROID BIONIC can receive a $100 mail-in rebate when subscribing to a $50, 5 GB data plan or higher.

Available accessories:

• The Lapdock will be available for $299.97, the HD Station will be available for $99.99 and the Adapter for Webtop Application will be available for $29.99.
• Vehicle Navigation Dock delivers easy access to maps, favorite contacts, hands-free calling, music, navigation and more and supports streaming of audio and music via the 3.5 mm audio jack, if available, to play through vehicle speakers. The Vehicle Navigation Dock will be available for $39.99.
• The Battery Dock with standard battery is a pocket-sized accessory with an extra battery included to charge both DROID BIONIC and an extra battery at the same speed as a wall charger. The Battery Dock will be available for $49.99.

For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. For more information o

Maybe the DROID Bionic is going to make it way to Verizon. A leaked document shows that the DROID Bionic may be on its way soon. It was first seen at CES 2011 then it was reportedly canned. Now it’s apparently un-canned and brought back in for another redesign and may actually be coming soon. Verizon could use another 4G LTE phone in their lineup. Right now  LG Revolution, DROID Charge and HTC Thunderbolt are the main three and with Sprint beefing up their 4G options with the Motorola Photon (the Sprint cousin to the Atrix) and another new QWERTY candybar style Motorola Phone  that will stand along the already release EVO 3D and the mid-range but yet to be official “Conquer”, Verizon does not want to get left in the dust heading into the two busiest shopping periods of the year Back To School and the Winter Holidays.  Take a look at our video of the DROID Bionic at CES 2011.

The DROID Incredible 2 much like the DROID X2 is a sequel to a previously successful phone and it comes in with 3G only in a world that is going 4G.  Let’s see if the same design plus upgrades is enough to make it a good choice.

Hardware & Design

The phone has the same design as before but drops the trackball, uses a 4 inch Super LCD display, a 2nd generation processor still clock at 1.0 Ghz, front facing 1.3 Megapixel camera, 16 GB of micro SD card storage pre-installed, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Global GSM roaming to round-up the features.  There isn’t many physical buttons with just a power and volume that is flush into the bezel on the phone is hard to press sometimes. You do have two ports a 3.5 mm headphone jack and micro USB port for charging and syncing.

The rear facing camera is the same as before at 8 megapixel and with flash and 720p. Still image and video quality is a bit better than before but not by much. The camera app is the same as in all Sense UI phones and works well.

Honestly its hard to tell the different between the DROID Incredible 2 and the original unless you look real close. It still maintains the same weight as before and soft touch finish on the back which makes the phone feel good in the hand.  No risky changes to the design but still a solid hardware package and build.

Software & Usability

The phone comes with Android 2.2 with HTC Sense UI interface. There isn’t anything really different from from the last time. If you used Sense UI before you will be familiar in using it here. You have 7 desktops with HTC Widgets and custom scenes you can use to change-up the look. The software work just as fine as before and is a bit snapper in responsiveness with the new processor. I would have been nice to have seen the new version of Sense UI that’s on the Sensation 4G and EVO 3D but there is no word if that will make its way to the Incredible 2.

Call quality is on point with most Verizon phones in the northeast. Calls sounded good and I didn’t experience and dropped calls. Battery life isn’t great as it’s on the same level as most android devices. You get about a full day with moderate usage and anything heavy you’ll be looking to charge it up.

Overall

Much like this review is the updated DROID Incredible 2 comes up short. While its is a good phone that works well, it isn’t a tremendous upgrade and only worth it if you need global roaming capabilities and prefer Sense UI over other Android skins. If you have the first one you can stay put as it’s not a big enough change to recommend the upgrade.

Motorola is trying to strike lighting twice with the DROID X2. It’s definitely a risk here putting a 3G only phone out with the world heading into the 4G spectrum. Let’s see if it lives up to its predecessor

Hardware & Design

The DROID X2 is same in design from the before DROID X. If you put both next to each other d you wouldn’t be able to tell the differences. Like before it has a 4.3 in LCD screen, 8 Megapixel camera with LED flash and 720 video recording. You have HDMI out no cable included, micro USB port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, no front facing camera and physical menus keys. The differences come internally with a 1.0 Ghz nVidia Tegra 2 processor and higher resolution display with qHD at 960 x 540 pixels.

