HTC Droid DNA review

Posted on November 18, 2012, Sunday

Guanine, adenine, thymine, cytosine Android? The Droid DNA the latest addition to Verizons Droid series may not contain any actual nucleotides (that we know of), but that doesnt make this HTC-made superphone any less of a powerhouse. On the contrary, weve been eyeballing this handset with eager anticipation ever since it first launched in Japan as theJ Butterfly; much like its counterpart from the Land of the Rising Sun, the DNA boasts a jaw-dropping 5-inch,1080p display. But while that may be the headliner-worthy feature, you certainly cant go wrong with a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and 2GB of RAM taking charge behind the scenes, along with anImageSensecamera and other top-notch specs.

In certain respects, the Droid DNA is a sneak preview of whats to come in 2013: a wave of high-performance superphones that take advantage of this improved resolution, and offer a long list of other top-notch features. Indeed, thats a future we could all definitely live with, but lets not get too ahead of ourselves; weve got a phone to review, after all. Is the display as tantalizing as it sounds? Will its size be a selling point or a major distraction? Should you waltz into a Verizon store on Black Friday and demand they take your hard-earned $200? Follow us after the break as we focus on the here and now.

HTC may not be the king of the hill in device sales or financials, but 2012 has convinced us that its firmly planted as the champion in smartphone design. The companys had a knack for thinking outside the rectangular box and coming up with cleverly built handsets theSensationseries andTouch Diamondcome to mind but it seems to have cranked the focus up another notch this year. The One series was beautifully crafted and each model therein acted as a brilliant indication of HTCs renewed dedication; without skipping a beat, it was later followed up with the colorful and visually stunningWindows Phone 8X, which has been readily endorsed by Microsoft.

This brief bit of background was added to emphasize one important thing: HTC isnt slacking off with the Droid DNA. Everything about the phone straight down to the Ferrari-inspired edges screams luxury and ensures a comfortable experience. Were just as drawn to its beauty as we were when we first beheld theOne Xwith our own eyes. Its an incredibly sleek and solidly built device that wont leave us worried about durability, since it consists of aluminum on the sides and a soft-touch polycarbonate on the back that is quite similar to the material used on the 8X. (Unfortunately, its also a fingerprint magnet.)Gorilla Glass 2graces the display with the promise of preventing that beautiful screen from getting scuffed.

Currently, the DNA only comes in one color option: black with red accents. These two colors have been HTCs bread and butter for many years, so it comes as no huge shocker that this would be the default choice for, well, Big Red. It also correlates with theBeats Audiocolor scheme, so its a perfect combination for every party involved. The red isnt overbearing and complements the black quite well, accentuating the power button, earpiece, camera and edges (as we mentioned earlier, the grille-like edge design was apparently inspired by Ferrari, and we fully support that decision).

The same folks who were concerned about theGalaxy Note IIsbehemoth size will also have identical reservations for the 5-inch DNA at first, but this particular device isnt looking to compete in the same genre. HTC went out of its way to emphasize that the DNA is a smartphone, not a phablet, and we can definitely attest to that statement. Holding it up to your ear when making a call likely wont inspire the same feelings of awkwardness as the Note II might do, and its much easier to use for one-handed tasks without needing special keyboards or dialpads. In fact, the DNAs form factor reminds us of what youll find on the One X andSamsung Galaxy S III: at 70.5mm (2.78 inches) wide, its only 0.6mm wider than the One X and is actually 0.1mmnarrowerthan the GS3. Boasting a height of 141mm (5.55 inches), its also taller than either phone. At its thickest point, the DNA measures at 9.73mm (0.38 inch), which is a bit thicker than the 8.9mm One X and 8.6mm GS3, but the back gently slopes to meet the 4mm-thick tapered edges. We were expecting the phone to require some sort of adjustment period at first, but we found the DNA to be a completely natural fit in the palm of our hand and it feels great.

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HTC Droid DNA review