Although it may seem like Samsung recent Galaxy devices stole HTC’s thunder away from their One series, HTC isn’t done yet. A few weeks ago, the company teamed up with Verizon to unveil their newest Android ‘superphone’ with the Droid DNA. Being the first smartphone of its kind to offer a 1080p full HD display using Super LCD 3 technology. With that said let’s dive into the Droid DNA.
HTC has one upped the competition by giving us a Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080 resolution) display that is also 5 inches big and not sparing any room. The screen size is done well as it isn’t wide as say the Galaxy Note II. It’s a more subtle 5 inch size. The display has 440 ppi across every inch of it. This display give you real colors and so fluid. In regard to the big difference between a 720p & 1080p display: the full HD display is better but its the Super LCD 3 technology that makes it more noticeable. Great job on the screen as I suspect other manufacturers will offer full HD displays next year as well.
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| Thin and flush design on the DNA |
Being an avid HTC user I expected a few hiccups and sputters but there were none. The S4 Pro 1.5GHz quad core processor combined with 2GB of RAM handles more than just the extra exquisite camera features but allows smooth transitions between videos, movies, and action packed games.
The battery is fairly good considering it is 2020 mAh. Where most competitors have pushed the bar with bigger batteries giving you at least 16-20 hours on a single charge, the DNA will satisfy some with it’s 8-hour battery life, I on the other was disappointed because I put a beating on the battery. Being an extreme power user of mobile devices I would have preferred a bigger battery or the option to buy a bigger external.
HTC threw in a f/2.0, 28mm wide-angle 8MP lens on the back and the super-wide 88-degree 2.1MP camera (last seen on the 8X) in the front. Only the rear camera gets the ImageSense chip treatment for that boost in image processing. Video recording works just as well it did on the One X. The rear shooter doesn’t perform as well in low-light as its competitors (iPhone 5, Lumia 920) but will fare you just fine. The front-facing shooter should make those Instagram party pics even better by putting more people within the shot. HTC still reigns as the best camera software in Android.
The DNA is running Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean w/ Sense 4+ UI to keep up with the speed of the hardware. That means you finally get to enjoy the fruits of Google Now on an HTC device. Sense 4+ hasn’t changed too much since the One X other than several Amazon & Verizon apps preloaded on the device. For anyone that was a fan, like myself, of FriendStream…don’t expect it on the DNA.
HTC has their Beats Audio software inside and it has brought some new tricks up its sleeve as well. The DNA comes with a built-in 2.55v amp for both the headphone and the speaker for even more clarity with every sound that is omitted from the device. Making it less of a gimmick and more of a serious competitor in mobile audio. Anyone who used a previous HTC device w/ Beats Audio inside, you have never heard Beats like this.
HTC has kept the black and red theme that is so sexy and sleek and every much Verizon. They did leave out an opportunity to expand the memory as there is no microSD card slot. They capped it at 16GB of storage and is a little less than that when powering it up. I am not sure if that was a decision of the manufacturer or the provider. Since not everyone is into cloud storage, this could deter some consumers. The DNA offers wireless charging support as well. Offering very small notification lights on both the front & back, the DNA is still one of the best Android devices of the year. HTC definitely came back in the 4th quarter for the win with the Droid DNA. I may have a second favorite manufacturer after handling this device.
The DNA is a media-lovers’ dream all while offering the speed of Jelly Bean & Google Now makes this easily a buy in our books. Only $199.99 on contract at Verizon, you can grab yours now in stores or online. Easily our new favorite Android device right now.
