It's HTC Sensation / HTC Pyramid Day!
Today's HTC Sensation / HTC Pyramid day, and we're expecting the company to reveal its new flagship smartphone complete with a dual-core processor, higher-resolution qHD display and unibody chassis. Based on the leaks so far – our full rumor roundup is here – the Sensation (as we're expecting the handset to be branded) looks to slot in alongside last month's HTC EVO 3D, only without the auto-stereoscopic display.
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.