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Verizon: This or keep Razr Maxx

Hello. So I currently have a stock razr maxx, and have the option to swap out for a basically free new phone. Was wondering opinions on this phone for you verizon customers.
I love the build quality of the razr maxx, and the battery life is godly, but I finally held an S3 and the screen is huge and amazing, not to mention samsung "should" be better than motorola about updates.
What would you guys think? Battery great? Any bad bugs to note on the verizon side?
Probably my biggest concern is battery life. I'm not much of a power user, but I still want enough juice that is reliable (first smartphone ever was a thunderbolt, ugh)

The SIII is Samsung's flagship for the next 12 months, while Motorola will be replacing the Maxx later this year (most likely). You're safer in terms of upgrades with the SIII vs. The Maxx. The SIII WILL get Jelly Bean while the Maxx might, but might not.
The battery on my SIII lasts about double what my Galaxy Nexus did, and while I doubt the SIII will last as long as the Maxx, I believe it'll be far better than any other 4G phone on Verizon except the Maxx. Based on my time with the SIII, I'd say it has better battery life than even the iPhone.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

To get the S3 or something else?

My digitizer just died on my HTC One X and bought it out right and looking to get a new phone. I found out I was approved for a concession line at work so I am looking for a new phone on Verizon. The Motorola Maxx HD just came out, the S3 has been out for a while, and the Note 2 just came out. I am trying to decide between each, and are wondering yall’s recommendation. I like the S3 and its size, and how there is a lot of development of it. The Maxx HD has epic batter life and I like the design and materials used and the note 2 I love the screen size. I am trying to decide between which. Give me your comments!

This phone gets better and better. Granted US version we dont have the quad core like the International version, But this thing will crush anything push it through. With suspected Jellybean update to come, it will get better.
Now I hear the phone pops up on sale here and there, like $99 at bestbuy or so. But i don't know which carrier that is. Don't think there is anything out right now or in the upcoming months that will really kill it. The Note 2 specs look to be a bit better with the quad core and 2gb ram, but that is in a different class.
Right now it has the popularity behind it and marketing that makes it a more common name against the iphone.

If the Note 2 is not to big for you then I would say go for it. It is basically an S3 plus more. You will need to wait a month for release though on Verizon.
The S3 is the next best thing or the best thing if the Note 2 is to large for you.
I would not purchase the Razr HD over these 2 phones. I would look at if if the Note 2 and S3 were not out. The S3 gives me more then enough battery to make it through the day with room to spare when I plug in at night.
As far as dev goes, I am sure you will see more on the Samsung devices then Moto's but I must say I came from an GNEX and nothing compares to the development of that device. Unfortunately everything else sucked about it.

If you can handle a phone that large then the Note2 is the undisputed king right now as far as power and capability. The quad-core, and non-pentile display make it a beast hardware-wise, and the s-pen and multitasking capabilities could add a lot of value as far as what you can do with your phone. It also has the micro-sd and removable battery that we love about Samsung devices in general.
If the Note2 is too large then the decision between the RazrMaxxHD and Galaxy SIII is a bit more difficult. Hardware-wise they are similar, same processor, AMOLED pentile screens. From what I've read the RAZR feels like a more solid device with metal, glass, and kevlar. It might feel and look a bit more "premium". The Engadget review seemed to feel that ergonomics suffered due to the squared off corners and heft though. It also doesn't have a removable battery. From a software standpoint the SIII is probably better with a more active dev community and there's no guarantee that the Motorola will have an unlocked bootloader anytime soon.
I think battery life isn't that big of a deal, both the SIII and Note2 should get you through a full day and let you recharge while you sleep. If they don't the removable battery lets you get an extended battery with like 4400maH which is crazy.

