Researching the Rezound . . . and Razr MAXX

[bawoo49]

Hello everyone! I am new to both this forum and smartphones and need your help, please.

We are researching the purchase of our first smartphones and have narrowed the field to the HTC Rezound and the Motorola Razr MAXX. We live in a rural area with limited cell coverage and need good reception and connectivity. Many reviews I have read state that the Razr has the best reception of the current crop of smartphones and that the Rezound has some reception issues. Also, I work outside much of the time and need a phone that is reasonably durable. The Razr has documented delicate screen issues; I have not read about this problem with the Rezound, it appears to be better able to withstand outside exposure.

Regarding the ICS upgrade available OTA, is this upgrade pre-installed in new Rezounds?

Thanks for your help with our concerns.

 

[TisMyDroid]

Welcome to DF bawoo! Both phones are excellent phones in my opinion. I was also stuck choosing between the two. My son got the Rezound and I got the Maxx. We live in a rural area with not the best signal but both our phones do really well. You could even think about getting one of each. I do not think you would be disappointed with either phone.

As far as durability, they both have the potential for damage but getting a case and screen protector makes a big difference.

As you know, the Maxx has excellent battery life but the Rezound can do just as well with the extended battery. And there is actually one advantage to the extended battery. You have a removable battery and a spare if you ever need it.

I think the Rezound takes better pics but the difference is not huge.

I upgraded my son's Rezound to ICS yesterday and everytime I have his phone I notice things I like about it that mine does not have. The one thing I love is the notification drop down. It gives you very easy access to your most recent apps, wifi toggle, settings, etc.

They both will probably come needing to be updated to ICS.

Hope this helps with your decision. Feel free to ask any questions.

Sent from my DROID RAZR Maxx using Droid Forums

 

[Snoking]

I would like to know where you read about radio issues with the Rezound? Hold both, for a while. The Rezound with the extended battery is an animal similar to the Maxx. Rezound has better camera, removable battery, and less issues with ICS than the Maxx. Only down sides that I have are Blue Tooth sound quality and no third party WiFi tether without rooting.

A new Rezound will most likely get ICS as you walk out the door.

 

[acousticshade]

Rezound radios are top notch. The screen, processor and camera are all better than the maxx. The rezound build is also very solid. Unless you like the look/feel of the maxx or really want the battery power & a slim phone, I would recommend the rezound. There are not very many uphappy rezound users out there.

 

[TisMyDroid]

The one thing I forgot to mention...

Go to the verizon store and spend lots of time playing with both phones. That will probably be what makes your decision for you. I guarantee you, that whatever you choose, you will not regret.

I love my Maxx and even though my son's Rezound is an excellent phone, I would not trade with him. When we first got our phones, we did a lot of teasing back and forth on who's phone was better. You will find that most people love the phone they have.

Sent from my DROID RAZR Maxx using Droid Forums

 

[acejavelin]

Hello everyone! I am new to both this forum and smartphones and need your help, please.

We are researching the purchase of our first smartphones and have narrowed the field to the HTC Rezound and the Motorola Razr MAXX. We live in a rural area with limited cell coverage and need good reception and connectivity. Many reviews I have read state that the Razr has the best reception of the current crop of smartphones and that the Rezound has some reception issues. Also, I work outside much of the time and need a phone that is reasonably durable. The Razr has documented delicate screen issues; I have not read about this problem with the Rezound, it appears to be better able to withstand outside exposure.

Regarding the ICS upgrade available OTA, is this upgrade pre-installed in new Rezounds?

Thanks for your help with our concerns.

I am not familiar with the radios in the Maxx, but there are no known reception issues with a properly functioning Rezound... the radios in the Rezound are some of the best I have ever seen, I travel in rural areas a lot for work and this phone pics up signal where many others can't. So as far as reception goes, this is one of the best I have ever used, ranking up there with the LG enV (one of the best cell phones for signal reception on all time)! None of my co-workers have ever complained about their Maxx signal wise.

As far as durability, the Maxx and Rezound are probably tied here, drop an Otterbox Defender, Seidio Active, or Titan Kraken case on either one and it will take a serious pounding without any real issue. I have dropped my Rezound well over 20 feet in an Otterbox Defender to a concrete floor and it's still in flawless condition, but I think this is more case than phone itself.

The Maxx's real strength is the battery life, unquestionably the best of any smartphone out there, the Rezound not so much but with an extended battery it is pretty close.

I can't speak to the Rezound having ICS new, I guess it would depend when it was made and how long it has been sitting on the shelf, either way, ICS is generally available and you can update if you wish anytime.

Too be honest, I own the Rezound and love it, I have co-workers who have the Razr Maxx and they love that phone, and you would probably be happy with either one, go try them out and see what you think, the user interfaces are the main difference, I think the Moto Blur interface is bland and unpolished but HTC Sense is very polished and fluid but this is only my opinion. Best bet is to see what you like best.

