Updated with video after the cut

There’s a lot to like about the HTC Sensation. While it has the same screen size as the HTC Desire HD, it’s narrower and thinner and, thanks to more distinctly curved edges, feels far more slender in the hand. The bright, clear S-LCD screen also packs in more pixels: 540 x 960 rather than the by-now traditional 480 x 800 of WVGA. It adds up to crisper graphics and smoother text, and makes a significant difference to webpages in full-screen view. HTC has given the edges of the Gorilla Glass display a slight concave finish, serving double-duty to keep the screen off the table if placed face-down, as well as to form a physical lip for your finger to slide up against while scrolling.

The Sensation is one of HTC’s first handsets with a dual-core processor – the HTC EVO 3D has the same 1.2GHz Qualcomm MSM 8260 chipset – and the speed shows in page transitions and how the smartphone handles the increasingly graphically-heavy Sense interface. There are now 3D effects between homescreen pane transitions (spin the homescreen fast enough and the perspective pulls back to show the full carousel in action) with a sprinkling of extra detail for the eagle-eyed: as you rotate the pane with HTC’s familiar oversized clock widget, for instance, you can see the round end of the clock barrel mechanism. Pointless, perhaps, from a functionality standpoint, but evidence of HTC’s joined up thinking with Sense.

The unibody design skirts the line between solid heft and lightweight convenience, and is creak free; that’s helped by the fact that the back panel and edges are one solid piece, into which the screen section slots. The microSD card slot (though not the SIM slot) can be accessed without removing the battery. Ports and controls are limited to power/lock on the top, next to a 3.5mm headphone socket, and a volume rocker and microUSB port with MHL HDMI support on the side; there’s no dedicated camera shortcut key.

HTC doesn’t plan on bundling the MHL HDMI dongle in the box with the Sensation, at least initially; like with the iPad 2′s media adapter, it will be sold separately. In fact, there should be two dongles on offer, one drawing power from the Sensation itself, and another with a separate USB input for externally powering (and recharging the phone) the whole setup. The Sensation will support full screen mirroring, not just video output via HDMI, so everything on-screen will be replicated on your HDTV or projector; it’s capable of 1080p Full HD output.

What users will most likely be pumping out via HDMI is content rented or purchased from HTC Watch, the company’s new media store. Initially offering movies and TV shows – with the possibility of music videos in future, HTC tells us – pricing is yet to be finalized but from what we saw on demo devices the UK pricing looks to be around £0.99 for rentals and £1.99 for purchases. HTC is aiming to preload several trailers and perhaps even a full movie on the Sensation out of the box.

Although the app works well – there are various My Library views including a basic list, separate TV and movies, and full details of content (including user-submitted reviews and the ability to share links to titles through the usual array of Android sharing options) – there are still limitations, primarily around DRM. Up to five HTC devices can be registered to a single account at any one time (you can add/remove one device within a 30 day period) so you could watch purchased movies on, say, your Sensation and your Flyer tablet; however, you can’t transfer the purchases/rentals over to your PC or Mac. There’s also no automatic content sync or bookmarking between devices; if you want a movie on each device you have to trigger a download each time, and there’s no facility to start watching on, say, the Flyer and then pick up where you left off on the Sensation. HTC tells us that’s something they’re working on for the next release of the HTC Watch app.

What won’t be present, unlike on the Flyer, is the OnLive streaming gaming app. In Europe that’s primarily because HTC is yet to finalize the relevant licensing deals, though the Sensation should be capable of running the system on a hardware basis, at least. The company does plan to introduce OnLive to phones, though it will be limited to the top tier of devices (both for brand positioning purposes and because of the minimum hardware specifications demanded).

There’s also no sign of the custom HTC video chat app demonstrated at MWC 2011, which the company tells us is because it still hasn’t managed to gain carrier approval as yet. Carriers are wary of the data load, it seems, though the Sensation’s front-facing camera can still be used with Skype and other video calling apps available in the Android Market. Right now, though, there’s no timescale for the HTC app’s release.

The new Sense works well and, despite the animations and glossy finish, moves slickly on the dual-core CPU. There are various tweaks all through the system; HTC’s Mail app, for instance, now offers optional previews of body text – a choice of 2,3 or 5 lines, along with the sender and the subject line – and the video app now supports clip trimming. Connect to a WiFi network which requires in-browser validation (such as hotel or café landing pages, which demand you click an agreement button before you can get online) and the Sensation will warn you about it. You still get access to the HTC Hub and download store, together with HTC’s own mapping system (with support for offline navigation), and the Mirror app – to use the front-facing camera so as to turn the Sensation into a very expensive pocket mirror – is present just as on the Desire S.

