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
When are you going to review the Charge? Now, there's a screen!HangFire - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
Oops I see it has been reviewed, but it is missing in the third comparison graph- Contrast- on page 2.HangFire - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
Page 5? I'm sorry I'm used to MODERN comments section with at least a 60 second edit feature.Brian Klug - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
It isn't missing, it simply isn't included. The effective contrast of the SAMOLED+ panels is undefined (divide by zero).-Brian
Vepsa - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
What app do you show in the GPS testing screenshots?Brian Klug - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
I like to use GPS Test Plus, it does a decent job.-Brian
cditty - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
No reason to upgrade... I bought my Droid X for .01 from Amazon when I rid myself of the craptastic AT&T in my market.It is the best phone I ever had (I was an iPhone 4 user on AT&T). Verizon's network is what makes me say that, because ALL of the phone works ALL of the time (calls & data).
The original X is plenty fast. My next upgrade will be when my market goes LTE (a long way off). By then, there will be some great phones to be excited about. Funny how phones are the new *upgrade* hobby for old school computer enthusiast.
silow675 - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
Brian I think you have the best mobile handset reviews. Great work on including thorough reviews on mobile displays - something lacking in most mobile reviews.Spoelie - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
That thing looks hideous compared to recent HTC ventures, like some 80's throwback.Mind you, I'm not talking about performance or usability or screen quality or ... It's purely my own opinion on physical styling of the device.
jonup - Thursday, July 7, 2011 - link
Well, we spent the 90s and the better part of the last decade making phones smaller and more portable... and then all the effort went down the drain.You can thank Apple for that. After the iphone everyone try better them with bigger and heavier phone. Remember, in America bigger is better!