Help me choose a phone! Non android user

[Sethicus]

I need some help from the forum please. I am at the moment cell phone (and job) less. I had a work blackberry...So, I am seriously shopping for a new phone. I am pretty excited about switching to Android (because it seems as if it a free(r) system that is more powerful than iOS in many ways...but as I have an iPad 2, my wife and daughter have iPhones and the only computer in my house is a MacBook. I wonder if I should wait for the next iPhone, but I love the potential freedom of android. I am not a POWER user meaning i would use the phone for web, light email and most critically wifi tether to my iPad for Hulu, Netflix etc Here is what I want and maybe you all can help me decide

1. 4g lte, we are on Verizon
2. Strong battery life (I'm not a power user) but would like to be able to get through a day without HAVING to charge.
3. Ability to tether "wirelessly" with my iPad ( I DO NOT want to pay extra to Verizon for this as I have "unlimited" data). I have jailbroken all the iPhones and have pdanet. So rooting would not be a problem(?) I hope...I have basic computer skills but as I read more I am discovering things like locked boot loader etc that makes me wonder is it simple to root a device?
4. Takes useable pics/ video, not DSLR quality, but good enough that I can capture the moments when my girls are playing etc
5. Video chat, my parents are in Kauai and we are in Texas, also I work nights (when employed) and really like being able to say goodnight to my girls. FaceTime is great, but Skype is also good as well.
6 .some way of syncing with iTunes..double twist (not sure if this works or not)
7. Screen size is not a huge deal, I have big hands so a large phone isn't a bad thing, but I also have an iPad so I don't need another phone/tablet. Build quality would be the key factor.
8 must actually be able to make phone calls...

Phones people have suggested
Razr Maxx- seems to fit the build, but a little boxy? Seems more suited business user, but I like the build quality (gorilla glass/ Kevlar back)

HTC Rezound or HTC INcredible 4g (coming soon) these seem like they are more stylish? A sleeker design. The one x looks very nice but is AT&T only(?)

Galaxy nexus- pretty, but a little big, seems a bit flimsy, from what I've rad people have mixed feelings on this phone.

Or maybe there is something better I haven't heard about? I know the S3 is coming soon. I would like to get something this month, but if I had to wait an extra week, it would not kill me. Please help me!

 

[VoidedSaint]

i suggest you go to the verizon store, and play with each one, and get a feel for what you really want in the phone before you make a commitment to buy, and if you are torn between 2 phones, buy one, and then after 15 days you can make the switch for the other device if the one you get isnt worth it

 

[itsallgood]

I agree. Most smart phones can do pretty much the same thing as far as apps are concerned. But, each phone has its unique characteristics/functions from the other. Narrow them down and try them out in day to day activities to get a feel for what will work best for you.

 

[breadnatty08]

If you are new to Android, not a huge tech geek and need the battery life, I'd steer you towards the Razr Maxx. I absolutely love my Nexus, and would never buy the Maxx, but it's for very different reasons.
The Maxx can be rooted in order to use wifi tether, but it still has a locked bootloader. It's battery life is stellar, and if coming from a BB, you're probably used to that.
Like Voided Saint said, handle all of them in store and see which feels the best for you. They're all very capable devices with differences in OS skins, cameras, and battery life.

 

[MSUgEEk]

If battery life is your main concern, the Razr Maxx fits the bill as dread has stated. However, the camera and screen on Motorola products are abismal. The Razr/Razr Maxx and Rezound can both be rooted, but after that it's limited to what you can do from what I hear.

With the Nexus, battery life is ok and if you are in a decent cell coverage area all day and/or have wifi access then your battery would last all day the majority of the time. It's when you get in spotty cell coverage that the battery starts dropping quickly. I work in an area with less than 2 bars of coverage all of the time and the majority of the time it has 1 bar or no signal. I still manage to get 6-8 hours easily with at least an hour to sometimes 2 hours of screen on time.

While you'll get better battery (much better) with the Maxx, you'll get sufficient battery with the Nexus or Rezound in moderate to good coverage areas or with a wifi connection. When I travel, I easily get 12-15+ hours out of my phone with moderate usage.

The ease with which you can root and customize the Nexus is what drew me to it and why I would never consider another phone. My wife has the Rezound and it's nice in it's own right, but it can't match the screen quality of the Nexus nor can it match the ease of customization, root-ability, or developer support.

Spoiler

We here at android forums do not condone methods to escape the charges incurred by wireless tethering, but I am easily able to do it on my phone and use it sparingly when I travel and just have to have access on something besides my phone

 

[TheyCallMeBT]

If you are new to Android, not a huge tech geek and need the battery life, I'd steer you towards the Razr Maxx. I absolutely love my Nexus, and would never buy the Maxx, but it's for very different reasons.
The Maxx can be rooted in order to use wifi tether, but it still has a locked bootloader. It's battery life is stellar, and if coming from a BB, you're probably used to that.
Like Voided Saint said, handle all of them in store and see which feels the best for you. They're all very capable devices with differences in OS skins, cameras, and battery life.

I agree that you might like the RAZR Maxx for battery, but that I still love my GNex and wouldn't want anything else on the market right now. I'm running stock and as long as I don't use make too many calls, have the screen on for a long time for FB or browser or games (I'm talking about like a half hour to hour long straight), or use any apps that use a lot of processing power (which would probably also have the screen on for a while any way), I can easily make it through 12 hours. So a typical work day when I don't have free time to goof around, but still use the browser, FB, SMS, calls, etc. a bit-- I can get through 12 hours. Then again, I can do 5 or 6 if I'm watching Netflix, playing Angry Birds, and using a remote desktop app.

As far as the RAZR Maxx goes, do you have to root in order to use FoxFi for wifi hotspot? Most phones don't.