One of the most anticipated android phones to come out for some time. The HTC Sensation has so much power under the hood its not even funny. It sports a 4’3 qHD touchscreen, 1.2GHz Dual-Core Processor, 8MP camera on the back that also does 1080p HD video and on the front is a FFC for more pix or video chat. I spent over a week actually playing with the phone and there were a lot of things I loved over my G2 and a couple things I missed.
Look and Feel
The Sensation’s size is so compact but still gives you so much to do. Coming in @ 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm and weighing a little over 5oz, It will feel like your holding a couple sheets of paper. Its about half the thickness of my G2. The 4’3 qHD SuperLCD screen (960 x 540 resolution) should help you see anything in great detail that you need to. From the pix to the videos to the text everything just pops onscreen. The 8MP 1080p HD camera on the back makes taking a pix a snap as they are sharper then one of my regular digital 8MPs and the front facing camera has worked and looked great when using it to either Skype or take some Tango calls. The Sensation also doesn’t have a dedicated camera button on the side. If your used to taking alot of pix it does take a bit of getting used to.
The design of the phone is a marvel and does some interesting things. One of the reasons its so small is some of the chips like the antenna are actually built inside of the case. So if you happen to take it off, you will lose reception dramatically. I was able to hear calls pretty clear on the Sensation, didn’t have any drops or anything so I’d say the reception is good. I do wish at times the phone could be louder whether its for notifications or rings or anything. At times I’ve miss things and will go back to the phone and see. The 4G speeds + the dual core processing make using the device literally a “sensation”. Browsing is smooth as pages pop up. Using a lot of the apps, whether native or 3rd party respond quickly. So no matter if I’m using Google Maps to find my favorite place to eat, or Foursquare to check-in to that fave spot its a snap.
Software Now I’m used to Vanilla android which is pretty barebones as I never really liked the manufactur’s skinned OS whether its TouchWiz, Sense, Motoblur, etc. I was weary of using the new Sense 3.0 but I’d have to say it has changed my mind. Being mixed with the Android 2.3 makes trying to do anything easy. Everything is synced together rather nicely and will always have suggestions for you. I was impressed with the lock screen feature. It has icons that you can customize on it, so you can drag it to the lock screen icon and go right to whether you want to. Saves time of having to look for that app again. Only thing I missed from my G2 was Swype. It seems more in tune to what words I wanted to use but I’ll say its easier to type on the Sensation screen.
Conclusion
T-Mobile always seems to get some of the best android phones on the market, and the HTC Sensation is their flagship phone right now. From the 4.3in HD display to the thin lightweight feel, to the blazing 4G speeds running on the dual core processor. I’d definitely say you need it in your arsenal.
