Switched On: Moving forward with leaning back

_Each week [Ross Rubin](http://twitter.com/rossrubin) contributes [Switched On](http://www.engadget.com/tag/switchedon), a column about consumer technology._

[](http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/22/moving-forward-with-leaning-back/)

Just a few months have passed between the introduction of the [Droid DNA](http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/16/htc-droid-dna-review/) and the new [HTC One](https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/htc-one-unveiled/&sa=U&ei=ReYnUdbIFcGj2QXWhICwBQ&ved=0CAcQFjAA&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNEg7zfKnSqvgpMI3dirWsUf0VWrig), but it seems that HTC has been turned upside down in that time. While the Droid DNA was introduced in conjunction with Verizon and can't be a wholly representative picture of how HTC might have introduced the device otherwise, it was a spec- and design-driven product -- a 5-inch, 1080p display with a 440-ppi density that appeared to spill over onto sides that included a microperforation.

In contrast, little was said about the HTC One hardware itself until later in the device's introduction, surprising because the HTC One is not only the most attractive handset the company has ever built, but also certainly one of the most attractive on the market. While it is an Android device, the casing builds upon the tapered, Windows Phone-inspired [8X](http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/29/htc-8x-review-windows-phone-8s-compact-flagship/), substituting aluminum for polycarbonate. That said, there is also the spillover glass effect found on the Droid DNA. The HTC One retains the 1080p display found in the Droid DNA. However, since the screen is smaller, the pixel density is even higher (468 ppi) than in that record-breaking device.

Filed under: [Cellphones](http://www.engadget.com/category/cellphones/), [HTC](http://www.engadget.com/category/htc/), [Blackberry](http://www.engadget.com/category/blackberry/)

**[Comments](http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/moving-forward-with-leaning-back/#comments)**

URL: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/moving-forward-with-leaning-back/