After much speculation, Verizon and HTC announced the hotly-anticipated Droid DNA smartphone at a press event in New York on Nov. 13. U.S. carrier Verizon Wireless will be offering the smartphone exclusively, and the Droid DNA will hit the shelves on Nov. 21.

"HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, and Verizon Wireless today announced the exclusive DROID DNA by HTC, the ultimate smartphone and the first with a full HD 1080p display. The DROID DNA by HTC will be available exclusively through Verizon Wireless through pre-order starting today and at retail stores nationwide Wednesday, November 21st.," stated the press release.

The Droid DNA has been rumored for some time now and is believed to be a variant of the HTC J Butterfly, which was launched in Japan in October this year. The 5-inch Droid DNA is being touted by the company as the "ultimate smartphone" and is expected to challenge Samsung's best-selling Galaxy Note 2 phablet.

"It's no secret that people depend on their smartphones more and more every day which rightfully raises expectations for performance, speed, and design. The DROID DNA by HTC embodies a smartphone that pushes the envelope in all of these areas with the first true 1080p HD display, latest quad-core processor, and Verizon's 4G LTE network, all wrapped in a beautifully crafted design," said Jason Mackenzie, president, HTC Corporation. "The DROID DNA by HTC is sure to top wish lists this holiday season."

"HTC for us really represents innovation and sophistication," said Tami Erwin, Verizon's chief marketing officer.

HTC's Droid DNA is notably the first smartphone to "feature a true 1080p HD super LCD 3 display with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2 protection." Mackenzie noted that the company wanted to "to give people a phone that not only served and met their needs of today but could also deliver on the unexpected needs of tomorrow."

The Droid DNA sports a 5-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution and boasts a pixel density of 440ppi, which HTC asserts "delivers the maximum pixel clarity available on a smartphone." A 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor powers the smartphone which weighs 4.87oz and measures 5.63 x 2.80 x 0.38 inches.

The Droid DNA has 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera (1080p video recording), and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing snapper. The smartphone offers global roaming, 4G LTE, GPS, Wi-Fi, NFC,wireless charging, and Bluetooth 4.0 support. It also has HTC's Beats audio technology and is fueled by a 2020mAh non-removable battery. The Droid DNA will come with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 4+ on top, upgradeable to Android 4.2.

The Droid DNA is available for $199.99 on a two-year contract on Verizon from Nov. 21, interested buyers also have the option to pre-order the device now.