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About to pull the trigger but afraid of getting an orphan.

S

steveo42

Well-Known Member
I'm new here, but have used Moto phones in the past and have generally been very happy. I'm on Verizon and with the new every 2 and the extra discounts I'm stuck between the iPhone 4S and Moto Razr Maxx. This is my first true smart phone. My business phone is BB Bold.

My biggest concern is Moto abandoning this phone as far as ICS is concerned. Also just about eveyone tells me get the iPhone 4S and even factoring in the Apple fanboi attitude, I do see some advantages, mostly in the software and long term (2 years till my next phone) support.

Biggest concern is loud, clear audio and a screen I can actually read without a magnifying glass. I'm 52 YO and you know how it goes. So anyway, I'm not big on games too much but need a very solid phone that is loud and plays loud through my car BT adapter cause I drive a Mustang vert and even with the top up, exhaust is loud.

I like that Verizon has double the data for same price on 4G phones, ATM so that's an advantage.

So convince me. BTW I have all Windows machines, only own an iPod which I do like. I'm not a Mac person but not a complete tinkerer either . Somewhere in between.

TIA!
 
I found myself in the same situation when getting a smart phone. I chose the droid over the Iphone because:
1. I dont like to have to do everything thru Itunes. (which is what I heard you have to do to sync the Iphone)
2. The Droid is an easy "Drag & Drop" with files on your PC.
3. I love the larger screen of the RAZR MAXX
4. The battery is leaps and bounds over the iphone
5. the processors are leaps and bounds over the iphone
6. 5 screens to have things like apps, documents, contacts, and direct dials, as opposed to 4 on the Iphone
7. completely customizable
8. supports Flash.
9. removable SD card

All this is my two cents, and is subject to change without notice :)
 
chris4x4 said:
i found myself in the same situation when getting a smart phone. I chose the droid over the iphone because:
1. I dont like to have to do everything thru itunes. (which is what i heard you have to do to sync the iphone)
2. The droid is an easy "drag & drop" with files on your pc.
3. I love the larger screen of the razr maxx
4. The battery is leaps and bounds over the iphone
5. The processors are leaps and bounds over the iphone
6. 5 screens to have things like apps, documents, contacts, and direct dials, as opposed to 4 on the iphone
7. Completely customizable
8. Supports flash.
9. Removable sd card

all this is my two cents, and is subject to change without notice :)
Click to expand...


widgets!!!!!!!!
 
steveo42 said:
Thanks guys!! Widgets? Explain? Tanx!
Click to expand...
Widgets are little "tools" you can placeanywhere, and on any of the screens. For example, I have one that toggles the WiFi on/off when you touch it. You can also have them for weather, toggle bluetooth on/off, etc.

Someone add to this, as Im sure Im forgetting some things.
 
Widgets are a place that Android phones have a huge advantage. The huge screen on the MAXX is a no-brainer for my 51yo eyes!
 
So how do you guys feel about Moto going to ICS vs them orphaning the Maxx and introducing something else?
 
chris4x4 said it perfectly. Its iPhone's simple and boring experience vs Android's customizable interface.

If you plan to use the phone as a phone and mp3 player and not much more, and you want a simple (although boring) experience, iPhone should work fine for you.

If you want to customize your phone, use 4G, have great battery life, use Smart Actions, have a Micro SD slot, and have a larger screen, Razr Maxx would be great.

I currently use iPod, and i do like it a lot. But its small and boring. I plan on getting the Razr Maxx in March or April if a better phone isnt announced soon.

To compare iPhone and Razr Maxx quickly:
iPhone
Sync with iTunes
Small screen
3G
Simple interface

Razr Maxx
Widgets
Large screen
Great battery life
Smart Actions
Drop/Drop files
Flash
Micro SD (external for that matter)
Micro HDMI
Customizable interface

Widgets allow you to add customization, and make simple tasks quicker. For instance, to turn a setting on/off, such as bluetooth, on iPhone, you have to go into Settings/General/Bluetooth. On Razr Maxx, simply put a widget on the home screen and press it once to toggle it. In addition, you can have a music widget, on the home screen, that allows you to change music quickly. Widgets, to me, is what seperates Android from iOS. And of course the larger screens, Micro SD slot, etc are huge bonuses. For me its all about widgets. I also suggest you look into Smart Actions. Its another huge bonus to the Razr Maxx that other Android phones dont have.
 
Previous posters have covered many of the specific benefits of an Android device over an iPhone, but a few others off the top of my head include (if you're willing to root and tinker a bit) tethering, much better backup processes, incredible customization, and much better performance.

