Samsung Galaxy S III vs Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX
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Introduction:
It’s been about 6 months since the Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX was released, and since then it has remained at the top of Verizon’s line-up. Not only because of its hardware and software, but because of its impressive 3300 mAh battery. Although it recently has been updated to Android Ice Cream Sandwich, it is not as “new and shiny” as it once was. Now enter the new Samsung Galaxy S III, also with Android ICS on board, but featuring a larger and higher resolution screen, not to mention a faster processor and more RAM. Oh, and did we forget to mention that the Samsung Galaxy S III is $199 and $249 on-contract for its 16GB and 32GB version, while the Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX with 16GB internal memory and 16GB memory card is still selling for $299. Let’s see how these two phones square-off.
Design:
Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and that is the case when comparing the Samsung Galaxy S III next to the Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX. The Galaxy S III is more esthetically pleasing, with its sleek design and smooth curves, while the RAZR MAXX looks more utilitarian with a bold design and square corners. This also holds true to the way the devices feel in the hand– as the Galaxy S III has a plastic feel to it and is slippery to the touch, while the RAZR MAXX has a more “premium feel” as metal is used throughout, and the soft-touch coating on the Kevlar backing allows for a nice firm grip.
Despite those differences, both phones felt comfortable in our hand, and their overall size difference is negligible, but we could easily tell that the RAZR MAXX was a slightly heavier, coming in at 5.1 oz, with the Galaxy S III at 4.7 oz.
One interesting aspect of the Galaxy S III is that Samsung is using a physical Home button, along with touch-sensitive buttons for Menu Options and Back. The Home button on the Galaxy S III isn’t intrusive, and actually comes in handy, as it can wake-up the phone, instead of pressing the Power/Unlock button on the side.
The location of the microSIM and microSD memory card slot on the RAZR MAXX is tucked away under a flip-door on the left edge, which allows for easier access than having to remove the rear cover on the Galaxy S III.
Display:
One of the most noticeable difference between the Samsung Galaxy S III and the Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX is the display. Even though both are Super AMOLED and use a PenTile Matrix, the screen on the Galaxy S III is larger at 4.8” and has an HD resolution of 720x1280 (306 ppi), while the one on the RAZR MAXX is 4.3” with a qHD resolution of 540x960 (256 ppi). Images look great on both, with fully saturated colors and good viewing angles, but the extra resolution on the Galaxy S III is more noticeable when viewing videos or web page text, as it looks nice and sharp, instead of some noticeable jagged edges when viewed on the RAZR MAXX.
When we took the phones outside, the Galaxy S III was easier to view as it doesn’t reflect as much sunlight as the RAZR MAXX.
Between the two, we enjoyed the display on the Samsung Galaxy S III more, due to its larger size, higher resolution and better visibility outdoors.
Samsung Galaxy S III 360-degrees View:
Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX 360-degrees View:
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