Review: HTC Droid DNA

When youre contemplating the vast expanse of glass covering any one of the current models of smartphones with supersized screens, you have to ask yourself: How big is too big? Is a 5-inch display that much better than a 4.5-incher? Does native 1080p capability actually matter on a smartphone? How big of an advantage does such a device earn?

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the HTC Droid DNA. Its massive 5-inch 1920 1080 display has the same resolution as the best HDTV sets lining the shelves at your local retailer. It sports a pixel density of 440 pixels per inch, which bests all the big-name competitors the Google Nexus 4 (320ppi), the HTC One X (316ppi) and 8X (341ppi), and the Apple iPhone 5 (326ppi).

While a 1080p screen is mighty pretty, its not a killer feature on a smartphone, and it does not make the device significantly better than the current crop of 720p-capable phones.

But while this looks great on paper, it doesnt matter much at all. Seriously. Dont get me wrong: The DNAs display is gorgeous, and arguably the best-looking smartphone display out there. But to the naked eye, and over a couple of weeks of daily use, it doesnt look significantly better than the phones mentioned above, and thats a good thing. The fact is, they all look great. On any one of them, pixels are indiscernible and text looks crisp and clean, rivaling a printed page. Colors are vivid and bright. Photos, video, apps, websites, magazines, every single thing displayed on screen is rendered beautifully.

The bottom line is that while a 1080p screen is mighty pretty, its not a killer feature on a smartphone, and it does not make the device significantly better than the current crop of 720p-capable phones. And this is a wonderful thing for consumers. Smartphone displays are better than they have ever been. Today, we expect top-tier phones to come with Retina-quality screens, and anything less is deemed unacceptable.

While the DNAs display looks stunning, the size of the thing makes it difficult to use the phone with one hand. While it isnt as audaciously oversized as the 5.5-inch-display on the Samsung Galaxy Note II, the DNAs touchscreen can still be a bit of a hassle. The slightly smaller 4.7-inch displays on the Nexus 4 and One X are far more comfortable. Even the 4.8-inch display on the popular Samsung Galaxy S III is easier to use with a single hand and 4.8 inches is about the largest smartphone display that Ive been able to comfortably operate thus far. Its here that the DNAs display doesnt make it more useful, but counts against it.

Another sticking point is the paltry battery life. In over a week of testing the handset, I wasnt able to make it through an 8-hour workday without having to charge up the 2020 mAh Lithium-ion cell before I headed home. On the weekend, while running errands and using Google Maps, Yelp, Twitter and the camera throughout the day, battery life flew by and I found myself stopping to charge up by midday, and again in the evening. If you buy the DNA, youll want to pick up a spare charger to go with it.

Each time I had to charge up, I was greeted by an annoying little plastic door covering the USB port on the bottom of the DNA. When this tiny door is closed, the DNA looks sleek and smooth. But opening the door reveals a flimsy piece of plastic that feels like its hanging on for dear life. It feels like its only a matter of time before that little door breaks off. While everything else on the DNA feels lovingly designed and well built, this door is a weak point. HTC should have just left the port exposed, as most phones do nowadays.

Pages: 1 2 View All

Link:
Review: HTC Droid DNA