Razr Maxx owner thinking of switching to an SIII

About 6 months ago I switched from a Galaxy Nexus to a Razr Maxx. Loved the development for the Nexus but hated the actual phone - poor battery life, quieter speakers, weaker vibrate, complete lack of accessories, no microsd slot. I had a Droid X before that which is why I switched back to a Motorola phone (and for the battery of the Maxx) because it had all these things the Nexus didn't.
Anyways, I'm getting that itch again to get a newer phone, and the S3 looks to be my next choice. Being a Samsung phone, I want to make sure I'm not going to get annoyed by the same problems as the Nexus. Obviously the build quality isn't going to be as good, but that not a big deal. From what I've read, speaker volume and quality is great. Vibrate is a little weaker based on the store model I played with, but I think that's partly to blame on being plastic vs metal. Battery life is good enough, it's got an sd slot, and tons of accessories. Plus a decent development community. So everything's looking good to me.
Anyone else have any thoughts, perhaps some other Razr user who switched to an S3?

The S4 is coming out in a few months and is a slight improvement to the S3. I have an S3 and I enjoy this phone but in my opinion since you never had this you are better off getting the next version of this phone.

I agree with waiting on the S4 but have one reservation. I am sure that the bootloader will be locked and no-one can 100% tell you that they will even be able to root it. History says that they will, but until phones are in the hands of people who know what they are doing, it is all speculation at best. If it weren't for a leak, we wouldn't have an unlocked bootloader on the S3 now. Even with the leak, it is still partially "locked".

I have the SIII now and not using it anymore and went back to my RAZR MAXX and fixing to buy the RAZR MAXX HD.

I can't upgrade yet and I want to keep my unlimited data anyways, so I'll be buying this off contract. The S4 isn't that much of an upgrade over the S3 to be spending $600 versus $300-350 on a used S3.

detonation said:
I can't upgrade yet and I want to keep my unlimited data anyways, so I'll be buying this off contract. The S4 isn't that much of an upgrade over the S3 to be spending $600 versus $300-350 on a used S3.
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I have the same problem. I think the S4 upgrade is significant though in size and baked in software. Also quad core. I will be buying off contract as well. It will most definitely have a ton of support for root.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

detonation said:
About 6 months ago I switched from a Galaxy Nexus to a Razr Maxx. Loved the development for the Nexus but hated the actual phone - poor battery life, quieter speakers, weaker vibrate, complete lack of accessories, no microsd slot. I had a Droid X before that which is why I switched back to a Motorola phone (and for the battery of the Maxx) because it had all these things the Nexus didn't.
Anyways, I'm getting that itch again to get a newer phone, and the S3 looks to be my next choice. Being a Samsung phone, I want to make sure I'm not going to get annoyed by the same problems as the Nexus. Obviously the build quality isn't going to be as good, but that not a big deal. From what I've read, speaker volume and quality is great. Vibrate is a little weaker based on the store model I played with, but I think that's partly to blame on being plastic vs metal. Battery life is good enough, it's got an sd slot, and tons of accessories. Plus a decent development community. So everything's looking good to me.
Anyone else have any thoughts, perhaps some other Razr user who switched to an S3?
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Op I pm'ed you.
Sent from my SCH-I535

Eric021 said:
I have the same problem. I think the S4 upgrade is significant though in size and baked in software. Also quad core. I will be buying off contract as well. It will most definitely have a ton of support for root.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
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From what I've heard the S3 will get the same software gimmicks features the S4 has eventually (if not sooner via the dev community). The extra screen real estate and quad core would be nice, but not enough to spend an extra $300 for IMO.

I have an S3 and I enjoy this phone but in my opinion since you never had this you are better off getting the next version of this phone.

Note 2 for maxx??

Question for you MOTO guys. I have a Note 2 currently. I've been looking to trade it for a while now. I have a guy wanting to trade straight up for a 1 month old Droid Maxx (the new version). I was looking for some opinions... I have owned the Razr, Razr HD, Razr Maxx HD and all of those seemed to lag bad. Can someone give me some input on this? Thanks in advance...
Also, I'm a craigslist pro and know everything necessary for the trading part. I'm only looking for input on the devices...

