HTC Droid DNA review

[Diagrafeas]

When should we expect a review from Anandtech?
I am especially interested for the screen measurments...

 

[Bateluer]

When should we expect a review from Anandtech?
I am especially interested for the screen measurments...

There's plenty of solid reviews out there, generally positive towards it, with knocks against Sense 4+ and substandard battery life. Its a noodle scratcher that HTC didn't put a larger battery in the DNA. Moto builds a thinner phone with a 3300mah battery, LG's Optimus G has a 2100mah, and Samsung's GS3 offers a removable 2100mah battery.

http://www.droid-life.com/2012/11/19/htc-droid-dna-review/

The HTC Droid DNA is definitely an exciting phone to use. If you’ve been looking for a 5” screen, and don’t need the use of a pen input device, then this is the phone for you. The screen itself is beautiful and the phone’s performance is top notch. For only $199, with contract, the price is certainly attractive and just in time for the holidays.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/1...t-or-hate-it-this-is-verizons-best-droid-yet/

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

http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/16/htc-droid-dna-review/

At present time, it's pretty tough to convince us that you can do much better than the Droid DNA on Verizon's lineup. For $200, you're getting the absolute best display on the market, a great camera, Android's Jelly Bean OS and the best quad-core processor you can get. Sure, you can't go wrong with many of the other powerhouses we mentioned earlier, but HTC isn't letting a few rough quarterly earnings reports get in the way of making a high-quality product with top-end components and a gorgeous design. It's easy to tell that HTC put a lot of TLC into the DNA, and it pays off -- let's just say that you don't need a geneticist to lecture you on why this kind of thing matters.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/16/3653508/htc-droid-dna-review

The HTC Droid DNA does a good job of impressing you on the surface. The 1080p screen is to die for, the svelte design minimizes the phone’s large footprint, and it sports one of the fastest processors you can get in a smartphone today. It’s also the best smartphone HTC has had on Verizon in a long time. But once you get beyond those initial impressions, the cracks begin to show.

The DNA offers a lot for the $199 asking price, but the miserable battery life and occasional performance hiccups are reason to pause before hitting that purchase button. A great display alone unfortunately cannot make up for the DNA’s other problems. Verizon users looking for a new Android smartphone have a number of other options at their disposal, including Samsung’s still relevant Galaxy S III and Motorola’s pair of Droid RAZR HDs. But if you must be the guy with the highest resolution display on the block, the Droid DNA is the one to get.

 

[Zink]

Brian said he was pretty close to being finished the review on the latest podcast. Some quotes from Brian:
"Middle of the pack battery life"
The screen is "phenomenal", "unbelievable", "you will be blown away"
"I couldn't believe it but I can see the difference visually"
It is "thin and light", "no bigger than the Lumia 920"
"A better HTC One X"
A bigger battery isn't necessary: "If I were to pass out for the night at my friends house I would charge it in the car."

Paraphrasing: "That ship's sailed, people need to stop QQing. The truth is the average user doesn't need an SD card slot or a removable battery."

 

[Brian Stirling]

Brian said he was pretty close to being finished the review on the latest podcast. Some quotes from Brian:
"Middle of the pack battery life"
The screen is "phenomenal", "unbelievable", "you will be blown away"
"I couldn't believe it but I can see the difference visually"
It is "thin and light", "no bigger than the Lumia 920"
"A better HTC One X"
A bigger battery isn't necessary: "If I were to pass out for the night at my friends house I would charge it in the car."

Paraphrasing: "That ship's sailed, people need to stop QQing. The truth is the average user doesn't need an SD card slot or a removable battery."

We don't need authoritative voices saying this kind of nonsense. Android phones are pathetic compared to ANY iPhone for battery life and saying middle of the pack is all people need is an insult. But, if the battery nonsense is bad his comment about the missing uSD slot makes my blood boil. I do NOT want to waste bandwidth streaming crappy low bit rate music -- how is it that some people simply do not comprehend this. Yeah, some folks may have grown up with crappy low bit rate music and just assume that everyone else is content with it -- they are wrong!


Brian

 

[dguy6789]

snipBrian

Agreed. What current phone manufacturers(including Apple) save for Motorola consider acceptable battery life for a smartphone is terrible to me. I shouldn't have to refrain from web browsing or playing games or meter my usage at all on my phone to have it make it through a day.

 

[Diagrafeas]

Actually battery life is very good according to this:
http://blog.gsmarena.com/htc-droid-dna-takes-battery-tests-heres-what-it-scored/

I wouldn't say no to a microsd card or at least 32GB and 64GB versions.
But if it supports USB on the go there is no problem there either.

 

[dlock13]

Actually battery life is very good according to this:
http://blog.gsmarena.com/htc-droid-dna-takes-battery-tests-heres-what-it-scored/

I wouldn't say no to a microsd card or at least 32GB and 64GB versions.
But if it supports USB on the go there is no problem there either.

That is pretty good. The Note 2 is definitely fantastic when it comes to battery life. I would like to see a comparison between the iPhone 5, DNA, Note 2, and the MAXX HD.

 

[Lyfer]

We don't need authoritative voices saying this kind of nonsense. Android phones are pathetic compared to ANY iPhone for battery life and saying middle of the pack is all people need is an insult. But, if the battery nonsense is bad his comment about the missing uSD slot makes my blood boil. I do NOT want to waste bandwidth streaming crappy low bit rate music -- how is it that some people simply do not comprehend this. Yeah, some folks may have grown up with crappy low bit rate music and just assume that everyone else is content with it -- they are wrong!