As an IT tech, I see these and help people with them in my company all the time, our employees are allowed to pick out any phone they like from an iPhone to Android to Blackberry to Windows Phone to whatever as long as it is from Verizon and can get Exchange Email, so I have seen them all and it is pretty even across the board (although haven't seen a new BB in a couple years), and I have TWO Rezounds (work & personal), so take it for what it is worth, there are only a few mid to high-end phones I would recommend against right now, and your choices are not them.

 

[HRod08]

My Maxx sits in a drawer while my Rezound gets all the attention.

 

[bawoo49]

Thanks to all of you for your opinions and experiences! The best advice is to go to a Verizon store and compare the two.

acejavelin, you said you know of more mid to high-level phones that you would recommend over either of these. I am open to all suggestions, would you share those recommendations?

Again, thanks!

 

[Snoking]

Thanks to all of you for your opinions and experiences! The best advice is to go to a Verizon store and compare the two.

acejavelin, you said you know of more mid to high-level phones that you would recommend over either of these. I am open to all suggestions, would you share those recommendations?

Again, thanks!

I think you kinda turned around what he said about high end phones.

The Rezound might be the last high end phone with a removable battery!

 

[DroidBoardr]

The Rezound might be the last high end phone with a removable battery!

Thankfully the Galaxy S3 still has a removable battery, but i agree, i think all manufacturers are moving towards non removable batteries, which is super lame.

 

[TisMyDroid]

Bawoo, I'm not sure which mid to high end phones acejavelin may be referring to either or what he uses as his criteria... technology, popularity, performance, stability? Both the Rezound and Maxx are high end in all those categories, imho. Definitely go to the verizon store and play with them and maybe the SG3 (newest out, seems to be doing okay, popular). I think when you see the look and feel of the phones, it will help make your decision for you. Happy shopping!

Sent from my DROID RAZR Maxx using Droid Forums

 

[acejavelin]

... there are only a few mid to high-end phones I would recommend against right now, and your choices are not them.

Thanks to all of you for your opinions and experiences! The best advice is to go to a Verizon store and compare the two.

acejavelin, you said you know of more mid to high-level phones that you would recommend over either of these. I am open to all suggestions, would you share those recommendations?

Again, thanks!

No, what I said was that there are only a couple mid to high end phones I would NOT recommend, and neither of them is the Rezound or Maxx... The ones I would stay away from are the Samsung Stratosphere, HTC Trophy, BB Bold, and HTC Rhyme. Most of the other mid/high-end phones(costing $49.99 and up w/contract) in VZW's lineup currently are not too bad from what I have seen, although the definite standouts are the Rezound, Razr Maxx, iPhone, Galaxy S3, Nexus, and if you like smaller screens the Incredible 4G (some people like smaller).

In my family we have a wide variety, they were all chosen by the recommended method of trying them for a while and weighing everything from use, durability, battery power, etc... Think the people at the VZW store cringe when they see me and my boys come in, we always spend hours there when we get a phone and our current phone lineup is all across the board: HTC Rezound (x2), HTC Incredible 2, Casio Commando, and a Motorola Droid Bionic and the only one that would change if he could is the Casio but that is just because he doesn't need the durability he thought he did, he says now he wished he got Nexus instead.

 

[nikecar]

My rezound at times drops my wifi at work or 4g as i'm going home. That annoys me. Other than that, I love the phone. I have the red Seidio Active case and I think it just accents the screen coloring very nicely. Also doesn't add too much bulk. Not sure if the extended battery would work with that case. I would suggest an extended battery. my battery life stinks.

 

[Snoking]

My friends both got LG Spectrum's, which was a big mistake. However FoxFi WiFi tether does work!

 

[TisMyDroid]

No, what I said was that there are only a couple mid to high end phones I would NOT recommend, and neither of them is the Rezound or Maxx... The ones I would stay away from are the Samsung Stratosphere, HTC Trophy, BB Bold, and HTC Rhyme. Most of the other mid/high-end phones(costing $49.99 and up w/contract) in VZW's lineup currently are not too bad from what I have seen, although the definite standouts are the Rezound, Razr Maxx, iPhone, Galaxy S3, Nexus, and if you like smaller screens the Incredible 4G (some people like smaller).

In my family we have a wide variety, they were all chosen by the recommended method of trying them for a while and weighing everything from use, durability, battery power, etc... Think the people at the VZW store cringe when they see me and my boys come in, we always spend hours there when we get a phone and our current phone lineup is all across the board: HTC Rezound (x2), HTC Incredible 2, Casio Commando, and a Motorola Droid Bionic and the only one that would change if he could is the Casio but that is just because he doesn't need the durability he thought he did, he says now he wished he got Nexus instead.

Aha, it all makes sense now. Thank you for clarifying. I think we were on the edge of our seats wondering "what, what phones, what am I missing?" Thank you, great information!

Sent from my DROID RAZR Maxx using Droid Forums