The original Sensation smart-phone from HTC, was the Taiwan based manufacturers first attempt at cracking the dual core smart phone market and their first stab at the Galaxy S2 from Samsung.
However the plucky Sensation didn’t recieve quite the popularity it deserved, leaving the Galaxy S2 to steam off in to the spotlight and in to the pockets of many an Android user.
Thankfully HTC hasn’t given up and have in fact just released 2 new Sensation phones in the form of the Sensation XE and HTC Sensation XL (formally known as the Bass).
Screen
One of the main areas that have had a redesign on the XL compared to the original Sensation is the display. The first Sensation had a pretty nifty 4.3 inch Super LCD screen with qHD graphics. Although the resolution has now been downgraded to WVGA (still pretty excellent in all honesty), the screen itself has been bumped up to a more spacious 4.7 inch SLCD affair.
So while the original Sensation was a fairly dapper device for things like web content and video, the Sensation XL is even more so with its larger screen. 4.7 inches may be too large for some people, but for true entertainment freaks it is a dream to behold.
Performance
Some superheroes have the power to move mountains and if the Sensation XL was in a Marvel comic it would be such a superhero. It has a colossal 1.2GHz dual core chip and 768MB of RAM – power that was the preserve of computers until a few years ago. It would have been nice to see an upgrade from the Sensation’s original RAM to a more efficient 1GB, but in real world terms there is not much difference to be noticed.
This lump – if we may call it that for effect – means there is nothing on the current mobile phone earth that can slow up this device – not even its HTC Watch video streaming service.
HTC Watch
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Watch is a very cool idea from the HTC boffins and one that shows the company’s want for direct competition with Apple. The company has released this application that allows users to pay a fee and stream the latest Hollywood films to the phone. Time will tell whether this works out, though we can be of testament to its brilliance and have had a few great viewing experiences on the 4.7 inch screen.
Aesthetics
Although not the most beautiful phone in the world, the Sensation is a lovely phone to hold for its size. It is not the thinnest smartphone although it feels nice in the palm and looks smaller than it is thanks to its curved corners. The aluminium body has a very premium feel to it and the fascia and glass covering all look great and give that distinct HTC look.
The best thing about HTC Sensation XL deals is that this phone does not feature the same garish red colour scheme that was found on the Sensation XE, and opts instead for a more crowd pleasing option of black or white.
HTC Sense Interface
The phone also comes with HTC’s latest Android interface, which we now deem to be necessary on all phones and all makes, due to its brilliance. The first Sensation came with Sense 3.0, but the Sensation XL is one of the first HTC phones to come with the new Sense 3.5. Version 3.5 adds many new features as you would expect, but also offers one of the biggest redesigns that have been seen in quite a long tim.
Beats Audio
As mentioned, the Sensation XL is one of HTC’s first smartphones to carry the Beats Audio brand. SO what does it have to offer? Like the Sensation XE this phone comes with some Dr Dre Beats Audio in-ear headphones in the box. These are not only higher quality than the sort of headphones you would normally get with a new phone, but they also have some pretty impressive bass on the go.
The Sensation XL also includes plenty of software features to put this to good use. This software can enhance the bass on all areas of the phone, and allows you to play around with equalizer settings in the music player. Insert the Beats headphones when listening to music and you will be provided with the option to add extra bass. As many commentators have pointed out, this will probably be more useful for some forms of music than others.