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HTC Sensation XL Review
Size matters. And when it comes to screen size, they don't get larger than the 4.7 inch display of the HTC Sensation XL. At least, not until the Samsung Galaxy Note launches later this year. So if you're looking for a superphone with an incredible display and a superfast processor, the XL looks like it could fit the bill. Strangely though, HTC are pushing the XL as a music phone. They talk about the Beats Audio feature, and the in-box customised Beats headset. And it's true that the Beats Audio software produces great results and that the headphones are high quality. So if you're buying the XL expecting high quality audio you won't be disappointed. But it's a bit like Ferrari advertising its cars on the quality of their in-car audio systems, high quality though they may be. For the truth is that there are plenty of good music phones, many of them cheaper than the XL. We think you're reading this review because you want to hear about the 4.7 inch display. How good is it? Does it make the phone too large? So let's get on with the review, because the good news is that the screen isn't too large, and it's well worth having. In fact, once you've got used to a screen this big you'll be shocked at how small the display on your old phone was. You might even start craving a bigger screen, because although 4.7 inches sounds absolutely enormous (it's almost twice the surface area of the iPhone 4S's display), the phone works because it's so thin and carefully designed. Measuring only 9.9mm thick, the XL is a superskinny phone, feeling significantly thinner than the Sensation XE, despite having a larger screen. So the design succeeds. And even though it's heavy at 162.5g, it feels the right weight for a device of this size. The resolution of 480 x 800 pixels isn't wildly impressive, but it's adequate. Could we see the dots? No, we could not. And the benefits of having so much screen size available are too many to list. From making the UI easier to use, to better views of emails, texts and menus, to better Google Maps, facebook and web browsing, the list goes on and on. Now the XL isn't just big. It's fast too. The single-core processor speeds along at 1.5GHz, making it one of the fastest machines in town, and with 768MB of RAM, apps can run freely as nature intended. And we're delighted to see that finally HTC has addressed one of the design flaws of the Sensation series and equipped the XL with a full 16GB of built-in memory. There's no microSD card lot however. Grrr. Connectivity is all present and correct, from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 on the wireless front, to USB and a 3.5mm headphone jack for plugging things in. DLNA is supported and HSDPA gives 3G speeds up to 14.4Mbps download. There's quadband GSM support too, so you can confidently take your phone wherever you travel. Provided you have a separate suitcase in which to carry it. No! That was a joke. The camera is one of the best we've seen on a HTC. With an 8 megapixel BSI sensor (for better low-light captures) it has a wide f2.2 lens for capturing as much light as possible, as well as a dual LED flash and autofocus. Video capture is 720p HD, which is puzzling when you consider that the Sensation XE offers full 1080p HD video recording, but we can live with it. There's also a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera that can record video. The 1600mAh battery is much larger than most smartphones, but of course this is a phone that demands far more from its battery. On balance, we think most users will be charging daily, in common with many smartphones. Some may not even make it through the day. Tempted though we were to award the Sensation XL 5 stars, we've settled for 4 instead. It was a hard decision. There are so many things to like here: from the ferociously fast processor to the delicious Gingerbread operating system with HTC Sense; from the enormous 4.7 inch display to the Beats Audio enhancements and headset; from the outstanding camera to the slimline looks. But there were things we couldn't ignore too. The weight of the device; the lack of a memory card; the poor battery life; the relatively low screen resolution and the difficulty in viewing the screen in sunlight; the lack of full HD video recording. It's a great phone for the media-hungry with £30 per month to spend on a phone, but for mainstream users it's not really suitable. In any case, we feel that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus launching on 17 November 2011 is going to shove the XL to one side.
Features of the HTC Sensation XL include:
HTC Sensation XL User ReviewsLove your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive language, and please, no advertising! Average rating from 4 reviews: Reviewed by Gaunty from UK on 26th Jan 2012 Reviewed by tim from london on 24th Jan 2012 Reviewed by slebech from uk on 16th Jan 2012 Reviewed by saeed from uk on 9th Dec 2011 LinksHTC Sensation XL dealsHTC Sensation XL Lite deals |
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