Gadgetory

we've unboxed it we've given it a first hands-on we've compared it with the lg optimus G and the Galaxy Note 2 but before we send the HTC Droid DNA down to resolution expert Brandon minimun for more videos and editorials we need to compare it with one other device a very important device in a very popular one I'm Michael Fisher this is PocketNow dot-com and this is the HTC Droid DNA versus the Samsung Galaxy s3 American edition we don't want to go on forever with this one and we've already done in-depth reviews on both of these devices so we'll keep this confined to a few key areas build display benchmarks and camera kicking things right off with build quality these devices almost couldn't be more different the galaxy s3 ours here is the Verizon version is curvaceous and smooth coated in hyper glaze gloss and weighing in at a featherweight 133 grams the Droid DNA sends a completely different message adding 9 more grams to the equation and trading all that glossy Sheen for a matte finish soft touch back as a result the DNA feels more substantial rugged and less prone to breakage whether that's true or not is up to the drop testers to decide we're just talking perception here moving on to the display it should come as a surprise to no one that the DNA's display absolutely owns the panel on the galaxy s3 that's not because Samsung makes a bad display it's just that the 1080p 440 PPI panel on the DNA is in a class entirely by itself the 5-inch SLC d3 and the DNA reproduces colors better instead of over saturating them like the 4.8 inch Super AMOLED panel on the sgs3 and the resolution and pixel density are much higher as well as the viewing angles about the only area the galaxy s3 wins is on the depth of the black reproduction to be perfectly clear Samsung's Galaxy s3 display is still wonderful but the DNA is currently unbeatable in this for for the benchmark comparison we're comparing benchmark scores in five apps remember that even though both of these devices include two gigs of RAM their processors are completely different with the American sgs3 running on a dual-core Qualcomm s4 and the Droid DNA packing the quad-core Qualcomm s4 pro we may have more detailed gaming comparisons in the future if our focus shifts but for now we are just playing the numbers game in quadrant standard the sgs3 squared of 49 53 and the DNA scored 78 44 in antutu the sgs3 scored a 68 oh 6 and the DNA scored 14 5 14 in smart bench the sgs3 scored 27 86 while the DNA scored 46 77 the SunSpider stock browser tests where lower is better sgs3 scored at 2150 point 8 and the DNA scored 1140 point 3 and finally in Geekbench to the sgs3 scored at 13 11 well the DNA has scored 18 30 and because we like to know we're able to get into our apps quickly on our smart phones just one or two app launches here now keep in mind that these devices are also running different software the Verizon sgs3 is still stuck on 4.4 with TouchWiz nature UX while the Droid DNA runs 4.1.1 jelly bean with HTC Sense 4 plus so let's see if we can jump into the camera here and see if we detect any difference we'd like to be able to make sure we can capture those moments when they arise 1 2 3 no noticeable difference viewfinder launches in about the same amount of time let's make sure we can make our phone calls properly 1 2 3 boom dialer is up at exactly the same time let's try a third-party app we'll get a little more social with things let's try Twitter 1 2 3 Twitter loads in exactly the same amount of time and the internet browser stock browser on each 1 2 3 excellent and while we are in the browser I'm going to wait for the pages to load here we're not getting an auto load on Pocket now so we will just go ahead and cheat that while we're in the browser here we'll go ahead and do a text reflow check we are not not testing speed on loading just testing re-rendering really really really impressive on the droid DNA as we've gotten used to in the past few comparison videos in the review we can see that there is absolutely no problem despite the much higher resolution with this device in its text reflow capabilities and it's clearing up that text it is just absolutely buttery even on a relatively heavy page such as ours with animations going and so on and so forth but responsiveness on the sgs3 lags just a little bit behind the DNA the device takes a little bit longer to resolve that that text but it's not terribly significant you are just going to be waiting another couple beats for the page to redraw itself as far as the camera goes there's unfortunately no comparison both devices deliver excellent software features and a whole host of options but while we actually like HTC's viewfinder software better the quality of the dnase images lag behind the galaxy s3s both cameras are 8 megapixel shooters but the sgs3 handles low-light better and renders crisper images overall also taking the edge in video quality again we really like HTC's innovations on the software side of the viewfinder and it delivers good performance and ample outdoor lighting but in any other circumstance it really suffers where the sgs3 cameras doesn't these are both excellent smartphones with their own high and low points but it's very obvious that the DNA is the newer phone in several respects most notably of course its display and more powerful processor we also like the better build quality of the HTC product still the Galaxy s3 has some key advantages in battery life where it is out the DNA with a removable battery of higher capacity and the galaxy s3 also features expandable storage whereas with the DNA customers are stuck with 16 gigs for the life of the device the choice between the best display and processor on the market and excellent build quality versus a less physically appealing but proven more versatile product might be an annoying one but it's one that customers choosing between these two devices are going to have to make guys that's gonna do it for this comparison if you haven't tuned in already make sure and check out our full review and our other comparisons of the HTC Droid DNA follow us on Twitter pocket now tweets is the official account follow me on twitter if you like i'm at captain two phones that's captain number two phones if you'd like to hear us discuss this device other devices every device on the market tune in weekly to the pocket nail weekly podcast make sure you throw us a thumbs up here on youtube if you liked the video and if you have something to say leave us a comment on the post at pocketnow.com once again thank you for watching we'll see you next time you