HTC Sensation review
HTC's latest dual-core smartphone is here, but is it a true Sensation or a damp squib? Julian Prokaza casts a discerning eye in our review.
The HTC Sensation looks great, feels great and performs extremely well, but despite its broadly comparable specification, it just isn’t in the same league as the spectacular Samsung Galaxy S II. So, while it’s a highly capable and desirable Android smartphone, the Samsung is still the one we’d spend our money on.
Battery life isn't quite as good as the Galaxy S II's, either. The Sensation's 1520mAh capacity is slightly smaller than the Samsung's, but we suspect the Super LCD screen draws more power than AMOLED, too. As a result, the smartphone lasted for eight and a half hours of use (a few calls, and a healthy mix of Wi-Fi web browsing, email, background widget updates, YouTube streaming and mixed app use) before the 10% battery warning kicked in this with the array of battery-saving measures all disabled, though.
The price for an unlocked HTC Sensation had yet to be announced at the time of writing, but Vodafone is offering it as an exclusive for 199 on its cheapest 25/month, two-year contract, and for nothing on a 35/month two-year contract - its corresponding Samsung Galaxy S II deals cost 100 more up front, incidentally.
Verdict
The HTC Sensation looks great, feels great and performs extremely well, but despite its broadly comparable specification, it just isn’t in the same league as the spectacular Samsung Galaxy S II. So, while it’s a highly capable and desirable Android smartphone, the Samsung is still the one we’d spend our money on.
Connectivity: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, 3G 900/AWS/2100 Display: 540 x 960 pixels, 4.3 inches OS: Android 2.3.3 with HTC Sense Camera: eight megapixels rear facing, 0.3 megapixels forward facing GPS: A-GPS Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core 1.2GHz Bluetooth: 3.0 Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n Storage: 1GB internal (plus 8GB SD card courtesy of Vodafone) RAM: 786MB Dimensions: 126 x 65 x 11mm Weight: 148g Battery: Lithium Ion 1520 mAh
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
-
Thousands of exposed civil servant passwords are up for grabs online
News While the password security failures are concerning, they pale in comparison to other nations
By Emma Woollacott Published
-
Global PC shipments surge in Q3 2025, fueled by AI and Windows 10 refresh cycles
News The scramble ahead of the Windows 10 end of life date prompted a spike in sales
By Ross Kelly Published
-
The UK’s aging developer workforce needs a ‘steady pipeline’ of talent to meet future demand – but AI’s impact on entry-level jobs and changing skills requirements mean it could be fighting an uphill battle
Analysis With the average age of developers in the UK rising, concerns are growing about the flow of talent into the sector
By Ross Kelly Published