It’s been 18 or 19 months since I upgraded from the Droid X to the Maxx. The X was a decent phone overall, not as refined by any means as the iPhone, but interesting. The Maxx was definitely an improvement in both hardware and software. The Maxx has also gotten a couple upgrades of software which has helped. I’ve used it on Verizon and the call quality has been good and it’s been great to turn on the hot spot when I can’t get reliable wifi.

Battery life has been superb. I learned that lesson early on when I moved from a Blackberry to a Blackjack that seemed like it was good for about 30 minutes of talking. The phone has been tough too, surviving a solid handful of drops without the protection of a case. In August it dropped face down and the screen cracked in a dozen or more places, but it kept working until I finally turned it off for good earlier this week.

It’s useful to think about what worked and what didn’t on the old phone as you work on picking the new phone.