Apple I- Phone

HTC has announced that the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update to roll out starting end of March 2012 starting with Sensation devices. The first devices to get the update includes, HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation 4G and HTC Sensation XE, followed by the HTC Sensation XL. They confirmed the list of devices that would get the update last November.

HTC has also added new devices that would get the Android 4.0 update as they said. The list of phones include,

HTC Incredible SHTC Desire SHTC Desire HDOther than these phones the HTC Rezound, HTC Vivid, HTC EVO 3D, HTC Amaze 4G and HTC EVO Design 4G (through carrier partners) would also get the update as they announced previously. Srivatsan Sridhar is a Mobile Technology Enthusiast who is passionate about Mobile phones and Mobile apps. His current phone is Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. You can follow him on Twitter @ssrivatsan and on Google+

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HTC unveiled the Sensation XE last September. This Android Smartphone with beats audio now comes in White color, and is on pre-order from Clove UK. This comes with the same features as the Black version such as 4.3 inch (540 X 960 pixels) capacitive touch screen, 1.5GHz Dual core processor  and aluminum uni-body design. It runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and is upgradable to Android 4.0.

It also has 8MP auto focus camera with dual LED flash and 1080p HD video recording, Secondary VGA camera, 768MB RAM, 1 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB with MicroSD (bundled with 8GB / 16GB), 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, FM Radio and Beats Audio3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, DLNA and aGPS. It comes with 1730 mAh battery.

The  HTC Sensation XE White is up for pre-order from Clove UK for 340 GBP (408  GBP inc. VAT). The first stocks are expected starting  20th February. It comes with Beats in-ear headphones in the box.

Srivatsan Sridhar is a Mobile Technology Enthusiast who is passionate about Mobile phones and Mobile apps. His current phone is Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. You can follow him on Twitter @ssrivatsan and on Google+

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The HTC Sensation XE is now available in India at a price point of Rs 34,590. The Sensation XE is a  slightly upgraded version of the Sensation already available in the market.

The device comes with in a new red-block color scheme and a matching Beats logo. The processor has been overclocked to 1.5Ghz and their proprietary Beats technology has been added to make audio sound better. The box pack also includes a pair of Beats by Dre headsets and an 8GB microSD card. Would you be interested in going in for the Sensation XE ?

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HTC announced the HTC Sensation XE, their first phone with Beats audio integration this September. The phone is now available for pre-order from the Online retailer Flipkart and it is expected to be available this month. The HTC Sensation XE runs on Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread), features 1.5GHz Dual core processor and has extended battery. It also has aluminum uni-body.

The HTC Sensation XE comes with a 4.3 inch (540 X 960 pixels) capacitive touch screen display, 8MP auto focus camera with dual LED flash and 1080p HD video recording, Secondary VGA camera, 768MB RAM, 1 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB with MicroSD, 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, FM Radio and Beats Audio. The Connectivity features include, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, DLNA and aGPS. It comes with a 1730 mAh battery.

The phone comes with custom-made Beats headsets and it has specially tuned software and user interface that delivers best audio experience. The HTC Sensation XE is now available for pre-order Flipkart for Rs. 32,400 and it is expected to ship in the 2nd week of November.

via: AndroidOS.in

[Update: The HTC Sensation XE is now available from Flipkart and LetsBuy in India]

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The HTC Sensation XL isn’t the most exciting smartphones currently on the market.  But it is one of the few devices that comes with a massive 4.7? display. If you are the type of person who finds the original HTC Sensation small, then this may be the device for you.

The single core Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC doesn’t exactly scream exciting, but the 1.5GHz  Scorpion CPU combined Adreno 205 GPU is fast enough for Android Gingerbread and the majority of apps available for it. 768MB of RAM is included, which is plenty of multi-tasking purposes though falls short of flagships by Samsung and Motorola with their 1GB RAM.

