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View Full Version : An early review of the HTC Sensation XL



thelostone
06-10-2011, 07:32 PM
We've already become acquainted with the HTC Sensation XE, a 4.3-inch Android mobile that packs Beats by Dr Dre audio tech, but HTC is following it up with another Beats-packed Android phone, the Sensation XL. And as you might have guessed from the name, it's absolutely enormous.

Screen size and designThe Sensation XL has a 4.7-inch screen, which makes this phone almost big enough to be a proper tablet. It feels totally massive to hold in your hands, and if you're cursed with short fingers, you could well find your digits struggling to squeeze around this epic device.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Is 4.7 inches too big? phones such as the 4.3-inch Samsung Galaxy S2 have pushed the boundaries in terms of screen size, and actually holding the Sensation XL. It's not as gargantuan as the Samsung Galaxy Note, for example.
The Super LCD screen appeared bright and colourful during our hands-on,
Its resolution is 480x800 pixels, which isn't as high as the iPhone 4's display, even though Apple's effort is much smaller.
Despite being quite so enormous, the Sensation XL isn't too thick. It rolls just 9.9mm deep, so as long as your pockets are wide enough, it'll fit inside them without much complaint.
The weight could be a concern. HTC has always made its mobiles very sturdy, and the Sensation XL is no exception. The phone feels heavy -- it's 163g, compared to the iPhone 4's 137g -- and while the aluminium shell will likely make this mobile very robust, it could be too weighty for those who like their tech to be light on its feet.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. The design is simple, but attractive enough, and incidentally is near identical to the upcoming HTC Titan, which runs Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system. There's white gloss surrounding the display, while around the back silver aluminium is the order of the day, complemented by a white strip along the bottom of the phone.
The hefty, industrial design is HTC through and through, and while it's easily recognisable
BeatsThere's a big red 'Beats' logo stamped on that rear casing's white strip, which is the only external indicator that HTC has built this phone in collaboration with Dr Dre and friends.
The Sensation XL comes with a set of Beats headphones in the box. By default those will be a set of in-ear buds, though there will be a limited edition that comes with a white version of the Beats solo on-ear headphones, which are bigger and a shade more ostentatious.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. When you plug in the Beats headphones, the Sensation XL will start performing some algorithmic jiggery-pokery to tweak the sound that comes out of the phone itself.
Android insideThe Sensation XL is running Gingerbread, which is version 2.3 of Google's mobile operating system. On top of that HTC has layered its Sense interface, which makes Android a bit tidier and more colourful than it is by default. This is Sense version 3.5, which brings a few interface tweaks, and running Android nabs you treats like access to the Android Market app shop, and Flash video support in the browser.
One of the most interesting components inside the Sensation XL is a powerful 1.5GHz single-core processor, backed up by 786MB of RAM. Fingers crossed those components give this phone the grunt to open apps quickly, and play hi-def video without breaking a sweat.
There's 16GB of on-board storage, but annoyingly that's not expandable -- unlike loads of other Android mobiles there's no microSD card slot in sight here, so if you use up the built-in storage you'll be plum out of luck. Moreover, only 12.68GB of that space is actually usable, the rest is taken up by the operating system itself.
8-megapixel cameraAround the back of the Sensation XL there's an 8-megapixel camera -- HTC reckons this snapper has a wide-angle lens, which would make it good for taking indoor shots, and a low-light sensor that should make it more capable than most mobiles when the lights go down.
There are a bunch of camera modes stuffed on board too, including a panoramic mode for taking great big photos of beautiful scenery, instead of just looking at it like a chump.
OutlookNabbing a set of Beats straight out the box is cool, but the headline feature here is the Sensation XL's massive display. If you're dead set on owning an absolutely massive Android blower and you like HTC's design ethos, this is one to watch. The XL will be out in the UK in early November. There's no word on pricing or networks yet,

Spinifex
06-10-2011, 09:11 PM
After watching watchdog just i think ill go for a blackberry instead lol