HTC Droid DNA Review
4 min readBy Rob Boggan
Let me first start off by saying I love HTC devices. My very first Android phone was an HTC Hero, and that essentially opened the floodgates for me. From there I bounced around to multiple other HTC handsets, with each one getting better than the last. Then after a few years, HTC announced the EVO 4G, and Android powered super phone that promised to “change the game” with a bigger screen and 4G connectivity. The EVO did just that, changed the game and essentially became the it phone for Sprint and in the process, building both brands up. Since then, HTC has become an after thought for most, as Samsung has now crept in and stolen the smartphone crown. Release after release HTC essentially themes their latest release as their greatest release, only to have it fall victim to lukewarm sales. The HTC Droid Series has been surprisingly sturdy, but seems to always fall just short of being a breakout phone. Now, it’s latest release, the HTC Droid DNA is at bat and has all the features to really make it a breakout device, but the question remains: Will it pull it off? I got a chance to spend some time with it, and I actually walked away really impressed. Check out my review of the HTC Droid DNA from Verizon Wireless.
First and foremost, I was absolutely in love with the design of this phone. It has a pretty large 5 inch display, but like the iPhone 4 and Galaxy Note II before it, the size of the phone is hardly an issue because of the thinness of the device. HTC opted to make the phone taller instead of wider, and this design choice really pays dividends to how great it feels in your hand. The phone has a dark coating of black, soft touch material covering the housing, with the now signature red highlights around the phone that screams DROID. The biggest attraction of the Droid DNA by far is the gorgeous 5 inch display. This happens to be the first FULL HD display on a smartphone and it does not disappoint. Rocking a full 1080p HD LCD display, movies, photos, and everything in between look stunning. On the inside, lies the latest version of the Android OS (4.1 JellyBean) powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, and 2GB of RAM. With a great combination of RAM and a speedy quad core processor, the Droid DNA really zips through tasks and runs like a champ from start to finish. Back on the outside, is a 2.1MP ultra wide angle camera with f/2.0 aperture. The front camera takes pretty solid photos, and thanks to the wide angle lens, is capable of fitting more faces and spaces into view. As far as the main camera, it’s an 8MP with LED flash and supports HTC ImageChip which supports burst shots of up to 99 images. By now, I’ve made clear how much I love HTC camera software, and that hasn’t changed. The cameras on the DNA takes really good pictures, and even better video. Videos that we took actually wound up really good in quality, and there was no graininess or choppiness. In addition, there is also 16GB of internal storage on the DNA, along with NFC capability.
Another “big ticket” feature that the Droid DNA brings to the table is the inclusion of wireless charging. HTC says that it will work with most charging devices, although they didn’t really specify. Another awesome feature on this phone was the fact that HTC popped a natification light on both the front and back of the device. This is important because essentially no matter which way you lay your phone you’ll be able to see if you have a new message or missed call. Battery life was actually above average from my experiences with the DNA. On paper, one would assume that the 2,020 mAh battery in this beast wouldn’t be able to keep up with the high end hardware, but I was able to cram a whole days usage into one charge and that’s pretty impressive in my books. All that on top of Verizon’s mega fast 4G LTE network, and you have a device that could be best in class.
The HTC Droid DNA definitely fits the bill of being a game changer in my mind. Combining really high-end hardware, with the latest version of Android, and a gorgeous design, the HTC Droid DNA could be one of the top smartphones released by Verizon and HTC this year. If $199 fits your budget, head online or into a VZW store and get your hands on one.
