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The Motorola Droid Maxx will definitely satisfy smartphone users who need extra juice from their battery. That is the Maxx's strong suit.
Its design is nice, and it's not unwieldy given its display size, so we really can't complain about Motorola's design and hardware choices here, either.
You'll also find that the Touchless Control feature, which is also found on the Droid Ultra and Moto X, is really nice to have - even if it's not always totally useful.
Liked
We liked the Droid Maxx's size compared to the Droid Ultra. Of course, this will always come down to preference, but the larger battery's added thickness gives the phone good substance.
This should go without saying, but battery life was excellent, too. If we didn't have the LG G2 to compare it to, we'd say it's our best battery experience on a smartphone given what you can do with the device.
As always, Verizon's network performed well in San Francisco and in our offices in South San Francisco. 4G LTE speeds were more than satisfactory, and we never experienced any network interruptions or connectivity.
Disliked
For a display this size, we really wished the Droid Maxx had a higher screen resolution. It's not pixelated or dull by any means, by when compared to the HTC One or the LG G2, it really doesn't hold up. The other two have absolutely beautiful displays.
We were also surprised to find that the battery performance was very similar to the LG G2. The Maxx has a 3,500mAh battery compared to the G2's 3,000mAh, but the difference in real world use was negligible. That's surprising given the higher screen resolution and more powerful specs with the G2.
Another thing we can take or leave is Motorola's software design. We're glad that Motoblur and Blur are gone in favor of a look that is closer to a Nexus-style device. However, some of Motorola's design elements within its UI are just gaudy and look too machine-like.
Verdict
Overall, the Motorola Droid Maxx is a solid smartphone. We really liked having Touchless Control options as well as battery life that we can count on. Nothing is more frustrating than reaching the end of your day and wondering whether you'll need to find a charger near by or just be out of luck.
As a successor to the Droid RAZR Maxx HD, however, we really aren't feeling that big a jump. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's easier to like the HTC One or LG G2 for their sheer power, cameras and sharp displays. In some intangible sense, the Droid Maxx feels a little more antiquated.
Still, as we've said in the beginning, the big reason you're buying this thing is for its battery life. If you like Motorola's software and you could use more than just an extra boost in battery performance, this is your phone. Or it could be the LG G2.
