Although it is very large, HTC has managed to add a few curves here and there to the phone that make it seem a bit smaller than it actually is. Even so, it still large and does leave a bulge in your pocket. The reason for the large size of the phone is its gigantic 4.7 inch screen.
Obviously, there are benefits to having a larger screen – which is why more and more manufacturers are choosing to include them. Entertainment features like video and web browsing are greatly benefitted by a larger screen, and the Sensation XL certainly excels in these two areas.
The 4.7 inch screen is quite a lot bigger than the 4.3 inch screens found on the other two Sensation handsets. Even though the screen is larger and more spacious, it does have a lower resolution than the Sensation and Sensation XE, with just WVGA on offer. Because of this the Sensation XL does not perform quite as well when it comes to picture quality – although the phone is certainly acceptable in this regards.
The device is also extremely fast, so it is not just large in terms of its physical size. HTC has added a 1.5GHz processor to the device and this really is quick in terms of straight line speed, even though it is just single core. Multitasking is a dream and the phone handles all the multimedia tasks it is meant to with ease. We found the Beats software and HTC’s Watch app to be as smooth as anything – one of the excellent software features that puts the large screen to good use.
The browsing experience on the device is also wonderful and we really enjoyed the large screen which made internet usage a dream come true to be honest. The Sensation also comes with 768MB of RAM, so it is more than capable of utilising short term memory to speed the device up when needed.
The camera on the phone was also great and we found the 8mp shooter to be more than wonderful, especially when teamed up with the large screen. The shots look wonderfully colourful and the video looks very smooth thanks to the screen and the processing power of the phone. Unfortunately this video is just 720p, and not the 1080p found on the original Sensation
The software that runs the phone is also great and really offers a very user friendly experience to people, who will find it no problem to navigate and also entertaining and sleek thanks to the number of HTC apps provided for by the excellent HTC Sense 3.5. This sits on top of Android Gingerbread, which is currently the most up to date version besides Ice Cream Sandwich, which will be reserved for use on the Galaxy Nexus for some time to come anyway. Expect an update to Ice Cream Sandwich in the coming months though.
Having said all of this the central highlight of the Sensation XL is its Beats Audio features. This includes a range of software features for music playback as well as some Dr Dre Beats Audio headphones. The headphones are far higher quality than the sort of headphones that you would expect to find with a smartphone, and combined with the Beats software can provide some extra bass to your music. The extra bass does not work with standard headphones however, even though you are still free to use them if you wish.
Overall the Sensation XL is a triumph and if you don’t mind its size it is one of the best devices out there. Some of its features are a bit of a step down from the original Sensation, including the video camera and processor, and the screen resolution could have been a bit sharper considering the size of the phone. Even so, the large screen makes it well suited for YouTube addicts and the Beats Audio features makes this undoubtedly the best music phone on the market. All in all, the Sensation XL is a fantastic entertainment phone and one of the best HTC phone deals around– albeit one that many people may find a little too large for their liking.
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