Motorola RAZR maxx Ve
Phone Scoop Review
Jun 25, 2007 by Eric Zeman
Our in-depth look at Motorola's RAZR Maxx Ve shows why it is a cut above previous RAZRs. NEW: Video Tour read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
Pretty Good For Verizon
I've had the phone for three days and have been very satisfied with the phone so far. Unlike other phones that are offered by Verizon. This phone seems to do better than the phones I have used in the past from Verizon.
PROS:
-Great Reception
-Great earpiece quality & loud ringer speaker
-Very clear speakerphone works with the phone closed
-Excellent build quality (Rubberized paint on the metal housing, w/ very strong hinge)
-Bright & crisp QVGA screen
-Caller ID is displayed in large font on the external screen
-Menu speed is improved over the V710, E815 KRZR
-Cleaner menu fonts than most Verizon UI phones
-Battery life seems to be decent after a few reconditioning charges.
-Camera is outstanding & the flash is great for pictures at night.
-The keypad buttons are large
-Ability to launch the music player with the phone closed.
-Mini-USB charging port
CONS:
-No external clock screen as on past Motorolas.
-Can't change the ringer volume/type with the phone closed.
-Verizons very poor UI
Having had the E815 & Krzr, I can say the maxx is a definite upgrade to the other phones I have had, including the Moto Q which is what I upgraded from. If VZW would only leave the manufactures original software alone and full bluetooth capabilitie, I think that their phones would be inline with most GSM carriers.
Buy This Phone...
After using a Treo for about two months, I grew tired of carrying a phone around that I could not just slip into my pocket. First I purchased teh LG VX-8700 but was disappointed after using it for about a day. I returned the 8700 and purchased the MAXX. I can't remember the last time I was so happy with a phone....and I have owned many phones over the years.
PROS:
--Call Quality
--Call Volume
--Reception
--Size
--Two great screens
--Phone quality
--Spacing of keys makes it easy to text
--Voice Commands
CONS:
--MP3 Buttons on front of phone
--Battery door
Razr Maxx
Motorola has finally got a great Razr. Battery life is great, the the ui is quick (wish it was true moto instead of crappy VZW). I own every phone that VZ has out there and this one is the stuff! I was using the new LG 8700 and it was good. Better customizing, but this new moto performs better.
Pros:
Great new looks.
2.0 camera
great sound, reception
great battery life
software responds quickly
black "rubberized" finish
MP3 buttons on front
Cons:
VZW UI
....And I'm an LG fan
I've had this phone for 2 weeks now, so I think it's time to give my opinion.
I have been an LG fan since the VX4400, and have been a Motorola hater since the T720. Folks, I just cancelled my order for the VX8700 (also a great phone). The MAXX has restored my faith in Motorola. The phone has easily the best sound that I've heard out of a cell phone since my StarTac. The speakerphone is phenomenal as well. As with any cell phone the phone has it's down sides, but for me the pro's outweigh the con's.
PROS:
- Rubberized feel to the backing of the phone, it feels better in your hand.
- Beautiful screens - both internal & external.
- Signal strength is as good as advertised. (Columbus, OH)
- For those (like me) with large hands, the phone is wider than most which makes it easier to hold, text, etc.
- Camera has a flash, and the picture quality is excellent for a cell phone.
- You no longer have to remove the battery from the phone to access your microSD card.
- Large internal memory.
CONS:
- The UI is still 1st gen VzW with the red bars, so I miss being able to change themes like you can with newer LG's.
- Redialing (for example voting for American Idol) takes longer than on my LG's, where I could hit 'Send' immediately followed by 'End,' there's a little bit of a lag there before you can actually redial and, on a couple of occasions, my phone would be back to the main screen but my call would still be connected, so I'd have to hit 'Send' then 'End' to actually get it to disconnect.
I'm having a hard time coming up with any other issues, so I will close out my review with probably the biggest complaint that I've heard, and that is that it is a fingerprint magnet - I'm not scoring this as a con because I knew what the phone was made of when I bought it, but I will attest to it.
I first scored this a 4.0 before I actually wrote the review, then after reading over my review I had to bump it to a 4.5.