I went from the Note 2 to the Maxx and couldn't be happier. I notice no performance difference at all. The Note has a bit nicer screen (color-wise) but otherwise i can think of nothing that gives it an edge.
Keep in mind though, you'll be going to a very locked down phone with almost no development community. If you're a flash addict, this isn't the device for you.
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

erishasnobattery said:
I went from the Note 2 to the Maxx and couldn't be happier. I notice no performance difference at all. The Note has a bit nicer screen (color-wise) but otherwise i can think of nothing that gives it an edge.
Keep in mind though, you'll be going to a very locked down phone with almost no development community. If you're a flash addict, this isn't the device for you.
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
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I had a feeling it was still like that. Without really researching it... I remember those days when I had the Droid X. Never could really truly change it all that much... I just want to be sure the lag that existed on the razr line isn't on this device. Hard to tell really by just looking at one at a store or I'd do that. The Maxx seems to be more "advanced", besides the screen. Wireless charging, the voice command features, etc. Is the camera a lot better than the previous models? They sucked bad.....

The maxx is just very stock android, which i prefer. I feel like the overlays like TW and Sense just haven't evolved much since the GB days. Yes, they're better than they were, but they aren't really leveraging everything android has to offer yet.
As far as the camera goes, i don't take a lot of pictures, as i have a camera for that. It does take decent pictures, but it doesn't have the features of the Samsung camera. It does ok for me, but a real picture-phile (i think i made that word up) will be disappointed.
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

brandon2x said:
I had a feeling it was still like that. Without really researching it... I remember those days when I had the Droid X. Never could really truly change it all that much... I just want to be sure the lag that existed on the razr line isn't on this device. Hard to tell really by just looking at one at a store or I'd do that. The Maxx seems to be more "advanced", besides the screen. Wireless charging, the voice command features, etc. Is the camera a lot better than the previous models? They sucked bad.....
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The Maxx/Ultra run a very Vanillaish version of android which makes it really smooth and fast, not at all like the Razr HD. The camera is OK, not the best but they did just release a firmware update which improved the camera. Fwiw I have a Note II and a Maxx and the maxx is smoother and faster imho. While there isn't much development for the maxx you can get root and install recovery and used the xPosed framework which provides for some visual customization.

erishasnobattery said:
The maxx is just very stock android, which i prefer. I feel like the overlays like TW and Sense just haven't evolved much since the GB days. Yes, they're better than they were, but they aren't really leveraging everything android has to offer yet.
As far as the camera goes, i don't take a lot of pictures, as i have a camera for that. It does take decent pictures, but it doesn't have the features of the Samsung camera. It does ok for me, but a real picture-phile (i think i made that word up) will be disappointed.
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
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Picture-phile... That's a good one.... I take A LOT of pictures with my phone. It's just more convenient and the pictures are as good or better than any digital camera I've personally ever owned... TW on the Note 2 seems pretty important to me. I am probably one of the only people who actually USE the s-pen quite often and the way its built in to TW just works... I think based off what you've told me, I'm going to stick with my Note. I appreciate your fast responses. Have a great day.

brandon2x said:
Question for you MOTO guys. I have a Note 2 currently. I've been looking to trade it for a while now. I have a guy wanting to trade straight up for a 1 month old Droid Maxx (the new version). I was looking for some opinions... I have owned the Razr, Razr HD, Razr Maxx HD and all of those seemed to lag bad. Can someone give me some input on this? Thanks in advance...
Also, I'm a craigslist pro and know everything necessary for the trading part. I'm only looking for input on the devices...
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Click to collapse
Not a Note 2 user here...buy I've had a GS3 since its launch day and just upgraded to a Maxx...I fell in love with the Maxx as soon as I started using it...
Development is a little scarce to say the least...but I almost don't even care...the stock performance beats the pants off any ROM/kernel/OC'ing I ever experienced on my GS3...
I do need to take the time to root this thing in the next couple of days but I dont even feel the desire for much else other than basic root functions...
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

