Reviews

Category: Reviews

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX Review

By Michael Crider
on 1 Feb, 2012

Motorola's DROID RAZR (just the RAZR for international users) is every bit the leap forward in phone aesthetics as the original RAZR was way back in the day. But it's a hollow victory: despite the shocking thinness and jet fighter style, the RAZR does little to rise above its contemporaries in actual hardware capability or utility. Enter the DROID RAZR MAXX, a very slightly adjusted version with an extra millimeter or two and a battery capacity that nearly doubles the original, released just two months after for the same price on Verizon. So the question for new buyers is: form or function?

Verizon Spectrum by LG Review

By Michael Crider
on 30 Jan, 2012

LG's Optimus LTE - which for the purposes of our American readers is known variously as the LG Nitro HD on AT&T and the Spectrum by LG on Verizon - is the company's current flagship. That puts carriers in an awkward position, since LG is definitely a second fiddle to the likes of Samsung, HTC and Motorola, at least here in the US. This being the case, Verizon prices the Spectrum at $199.99 on a two year contract, a full $100 less than HTC's Rezound, Samsung's Galaxy Nexus and Motorola's DROID RAZR/DROID RAZR MAXX. So, can you get a top-of-the-line smartphone for a mid-market price, or at least what's become mid-market on Big Red? Let's find out.

ThinkSound ms01 Monitor Series Earbuds Review

By Michael Crider
on 19 Jan, 2012

Here at Android Community, we go through a lot of earbuds. Almost every phone we receive for review has its own companion pair (we're practically swimming in Samsung buds) but all of them have one thing in common: they're kinda cheap. If you've been looking to upgrade your sound with easily portable earbuds, ThinkSound's series of high-end options have been popular for a while now. The company sent us a pair to review, and after using them at CES, we were downright floored by the quality.

Logitech Z515 Bluetooth Speaker Review

By Michael Crider
on 29 Dec, 2011

One of the most consistent complaints against phones of all types, including Android superphones favored by most of our readers, is that they have to make due with tiny, weak speakers. That's not anyone's fault, really - devices that fit in your pocket with enough technology to make Ray Kurzweil drool have to make some sacrifices. But to rectify this situation, especially when you're traveling or trying to share music with lots of people, an external speaker of some kind is almost a necessity. Enter Logitech's Z515, a portable battery-powered Bluetooth speaker that intends to bring big sound in a small and easy-to-move package.

Ballistic Shell Gel Case for Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch hands-on

By Cory Gunther
on 28 Dec, 2011

For those needing some serious extra protection for that smartphone we have exactly what you need. Today we have a quick hands-on and unboxing with one of the best drop protection and durable cases for the Samsung Galaxy S II. That being the Ballistic SG (Shell Gel) series for the Epic 4G Touch.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus (LTE) Review

By Michael Crider
on 21 Dec, 2011

Well, it's finally here. Google's official developer phone for Ice Cream Sandwich has reached American shores with Verizon as its official launch partner, for better or worse. Like the two Nexus phones before it, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will set the bar for Android smartphones over the next year. The only question is, how high will that bar be?

Motorola DROID XYBOARD 10.1 Review

By Michael Crider
on 16 Dec, 2011

The Motorola DROID XYBOARD, known outside the world of baffling product marketing as the XOOM 2, has a lot riding on it. When the XOOM debuted on Verizon back in February, it was the only game in town as far as Honeycomb tablets were concerned. Now consumers have a choice of dozens of tablets, with or without wireless service, across a wide variety of form factors and prices. Can the updated Motorola tablet stand above the madding crows of 10-inch Android competitors?

Motorola DROID XYBOARD 8.2 Review

By Cory Gunther
on 16 Dec, 2011

Earlier this year Motorola's first tablet the XOOM launched as the first Honeycomb tablet and had plenty of promise. Sadly the hefty size and bloated Verizon 3G data pricing didn't help its cause. We now have the next-gen Xoom happily named the DROID XYBOARD tablets to see what they learned from their first attempt at a tablet. The XYBOARD has been hanging out with our team and a few Galaxy Nexus smartphones this week and below you'll find our thoughts on this 8.2" Honeycomb device.

ASUS Transformer Prime Review

By Cory Gunther
on 7 Dec, 2011

Say hello to the next generation of Android tablets -- that would be quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 tablets to be exact. With 2011 dominated by the Tegra 2 we expect 2012 to be similar. Ahead of the pack comes ASUS with the worlds first quad-core slate, the Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Being similar to many other tablets around can the Prime boost ahead of the pack and make a name for itself, or will it just be another in the flood of Android tablets? With good looks, a fancy radial spun aluminum design and that ultra-powerful processor we think it will hold its own just fine. Read on below for all the details, video, and pictures you can handle.

LG Nitro HD Review

By Michael Crider
on 5 Dec, 2011

As AT&T's third 4G LTE smartphone, the LG Nitro HD has a lot riding on it. As the carrier's very first phone with a 720p screen (and the nation's second), it's got a lot more. In other markets, this phone is being sold by variations on the theme of the LG Optimus LTE. Is LG's newest flagship phone worth your time, and more importantly, your money? Read on to find out.