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Motorola DROID MAXX 2 Review
31

Introduction
This year, Verizon and Motorola are bringing us two new DROID smartphones: the DROID Turbo 2 and DROID MAXX 2. Between them, the DROID Turbo 2 is the truly high-level, flagship device, while the MAXX 2 is more of a niche offering designed to maximize battery life, while still offering an adequate specs sheet. Will its focus on battery and more affordable price be enough to make it desirable in the eyes of consumers? Let's give it a closer look and find out!
The package contains:
- Motorola DROID MAXX 2
- Turbo charger
- Quick start guide
- Safety & warranty information
- SIM removal tool
Design
It looks and feels very much like the DROID Turbo 2, but it doesn’t get the Moto Maker or indestructible construction treatment.
Barely skipping a beat, the DROID MAXX 2 employs the same design style as the DROID Turbo 2, but it doesn’t get treated to the same level of customization courtesy of Moto Maker. Instead, the handset is available in two primary colors, black or white, which looks rather generic. Luckily, personalization isn’t lost entirely because it features a removable rear casing that can be swapped out for any of the other 7 colored Motorola Flip Shells that can be purchased separately.
On the surface, the DROID MAXX 2 looks nearly identical to the DROID Turbo 2, but there are subtle differences here and there. Most profound, it has a smaller footprint that makes it look just a smidgen more compact. However, there’s strangely no change to its weight whatsoever, tipping the scales at 169 grams just like the Turbo 2. While it shares the same thicker metal trim bezel, the arch with its casing is more uniform – offering slightly better ergonomics. And just like the DROID Turbo 2, it sees the same water repellent construction to keep it safeguarded against minor spills, splashes, or light rain.
Looking around the phone, there’s certainly nothing out of place here, as it strictly adheres to Motorola’s recent design language. One might think it’s packing dual front-firing speakers like the Moto X Pure Edition, but it’s actually just a single speaker below the display that’s used for music output – while the other is the earpiece.
Compare these and other phones using our Size Comparison tool.

Display
Without question, it has one of the brightest screens in an Android phone we’ve ever come across!
The Motorola DROID MAXX 2 comes with a sizable 5.5” display that features a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels.
Out of everything, its ~8200K color temperature is a stark reminder that the panel exhibits an extremely colder tone – one that makes colors appear bluish.
On a positive note, the DROID MAXX 2 has one of the brightest screens we’ve ever recorded – eclipsing the Moto X Pure Edition in the process. On the manual mode, its peak 635 nit luminance is by itself blinding already, but that can be further pushed to 772 nits on the automatic mode when it’s used outdoors under sunlight. Not surprisingly, it makes it extremely visible in all conditions!
Display measurements and quality
Maximum brightness Higher is better | Minimum brightness (nits) Lower is better | Contrast Higher is better | Color temperature (Kelvins) | Gamma | Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better | Delta E grayscale Lower is better | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Motorola DROID MAXX 2 |
772 (Excellent) |
2 (Excellent) |
1:1633 (Excellent) |
8208 (Poor) |
2.29 |
3.78 (Good) |
6.86 (Average) |
HTC One A9 |
345 (Average) |
11 (Average) |
unmeasurable (Excellent) |
6829 (Excellent) |
2.1 |
2.42 (Good) |
3.01 (Good) |
Google Nexus 5X |
487 (Good) |
2 (Excellent) |
1:1498 (Excellent) |
6799 (Excellent) |
2.31 |
2.06 (Good) |
3.54 (Good) |
OnePlus 2 |
564 (Excellent) |
2 (Excellent) |
1:2091 (Excellent) |
7554 (Average) |
2.46 |
2.18 (Good) |
4.7 (Average) |
The numbers below represent the amount of deviation in the respective property, observed when a display is viewed from a 45-degree angle as opposed to direct viewing.
Maximum brightness Lower is better | Minimum brightness Lower is better | Contrast Lower is better | Color temperature Lower is better | Gamma Lower is better | Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better | Delta E grayscale Lower is better | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HTC One A9 |
48.4% |
45.5% |
unmeasurable |
12.9% |
1% |
44.6% |
110% |
Google Nexus 5X |
77.6% |
50% |
81.7% |
6.1% |
10.8% |
43.2% |
0.3% |
OnePlus 2 |
79.3% |
85% |
80.4% |
11.1% |
5.3% |
58.7% |
50.9% |
Motorola DROID MAXX 2 |
84.2% |
50% |
83.1% |
3.5% |
10.9% |
9.3% |
17.5% |
The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x: CIE31' and 'y: CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display's measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance (balance between red, green and blue) across different levels of grey (from dark to bright). The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones, the better.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.

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