In a general sense, here's how I think about the difference between the two platforms. I know a bunch of people who have iPhones, and a bunch of people who have Android phones. The key to finding a smartphone you'll be truly happy with is to understand what you want in your device. In my humble opinion there are only two kinds of people who are really happy with an iPhone:

1. people who don't care about customization, don't need anything more than a device that allows them to call/text, and just want simplicity
2. people who aren't capable of learning anything more complex than a basic push-button phone and need Apple to do all their thinking for them

The iPhone is simple enough that my 2-year old can use it. No, I'm not exaggerating, it's really that easy. It's also that rigid, locked-down, and uninteresting. If you LOVE iTunes, then the iPhone is for you. If you hate iTunes (personally, I despise it), that alone is reason enough not to get an iPhone.

If you want to make your phone your phone and are willing to do a little menu surfing, plug-n-play, and drag-n-drop, then Android is your platform. If you're willing and able to learn how to utilize your device to its fullest potential, then Android provides you with vastly more potential for usefulness. People love their iPhones because they don't have to think to use them; people love their Android phones because they become an extension of themselves.

IMHO, of course. :)

Hope that helps!
 
steveo42 said:
So how do you guys feel about Moto going to ICS vs them orphaning the Maxx and introducing something else?
Click to expand...

Right now the MAXX is Moto's flagship produt, so I don't think they want to risk negative public opinion on dropping ICS for the MAXX. Also, another website leaked some photo's lask week of ICS on the RAZR, so I think our chances are good. :D
 
I kind of take a different approach. If someone has to ask if they should get an iPhone or an Android device, then they will be happier with an iPhone.

On the other hand, the 3.5" screen and lack of LTE are severe negatives.

Use retail for what it is for, get the MAXX and if you don't like it, return it and get the iPhone.
 
steveo42 said:
So how do you guys feel about Moto going to ICS vs them orphaning the Maxx and introducing something else?
Click to expand...

chris4x4 said:
I'm not too concerned. I'm very happy with the operating system as it is, anything better is an added bonus.
Click to expand...

Assume that the phone you're buying will always look like it does when you take it out of the box, any upgrades you get are just a bonus. This is true of both Apple and Android devices. At some point Apple is going to stop pushing updates to the 4S, at some point Motorola is going to stop pushing updates to the Maxx, that's just the way it is. Don't buy any phone 'expecting' an update to make be something it's not currently. You may or may not get the update, it may or may not actually make the phone better.

That said, I'd have to assume that the Maxx is going to get ICS at some point - though I wouldn't even try to guess when that will be. It happens when it happens, and not a second before. :)

As far as readability for our 50-something eyes, the screen is nice and sharp, I can read it without glasses. If I'm going to be spending lots of time messing with it I put on glasses, but that's true of any up-close work these days.

Calls/audio is plenty loud for me, and the BT through my car stereo works just fine. At least part of the volume in your car will be a function of the BT in your car, but cranking up the volume on the phone increases the volume in the car - at least it works that way on mine.
 
Thanks again for all the great and informative replies. I'm somewhere in the middle of tinkerer and leave it alone. Been building my own PC's since 1981 so I know the drill. I'm convinced. Ordering the Maxx today with a 2G which becomes 4G plan with Verizon's promo. If I hate it, I'll return it but from what I'm reading the positives for me outweigh the negatives. I hate iTunes BTW and prefer foobar2000 instead. I'll let ya know how I like or hate it.
 
steveo42 said:
I'm new here, but have used Moto phones in the past and have generally been very happy. I'm on Verizon and with the new every 2 and the extra discounts I'm stuck between the iPhone 4S and Moto Razr Maxx. This is my first true smart phone. My business phone is BB Bold.

My biggest concern is Moto abandoning this phone as far as ICS is concerned. Also just about eveyone tells me get the iPhone 4S and even factoring in the Apple fanboi attitude, I do see some advantages, mostly in the software and long term (2 years till my next phone) support.

Biggest concern is loud, clear audio and a screen I can actually read without a magnifying glass. I'm 52 YO and you know how it goes. So anyway, I'm not big on games too much but need a very solid phone that is loud and plays loud through my car BT adapter cause I drive a Mustang vert and even with the top up, exhaust is loud.

I like that Verizon has double the data for same price on 4G phones, ATM so that's an advantage.

So convince me. BTW I have all Windows machines, only own an iPod which I do like. I'm not a Mac person but not a complete tinkerer either . Somewhere in between.