Despite the higher-resolution display, apps scale well. We installed the SlashGear Android app and it worked with no problems on the qHD panel. The online suite of HTCSense.com services will also work as usual. Still, it’s a shame HTC didn’t increase the number of homescreen widget slots available: the traditional 4 x 4 grid seems unnecessarily sparse on a screen of this size and pixel-density.

Nonetheless, it’s hard to escape how polished and complete the HTC Sensation is, and how well it slots into the flagship spot in HTC’s line-up. Fast, handsome and ticking all the key boxes on the spec-sheet, it’s a hugely appealing phone with the potential to take on Samsung’s Galaxy S II and Motorola’s ATRIX 4G. We’ll save final judgement for the full review, but even now it’s clear to see that HTC stands a good chance of retaking the top spot in Android smartphones.

There’s also 1GB of ROM and 768MB of RAM, a microSD slot (with an 8GB card pre-loaded), and  VGA-resolution front-facing camera. Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microUSB port with MHL support for HDMI output (with the appropriate dongle).

The HTC Sensation measures in at 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm and weighs 148g with the standard 1,520 mAh battery, and follows HTC’s unibody aluminum design language with a three-tone rear panel (either graduated grays or a subdued trio of purples). A sheet of toughened Gorilla Glass protects the touchscreen. There’s also GPS/AGPS, a dual-LED flash on the back and the usual gyro, G-sensor, digital compass, proximity sensor and ambient light sensor.

Like the HTC Flyer, the Sensation will come preloaded with HTC Watch, the company’s movie and TV show rental/purchase system. Over 600 titles are expected at launch, including recent big-name movies, with UK pricing expected to be around £0.99 per rental or £1.99 for purchase. Trailers begin playing immediately, over 3G or WiFi, while purchases/rentals can only be downloaded over WiFi and, thanks to some smart buffering, begin playing after around 10 seconds.

Once bought, content is available in an online digital locker, and can be accessed on up to five HTC devices (though not other platforms; you can’t access movies on your PC, for instance); users will be able to add/remove one device per 30 day period. HTC will offer carrier-billing with certain carriers and credit-card payments for everyone else. The Sensation offers SRS WOW audio, or video can be played back via the HDMI output.

With the HTC Sensation, the company introduces a new version of HTC Sense, borrowing some of the cues from the Flyer tablet. There’s a new homescreen with a 3D carousel layout supporting endless scrolling, as well as a redesigned lock-screen that is designed to act as a “real-time window” to important information. Instead of the basic lock-slider from previous Sense devices, there’s a new “launcher ring” to which user-assigned app icons on the lockscreen can be dragged; that instantly unlocks the phone and opens the app. Icons like Mail or Messages can show how many new email or SMS are present.

Multiple lockscreens are on offer, from a basic weather view through stocks and shares, a gallery pulling new images from Flickr, a 3D clock, and Friend Stream social networking updates. Dragging one of those updates or images to the launcher ring automatically opens it in the default app. HTC has also tweaked the camera app so as to reduce the delay in loading it and taking shots; while the Sensation lacks a dedicated camera shortcut key – which HTC says is to preserve the phone’s sleek lines – the “instant capture” feature did seem faster to grab a shot than on previous devices. There’s also touch-focus and stereo audio recording in video, along with basic on-device video editing; during calls, the microphone array is used for active noise cancellation.

The HTC Sensation will see a global launch rather than just European availability. In Europe it will initially arrive – in May or June 2011 – on Vodafone before spreading to other carriers. In the US it will be offered as the HTC Sensation 4G on T-Mobile USA, complete with HSPA+ connectivity. The Sensation will also go on sale in Asia (carriers tbc). No word on pricing at this stage, but expect something in excess of the Desire HD.

We’ll have hands-on photos and video with the HTC Sensation very soon!