Brian

Then go spend billions in R&D and make your own phone with one (and removable battery). Seriously, move on.

 

[s44]

"That ship's sailed, people need to stop QQing. The truth is the average user doesn't need an SD card slot or a removable battery."

That's why companies making sealed Android phones are making so much money.

 

[you2]

I don't mind a sealed battery; but i object to a SMALL sealed battery.

 

[Bateluer]

We don't need authoritative voices saying this kind of nonsense. Android phones are pathetic compared to ANY iPhone for battery life and saying middle of the pack is all people need is an insult. But, if the battery nonsense is bad his comment about the missing uSD slot makes my blood boil. I do NOT want to waste bandwidth streaming crappy low bit rate music -- how is it that some people simply do not comprehend this. Yeah, some folks may have grown up with crappy low bit rate music and just assume that everyone else is content with it -- they are wrong!


Brian

I wonder how much of a conspiracy this is by the carriers to encourage data use and higher bills vs customers simply not caring about multiday battery life or expandable storage.

Actually battery life is very good according to this:
http://blog.gsmarena.com/htc-droid-dna-takes-battery-tests-heres-what-it-scored/

I wouldn't say no to a microsd card or at least 32GB and 64GB versions.
But if it supports USB on the go there is no problem there either.

Those charts are awful. Difference devices in each chart, and lacking the current battery life champs in all of them, the Razr HDs.

 

[Dari]

There's plenty of solid reviews out there, generally positive towards it, with knocks against Sense 4+ and substandard battery life. Its a noodle scratcher that HTC didn't put a larger battery in the DNA. Moto builds a thinner phone with a 3300mah battery, LG's Optimus G has a 2100mah, and Samsung's GS3 offers a removable 2100mah battery.

http://www.droid-life.com/2012/11/19/htc-droid-dna-review/




http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/1...t-or-hate-it-this-is-verizons-best-droid-yet/




http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/16/htc-droid-dna-review/




http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/16/3653508/htc-droid-dna-review

In all the quotes you posted where are you getting "sub-standard" battery life? If the battery was 3k but was highly inefficient would you consider that good? Fact is the screen is the most efficient ever when it comes to energy consumption. Therefore, the battery does not have to be massive like the OLED screens with inferior color accuracy and inefficient battery usage.

 

[Dari]

That's why companies making sealed Android phones are making so much money.

That is such a weak argument and you know it. So, tell me, aside from Samsung, which companies that make removable batteries for their android devices are making so much money?

 

[Diagrafeas]

That is pretty good. The Note 2 is definitely fantastic when it comes to battery life. I would like to see a comparison between the iPhone 5, DNA, Note 2, and the MAXX HD.

Those charts are awful. Difference devices in each chart, and lacking the current battery life champs in all of them, the Razr HDs.

If you 'expand' the charts you can see more devices.

 

[Diagrafeas]

As for Droid Razr HD...
3G Talk Time: 16:49
Web Browsing: 07:03
Video Playback: 10:04

 

[Brian Stirling]

Then go spend billions in R&D and make your own phone with one (and removable battery). Seriously, move on.

Don't know very much do ya...

They have the same phone in Japan called the J Butterfly, that is it's the same phone save for the fact that it HAS a uSD slot so they've already done the engineering to include one. Also, just how much harder is it to make the battery bigger -- there are phones with larger batteries...

It appears that Verizon had some role in spec'ing the DNA and it looks like they required HTC spend more money to develop a version of the J Butterfly without the uSD slot.

I still hold out hope that the international version DLX will include a uSD slot and a larger battery, if not no sale...


Brian

 

[Diagrafeas]

Something that just ocured to me.
Does it have 3.7V or 3.8V battery?
I think that i show 3.7V in a video but maybe i am wrong.

 

[gorcorps]

IMO the only reason to make the battery non-removeable is to give them some room to put a large integrated one in (a la Razr Maxx). Having a battery only as large as the Galaxy S3 AND making it non removeable AND having a 5" 1080p is a huge misstep for battery life in my eyes. But HTC is notorious for their piss poor battery life so I can't be too surprised.

 

[gus6464]

I will stay with with my MAXX HD where the battery lasts for days and days and is plenty fast with JB that is pretty much stock. And I paid the same price as the DNA and I got 96gb of storage.

 

[WelshBloke]

I don't mind a sealed battery; but i object to a SMALL sealed battery.

Particularly when you have to stream everything because there's a lack of internal storage.

Seriously this could have been an awesome phone, why they had to skimp on a few things escapes me.

 

[Face2Face]

This is an awesome phone! I think Brian will agree.


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[Skurge]

Talk about crippled phones huh. $500

 

[Deeko]

Then go spend billions in R&D and make your own phone with one (and removable battery). Seriously, move on.

Comments like this are so ridiculous. Really, people aren't allowed to say they wish devices had better features? Their only recourse is to go build their own, not to suggest the existing manufacturers do something better? Come on dude.

 

[Dari]

Particularly when you have to stream everything because there's a lack of internal storage.

Seriously this could have been an awesome phone, why they had to skimp on a few things escapes me.

This may be a rumor but I heard it connects to a PC as well. That means you don't have to stream everything...

 

[WelshBloke]

This may be a rumor but I heard it connects to a PC as well. That means you don't have to stream everything...

Cool, I get to carry my PC round everywhere with me as well. :thumbsup: