It’s that time again. Time to put two HTC devices into the ring and have them lay it all on the line. This is Android Phone Wars from Android Headlines. For those of you that are new here, this is where we put two different flagship phones against each other and compare specs, along with features and tell you which is the better buy based on price, features, carrier availability and specs. So enough of that, let’s get this show on the road.
Specifications
HTC One
The HTC One is the newest flagship from HTC. It was announced on February 19th in NYC and London and is coming to many carriers worldwide, but in the US it’s confirmed to be hitting AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. There are some rumors of it hitting Verizon later this year, but nothing is confirmed. The HTC One is a unique device. It’s packing the first ultrapixel camera. It also has dual speakers on the front, along with a 4.7-inch 1080p. All three of those features are something no other phone has ever done. We’ve never seen a 1920×1080 resolution display in something smaller than 5-inches. The hardware is just beautiful, and I can’t wait to get my hands on one.
As far as the software goes, that’s where most of the cons come in. Many of us that are Android fanboys don’t like Sense. I’ve actually liked Sense in the past, so I won’t say whether I like or dislike the New Sense (nuissance if said fast). But it does make simple Android tasks a bit more difficult. Then there’s software like Blinkfeed, and HTC Zoe (along with a bunch of other camera features) that most users will love. So here is where I’d say “different strokes for different folks”.
Pros:
- Amazing Camera
- Available on 3 of the 4 largest US carriers; better availability
- Amazing sounds thanks to boomsound and the dual front-facing speakers
Cons:
- Not available on the largest US carrier; Verizon
- No removable battery or expandable storage
HTC Droid DNA
The Droid DNA, which was the first 1080p device to hit the US. It’s half brother, the HTC Butterfly and J Butterfly are available internationally and have basically the same specs, except for the bands it uses. The hardware on the Droid DNA is pretty amazing too. It features a 5-inch 1080p display with a 2.1MP front-facing camera which is amazing for video chats. On the back it has a matte finish which feels really nice, along with a surprisingly normal sized Verizon logo.
On the software side, again like the HTC One it is running Sense. Except it’s running Sense 4+, but should get the New Sense soon. I’ve had time with the Droid DNA a few months ago, and you can check out my review here. It’s a great device, even the software is pretty good.
Pros:
- Great looking and feeling device
- Very powerful, despite having an older chipset from the HTC One
- Beautiful display; Super LCD3 is by far my favorite display technology as of late
Cons:
- Only on Verizon in the US unfortunately; But does work on GSM networks if unlocked
- No removable battery; or expandable storage
- Kinda, sorta outdated; but not by much
Winner….
The Winner here is the HTC One, but it’s a really close one. The HTC One and Droid DNA have very similar specs. The only real differences are the processor, storage, camera and software. Okay it’s a bit more different than I thought. Nevertheless, both of these devices are amazing phones. I’d recommend you to pick up either one, depending on what carrier you’re with.
Which phone would you choose?