Press Release:

HTC UNVEILS MULTIMEDIA SUPERPHONE, THE HTC SENSATION™

HTC continues to introduce advanced entertainment capabilities with the introduction of HTC Watch on the HTC Sensation

LONDON – April 12, 2011 – HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today introduced the HTC Sensation, a smartphone that shines a spotlight on entertainment with HTC’s new HTC Watch™ video service. Crafted with premium design elements, the HTC Sensation features the company’s latest HTC Sense™ experience that puts people at the center by making their smartphones work in a more simple and natural way.
“Smartphones have evolved into pocket-sized entertainment centers that enable people to take their favorite content with them wherever they go,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The HTC Sensation takes this even further by combining the great new HTC Watch entertainment experience with the latest HTC Sense experience to deliver a powerful, evolved multimedia smartphone to our customers.”
“The HTC Sensation integrates multimedia content with relevant, thoughtful features, bringing an exciting new dimension to Vodafone’s smartphone range. The HTC Sensation will be available first in key Vodafone markets from Q2,” said Patrick Chomet, Vodafone’s Group Terminals Director. “The strength of Vodafone and HTC’s partnership is a marker of our commitment to offer our customers truly compelling and market-leading mobile experiences.”
Premium Design and Materials
Tapping into HTC’s trademark design language, the HTC Sensation’s premium look and feel is enhanced by its rounded edges, aluminum unibody construction and the touch screen surface is protected by a contoured screen that feels more natural as a finger is glided across it. The 4.3-inch qHD display delivers high-resolution widescreen viewing and gives the HTC Sensation slender proportions that feel natural in a person’s hand. At the heart of the HTC Sensation beats a powerful, 1.2-gigahertz dual-core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor, which enables gorgeous graphics and all-around fast performance.
HTC Sense
Complementing the HTC Sensation’s premium design is the latest HTC Sense experience that boasts a host of new features and enhancements, helping people to have more fun and get more done. For instance, HTC Sense introduces a customizable active lockscreen experience that transforms the lockscreen into a real-time window to the most important information and content, such as social updates, photos, weather or stock updates that are viewed by simply turning on the display. In addition, the new active lockscreen becomes a customizable gateway that lets people quickly jump to the most used features, like making a phone call, sending an email, taking a picture or anything else with the same quick gesture usually used to unlock the phone. For instance, the camera can be launched right from the lock screen with a single motion, saving precious seconds when you’re trying to capture the action. Sharper graphics, vibrant animations and new widgets make HTC Sense look better than ever and, by continuing to focus on all of the aspects, both large and small, that make HTC Sense special, HTC introduces a more cinematic and immersive weather experience with stunning imagery and audible weather effects.

HTC Sense also makes it easy to have fun by enabling people to capture and share special moments. The HTC Sensation’s 8-megapixel camera doesn’t just shoot gorgeous photos but, with the new instant capture feature, lets people capture the moments they want without worrying about missing or keeping up with the action. The HTC Sensation also shoots full HD video in 1080p resolution, with full stereo sound, at up to 30 frames a second, giving you smooth video that is better than many other phones. With the new Video Trimmer tool, people can crop their clips to the perfect size for easy sharing with friends and family.

HTC Watch
The HTC Sensation is a smartphone that is built from the ground up for a sophisticated, evolved multimedia experience. The 4.3” widescreen display means that users can watch movies like they were meant to be seen – in their full cinematic glory, with no cropping or letterboxing. The HTC Sensation is also the first smartphone to feature HTC Watch – an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest, premium movies and TV shows right at your fingertips, letting people discover the latest video content in an easy and visually engaging way. HTC Watch uses progressive download technology that makes it possible to watch videos without waiting for a huge file to finish downloading. HTC Watch offers the choice of renting or buying videos, and if purchased, lets you watch them on up to five different HTC devices.

Availability
The HTC Sensation will be broadly available through Vodafone across major European markets. It will also be available in Asian markets in Q2 2011.

To be blunt, for most users that won’t be much of a loss. Glasses-free 3D certainly has its charms – the Nintendo 3DS is an interesting use of the display technology, especially when you look at its augmented reality games – but it’s arguable whether it adds significantly to the everyday smartphone experience. On that front, it’s the HTC Sensation’s expected 540 x 960 display that will make the real difference.

A welcome step up from the WVGA (480 x 800) of most Android devices today, the extra pixels will make the Sensation’s 4.3-inch display crisper and make images, text and webpages easier to read and more visually-pleasing. Considering how much web-surfing these big-screen phones end up doing – and the scarcity of mobile 3D content – that’s probably a better use of resources; the Sensation is likely to be at the top end of the price scale, and a 3D panel would only add to that with minimal returns.

