HTC DROID DNA vs Samsung Galaxy S III

Introduction:

Being the latest entrant in the smartphone kingdom, there’s no arguing the imposing presence of the super spec’d HTC DROID DNA. Simply put it, the smartphone is one immaculate piece of tech that’s a sure fire competitor ready to fend of the hungry competition this holiday season. However, in order for it be glorified and accepted openly as an upper echelon device, it really needs to show its worth to what’s arguably regarded as the most prestigious Android smartphone pushed out this year – the Samsung Galaxy S III. It’s the summer king versus the new kid on the block, so let’s find out how they stack up against one another.

Design:

Looking at the two, it’s rather difficult for us to concretely make a decision as to which of the two is sporting the better design, since they have many likeable elements. In terms of size, they’re both obviously a handful to comfortably use with a single hand, but the Galaxy S III is a smidgen smaller in footprint – while also being the lighter and skinnier in profile as well. Whereas the Galaxy S III is more curvaceous, we still appreciate the stylish industrial design of the DROID DNA, especially when it’s highlighted by its cool red accents. Rounding things out, we absolutely love that the two sport very clean finishes – thanks primarily to the soft touch matte casing of the DROID DNA and the hyper-glaze coating on the Galaxy S III.


Seeing that its trio of Android capacitive buttons are squished in no man’s land, below the screen and above the bottom edge of the phone, it’s more prone to accidental presses. Oppositely, it’s not much of a problem with the Galaxy S III, since it employs a combination physical home button surrounded by two capacitive buttons. Besides finding their earpieces and light/proximity sensors above their displays, we’re also presented with their LED notification lights. It’s more prominent with Sammy’s offering, obviously, considering that it’s incorporated into the earpiece with the DROID DNA. However, it’s neat that there’s a second one in the rear of HTC’s baby.

Not surprisingly, we prefer the physical buttons of the Galaxy S III over the DROID DNA – mainly because they’re so much more prominent and responsive, versus the flush and indistinct feel associated with the DROID DNA’s set. Taking a look around their trims, they pack many commonalities, which include their 3.5mm headset jacks, noise-cancelling microphones, standard mics, and microUSB ports for charging/data/video-out functionality.

Flipping them both around, we spot their 8-megapixel auto-focus cameras, which both feature LED flashes and 1080p video recording. However, it’s the DROID DNA that’s standing out more on paper for its f2.0 lens. Concurrently, the two are also outfitted with front-facing cameras – a 1.9-megapixel one on Sammy’s prodigy and a somewhat more impressive 88-degree wide-angle 2.1-megapixel camera with an f2.0 lens on the DROID DNA.



Display:

There’s so much that our eyes can see from a great distance away, right? That’s particularly evident as we glance at the sharp looking displays on these two handsets. Without question, the DROID DNA impresses us with its 5-inch 1080 x 1920 Super LCD-3 display, which sets the bar with its even more spectacular pixel density of 441 ppi. And even though it’s not as high-res as its rival, the Galaxy S III’s 4.8-inch 720 x 1280 HD Super AMOLED display is an attractive one for its showroom vibrancy, which is attributed to its over-saturated color reproduction and exquisite viewing angles. Honestly, it’s hard to gauge from a normal viewing distance as to which is the more detailed display, but upon closer inspection, there’s more evidence of sharpness with the DROID DNA’s display. Even better, we find it far more viewable in outdoor conditions with the sun present. Seriously folks, the display on the DROID DNA is killer in so many aspects.

Interface and Functionality:

Let’s get one thing straight, we’re humbled to know that both smartphones are running Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean underneath their customized experiences right now, which means they’re treated to many lovable features such as Google Now and Project Butter. Between the two customized Android experiences, we’ll hand it to the HTC Sense 4+ UI for donning the more polished widgets and flexible personalization elements. Overall though, it pales in comparison to the comprehensive set of secondary features seen with Sammy’s TouchWiz Nature UX experience. Quite frankly, there are so many cool things about it that not only enhances the typical Android experience, but they are actual features that prove to be practical in everyday usage. From S-Beam to its useful set of buddy sharing photo modes, the comprehensive tally is impressive and delivers more than its rival.



Keeping us organized couldn’t be any easier with these two smartphones, seeing that their set of organizer apps mirror one another with their functionality – meaning, there’s not one that’s better. And on top of that, it’s wonderful that Google Now is on board with them as well. Rounding things out, the email experience is delightful, especially considering that the Gmail app provides for a very tasteful experience.



Even though it has a slight size advantage with its larger screen, we don’t find the DROID DNA more advantageous with its on-screen keyboard – primarily because the two offer spacious layouts and they’re extremely responsive. Also, we also appreciate that various numbers and punctuations are easily accessible from the main layout. However, some will no doubt like that the Samsung keyboard employs some Swype-like gestures as an alternative way to input stuff – though, the Swype keyboard is an option as well.