TIA!
Click to expand...

1. Since Motorola just got bought by Google, there is pretty much ZERO chance that this phone won't get upgraded to ICS. ICS is Google's pride and joy.

2. The phone as is (with Gingerbread) is terrific. I'll take ICS when it comes, but it's not necessary to make this a great phone. I have never experienced this combination of powerful software AND great battery life!
 
I have both the iPhone 4s and the Maxx. Overall, for many of the reasons already stated above, I prefer android in general, especially the Maxx. However, I regularly miss the camera in my iphone, and the slightly stronger 1x radio. I regularly travel to an area that is barely in the Verizon Extended Network and I can send texts from my iphone, and sometimes even make calls. Can't send or receive texts and calling is out of the question on the Maxx. That being said, every time I switch back to my iphone, I am frustrated by the screen size, the way I have to navigate the menus, lack of text wrap in the browser, and the tiny, non-adjustable font size in many apps. Then I'm back to the maxx, only to get frustrated any time I need to snap a low-light photo. If this thing had a better camera, it would be perfect for me.

My eyes are old too, and I'm looking forward to ICS coming to the Maxx. It's the first version of Android that allows the user to set the native font size to something larger than standard.
 
jkmasi said:
I have both the iPhone 4s and the Maxx. Overall, for many of the reasons already stated above, I prefer android in general, especially the Maxx. However, I regularly miss the camera in my iphone, and the slightly stronger 1x radio. I regularly travel to an area that is barely in the Verizon Extended Network and I can send texts from my iphone, and sometimes even make calls. Can't send or receive texts and calling is out of the question on the Maxx. That being said, every time I switch back to my iphone, I am frustrated by the screen size, the way I have to navigate the menus, lack of text wrap in the browser, and the tiny, non-adjustable font size in many apps. Then I'm back to the maxx, only to get frustrated any time I need to snap a low-light photo. If this thing had a better camera, it would be perfect for me.

My eyes are old too, and I'm looking forward to ICS coming to the Maxx. It's the first version of Android that allows the user to set the native font size to something larger than standard.
Click to expand...
for low light photo's, go iinto the camera settings, and adjust the light manually. I too have noticed the low light pics to be below par, but only when the camera is trying to set the light automaticaly. Setting it manually, it works very well.
 
To me this is one of the coolest things about Android vs iOS. Even without rooting, you can customize your phone by placing a calendar, music player, clock, weather, etc right on a homepage. Here are some screenshots of my phone, http://androidforums.com/motorola-droid-razr-maxx/501995-screenshots-your-maxx.html I think it's 31 widgets including what is on the lockscreen.

Regarding ICS, see this link, it doesn't look like it's too far away: Leaked DROID RAZR Ice Cream Sandwich Build Shows What We Can Expect in the Next Version of Blur – Droid Life



BIG CAT 7 said:
widgets!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
 
mhotovec said:
As far as readability for our 50-something eyes, If I'm going to be spending lots of time messing with it I put on glasses, but that's true of any up-close work these days.
Click to expand...

How true that is!

andy88488 said:
The phone as is (with Gingerbread) is terrific. I'll take ICS when it comes, but it's not necessary to make this a great phone. I have never experienced this combination of powerful software AND great battery life!
Click to expand...

I second that opinion.
 
steveo42 said:
Biggest concern is loud, clear audio and a screen I can actually read without a magnifying glass. I'm 52 YO and you know how it goes. So anyway, I'm not big on games too much but need a very solid phone that is loud and plays loud through my car BT adapter cause I drive a Mustang vert and even with the top up, exhaust is loud.
Click to expand...

Motorola makes the best radios on the market so sound clarity/loudness shouldn't be a concern. The iPhone is very average in this category.

The Razr also has a 4.3 inch screen compared to the iPhone's 3.5 inches.

The only aspect of the iPhone that might appeal to you is ease of use.
 
UssjTrunks said:
Motorola makes the best radios on the market so sound clarity/loudness shouldn't be a concern. The iPhone is very average in this category.

The Razr also has a 4.3 inch screen compared to the iPhone's 3.5 inches.

The only aspect of the iPhone that might appeal to you is ease of use.
Click to expand...

I would add to this, that the OP found this place to post up a question, so he will not have any trouble with ease of use... LOL!
 
Orphan. Well Moto released an update for the DX, which is an almost 2 year old device. Fixing some bugs from their last update, and improving memory performace for newer apps.

So no, Moto won't orphan the RAZR/Razr maxx. ITs their flagship device.
 
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