HTC Droid DNA

“The HTC DROID DNA is the perfect smartphone for users who are willing to work around its memory limitations. The reward you will be getting is quite substantial - they will enjoy the best mobile display and most powerful silicon at the moment, packed into a good looking body.”

“As expected, the DNA is fast, powerful and well-performing. Most everything ran smoothly and quickly — launching apps, switching between apps, navigating around HTC’s Sense 4+ skin over the top of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Games ran smoothly and looked fantastic on the DNA’s large display, as did videos from YouTube, Netflix, Google Play and Vimeo. However, I did notice a slight stutter every now and then when trying to scroll through webpages in Chrome. It wasn’t a huge bother, but the DNA does fall slightly short of the reliably smooth performance seen on the Nexus 4 and HTC’s One X.”

“Before we wrap up, there are two things that haven’t yet been addressed, one good, and one bad. We’ll start with the bad: unlike its very close cousin the HTC J Butterfly, the Droid DNA doesn’t have a microSD slot, which means you’re stuck with the 11 GB of usable internal memory. Why HTC and Verizon left out the microSD slot is a mystery, but its likely that Verizon may want users to opt for cloud-based solutions and therefore require a heftier data plan. Now for the good: unlike most phones on the market, the HTC Droid DNA features two internal amplifiers. One drives the device’s speakers, while the other only drives the headphone jack. This may not sound like much, but for audiophiles, this is a very cool inclusion. In the end, while it may have a small battery and lack an option to expand its storage, there is whole lot of good about the HTC Droid DNA that is enough to outweigh the bad. If you are considering either the Droid DNA or possibly a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, we actually pitted the two devices against each other back in November, so hopefully this can help you make your decision.”

“The DNA is a great phone, easily the best non-phablet - because it definitely isn't one - on Verizon. (I say that mostly because the Note II has its own, other merits - crazy battery life, stylus, extra-large screen.) This is the DROID daddy, and I'll say quite confidently that it's going to be the phone to have on Big Red for most eager Android fans this winter. Let me put it this way: I doubt most people will care about the less-than-stellar performance from HTC's hardware design group on this one. But there are other drawbacks, most of them in the software. Sense is losing its luster, and the blame there lies squarely with HTC. You can't escape the feeling that the DNA is holding something back, that it could be more. Sometimes, it's hard to put your finger on why - it just doesn't feel right. But too often, it's very apparent. Case in point, traversing HTC's Gallery app is nothing short of a UX nightmare. The DNA generally tries to overcome these flaws and silly notions of practicality like a 1960's muscle car... with more power. HTC and Verizon have been anything but shy about flaunting the specification sheet. That leaves a question, though, is power enough to keep you interested? And more importantly, can HTC and Verizon keep putting that power down to the road with timely software updates? This leads me to my biggest problem with this phone: if I were to buy a DNA, the real point of anxiety wouldn't be focused on today, but six months from now. Will I get Sense 5 (or whatever it's called)? How long will I have to wait for it? Is HTC just going to fall further behind Samsung's growing arsenal of sometimes-useful software features and quick updates? And to speak of the here and now, the DNA already feels like it sometimes struggles to effectively use the hi-po tech packed inside of it, and that's 100% because of Sense. Call me crazy, but I don't see too many Android phones getting better as they age. I find my misgivings in this area difficult to shake. But that's the rambling of someone that probably knows far more about Android and smartphones than is healthy. I can't stand feeling like I'm behind the curve. I don't think my personal doubts are going to ring true with the vast majority of people who buy this phone. And make no mistake, I still recommend it - the DROID DNA's drawbacks are of concern to a decidedly niche audience. If you're upgrading your phone every 6 months anyways, or simply want the best phone on Verizon right now, you can't go wrong choosing the DNA. I still think the name is silly, though.”