HTC Droid DNA (Verizon Wireless)

The HTC Droid DNA ($199.99) is not a phone, not yet a phablet. But while it occupies a gray area somewhere in between, one thing is certain: This thing is totally awesome. The DNA's 5-inch, 1080p display is the sharpest on any mobile device available. Its Qualcomm quad-core processor is second-to-none. And its sleek, high-quality build blows competing Android phones and phablets out of the water. It lacks a microSD card slot, and I would've preferred a removable battery, but this is still one formidable phone. Let's call it a phablet since the screen is 5 inches. And while we're at it, let's call it our first Editors' Choice for phablets on Verizon Wireless.

Size and Design
Here at PCMag, we define phablets as phones with screen sizes ranging from 5.0 to 6.9 inches. So while HTC is stressing that the Droid DNA is still a traditional smartphone, it falls into our definition of a phablet and we're sticking to it. That puts the DNA in direct competition against the likes of the 5-inch LG Intuition? and the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note II, rather than traditional smartphones like the 4-inch Apple iPhone 5?and the 4.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S III?. ?

But make no mistake: The HTC Droid DNA walks a fine, fine line between smartphone and phablet. Though the display measures 5 inches, there are very narrow bezels, which keep the phone narrow. It measures 5.55 by 2.78 by 0.38 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.01 ounces, which is awful close to the Galaxy S III, at 5.38 by 2.78 by 0.34 inches and 4.69 ounces. In fact, when you put the two phones next to each other, they look a lot closer in size than, say, the Droid DNA and the Galaxy Note II, which measures a whopping 5.95 by 3.17 by 0.37 inches and weighs 6.34 ounces.

Among many phablet fans, the idea persists that bigger is better. If that's how you feel, the DNA may be a little too small for you. But if you're in the smartphone camp, 5 inches is definitely on the large side. The Droid DNA feels comfortable to hold in one hand, like a smartphone, but you can't hold it and drag down the notifications bar using your thumb, like a phablet. Categorization notwithstanding, I'll bet that for some people, a small phablet (or huge smartphone) is probably just right.

Size aside, there's no debating that the Droid DNA is one beautiful phone. It has a unibody design that's made of matte black polycarbonate, which gives the phone a soft, grippy feel. Red accents abound, in the ring around the camera, on the earpiece speaker grille, and on the sides of the phone, which have the look of speaker grating, but are just ornamental. The entire front of the phone is five inches of glorious display coated with curved Gorilla Glass 2, which is both a pleasure to look at and swipe your finger across. This phone has a much more luxurious feel than the plastic Galaxy Note II.

More on that display. The Droid DNA's 5-inch, Super LCD 3 has 1,920-by-1,080-pixel resolution. That works out to 443 pixels per inch, which handily beats every other phone available right now. The Galaxy Note II, for instance, has 267 ppi. Even the iPhone 5 and its vaunted Retina display has 326 pixels per inch. If 326 pixels qualifies for Apple's Retina designation, HTC should call this screen X-ray vision; it's just incredibly sharp. Text and images look fantastic, and this phone was made for watching HD video. The Galaxy Note II's PenTile display looks positively grainy in comparison.

Compared with the iPhone 5, the HTC DNA's screen is sharper, but it has a bluish cast and it isn't as bright. Still, it's only noticeable when you put the phones next to one another, and most people don't set their brightness to max, so neither of these points should matter too much.

(Next Page: Data Speeds, Call Quality, and Battery Life)?

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