HTC Droid DNA

HTC DROID  D N A : 1080p panels. At a joint launch event with Verizon in New York City today, HTC unveiled the Droid DNA, the stateside counterpart to the Japan-only J Butterfly. Made to run on Big Red's 4G LTE network and trimmed with the carrier's signature color, the 5-incher also enters the market as the OEM's first phablet effort; a direct response to Samsung's Galaxy Note. (HTC is very adamant that this is not a "phablet," partially thanks to its lack of stylus support.) But a larger footprint's not the only bleeding edge tech on hand here, as the device plays host to a quad-coreS4 Pro clocked at 1.5GHz and buffered by 2GB RAM -- something we'd only seen within the Optimus G and Nexus 4 -- a 2,020mAh battery capable of Qi-compatible wireless charging, an 8-megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p video and Android Jelly Bean with Sense 4+.

The DNA is a large device, but we'll say it anyway: this thing is huge. Perhaps not quite as unwieldy as the Galaxy Note II, but this is not a phone you'll be comfortably using with one hand. It's not even a particularly svelte device at 9.73mm thick. We wouldn't exactly call it chunky, it does slim down considerably around the edges, but it's not the sleekest on the market either. Still, that extra girth is what gives it room for that sizable battery, something that will be essential to keep the cutting edge hardware pumping. We do have to give kudos to HTC for making the bezel so thin -- despite sporting a much larger screen, the handset is only about 2mm wider than the Nexus 4. Surprisingly it only weighs one gram more than that all glass flagship, and that's largely thanks to the soft touch plastic construction. The texture feels great in the hands and looksserious , but it is deceptively light which is a little unsettling the first time you pick it up.

Below the expansive, insanely pixel-dense display is the expected trio of capacitive buttons, with the thin red dash of the speaker grille and Verizon logo cutting across the top. On the right edge is the volume rocker while the left edge remains unadorned except for the sleek red grille design that HTC says was inspired by super cars like those from Ferrari. The volume rocker has a slight texture to it of concentric circles that makes it easy to locate, but it has very little travel which actually makes it a bit of a nuisance to depress. The upper edge is where the manufacturer has stashed the micro-SIM slot, headphone jack and the power button, that has the same fire engine hue and rippled feel of the volume rocker.

The quality of the full HD panel were pretty impressive based on our first impressions. The screen is bright, well saturated and crisper than just about anything we've seen. Text, widgets and icons all rendered nicely on the screen.

On the software front you're looking at Android 4.1 (sorry, no 4.2 for you HTC fans just yet), and Sense 4+.Seen this particular combination before on the One X+ . Sense continues to be a love it or hate it affair. It does add a certain layer of polish and the camera software is seriously impressive, but it's also packing an abundance of gloss that may turn off some.Perhaps it's the perfect storm of slimmed down customizations, project butter and the quad-core killer under the hood, but in our short time we saw no stutters or hiccups. 

If you're eager to check out the DNA yourself and make your own judgement, head to a Verizon store on November 21st, when you'll be able to pick one up for $199 with 16GB of storage (and no microSD expansion, sadly, unlike its Japanese counterpart).

Google Nexus 4 review

Impressive specs at an even more impressive price point

FOR

• Beautiful, elegant design
• Excellent screen
• Android 4.2
• Unbelievable price

AGAINST

• No expandable memory
• No flash internet
• No 4G
• Camera could be better

Size wise, the Nexus 4 comes in at 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm – which means it is similar to its predecessor. But it is far more stunning to look at and hold.

The front is all glass in piano black. Extra tough too thanks to the Corning Gorilla Glass 2. Think iPhone 4 territory, but just a little nicer looking.

The whole front is set within a dull chrome bezel and the shininess even extends to the rear of the handset, which has an attractive, though unusual sparkly pattern adorning it.

At 139g, the Nexus 4 isn't the lightest handset in school – but it's just about solid enough to get away with carrying that extra weight and puts those who say Android devices look like toys firmly in their place.

The screen is invisible when off – but when it lights up, you're treated to 4.7-inches of True HD IPS Plus beauty. That's 768 x 1280 pixels with a pixel density of 318. It is razor sharp – blowing Retina out of the water and we'll venture it is one of the best we've seen on a handset.

Another reason for this is because there is such little space between the glass and the display.

It exudes a clarity that has to be seen to be believed. Colours look beautiful, icons and text are razor sharp and everything floats perfectly.

Another element worth pointing out here is the way the phone curves at the sides, from the main panel into the bezel. It seems to make the screen look even more realistic and beautiful. It's one of those things you really have to experience to appreciate.

Round the edges, you'll find the usual adornments. A 3.5mm headphone jack on top, volume rocker and micro SIM tray on the left, micro USB port plus a few dubious screws on the bottom, and a perfectly placed lock/unlock/power button on the upper right hand side.

It's just in that sweet spot where it's easy to press with the thumb if you're right handed and not impossible if you're a leftie.

No removable battery and no expandable storage. The former doesn't faze us too much since the 2,100mAh battery pack is no slouch but the lack of memory card allowance is annoying.

This is a premium handset. DC-HSDPA, the very latest iteration of Jelly Bean 4.2, a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, quad-core 1.5GHz processor, A-GPS with GLONASS and even NFC.

At last on concluding we can say this GOOGLE NEXUS 4 will have the chance to stand in the market.It's a good phone.