In the past few months, I've had the Galaxy Nexus, the Rezound, and the MAXX. I sold the Galaxy Nexus and the Rezound, and I'll be sticking with the MAXX for quite awhile.
The Nexus is a great device, but it's just not a great phone. The reception issues are very real for many people (myself included - I through four different brand new ones, all with the same problems). It doesn't matter how amazing a device is, if I can't get a signal to make a phone call or get online, it's useless to me. I could set the Nexus directly beside a MAXX, Incredible 2, and an iPhone 4S, all of which had good signal, and the Nexus would be searching for service. Even in areas with tremendous signal, it would constantly lose signal, making it unusable. And of course there's the battery life, which really goes without saying. Great device, poor phone.
The Rezound is a really good device. I really liked it. If the MAXX didn't exist, I would have definitely held onto it for a bit. Great screen, good reception, and good performance overall. It's really the most under appreciated phone on Verizon right now. But the battery life, like all phones besides the MAXX, left much to be desired. And I'm not a big Sense fan. Far too intrusive for my taste. It's a solid choice though.
But the MAXX just does pretty much everything right. The radios are top notch. I've never had a problem with reception in the slightest. The OS is the most stable and smooth rendition of Android I've used. And yes, that includes ICS on the Nexus. And of course, there's the battery. Nothing else can even come close. A lot of people talk about the 3300 and 3800mAh batteries out there for the Nexus and the Rezound, but the fact of the matter is that those third party batteries never actually perform to that level. There's nothing out there that can realistically compete with the MAXX's battery life without looking like a comically mutated brick.
Sure the Nexus and the Rezound have a better screen. But the MAXX actually has a really solid screen (one that's more usable in direct sunlight than the Nexus or the Rezound) that is more than adequate. Others will knock the camera on the MAXX. Nexus users shouldn't because it's camera is really poor. The Rezound does have a better shooter. But again, the MAXX isn't bottom of the barrel or even middle of the pack. It has an above average camera that is more than adequate for most uses if you use it properly.
There certainly are specific things I liked more on the Nexus and on the Rezound, but on the whole, the MAXX is just better all the way around in my opinion. It's the most polished Android phone I've used. Normally, I switch out phones every couple of months. But this time around, I see myself holding onto the MAXX for quite awhile. I've owned a lot of smartphones over the past four years (well over twenty), and the MAXX is easily the best one I've had. So my suggestion is the MAXX, followed by the Rezound, and rounding things out the Galaxy Nexus.