The 4.7? Super LCD display has a resolution of 480×800. Granted, a qHD or 720p resolution would probably be more suited for a screen this size, but the screen looks sharp nevertheless. Colours are well saturated and the contrast ratio is good for a LCD display. The capacitive touchscreen offers good all around sensitivity.

Below the screen lies four of the standard Android hardware keys, and above it the ambient light sensor, proximity sensor and 1.3MP front camera. The micro USB port is located on the left side of the device while the right side only contains a single volume rocker. The power button and 3.5mm headphone jack are found on the top of the device.

Finally on the back you will find the 8 Megapixel camera with backlit sensor and a 28mm widescreen f2.2 lens, dual LED flash and loudspeaker. Peel off the unibody back cover and you will find the 1600mAh battery and a regular size SIM card slot. Unfortunately the Sensation XL does not feature an expansion card slot so you will have to make do with the 16GB flash (of which almost 12.6GB is accessible) already built-in.

Inside the device you will find all the usual wireless gubbins that makes up a standard 2011 smartpone. These includes a GPS receiver, quad band GSM with EDGE, tri band 3G with HSPA+ speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n including DLNA feature, Bluetooth 3.0 and Stereo FM.

I did not find the size to be as much an issue as the slippery metal back and side was. At times the phone feels like jumping out of my palms. Despite the modest increase in screen size over my Samsung Galaxy S II, which is my main everyday smartphone, the Sensation XL’s extra 0.4? in display size makes all the differences in usability.

The Sensation XL runs on Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread with HTC Sense UI. This isn’t Google’s latest and greatest, but it is Google’s latest and greatest that is currently available on the market. HTC has promised that the Sensation XL will receive the Ice Cream Sandwich update, though they have not given a definite rollout date.

Sense UI is a lovely piece of third party overlay, though not everyone is a fan of it. Still for the majority of users, the launcher works well and provides adequate amount of useful widgets. More can be obtained from the Android Market, and users can even completely replace it altogether.

Included in the box is a pair Monster urBeats in-ear headphone. The headphones comes with a love it or hate it red cabling. While I doubt the urBeats are capable of taking on my mighty Sennheiser IE 8, this is probably one of the nicer headphones that a consumer can find bundled with their phones. I am no fan of Dr. Dre products, but we will be testing BeatsAudio to see if it does make a difference in improving the overall sound quality of the phone.

The HTC Sensation XL is currently available in the UK market on the Three network.

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The Sensation is HTC’s first Dual Core phone and it’s answer to the Samsung Galaxy S2 and the LG Optimus 2X. Check out the FoneArena HTC Sensation Review to find out where the Sensation wins and where it fails. The phone was unveiled in London in April and has made it’s way to India and many other markets in June.

Internals

1.2 GHZ Dual Core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU (MSM8260)Qualcomm Adreno 220 GPU768MB RAM1GB of inbuilt memory960x540 4.3 inch Super LCD Display

Hardware and Design

One the of the main highlights of any HTC phone is the premium build quality it offers and the company delivers again in this area with the Sensation. Judicious use of metal and a qHD display is a welcome thing. It weighs 148 grams and feels premium.

The 4.3 inch display sports a resolution of 960x540 pixels.  The glass on the display is tapered towards the edges. Above the screen you have the HTC branding, earpiece grill , front facing camera and notification light.

Below the display, you have the traditional Android touch sensitive keys – Home , Menu , Back and Search. Sadly these keys don’t change orientation like in the Incredible S.

On the left you have the volume rocker and the microUSB port for charging and data transfer. The right side is just plain. On the back you have the 8MP Camera with dual LED flash, microphones and the loudspeaker. At the top you will find the power button and the 3.5 mm audio jack.The bottom has a microphone and access to the back cover.

We can’t help but feel bad about the Super LCD display which is underwhelming compared to the Super AMOLED Plus display on the Galaxy S2. It is however pretty fine to use and responds well.There is no Camera key and no way to access the memory card slot without removing the back cover.

