Motorola Droid X2 Review - A Droid X with Tegra 2
by Brian Klug on July 7, 2011 8:31 AM ESTBattery Life
I’ve saved it for last, but battery life on the X2 is very close to where it was with the X. Both share the exact same battery as I mentioned earlier, and the X2 manages to include a dual core SoC and higher resolution screen, all the while gaining battery life in all three categories. Motorola continues to dominate our call test charts with now four devices at the very top - I’d like to know what their special sauce is.
Again due to the WiFi hotspot service not being provisioned on the device Motorola sent us we were unable to test actual WiFi hotspot battery life.
Conclusions and Final Thoughts
We’re almost exactly one year after the launch of the original Droid X, and now dual core smartphones with higher resolution screens are the norm. With those two critiera as the bar for success, the X2 does pass. That said, it’s hard to get super excited about the X2 on a carrier where every flagship device seems to have 4G LTE connectivity.
The product launched online with minimal fanfare, and then quietly showed up in stores later - it just didn’t excite the Verizon Android fanbase as much as the original X launch did. Moreover, I find the X2 refresh a bit too safe, with no major outward physical differences to distinguish the X2 from its predecessor other than a subtle color change and a line of red text. No, that excitement seems to be building up to a fever pitch for the Bionic.
Lack of excitement aside, the X2 does however play an important role in Verizon’s smartphone lineup. Namely, it’s a device for customers who don’t want 4G LTE connectivity and the (admittedly) poor battery life (and current $50-$100 price premium) that comes with it. If you aren’t in an area slated to get LTE this year, waiting for the Bionic (which boils down to essentially being an X2 with larger display, newer motoblur, and LTE) doesn’t really make all that much sense, and in that circumstance the X2 seems like a better purchase. Likewise, if you’re an X owner and already have a dock, case, extra battery, and are looking for much faster hardware to upgrade to (or perhaps have recently broken a Droid X), the X2 is an easy shoe-in. I guess it all boils down to each individual situation.
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HangFire - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
Far be it from me to defend Apple, but this has little to do with them. The popularity of streaming media- made possible by WiFi, 3G, 4G, and pocketable 720P level resolution screens, has made phones mini media devices, and as for viewing media on screens, the bigger the better.I like a small phone, and a large TV screen. The market is in the process of discovering just what compromise people want, and don't want, in terms of size.
Anyway, the current 3.5" screen iPhone is smaller (and more phone-like) than these 4.3" mini-tablets.
jonup - Friday, July 8, 2011 - link
I was not bad talking Apple so no point to defend them. I was inferring to the fact that the iPhone revolutionalized/popularized the "mini media devices". I was just a little facetious but thats my style. ;pThat said I am left with virtually no upgrade options unless I want to spend $1000+.
strikeback03 - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
Did you retest the talk time for the original X? Or is your friend's X an early one? I got mine at the beginning of March, and the web browsing tests look similar to what I would expect from my phone (what do you set the screen brightness to?) but I don't think it could get anywhere near 8.9 hrs of calling. I'm used to seeing it drop 10% for 15-20 minutes of calling.jmcb - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
Being in a good or bad reception area will have an effect on battery life. Are you in a bad reception area?Brian Klug - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
I'm definitely aware of how much of a difference that can make, and we always test in moderate to good coverage areas. In this particular test area, VZW signal (both 1x and EVDO) are above -70 dBm, which is pretty good. I believe there's a screenshot or two that show -70 dBm and -65 dBm.-Brian
strikeback03 - Friday, July 8, 2011 - link
My Elixir icon shows less helpful stuff like "65%", so not sure what kind of reception in dBm I'm seeing. Though on further reading I doubt it would hit the WiFi browsing time either, with the screen on at my standard 12% brightness and all radios off I don't think it would last almost 9 hrs.strafejumper - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
I see the Motorola Droid 3 is up for order now on Verizon!Is the Droid 3 the next version of the phone in this review? Or a different animal?
If its the next in the same line its pretty funny that by the time a good review comes out for the phone the next one is already available to order!
Maybe with android phones if you wait for a thorough review you will be outdated before you have the phone in hand!
http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/07/motorola-droid-...
strikeback03 - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
It is more or less they same phone in a different form factor. Same as the Droid 2 and Droid X were closely related.strikeback03 - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
MY apologies, Droid 3 isn't Tegra 2, it is OMAP 4430. Brain fart. Anyway, it is still more a supplement than a replacement to the Droid X2LoneWolf15 - Friday, July 8, 2011 - link
Actually, the Droid 3 replaces the Droid 2, just as the Droid X2 replaces the Droid X.For those of us who still like tactile keyboards (like myself), the Droid 3 is the preferable phone.