I was doing a comparison with my brother's N2 and my Maxx. This Maxx, with the LTE, was doing everything faster and smoother. Not once was his phone more responsive or as polished as the Maxx.
Sent from my XT1080 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I vote to keep the Note 2.
I'm a former Droid Razr owner...you'd be hard pressed into talking me into any phone that had a locked bootloader like the Motorola devices. Plus the Motorola devices just don't have the sales volume of Samsung so that's another reason that the development community is small. I just love the large amount of custom ROMs that are available for the top selling phones.
For the guy who just came from the S3, I've got Paranoid Android with 4.4 on mine and everything opens pretty much instantaneously. I wouldn't mind having more (Cores/RAM/Storage/Screen) but it would really just be for show. I can wait for my contract to be up before I get the "Next Big Thing" (S5?)
That being said I don't have any other specific complaints about the new Moto Droid devices and I am mulling over getting a Droid Mini on for my stepdaughter for Christmas. Using Early Edge since Verizon took the early upgrade program away, and I promised her a new phone if she kept up GPA above 3.5. It seems to have the same CPU and memory specs as the Maxx and the Ultra, just with a smaller screen. She'll never root it or anything. I wouldn't mind getting her the Ultra or Maxx either but I'm not sure she wants a device that big.
Which leads to my other question, I guess the Maxx/Ultra/Mini are all in this forum since they seem to have the same hardware specs?

brons2 said:
I vote to keep the Note 2.
I'm a former Droid Razr owner...you'd be hard pressed into talking me into any phone that had a locked bootloader like the Motorola devices. Plus the Motorola devices just don't have the sales volume of Samsung so that's another reason that the development community is small. I just love the large amount of custom ROMs that are available for the top selling phones.
For the guy who just came from the S3, I've got Paranoid Android with 4.4 on mine and everything opens pretty much instantaneously. I wouldn't mind having more (Cores/RAM/Storage/Screen) but it would really just be for show. I can wait for my contract to be up before I get the "Next Big Thing" (S5?)
That being said I don't have any other specific complaints about the new Moto Droid devices and I am mulling over getting a Droid Mini on for my stepdaughter for Christmas. Using Early Edge since Verizon took the early upgrade program away, and I promised her a new phone if she kept up GPA above 3.5. It seems to have the same CPU and memory specs as the Maxx and the Ultra, just with a smaller screen. She'll never root it or anything. I wouldn't mind getting her the Ultra or Maxx either but I'm not sure she wants a device that big.
Which leads to my other question, I guess the Maxx/Ultra/Mini are all in this forum since they seem to have the same hardware specs?
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Correct, this forum covers all of the new Droid line.
Personally I would consider a Moto X for your daughter over the Droid Mini. The specs are about the same but the Moto X feels much better in hand and is a much more stylish device. The Droid Ultra is the worst of both worlds and should not even be considered IMO. I have the Droid Maxx and my wife has the Moto X, and both are great devices with slightly different strengths (battery/screen size on the Maxx, form factor/customization on the Moto X).

unbesorgt said:
Correct, this forum covers all of the new Droid line.
Personally I would consider a Moto X for your daughter over the Droid Mini. The specs are about the same but the Moto X feels much better in hand and is a much more stylish device. The Droid Ultra is the worst of both worlds and should not even be considered IMO. I have the Droid Maxx and my wife has the Moto X, and both are great devices with slightly different strengths (battery/screen size on the Maxx, form factor/customization on the Moto X).
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Stylish? Huh, she shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. I told her in July I wouldn't be able to get her another phone until May because Verizon had done away with the early upgrade program.
This is based on what I feel like paying. I am going above and beyond to do this for her. Even her mother encouraged me not to do it, but I feel the need to keep my original promise I made last Christmas. And I feel a little bad making her have a Droid Razr with a battery that broke, then an Xperia Play I had sitting around, and then (now) a used Droid Bionic I got off of Ebay.
So...
In the Edge program you basically pay for it every month, full retail divided by 24 months, so the Mini is appealing because full the retail price is only $349, or $14.54 per month. I think the Moto X was $549 so it would be $22.89 a month.
I can buy a 6 pack of Blue Moon with the leftover 8 dollars.
The other thing is that if I was going to go with a larger more expensive phone I like the G2 better than the MotoX. But I haven't looked at any reviews of the MotoX or the G2 either. I hated the HTC interface, and considering I will have to support her remotely, rather have an interface I can deal with. The S4 is not an option because it costs more than the other phones in the same class.
I could put my line on Edge, and do a hand-me-down with my S3 that works perfectly. But I would want an S4 out of that group and it would cost more. I'd rather wait until May when my contract is up and then I can re-up for another 2 year with either an S4 or S5.
So given all that, the Mini seems like a pretty good option considering I'm only paying $349 out of pocket and it has similar specs to all the other current gen Moto phones. But if she really wants a 5" phone we'll talk when she gets in town on Friday.

