93
Criteria
Comments
Rating
- Reception and call quality Clear call quality, fast data connection.
- Display Colors are fantastic, do not wash out even in broad day light. Superlative display.
- Battery life It easily survives an entire day of moderate use. I use it to call, text for most of the working day. I still have 60-70% battery life left.
- Camera No comments
- Ease of use No comments
- Design and form factor The button placements are awkward at best, and misguided at worst. Doesn't feel intuitive. Flap over charging port is annoying.
- Portability (size / weight) Granted, this phone is quite big. However, it will slip comfortably in a pocket. It isn't unwieldy.
- Media support No comments
- Durability No comments
- Ecosystem (apps, accessories, etc.) No comments
Detailed review
EDIT: (After a month with the phone)
I wanted to revisit this review after having lived with the phone for a month.
I will say that I am very pleasantly surprised at how much I like this phone.
Most of the issues and quibbles that I mentioned earlier have either been remedied or gone unnoticed.
(The plastic piece that covers the micro-usb port is still really annoying...)
My biggest surprise came with the battery life. I was a bit worried when I the various reviews on the Droid DNA. Their battery life test made it seem like the phone's battery was hardly adequate for the gorgeous display and high spec. internals.
However, I soon realized that the charge would last me throughout the day, and stopped carrying around a charger like I used to with my old HTC Thunderbolt.
That being said, battery life is always a case of "YMMV" and should you use it to play games and watch videos, you should probably carry around a charger or at least an external battery.
Next, I realized that when I added on a case to protect the phone I could access the buttons with great ease. It may not have a satisfying click, but you can easily depress the buttons without looking for it.
Sense 4.0 is growing on me, though I have to admit that I long for some genius dev to release CM 10 on it.
The phone is definitely growing on me, and I have absolutely no regrets getting the device.
I've never owned or driven a supercar, but I imagine that it's something like using the Droid DNA. I've switched over to the Droid DNA from the moment it launched. I read about its amazing screen and processing prowess. I also knew about its limitations, about its paltry storage capacity and iffy battery life.
I got the phone anyway. I ditched the iPhone 5 [gave to my wife] and gave up with the iPhone the safe user experience. The iPhone didn't disappoint me, it did everything I asked it to, its battery lasted me nearly two days at a time; it was safe.
Yet the experience of the iPhone left me wanting, it had become safe and stale, like a diesel hatchback.
So I traded it in for a smart phone equivalent of a supercar. It doesn't have the storage space, it doesn't have the juice to keep it going for days on end. Yet this device wows me.
The moment I turned it on, I was greeted in quick succession the HTC page, the Droid nonsense, and then the lock screen. The phone booted within seconds! Apps load almost instantaneously, and complex games load as if it was a simple clock app. This phone has the processing power to be relevant for some time.
The screen itself is gorgeous. You really do have to see it to believe it. I don't care of I can't perceive any difference between this and the next 720p screen. This screen just "feels" like it is better.
Having owned a Nexus phone I know what Jelly Bean is like without the Sense 4. I'm sure it's a matter of preference, but I feel as if the customization is cumbersome. However, I will concede that some of the software [e.g. going into vibration mode when it senses it is in a pocket] is clever and useful.
Beats Audio, Qi inductive charging [probably mandated by Verizon] are all gimmicky features that don't make or break the deal.
The Droid DNA is not a safe phone. I've watched about 30 minutes of You Tube clips and that decimated my battery life. It will strand you without a charge if you're not careful.
It is not a small phone, its slim enough to fit into a pocket, but will always remind you of its size.
There are design flaws. There is no comfortable way to press the lock key as it is stupidly placed on the top middle, the volume keys are made flush to the phone and thus hard to operate.
Yet I still choose this phone over anything else on the market. This phone has its compromises, but its strengths more than make up for it.
I wanted to revisit this review after having lived with the phone for a month.
I will say that I am very pleasantly surprised at how much I like this phone.
Most of the issues and quibbles that I mentioned earlier have either been remedied or gone unnoticed.
(The plastic piece that covers the micro-usb port is still really annoying...)
My biggest surprise came with the battery life. I was a bit worried when I the various reviews on the Droid DNA. Their battery life test made it seem like the phone's battery was hardly adequate for the gorgeous display and high spec. internals.
However, I soon realized that the charge would last me throughout the day, and stopped carrying around a charger like I used to with my old HTC Thunderbolt.
That being said, battery life is always a case of "YMMV" and should you use it to play games and watch videos, you should probably carry around a charger or at least an external battery.
Next, I realized that when I added on a case to protect the phone I could access the buttons with great ease. It may not have a satisfying click, but you can easily depress the buttons without looking for it.
Sense 4.0 is growing on me, though I have to admit that I long for some genius dev to release CM 10 on it.
The phone is definitely growing on me, and I have absolutely no regrets getting the device.
I've never owned or driven a supercar, but I imagine that it's something like using the Droid DNA. I've switched over to the Droid DNA from the moment it launched. I read about its amazing screen and processing prowess. I also knew about its limitations, about its paltry storage capacity and iffy battery life.
I got the phone anyway. I ditched the iPhone 5 [gave to my wife] and gave up with the iPhone the safe user experience. The iPhone didn't disappoint me, it did everything I asked it to, its battery lasted me nearly two days at a time; it was safe.
Yet the experience of the iPhone left me wanting, it had become safe and stale, like a diesel hatchback.
So I traded it in for a smart phone equivalent of a supercar. It doesn't have the storage space, it doesn't have the juice to keep it going for days on end. Yet this device wows me.
The moment I turned it on, I was greeted in quick succession the HTC page, the Droid nonsense, and then the lock screen. The phone booted within seconds! Apps load almost instantaneously, and complex games load as if it was a simple clock app. This phone has the processing power to be relevant for some time.
The screen itself is gorgeous. You really do have to see it to believe it. I don't care of I can't perceive any difference between this and the next 720p screen. This screen just "feels" like it is better.
Having owned a Nexus phone I know what Jelly Bean is like without the Sense 4. I'm sure it's a matter of preference, but I feel as if the customization is cumbersome. However, I will concede that some of the software [e.g. going into vibration mode when it senses it is in a pocket] is clever and useful.
Beats Audio, Qi inductive charging [probably mandated by Verizon] are all gimmicky features that don't make or break the deal.
The Droid DNA is not a safe phone. I've watched about 30 minutes of You Tube clips and that decimated my battery life. It will strand you without a charge if you're not careful.
It is not a small phone, its slim enough to fit into a pocket, but will always remind you of its size.
There are design flaws. There is no comfortable way to press the lock key as it is stupidly placed on the top middle, the volume keys are made flush to the phone and thus hard to operate.
Yet I still choose this phone over anything else on the market. This phone has its compromises, but its strengths more than make up for it.
good review!
1 person found this review helpful
review history
- 2012-12-20
-
Edited comment on Portability (size / weight)
Design and form factor rating changed from 3 to 4
Edited comment on Battery life
Edited comment on Display
Updated detailed review