What's not: Super LCD tech doesn't compare to IPS and Super AMOLED. Benchmark numbers aren't astounding.
Reviewed June 7, 2011 by Lisa Gade, Editor in Chief (twitter: @lisagade)
The HTC Sensation is one of the hottest high end Android phones of 2011. Given how quickly Android smartphones evolve, that could be a risky statement, but the Sensation 4G’s qHD 4.3” display, 1.2 GHz dual core processor, 4G HSPA and elegant unibody design are likely to keep it at the top of the heap this year. Currently, its strongest competitor on T-Mobile US is theLG G2x and the Samsung Galaxy SII on other carriers (it doesn’t look like T-Mobile will be offering the Galaxy SII).
We’ve been looking forward to the Sensation 4G for quite some time; even since it leaked under its code name, the HTC Pyramid. The combination of HTC’s elegant design, HTC Sense software (now updated to 3.0) and a higher resolution big screen with dual core goodness had us all hot and bothered. Now that it’s landed, we’re as impressed with the phone as we’d hoped, and it does indeed give the G2x a run for the money. The Sensation 4G has 14.4Mbps HSPA 4G, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, a front VGA video chat camera, 8 megapixel rear camera with quick focus and a microSD card slot.
The Sensation 4G runs Android OS 2.3.3 Gingerbread, putting it one major revision ahead of the G2x running 2.2 Froyo (the G2x will eventually get Gingerbread). Gingerbread has been out since December 2010 when it launched on theGoogle Nexus S , but oddly we haven’t seen many phones running Gingerbread out of the box. Gingerbread has an improved on-screen keyboard, improved copy and paste, an integrated task killer, a download manager, UI tweaks and support for SIP Internet calling. Unfortunately, the Sensation 4G doesn’t support video chat inside Google Talk because that requires version 2.3.4. Hopefully the Sensation will get that minor revision; video chat in Talk is the best we’ve seen among video chat apps on Android in terms of video quality and ease of use.
Design and Ergonomics
Build quality and design are very good, as we’ve come to expect from HTC. The unibody design here is particularly interesting; with the back cover actually wrapping around the sides of the phone. Remove the cover and you’ve got a lot of naked electronics showing, which is fascinating for you Pop Sci types but scary for klutzes. There are several metal contact points on the back cover, and these connect antenna plates on the cover to the phone. When the cover is removed, the phone automatically turns off the wireless radio. The attractive looking 3 panel rear cover is made of both metal and plastic: the top and bottom are plastic so they don’t reduce antenna reception (take that, Apple).
Though the phone is large, it’s no bigger than the 4” G2x, and it feels particularly comfortable in hand thanks to curves and a grippy finish. The buttons are just right: not wobbly like the originalHTC HD7 nor too difficult to press. The power button has a pleasant tactile click and the large volume buttons feel solid. The volume buttons are raised just a bit and it is easy to accidentally press them when handling the phone by its sides though. The micro USB port is actually an MHL connector, which means it acts both as a USB sync/charge port and an HDMI port with an MHL adapter that’s sadly not included in the box. MHL adapters generally have a micro USB charging port so you can plug the charger in when playing back video over HDMI. The Sensation has a tricolor LED that indicates charging, new mail etc..
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