brons2 said:
Stylish? Huh, she shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. I told her in July I wouldn't be able to get her another phone until May because Verizon had done away with the early upgrade program.
This is based on what I feel like paying. I am going above and beyond to do this for her. Even her mother encouraged me not to do it, but I feel the need to keep my original promise I made last Christmas. And I feel a little bad making her have a Droid Razr with a battery that broke, then an Xperia Play I had sitting around, and then (now) a used Droid Bionic I got off of Ebay.
So...
In the Edge program you basically pay for it every month, full retail divided by 24 months, so the Mini is appealing because full the retail price is only $349, or $14.54 per month. I think the Moto X was $549 so it would be $22.89 a month.
I can buy a 6 pack of Blue Moon with the leftover 8 dollars.
The other thing is that if I was going to go with a larger more expensive phone I like the G2 better than the MotoX. But I haven't looked at any reviews of the MotoX or the G2 either. I hated the HTC interface, and considering I will have to support her remotely, rather have an interface I can deal with. The S4 is not an option because it costs more than the other phones in the same class.
I could put my line on Edge, and do a hand-me-down with my S3 that works perfectly. But I would want an S4 out of that group and it would cost more. I'd rather wait until May when my contract is up and then I can re-up for another 2 year with either an S4 or S5.
So given all that, the Mini seems like a pretty good option considering I'm only paying $349 out of pocket and it has similar specs to all the other current gen Moto phones. But if she really wants a 5" phone we'll talk when she gets in town on Friday.
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Didn't realize you were buying off contract ... in that case sure the Droid Mini is a very good choice. As for 5" displays, the Droid Maxx is now $499 off contract which is probably the best deal going in that class (price might be good online only though, not 100% sure). I think of the Moto X as the same class as the Droid Mini because the form factor is so small, although it does have a slightly larger display (4.7" vs. 4.3").

unbesorgt said:
Didn't realize you were buying off contract ... in that case sure the Droid Mini is a very good choice. As for 5" displays, the Droid Maxx is now $499 off contract which is probably the best deal going in that class (price might be good online only though, not 100% sure). I think of the Moto X as the same class as the Droid Mini because the form factor is so small, although it does have a slightly larger display (4.7" vs. 4.3").
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Update: The Maxx just dropped to $449 off-contract today. Amazing deal IMO.

Worth Getting Razr HD?

I am getting a Razr HD, is it worth getting now? or should I wait to get maybe a S3 with 2gb ram or HTC DNA? they are like $100 more money, I like that Razr has almost stock android like cm's but Im not sure

spec wise the droid dna has more raw power than the s3 and the razr hd !
2gb ram should not make much difference if you plan on using cm because cm is superfast on the razr hd- which has 1gb ram.
if you're after a great build quality, excellent ergonomics, the superb kevlar feel and most importantly battery life,, i suggest you go for the razr hd maxx.
if camera is your primary concern, i suggest you avoid the razr.
i would go for the droid dna amongst the three devices you mentioned above..
good luck.

