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8 Ways the Samsung Galaxy S4 Could Beat the Droid RAZR MAXX HD

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Tomorrow, Samsung will take the curtain down around the highly anticipated, heavily rumored Samsung Galaxy S4 which will replace the Galaxy S3 as its flagship smartphone. The Galaxy S4 will be pitted against a number of high-end smartphones including the HTC One, iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z and, of course, Motorola’s current flagship, the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD.

Read: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. Sony Xperia Z: Final Round.

Last year, Motorola unveiled its latest addition to the Droid family, the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD, the successor to its popular original Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX. The Droid RAZR MAXX HD is Motorola’s current top-of-the-line Android smartphone and likely will be until sometime later this year when the company and Google introduce the rumored Motorola X Phone.

The Galaxy S4 will take on the likes of the Droid RAZR MAXX HD.

The Galaxy S4 will take on the likes of the Droid RAZR MAXX HD.

That’s not such a bad thing for consumers though as the Droid RAZR MAXX HD is a capable device and worthy of the attention of prospective smartphone shoppers. Features like its spacious 720p display, its Kevlar-enhanced design, its Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system and cheap price tag ensure make the Droid RAZR MAXX HD a device that will likely steal some attention away from some of the big name smartphones of 2013.

One of those phones is the Samsung Galaxy S4 which will be coming to shelves to compete with the likes of Motorola’s Droid RAZR MAXX HD.

Despite the attractive features of the Droid RAZR MAXX HD, the Galaxy S3 has remained the go-to option for those looking to buy an Android smartphone. Samsung’s most current Galaxy S smartphone, at least for the next day, has sold over 40 million units worldwide and left other phones from 2012 like the Droid RAZR MAXX HD in its dust.

Samsung is hoping to do the same with the Galaxy S4 and thus far, rumors suggest that there will be a number of areas where the Galaxy S4 could beat Motorola’s current flagship Android smartphone.

Here now are eight ways that the Samsung Galaxy S4 could beat the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD.

Better Display

Like most of 2012’s Android smartphone lineup, the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD comes with a 720p HD resolution, 4.7-inch display. That means that the device is likely going to pale in comparison to the Samsung Galaxy S4’s.

Rumors currently suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is going to be equipped with a 5-inch FHD display. That means that will offer 1080p resolution which should ensure better looking content like movies, photos, and even web browsing. The Droid RAZR MAXX HD does sport a 312 pixel-per-inch screen but the Galaxy S4 PPI count should be in the neighborhood of 450 which should mean text will look crisp and clear and images will jump out of the screen.

That’s not all though. The Samsung Galaxy S4 display is also rumored to have sensors on board that will allow owners to use touch less gestures with the display, much in the same way that the S Pen can hover over content on the Galaxy Note 2’s screen and show information.

While Galaxy S4 owners may or may not be able to hover over their display to access certain content on their display, the display will definitely will be 1080p in nature which will trump the Droid RAZR MAXX HD’s screen quality.

Smarter Software

Motorola’s Droid RAZR MAXX HD utilizes smart software called Smart Actions that allow owners to employ triggers based on time and location, but from the looks of things, the software on the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be much smarter than what even Motorola has to offer.

While Smart Actions can be set up to turn the phone on silent when it’s time to go to bed or by muting a ringer when a meeting is scheduled in the calendar. However, the Galaxy S4 looks like it will be employing a host of new smart features to go along with the extremely useful ones that Samsung has already introduced.

With the arrival of last year’s Galaxy S3, Samsung introduced the Nature UX which contained a number of smart features including the ability to silence a call simply by flipping the phone over and the ability to make a phone call to a person simply by holding up the phone when writing a text to that person.

The Galaxy S4 will feature smart software, likely smarter than the Droid RAZR MAXX HD's.

The Galaxy S4 will feature smart software, likely smarter than the Droid RAZR MAXX HD’s.

What’s more, the Galaxy S4 looks like it will include several more smart features taking advantage of sensors in the device, and quite possibly, the front-facing camera a well. For instance, Smart Pause is said to pause content when the use looks away from the display while Smart Scroll, may allow users to scroll the contents of a page simply by using their eyes.

While Smart Actions are nice, they are time and location based while the smart features of the Samsung Galaxy S4 can be used at any time making them much more practical in daily use.

Camera

One of the knocks on Motorola phones like the Droid RAZR MAXX HD is the fact that they don’t have fantastic rear cameras. The Droid RAZR MAXX HD uses an 8MP sensor that can shoot 1080p video and solid photos but it’s certainly not best-in-class. In fact, from our experience with it, it’s pretty average.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is looking like it will employ a 13MP sensor which should help to give it an edge over the Droid RAZR MAXX HD’s camera. As we know though, megapixels aren’t everything.