UI – Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread and HTC Sense 3.0

HTC Sense 3.0 brings a new interesting lock screen feature.  It works in 2 different ways. In the first method you move the ring to the center to unlock the phone and it opens up the homescreen. The 2nd method is actually more interesting. You can drag the app icon such as Phone, Mail, Camera , Messages to the ring and it instantly opens the app bypassing the homescreen. This is actually awesome for launching the camera as you can quickly capture the moment without wasting time.The lockscreen can be changed too from the Personalize menu.

The Weather widget has always been awesome in HTC phones right from windows mobile days. HTC now takes it all new level with Sense 3.0. You get a more realistic representation of the weather. This is a feature one must surely try.

The Homescreens give you a 3D view the minute you give them a spin. Some Scenes are pretty simple and other Scenes show you a lot more graphic effects. The Helicopter View / Leap view which we first saw in the Legend is still there, giving you access to all the homescreens in one single screen.

There is a tabbed notification area on the top which has the normal android notifications and a second tab for the quick settings. This is where you have easy access to various toggles such as WiFi, Bluetooth , Data , Hotspot.

You can also access your social networking profiles right from the homescreen.

Phonebook, Apps

The Transfer my stuff app is a great feature in the Sensation. You can transfer all your contacts, messages and call logs from most phones to the Sensation over Bluetooth and get started with your new phone in no time without even having to go near a PC. It’s very similar to the Nokia Switch app found on Symbian phones but we could not find something similar in the Samsung Galaxy S2 or LG Optimus 2X.

The Phonebook is one of the reasons to love HTC android phones. You can keep track of all your conversations with your contacts on a individual basis from the phonebook.

You can easily send SMS, SMS and Email. You have the Gmail app and also Email app. The HTC keyboard is okay but not great. But there is a option called Trace Keyboard which is HTC’s answer to Swype.

Some apps worth mentioning are Dockmode which lets make the best use of the standby screen, Dice game which uses accelerometer and even lets you break the screen for fun. There is Flashlight which even has a SOS mode. This is the coolest flashlight app you can find on a phone.

You also have access to the Android market where you can always download free and paid apps at your will.

Some preloaded apps mentioning are Polaris Office , HTC Hub,HTC peep,Mirror ,Reader – powered by Kobo

Multimedia

Most common audio and video formats are supported including Divx.The loudspeaker is pretty loud despite being on the back. The SRS effects do make audio sound better. It was pretty nice to find the DLNA feature on the Sensation actually working. We could beam pictures and videos to a TV connected to the same WiFi network. Media playback from any media streaming compatible host also works but we did not try it. You also have a native Youtube app.

There is a built in FM radio tuner to incase you plan to listen to your local FM stations. The UI of the FM app is pretty good. There is no HDMI port in the hardware but there is a MHL adapter sold separately internationally which lets you convert the microUSB port into a HDMI out.

Connectivity

The phone supports quadband GSM networks 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz and 3G/HSPA networks in Europe and Asia (900 Mhz and 2100 Mhz).

We had no issues with calls and the audio quality was actually quite good. We also tested the phone on 3G , EDGE both indoors and outdoors and did not have any issues and got good speeds.

It supports Bluetooth 3.0 and WiFi(n) standards. The Sensation got a GPS lock really quick both indoors and outdoors. You can use Google Maps with Navigation or HTC Location which is actually a solution from Route66.

You can use your phone as a WiFi hotspot and connect upto 5 devices to the internet which is pretty common in most Android phones nowadays.USB tethering is also possible.

The phone suffers from a WiFi death grip which means that you might lose your connection to your wireless network when the phone is held is a certain position. It does not affect call reception.

Camera

HTC is finally getting better with the imaging features on its phones. The Sensation touts a 8MP Camera with a Dual LED Flash and is capable of recording full HD 1920x1080p videos.