Processor and Memory:

Yes, it’s obvious that the HTC DROID DNA is sporting the more prized processor, since it’s newer of course, but we don’t find its quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2GB of RAM to outperform its competition with real-world tasks. Frankly, the once prized dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus chip with 2GB of RAM of the US versions of the Galaxy S III is effective enough to maintain an equally solid performance. Yet, they’re not entirely perfect, as some instances of choppiness can pop up every now and then – albeit, it’s nothing that proves to be a headache.

	Quadrant Standard	AnTuTu	NenaMark 2
HTC DROID DNA	7888	13917	59,1
Samsung Galaxy S III US	4520	6111	59,4

Talk about a sigh of relief, but it’s so inviting to know that the Galaxy S III has an available microSD card slot to supplement its 16GB of internal storage. Seeing it lacks one, we’re not too thrilled to know there isn’t much flexibility found with the DROID DNA – even more when it’s stuck at 16GB of memory.

Internet and Connectivity:

Needless to say, it’s a pleasure to surf the web with these two 4G LTE enabled smartphones. In addition to the fast page loads, we’re exposed to other lovable qualities that make the experience so enjoyable – such as proper rendering, silky smooth navigational controls, and sharp details thanks to tits high-res displays.



Sure, its allegiance is with Verizon, but the DROID DNA is in fact a world-enabled smartphone with GSM connectivity on top of CDMA. On the other hand, depending on which version of the Galaxy S III you pick up, it’s available in both GSM and CDMA flavors. Meanwhile, they’re both packing connectivity features like aGPS, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, mobile hotspot functionality, and NFC.

Camera:

Snapping the same set of photos with their 8-megapixel cameras and comparing them later on a computer, we can say firmly that we like what they produce – though, they have their own specific good/bad elements. Overall, they deliver images that are usable for actual printouts later on. With the Galaxy S III, we notice it produces shots that have more definition and sharpness with its details – whereas it’s a bit softer with the DROID DNA. Under artificial lighting, we also take note of the hazy/airy appearance of the DROID DNA’s shots. However, its f2.0 lens shows its worth under low lighting, as its images come out brighter and slightly less noisy than the ones produced by the Galaxy S III.



Indeed, it’s a close race with their still shot qualities, but it’s a clear victory for the Galaxy S III when it comes to 1080p video recording. Simply, Sammy’s offering wins us over with its stunning visual quality in nearly every category. On the other hand, we’re distracted by the DROID DNA’s flat looking details and artifacting elements that pop up consistently.

HTC DROID DNA Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy S III Sample Video:



Multimedia:

We’re not particularly more attracted to one music player, since they follow the conventional approach with their layouts. Moving onto audio quality with their speakers, the built-in amplifier of the DROID DNA clearly pumps out the more robust tones, but the Galaxy S III still churns out some pleasant tones with minimal distortion – then again, you have Beats Audio support using the headset jack on the DROID DNA.



Hardly a surprise, these two titans are more than equipped to provide us with an engrossing video watching experience. Large high-res screens and smooth playbacks help to keep us entertained, however, we like that the Galaxy S III has more video codec support and has the useful Pop Up Play feature to allow us to multi-task.

Call Quality:

Having long conversations are easily accomplished with these two, seeing that voices are robust and audible on both ends of the line. Still, there are some minor issues that are noticed with their speakerphones – like the subtle distortion with the DROID DNA and the sharp irritating tones with voices on the Galaxy S III.

Battery:

Taking into account that LTE connectivity is in tow with these beauties, it’s not all that shocking to find their appetites to be vociferous with battery life. Yes, you’ll be able to get through an 8-hour work shift, but you’re more than likely required to charge them a little after to keep their capacities at a good level. Conversely, if you’re in a non-LTE area and relying on good old last-generation data connections, you can inch out a day with the two.

Conclusion:

Depending on how much you’re willing to fork over, both handsets prove their value against one another. Considering it’s the newer kid on the block, the HTC DROID DNA’s $200 on-contract point is justified, which is especially notable for its killer specs sheet. Therefore, if money isn’t an issue, we’d recommend picking up HTC’s beast knowing it’s one smartphone that has some astounding qualities. Although it’s no longer the shiniest thing around, the Samsung Galaxy S III is a very well-rounded option that continues to be a relevant item. At the same time, you can probably snag the handset for much less than HTC’s offering, which should no doubt appeal to some people looking to save money without making any dramatic compromises with performance and features.

HTC DROID DNA vs Samsung Galaxy S III: