Rumor has HTC Droid DNA phablet launching in December

HTC Droid DNA
HTC's rumored phablet shares some DNA with the J Butterfly

In late October, images of a new HTC device dubbed DLX were leaked, and showcased a 5-inch Verizon-branded smartphone.

Not long after those images leaked did a suspicious new HTC device called the Droid DNA appear on a price sheet for Verizon alongside other devices like the Nokia Lumia 822 and the HTC Windows Phone 8X.

At the time it was believed the DLX was merely the development codename for the Droid DNA.

That idea gained a bit more traction Friday when leaked photos of the Droid DNA appeared online, revealing the phablet shared more than just a passing similarity to the HTC DLX.

Butterfly in disguise

The Droid DNA also shares quite a bit in common with the Japan-exclusive HTC J Butterfly, if the rumored specifications are to be believed.

Reports point to the Droid DNA being a 4G LTE phone, complete with HTC Sense 4+ and Beats Audio, as well as running Android 4.1: Jelly Bean.

The phablet will also pack a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GBs of storage (with a microSD slot for expansion).

All of those specs pale in comparison to the ridiculously impressive HD Super LCD 3 screen, which boasts full 1920 x 1080 resolution with an unheard of 440ppi.

Other competitor phablets like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the LG Intuition feature just 267ppi and 256ppi respectively.

Even the iPhone 5's impressive Retina display is outclassed, as it only features 326ppi.

The Droid DNA is believed to launch in December, and will reportedly retail for $199.99 with a two-year contract at Verizon.

Judging by the intensified frequency with which the Droid DNA rumors have appeared, it's only a matter of time until Verizon and HTC formally announce the new phablet.