What remains to be seen is where, exactly, the HTC Sensation will go on sale. HTC has traditionally had a split between its US and European ranges, with devices launched in one region generally taking their time before reaching the other region’s shores (if at all). That could mean the Sensation is a Euro-exclusive, or HTC might surprise us all with broader availability. Perhaps pentaband 3G, as on Nokia’s recent phones, is too much to ask for, but we can’t help but hope for a true “world phone” content with AT&T and T-Mobile USA 3G, along with the bands in use in Europe and Asia.

HTC’s event kicks off at around 1pm BST (8am EST) and we’ll be there bringing back all the news as it’s breaking, complete with hands-on with whatever the company announces.

First, let’s go back to the beginning of this epic tale. It began one cold February afternoon when we happened upon a tip which lead us to an awesome-sounding phone by the name of HTC Pyramid. This phone was set to have a Qualcomm 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon MSM8260 processor and a fat 4.3-inch qHD 960 x 650 display. Sounds good!

Then somewhere in between there and this next story, it was said that the HTC Desire 2 would be the Euro version of this phone. That was proven incorrect by an inventory list leaked to show both the HTC Pyramid and the HTC Desire 2 to be two separate items. This list also showed a stack of other HTC items we’d not heard about at that point, several of them turning up Milhouse just weeks later.

Most of these items turned up at CTIA 2011, a place where we were supposed to also see the Pyramid along with a device called the HTC Doubleshot. Seemed all well and good, that did, but it didn’t happen. Then came a weird whopper right after we got back: HTC Pyramid Revealed as Android 3.0 Honeycomb Phone – this is something we’re extremely hesitant to point to as possible fact, simply because we expect Ice Cream to be the one to provide the bridge between Gingerbread and Honeycomb. Honeycomb is made for tablets, not just giant phones like this one.

Photos begin to be released at this point (in the revealed link) and continue to show up “in the wild.” Then we see another set of photos showing the Pyramid sitting next to the HTC Desire HD, qHD display and front-facing camera in tow. Then yet another source leaked some lovely photos, this time with the big fat battery cover off.

Then two more items, the first being the name quite possibly being HTC Sensation, the name HTC Pyramid having just been a pre-launch code. Possible? I think so! Then an event – coming up on April 12, 2011, an HTC joint where we might very possibly see this device come up!

Are you pumped up? Can you barely contain yourself? It’s a Pyramid Sensation!

The source couldn’t clear up any questions of pricing, availability, network support or specifications, though, leaving us still working on previously leaked information. In addition to the large display and speedy chipset, the Pyramid/Sensation is expected to have an 8-megapixel rear camera, a VGA front camera, WiFi b/g/n, 768MB of RAM and HTC Sense 3.0.

That’s roughly in line with the HTC EVO 3D, announced at CTIA 2011 for Sprint last month, though of course without the glasses-free 3D-capable display. The EVO 3D has also been confirmed for a European launch, though there’s no timescale for its release. SlashGear will be at HTC’s event next week to bring back all the details.

[via Android Community]

10. April Fools Tech Roundup

9. Google vs. CNN on Facial Recognition App
Google Working on Facial Recognition App [UPDATE: False!]
Google’s Facial Recognition App Found Falsified by CNN [Update: CNN statement]
Face-Recognition app lights firestorm between Google and CNN [Updated]

8. Google +1 Button
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Google +1: So Simple These Babies Get It

7. HTC April 12 Event: Pyramid or Honeycomb tablets?

6. HTC Arrive
HTC Arrive Review

5. HTC Desire S
HTC Desire S Review

4. iPad 2: The Skeptic’s Review

3. Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play Review
Sony Ericsson confirms XPERIA Play shipping delay; will miss April 1 release on some carriers
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play on sale now: Are you buying?

2. ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Official Launch, Price and Date
ASUS Eee Pad First Impressions and Video
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ASUS Eee Pad Transformer At Best Buy Soon For $400

1. Google Pushing For Anti-Fragmentation Of Android Platform
Google Android Anti-Fragmentation Push is Vital
Google puts Android on lock-down: Non-fragmentation contracts, standardized ARM chips, more

There’s an interesting liquid-metal theme to the invite, though we’re not sure whether that’s a giveaway as to the identity of the device or devices HTC might be showing. Most likely candidates are the HTC Pyramid and the European version of the HTC EVO 3D (with GSM support rather than CDMA for Sprint).

Of course, it could also be a new Windows Phone device, though so far we’re yet to hear of any leaks or rumors suggesting such a handset is in the pipeline. Meanwhile, HTC is also believed to be readying two more tablets, running Android 3.0 and with screen sizes around 10-inches (rather than the Flyer‘s 7-inch panel) so it could well be one or both of those. We’ll find out for sure on April 12, so join SlashGear then for all the details!