The shutter speed is pretty good for an android phone and it might be a tad faster than the SGS2.

Camera Samples

Video Samples

Full HD

Lower Quality

Browser

The browser is pretty powerful and fast and packs the improvements of Gingerbread update including Adobe Flash Player 10.1 You can play even HD videos inline in the page. We could play videos on the Youtube website without having to use the app.

Vimeo videos too played fine. Sadly only 4 windows can be opened at a time. Sharing and looking up words on Google and Wikipedia has been part of HTC Sense but worth a mention.

You can also add neat visual bookmarks to the home screen with the widget. The browser scores over 35000 in the Browsermark test and 93/100 in the Acid3 test.

Benchmarks

Here are some benchmarks of the Sensation. You would notice that the numbers look slightly lower than the other two dual core phones in the market. But then this might be the reason for the improved battery life.An Asynchronous Dual Core CPU from Qualcomm means that the two cores of the CPU can run at different speeds which can translate to better performance and battery life.

This is what Qualcomm has to say about the MSM8x60 Chipset

The MSM8x60 incorporates an asynchronous dual-core SMP (Symmetric multiprocessing architecture) micro-architecture. Unlike synchronous dual-core SMP designs where both cores must run at the same frequency and voltage when operational, the dual-core Scorpion asynchronous power design provides independent clocking and voltage per core, allowing each to work independently. This highly efficient design provides substantial power savings over traditional SMP technology by intelligently adjusting performance to suit the needs of the application.

Quadrant

Linpack

AnTutu System Benchmark

Conclusion and Battery life

Like most dual core phones, the battery on this phone will last about a day for normal usage and about ¾  of a day under heavy usage. With minimal usage, you can cross a day. It would have been nice to see a bigger battery on this device considering what Samsung and Motorola have done with their dual core devices. The Sensation was launched in India at a price of Rs.32700 and the price has now fallen to around Rs.30000 in the market which puts in the same league as the Samsung Galaxy S2.  We prefer HTC Sense over TouchWiz but the SuperAMOLED Plus display is better than the SC LCD display on the Sensation.  If you are looking for a Dual Core Android phone with a premium feel and trendy UI but are willing to trade off with the slightly older display technology , the Sensation should make a lot of Sense to you.

Pros

1.2 GHz Dual Core CPUExcellent design and premium hardwareHTC Sense 3.0 makes a lot of sense and is beautifulDLNA8MP camera with Dual LED Flash1080p Video recordingSuperfast bootup time - with FastBoot960x540px resolution DisplaySocial Phonebook

Cons

WiFi death gripNo native HDMI support , need to purchase MHL adapter (sold separately )Battery life could have been better

Asad Rafi contributed to this review.

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Back in April, HTC officially unveiled their first ever dual-core device which is known as HTC Sensation. HTC Sensation is a very good device and we also gave you our thoughts on it. The device is already available in India and now it looks like it’s heading towards Pakistan. Mobilink Pakistan will be the first one to officially launch this device in Pakistan and they are planning to launch it next week for only 56,000 PKR, claims WCCFTech. It’s already available in Pakistan unofficially but the price is too high and one retailer is offering it for almost 80,000, talk about getting some mega profit.

Mobilink is Pakistan’s largest network and they are also offering Nexus S, which is also a good device. HTC Sensation is a true competitor of Samsung Galaxy S II. HTC Sensation comes with a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and Adreno 220 GPU, 4.3-Inch touchscreen display with qHD resolution, an 8 MP camera good enough to record videos at 1080p and a front-facing camera for video chat, 1,520 mAH battery and the aluminum unibody construction makes the Sensation even sexier.

Mobilink is launching it with a 3 month free GPRS, so you don’t need to pay anything for your mobile internet for 3-months. HTC Sensations seems to be an amazing device, and our complete HTC Sensation review will be out soon.

So anyone in Pakistan grabbing HTC Sensation next week?

Thanks Ammar for the tip!

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