Rumors have suggested that the sensor could be Sony’s 13MP Exmor RS sensor which would put it on par with the Sony Xperia Z’s camera. This means that it likely would be able to shoot not only 1080p video, but HDR video, as well as fantastic photos.

There is a reason that the iPhone 5S is rumored to have a 13MP Sony sensor on board and it’s because it makes for a top-notch smartphone camera. Look for the Galaxy S4 camera to best the Droid RAZR MAXX HD’s in categories like low-light photography and video, even without the Sony sensor.

Carrier Options

The Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD is housed on Verizon’s 4G LTE network. And while the carrier may boast the biggest 4G LTE network in the land, it doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone wants to head there.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is already rumored for Verizon as well, but it has also been rumored for AT&T, and it will likely be coming to Sprint and T-Mobile as well.

Both the Galaxy Note 2 and the Galaxy S3 were available on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon and given their success, we imagine that these carriers will once again opt to carry the Galaxy S4.

This means that those who wish to take advantage of both T-Mobile’s 4G LTE and HSPA+ 42 networks will likely be able to do so. It also means that those signing a new contract can get unlimited data with Sprint. These options simply don’t exist with the Droid RAZR MAXX HD.

Better Multitasking

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a number of features that are beneficial to the multitasking smartphone user. And they are features that are unfortunately, unique to the Galaxy series of smartphones.

Two of the Galaxy S4’s likely multitasking features are actually older software features that arrived in previous software. The first is dubbed Multi-Window View which will likely allow owners to divide up the large Galaxy S4 display into two halves, both sporting separate applications. For instance, users will be able to run Facebook on one side with Twitter on the other.

Another is called Pop Up Video and it allows users to open up videos and drag them around the screen, while playing, in order to continue working within other applications.

Wireless Charging

The Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD features a massive battery, but it’s a battery that can’t be charged wirelessly thanks to a lack of built-in wireless charging support and a non-removable back.

On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will almost assuredly have a removable back, which will come in handy for things like extended batteries, but also for charging the phone without wires.

Samsung's wireless charging kit should arrive alongside the Galaxy S4.

Samsung’s wireless charging kit should arrive alongside the Galaxy S4.

Samsung is rumored to be introducing a wireless charging kit for the Galaxy S4 that will allow users to replace the back with a wireless charging supported back. Once that’s on, users will be able to charge their Galaxy S4 without wires.

Those who want to avoid desk clutter or do away with cords altogether will appreciate this feature, should it come to light.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

While the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD toils on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Galaxy S4 is rumored to be coming with the latest version of Android Jelly Bean, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, right out of the box.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean is an incremental update over Android 4.1 but it brings some significant features like a gesture-style keyboard, more Google Now functionality, Quick Settings menu, lock screen widgets and more to the table.

What this also means is that owners with the Galaxy S4 will likely be faster to any of the upcoming Android updates. Motorola will almost certainly upgrade its device to Android 4.2 before Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie arrives. So,those looking for quicker updates to Android will likely want to take a closer look at the Galaxy S4.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Likely Features Quad-Core Power

Finally, the Droid RAZR MAXX HD is a dual-core powered phone while all signs point to the Samsung Galaxy S4 sporting a quad-core processor in both the United States and elsewhere.

Read: Samsung Galaxy S4 U.S. Rumors: 5-Inch Display, Snapdragon 600.

The Droid RAZR MAXX HD features a Snapdragon S4 Plus dual-core processor but the Samsung Galaxy S4 is rumored to have Qualcomm’s latest generation, Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor on board.

Qualcomm says that the Snapdragon 600 will deliver 40 percent better performance than the S4 Pro and features a quad-core 1.9 GHz clock speed.

11 Comments

11 Comments

  1. swooop5511

    03/13/2013 at 3:10 pm

    I don’t under stand this story as the GS4 will beat it by being released. Moto just hasn’t released a good phone. Yes they have some good features but there is a reason that even Google is saying there just isn’t any good phones coming out of Moto yet. Don’t get wrong the story is not bad but the Droid Razor Maxx just won’t even come close. Maybe against HTC but not the GS4. I

  2. fouge642

    03/13/2013 at 3:24 pm

    I agree swoop. There is no comparison between even the Galaxy S3 and the Razor Maxx. Weird article. But I’m really looking forward to the new S4!

  3. WackoTurds (@WackoTurds)

    03/13/2013 at 7:21 pm

    Sorry Gents, but I have both phones at my disposal through Verizon, and the Razr Maxx HD has more than just battery life on its side. The radios are better, with Wi-Fi especially sensitive and much faster than Samsung. I purchased an extra battery for the Samsung, but charging and swapping while in and out at airports and in rental cars makes no sense. Moving around in Android is much faster as well. The Sart App behaviors keyed to locations is something that nobody else has mastered. The few accessories marketed by Motorola for this phone are better than what Samsung and other vendors have to offer for the S3 (car docks, desk dock), save for case availability, which is stronger for the S3.