Slisy said:
I am getting a Razr HD, is it worth getting now? or should I wait to get maybe a S3 with 2gb ram or HTC DNA? they are like $100 more money, I like that Razr has almost stock android like cm's but Im not sure
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Click to collapse
I recently chose between the DNA and the RAZR Maxx HD....obviously I'm in these forums so you can see the one I chose.

Razr HD is the best built line of phones. Bonus with the maxx HD is you'll reduce your charging time by at least 50%
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

Currently there is no phone like Razr Maxx HD, not even new Droid (lack of sd card).
Actually that's really sad. Maybe Lenovo will change that..

I recently bought a used bootloader unlocked RAZR maxx hd. I don't regret it one bit. $280 with a shell case holster combo, 16gb card, and OEM car dock.
Went from DROID1>DROID 3>BIONIC>RAZR MAXX>RAZR MAXX HD.

pistacios said:
I recently bought a used bootloader unlocked RAZR maxx hd. I don't regret it one bit. $280 with a shell case holster combo, 16gb card, and OEM car dock.
Went from DROID1>DROID 3>BIONIC>RAZR MAXX>RAZR MAXX HD.
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put a 32gb card and youre fully set! =)

You remind me to test 64GB card
Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

djvita said:
put a 32gb card and youre fully set! =)
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Had one from my RAZR maxx xt912, put it in as soon as I got the HD. Using the 16gb in my WIFI XOOM.

I just traded my droid DNA for the maxx HD. So far I like it much better. The DNA had a nice screen, but I think the maxx screen is pretty nice too. Mainly, I really like the notification light. Even though the DNA had one on the back which I thought was very cool, it gets covered up by a case.

Just for curiosity, could you compare battery life between dna and maxx hd?
Sent from my Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD

I can tell you right now the DNA had the worst battery life of any phone I have had. I personally didn't have a problem with this, as I have a wireless charger and am normally near a charger in some form. My usage would need a charge later in the day. Haven't exactly had the maxx long enough yet but I am pretty sure it will go at least the full day for me, maybe more.

Thank you. Some guys on another forum tried to convince me that "The DNA gets awesome battery life, comparable to the Maxx HD, if not better depending on the rom and settings.". What was hard to believe...

Yeah that's nonsense. Don't get me wrong the DNA is a great phone. But look at the specs, the battery dwarfs the DNA. No amount of ROMs, kernels, apps will change that.

Zeljko1234 said:
Thank you. Some guys on another forum tried to convince me that "The DNA gets awesome battery life, comparable to the Maxx HD, if not better depending on the rom and settings.". What was hard to believe...
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I've had my Razr Maxx HD for almost a year and like it as much as the day that I got it. I can get 2 days out of a battery charge and custom roms make it like getting a new phone all over again. :good:

bond32 said:
Yeah that's nonsense. Don't get me wrong the DNA is a great phone. But look at the specs, the battery dwarfs the DNA. No amount of ROMs, kernels, apps will change that.
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I saw specs, that's why I couldn't believe that 2020 mAh battery with quad core, bigger screen, higher resolution, etc. can last longer than 3300 mAh with lower specs. Maybe if custom rom and kernel shutdown two cores and undervolt. But what's the point to buy high end phone and slow it down?
Razr chipset is good enough for normal use, without Verizon bloadware would be even better. More primary memory would be good but maybe kk update will improve memory management.
Mountain Flier said:
I've had my Razr Maxx HD for almost a year and like it as much as the day that I got it. I can get 2 days out of a battery charge and custom roms make it like getting a new phone all over again. :good:
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Right now I use razr a lot, online all the time, synchronizing gmails and corporate emails, calls, navigation, browsing, listening music and even occasionally play games. Last all day and still left some juice, usually 20-40%.

I didn't even know the DNA had a quad core. Performance wise I don't see any difference between the two. The battery is a huge hit though. Development seems much larger for the DNA, but with that said I really didn't like the new sense.

And DNA doesn't support sd card, what's very important for me. Unfortunately new maxx doesn't support it either
I had HTC Desire. Community was great but tbh HTC is not famous with their support and they always made some hardware fail(s).