Great Phone
I purchased this phone to replace my trusty Moto E815. I loved my E815 but it was time for a change. The Razr MAxx ve feels very durable. It has excellent reception, The screen is large and easy to see. The looks are great. Camera quality is great. I love the options it gives you for taking pictures. V Cast seems to work very well and downloads fast. Everyone complains on Verizons UI but i think it is fairly easy to operate. I like what verizon has done. I believe Verizon has put the same UI on most of the phones it sells now no matter what the brand.
I have found only two things that could be better. The front of the phone does mark very easily from fingerprints, and the Battery could be a little better. My E815 had great battery life. This one only lasts about half as long. Verizon does have an extended Battery and back for the phone, I think i will be purchasing it. It should last as long or close to my E815 when fully charged. I'm not sure how this phone compairs to the previous razrs, but i sure liked the way it looks and operates compaired the the others.
Pros
Great Reception
Looks good
Camera is best i have seen in a phone
Verizon UI easy to use
Sound is good
Vcast opens fast
Charging Port is way better then the E815
Large Screen with great color
Cons
Front fingerprints easy
Battery life could be a little better. but then i am spoiled with the battery life of the E815.
Conclusion
I think if you purchase this phone you would not be disappointed. Its alot different from my E815 but thats what new technology does. It is a big improvement. Good job Motorola and Verizon
Finally A Good Moto for Verizon
I am coming from having an LG enV with Verizon and before that I had an Unlocked KRAZR and v3t with T-Mobile. This is a great phone. I have been a fan of Motorola for years but have not seen a CDMA phone that rivals the GSM versions. This phone takes the GSM version and surpasses it in my opinion. The phone boasts two very large and beautiful displays, media controls on the front flip, a generous keypad for texting and status lights, just to name a few features. Yes the phone still has the same old non-flash Verizon interface but you get the reliability, and reception that only a Motorola can offer. This is a great phone all in all. The hacking has already begun and I am sure that this phone will rival the e815 which has been a benchmark for quite some time. If you are on the fence go down and pickup this phone as you have 30 days to put it through it's paces.
huge step up from v3m
Awesome phone.
PROS:
LCD's are large and don't wash easily in sun
haven't dropped a call yet, including "problem" areas
MUCH improved keymat over v3c and m
LOUD ringers, especially downloaded ones
side keys on lower half of phone where they belong
very solid build design
D-pad keys back to being customizable like pre-VZ UI motos (e815, v710, t730, etc...)
CONS:
Battery won't get 2 days with heavy BT use
SD card sometimes freezes phone (s/w fix'll take care of that)
signal indicator inaccurate
Overall, much improved razr lineup addition. If you're hesitant to buy, don't be. Looks great, feels great. It's a keeper
Expectations met
For those on the fence....you are going to see the people who hate motorolas come out in force to keep the rating low. Happens all the time.
Pro's: Everthing that the razr and krzr do but better. Speakerphone is the best I have ever used....period. I have the extended battey and it makes the phone longer lasting but easier to hold while on long calls. Love it!!
Con's: It does smudge but I don't care. Standard battery could be better. Software could be better but a patch is in the works from what I hear.
awesome phone
This phone is by far the best phone i've ever owned. The outside screen is awesome and displays everything. So far the only downside is the UI is a little slow but will still blow the K1M and V3M out of the water for speed. Camera is absolutely awesome. some of the pictures come out as good as a digi cam and don't look like they came from a cell phone.
Love the Maxx Ve
Just got the Maxx today. I had returned the LG vx 9900 due to a myriad of issues - mostly personal I guess.
After reading many good and bad reviews about the Maxx I decided to go with it.
First of all the reception is great. So far the reception is at least one bar better than the LG 8300 and I thought that phone had good reception.
Haven't had any problems so far with loose hinges, reboots, or poor speakers. The audio on the speakerphone is very adequate. Not overly loud. I tried out the LG 8700 in the store and the speakerphone was the deal breaker for me. It sounded embarrassingly horrible.
Can't attest to the battery life yet. Music plays well and sounds good. Do not notice any less quality than from the 8300.
The Maxx is a fingerprint magnet as advertised but I can cope with it. There is a little lag time when sending a text message, but no big deal. Pictures on my 1 gb card load slowly.
Anyway, all previous review posters have helped me greatly so I thought it would be time to give back and post my own.
I do advise trying this phone. It's the best non PDA phone at VZW now.