    I will also give Samsung kudos on their camera and photo handling. The RMHD interval is slow and low-light pictures should not be considered. There is no way to set HDR as the default when coming into the camera app. This is not meaningful in my work. My wife prefers the S3 to her iphone5, and will probably migrate over to it. If she is happy with it, that makes it worthwhile, just not well suited to me.

    • timelord7202

      03/20/2013 at 10:03 am

      @WackoTurds,
      If I need a camera, I buy a competent camera. Not a cell phone with a puny sensor that is prone to electrical noise, low color gamut, and other issues that most users aren’t going to care about, before they whine about problems – followed by their getting bored with the technical details because the “toddler explanation” has them asking for more details…

      Most people should buy phones for what they do as phones. Not for being surrogates for “everything but the kitchen sink”. All-in-ones do many things, but rarely do they do them well.

      And with more things being processed on the server-side, who needs 8 cores running at once and for what? And battery life… Granted, a Commodore 64 emulator is nice, but if an Amiga emulator can run faster then it’s the C64 emulator that’s poorly written – not slow, bunkum hardware…

  4. Riley

    03/14/2013 at 12:40 pm

    Like you said, the Droid RAZR MAXX HD is only available on Verizon, and won’t have as good a display as the S4 and that is where it’ll be outmatched. I will most likely upgrade to the S4, seeing as it’ll be available on many networks and it should have a 1080p display. Throughout the commute to and from work at DISH, I like to stream my live and recorded shows on my phone, since it takes some time getting there. I like using the DISH Anywhere app to stream from my DVR wherever I go, and I’d like a higher resolution display to watch them on.

  5. Kevin

    03/14/2013 at 1:04 pm

    Eh, the fact that it’s made by Samsung means I’m not interested. Been burned by Samsung too many times to ever purchase one of their “products” again. Happy with my RAZR MAXX, no reason to take a huge risk on Samsung’s latest disaster.

  6. Tom

    03/14/2013 at 5:32 pm

    I just bought the Razor Maxx HD a week ago. Honestly, I have to disagree.

    The SmartActions software is amazing, it’s like having rules for your phone. I pull into my driveway and my WiFi turns on, my sound volume goes up, my Bluetooth turns off. I go to bed and it prompts me to set my alarm. I get to work, it mutes my phone, turns off my wife and Bluetooth. It’s genius.

    The battery lasted me 48 hours without a charge, and I stream music at work, watch videos at home, surf the internet, check facebook, email, text and call. Best battery on the market, the S4 will likely have to be charged twice a day within 6 months of owning it.

    It also has a Kevlar backing and gorilla glass screen that makes it strong and resistant to water.

    It also has NFC, near field communication, so it will allow for wireless charging.

    It comes standard with 32 GB of storage and it’s still expandable.

    The cons: the battery can’t be removed and it’s only got a dual core processor.

    • Jerry

      03/18/2013 at 11:22 am

      I know it is a typo, but I am completely ROFLMAO. I will buy any phone that can turn my wife off. :)

  7. timelord7202

    03/20/2013 at 9:58 am

    “and even web browsing.”

    Um… Only if the web site supports high res images. That racks up much bandwidth usage, to cater to these stupid smartphones and tablets. Should a web designer have to face HUGE bills just to support 400ppi screens when 200ppi isn’t going to be seen (or given a hoot) by the customer base?

    If the same brand name cookbook iBook went from 300MB to 700MB between iPad iteration, to make use of the newer device’s higher resolution… it’s not rocket science, and the web developer who puts up the sites and pays for bandwidth usage does have to pay penalties once bandwidth is exceeded. This is a three-way system, not two-way. And it’s time that the developers and other workers are added into the equation. Not just the machines whose marketers make the customers drool and purchase… (is anyone truly free when someone else is forgotten or, worse, repressed?)

  8. Moopsie

    03/26/2013 at 7:14 am

    The Razr HD series came out last year 2012. Anything in 2013 should be better than it, but honestly I wouldn’t take the S4 with whatever Moto is going to have this summer.

    • CCWilson

      04/03/2013 at 5:45 am

      Great comment Moopsie. That’s exactly what I was going to say. To put it politely, it’s foolish to compare a phone that’s been out for quite a while with one that’s not even available yet.The most dependable radio and quality build of the Maxx HD will beat anything Samsung is making. Oh and Adam, my Galaxy Tab is much better, faster and more useful than my 386 pc and my 2011 Mustang is a lot faster than my 1993 was.

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