You already know about the lovely swoop along the back, but now we know for sure that this is a single back battery cover covering a very familiar set of insides. With the details we’re seeing here, we’re feeling like this is set to be a VERY close relative to the HTC EVO 3D, a phone we go to check out very close at CTIA 2011. This phone has, instead of 3D cameras, an 8-megapixel camera on the back and a VGA webcam on the front.

This phone is capable of connecting along Wifi 802.11 b/g/n, rolls out the gate with the new HTC Sense 3.0, and has an ever-so-slightly-different look in its UI than we saw in Sense at CTIA 2011 – something about the tones! Perhaps just a customization done by the owner of the phone. Finally, this phone currently has Android 2.3.2, the same version we’ve been seeing for phones coming out fairly soon, fairly as in within weeks – exciting!

[via Android Community]

No new spec information, so we’re still going on previous details. From the size of the HTC Desire HD next to it, the 4.3-inch display seems to be a lock-in (hopefully along with the 960 x 540 rumored resolution), while inside we’re expecting a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor. The camera and dual-LED flash are obviously visible, together with HTC’s unibody-style construction, with the camera expected to come in at 8-megapixels (and be accompanied by a 1.3-megapixel webcam up front).

Still to be confirmed is whether the processor is a single- or dual-core chip – we’re thinking the latter, making it HTC’s first dual-core smartphone – and which version of the OS will be loaded. The last set of rumors suggested Android 3.0 Honeycomb, better known as Google’s tablet-centric version of the platform, though with that build’s fragments technology apps should be able to accommodate the smaller display size on offer.

[via Android Community]

Inside this lovely phone, you’ll find a 1.2GHz processor that’s yet unnamed, a big huge 8-megapixel camera on the back, and a tiny camera on the front for video chat sized to the tune of 1.3-megapixels. The back also features autofocus and a single LED flash. The display on this phone is a 4.3-inch Super-LCD touchscreen with 960 x 540 pixel resolution. Also inside you’ll find Wifi along unknown bands, Bluetooth of an unknown version, and a suite of apps we imagine won’t be unlike its close relatives.

Let’s discuss for a moment what this phone having Android 3.0 Honeycomb could mean for the user. First of all, Honeycomb was designed with fragments, these fragments for all intensive purposes making Honeycomb a diverse enough situation to be able to work on this small a phone, but, as a person who’s used this operating system on a tablet, I must say it’ll be a little odd having it function on such a small screen. Buttons meant to be big, and all that. On the other hand, it might just be that the original source for this information added 3.0 instead of 2.3, which would be Android 2.3 Gingerbread, which would make a whole lot more sense.

We shall see!

[via Android Community]

The HTC Flyer is already believed to be a lock-in for MWC 2011 in a little over a week’s time, one of what SlashGear is hearing will be two HTC slates for the Barcelona show (the other doesn’t get a mention in this particular inventory). As for the Desire 2 – which we’ve been told by other sources will actually be the HTC Desire S – that would replace the year-old Desire smartphone announced at MWC 2010. The HTC Wildfire S would, similarly, be a replacement to the existing entry-level Android Wildfire.

As for the LG Star Tab, that certainly sounds like a tablet but it’s not clear how – or if – it will differ from the LG Optimus Tab (aka the European version of the LG G-Tablet) which the company has already confirmed will be officially launched at the show. It’s possible that it could be an early codename; the Optimus 2X launched in Korea as the LG Star, for example.

It’s the HTC Pyramid reference that has us uncertain, though; the dual-core smartphone was only leaked on Thursday last week and, from what SlashGear sources have been telling us, won’t be making its official debut at Mobile World Congress. Instead we’re expecting it around the middle of the year. So, over-enthusiastic database management or something else: we’ll find out at MWC very shortly.

That’s also the same resolution as the ATRIX 4G, and a pleasant step up from what’s seemingly become the Android standard of WVGA 800 x 480. Pixel density will be down from Apple’s smaller 3.5-inch screen, of course, but for many users the iPhone 4′s display is too small for their liking anyway.

There’s also HSPA+ support, which makes sense because T-Mobile USA is believed to have picked up the HTC Pyramid with sales expected in May 2011. No word on whether this is one of the devices we’ll see at MWC 2011 in a few weeks time.

[via Android Community]