HTC creates the most awesome Droid ever
The good: The beautifully designed HTC Droid DNA features a quad-core processor, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, 4G LTE, a sharp 5-inch screen, an excellent camera, and long battery life.
The bad: The Droid DNA’s large size makes it tricky to fit in tight pockets, and it lacks both an SD card slot and a removable battery.
The bottom line: With quad-core power, 4G LTE, a lovely 5-inch screen, and a stunning design, the $199.99 HTC Droid DNA is currently Verizon’s best Android deal.
The new Droid DNA is the best phone I’ve seen from HTC in a long while, especially on Verizon. With its blazingly swift quad-core processor, and a gorgeous and eye-grabbing 5-inch screen, not to mention a great camera and long battery life, the Droid DNA is an excellent deal at any price. And at $199.99, I feel it’s a better buy than some worthy smartphone competitors, including the Motorola Droid Razr HD and Samsung Galaxy S3.
Design
There are no two ways about it: the HTC Droid DNA is the sexiest-looking smartphone I’ve laid my hands on in quite some time. At a glance, the slab-shaped HTC Droid DNA looks like just about every other Android smartphone on the market. Step closer, though, and the signature Verizon red highlights jump out at you. While the handset is clad in stealth-bomber black, it’s trimmed with
Display
What further enhances the Droid DNA’s waferlike dimensions is how the display’s glass extends to the handset’s edges. This helps the phone disguise the fact that it’s packing a massive 5-inch Super LCD 3 screen. Not only is the display bright, it boasts a sharp 1080p resolution, which HTC claims translates into 440 pixels per inch. Text and details in photos and video looked crisp and colors vibrant. While it’s not as oversaturated as the Samsung Galaxy3′s AMOLED screen, colors were more accurate but popped less. Even so, watching the HD YouTube trailer for “World War Z” on the Droid DNA was riveting. I could clearly see the virtual burning cityscape of New York, the fear in Brad Pitt’s lined face, and streams of running zombies in terrifying detail. For the record, the undead should never be able to sprint like that. Ever.
Software and UI
Android lovers are in for a treat since the HTC Droid DNA comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean right out of the box. Sure, it’s not the most advanced version of the OS that Google has officially announced, but this is as fresh as you’ll likely find outside of a true Nexus device.
HTC does layer its own Sense 4+ interface on top of Android, which definitely changes the look and feel of Google’s stock OS. The lock screen features a digital clock and the date is spelled out in slim characters on top. At the bottom edge of the screen are a virtual ring and four icons for Phone, Mail, Messages, and Camera. Pulling these icons into the ring whisks you directly to their corresponding phone functions.
Of course you can also swipe your finger anywhere across the screen to jump to the home screen. You have five home screens to choose from; you can personalize each with apps and widgets. By default the main screen features HTC’s iconic weather clock widget along with shortcuts for Verizon Voice Mail, Google Play store, and browser. As with Android handsets running 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and later, you can also drop app icons on top of each other to create custom folders. I find it a handy way to cut down on home screen clutter.