The camera quality is just about the same as before with small improvement with pictures and video.  Still images look decent but can come off bland and is the same with video whether indoors or outdoors. I’m not a big fan of the camera application I think it could use some work it’s not as simple or pleasant to use as other camera apps are but still better than stock.

The phone is still a thin phone with just the hump at the top of the device where the camera is. It feels comfortable when holding and won’t weight down your pocket. The hardware is still good here but Motorola didn’t take any chances here to shake things up design wise.

Software & Usability

The OS running on the device is Android 2.2 with “Don’t call me MOTOBLUR” interface on top it. It’s a greatly improved version over the original. You can still recognize android in as it skins over and improves in places where stock Android lacks. There are skins that you can apply for different scenarios like Work, Travel or Play. With the Tegra 2 chip inside graphics are smooth and crisp and I didn’t experience any lag when using it.

Call quality was on par with most Verizon devices in my area which is the Northeast in Boston. People could hear me well and I could hear them well and didn’t have any dropped calls. The speakerphone sound decent when not turned up the way. If it’s up all the way it will sound distorted.  Battery life was impressive with the battery management software included that can extend the battery life up to 2 days solid.

Overall

The DROID X2 build wise isn’t to far from the original but with the Tegra 2 processor you definitely see the speed and response improvements and great battery life with the battery manager. But lack of 4G LTE and front facing camera makes it hard to recommend when now most phones are coming with those included.  If you are in the middle of an upgrade and need a new phone and not ready for 4G the DROID X2 will work for you. If you already the first DROID X you can stay put as you’re not getting that much more than what you already have.

Finally we get official word as the rumors were a bit off but the DROID X2 is making its way to Verizon Wireless on May 26. Its an update to the very popular first DROID X with 4.3 inch scratch resistant screen with qHD display giving you a clear and sharp picture. This will be the first dual core phone on the Verizon network with 1.0 Ghz clock speed. You get a an 8 Megapixel rear facing camera with HD video capture, 3G data speeds and will start off with Android 2.2 that upgradeable to Android 2.3 in the future.. The DROID X2 will be $199.99 on a 2 year contract. Check the press release below.

Press Release:

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and LIBERTYVILLE, IL — Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today announced the second-generation DROID X2 by Motorola, designed for the consumer who does everything on their smartphone. Fly through the Web with the DROID X2, which boasts Verizon Wireless’ first dual-core 1 GHz processor for fast webpage loading and Adobe® Flash® Player, allowing Verizon Wireless customers to experience rich content online. The 4.3-inch scratch-resistant and anti-reflective qHD display delivers a sharp, clear view ideal for watching movies, typing emails and playing your favorite games. Never miss a moment using the 8-megapixel camera with continuous autofocus and stunning HD video capture. Use the new Gallery app to view, tag and post photos on sites like Flickr® and Facebook®, all from one place. Additional features:

• Powered by Android 2.2, to be updated to Android 2.3
• Mirror Mode allows you to view and share your photos, videos and downloaded movies on a larger TV via HDMI output
• Enterprise-ready with security and IT-grade policies, allowing you to use your DROID X2 for work and play
• Support for Google™ Mobile Services, including Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk™, Google Search™ and Google Maps™, as well as access to more than 200,000 apps available to download from Android Market™
• Mobile Hotspot capability, allowing you to share your 3G connection with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• Virtual QWERTY keyboard featuring SWYPE technology for quick and easy typing of messages and emails

Pricing and availability:

• The DROID X2 will be available online atwww.verizonwireless.com on May 19 and in Verizon Wireless Communication Stores on May 26 for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• DROID X2 customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a smartphone data package. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 for monthly access and an unlimited smartphone data plan is $29.99 for monthly access.

For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.