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Manufacturer: High Tech Computer (HTC)
Supplier: Telefonica UK (O2 UK)
Product Name: HTC Sensation SE
Price: Varies depending on contract
The Sensation XE has been styled somewhat differently to the original model with the housing colouration enhanced with deep red highlights on the speaker grill and camera bezel with the final touch being that the control buttons are now red instead of white.
Physically the only other change is that the weight has increased from 148 grams to 151 grams, this is likely to be due to the change in the battery specification. The charge capacity has been increased from 1520 to 1730 mAh, giving (according to HTC) an increase in battery life from 500 minutes talk time to 550 minutes (GSM), 420 to 445 on WCDMA. Standby time is also reportedly increased from 285 hours to 310 hours GSM (525 hours to 540 hours WCDMA).
In our review of the original Sensation it was found that the battery reached critical charge levels after around 8 hours usage; with the Sensation XE (under the same usage conditions) the charge lasted a good 10-11 hours. It should be noted however that the battery life limits originally recorded were impacted greatly by Tweetdeck being allowed to refresh on the default interval of 15 minutes for each column. If this interval is eliminated by using manual refreshing then the battery life on both machines was greatly extended. On the XE the battery now lasts a good 18-20 hours before reaching critical charge levels.
This is good news as on the Sensation XE the Dual Core Processor (Qualcomm MSM 8260 Snapdragon processor) is no longer down-clocked to 1.2GHz as it was on the original machine, but is allowed to run at its full 1.5GHz capacity. However those users expecting a noticeable speed increase on the XE are likely to be disappointed, as running the Quadrant benchmark program over 16 cycles resulted in an average benchmark figure of 1699 compared to 1978 on the original model. After resetting the machine a number of times and repeating the benchmark the figure did increase to around the level of 2100-2028 but this is still no great speed increase. Alas in operation it is clear that while HTC Sense still offers a very usable interface to the user the graphical overhead does still greatly impact on the performance of the machine.
The other final internal change to the machine is again down to the partnership with Dr Dre. The Sensation sported SRS virtual sound for use with the wired headphone. On the Sensation XE this has been replaced with 'Beats Audio' which works in conjunction with the provided headset. That is one of the major bonus aspects of the XE; it comes as standard with a pair of custom designed Beats headsets. These appear to be a slightly down-styled variant of the 'ibeats' headset which retails at around £79.99. The headset includes a multitude of differing ear buds so that they accommodate most ear sizes and shapes and the red cabling is thicker than usually found on headsets and designed to be self untangling (which does work in most cases). The headset comes complete with a very nice snap-shut carrying case which is roomy enough to accommodate the headset itself as well as the ear buds.
When the headset is plugged into the XE its presence is automatically detected and the 'beats' logo pops up in the notification tray. If the tray is swiped downwards then you have the option of disabling the Beats Audio system if you so wish. There is a massive amount of difference listening to audio with the supplied headset and the Beats Audio drivers engaged - audio gains a tremendous boost with respect to both bass, depth and expansion of the sound. The sound difference is also very noticeable if watching a movie on the XE, the action becomes greatly enhanced as special effects gain depth and spacial clarity.
The Sensation XE continues the success of the original Sensation being well designed and constructed with a smooth Sense enhanced interface which should meet the needs of most users, from e-mail handling, connectivity, media, social network sharing, as well as less hectic activities such as reading a book or watching a movie.
The Sensation XE serves to build and enhance the Sensation design and if audio quality is something that matters to you then the XE model is the machine to go for!
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Sense 3 enhanced for ease of use and glitz Good amount of internal RAM Smooth in operation eBook reader included Numerous HTC widgets included Sense enhances notifications and reminders Fast locking and reactive GPS system Good voice clarity Enhanced USB functions Enhanced connectivity via DLNA and 3G / Wi-Fi hotspot Custom skinning system (scenes and skins) Handles multiple Exchange accounts 1080P video recording 1080P video playback Dual Core processor qHD screen Gorilla Glass screen DLNA for wireless streaming to TV, etc HTC Sense account for download of additional widgets, feature restore, etc Reasonable quality 8 megapixel camera with good colour balance Good quality intelligent keyboard HTC Watch progressive video system HTC Locations with Premium Content Navigation Beats Audio system for enhanced soundCons:
The boot loader is security locked preventing custom ROM installs The Sense system does somewhat slow the performance of the system
