Review of HTC Sensation
When I “stamped” reviews of several pieces a week, I sometimes hated myself for telling me about devices I sometimes didn't have time to figure out. Or he understood it thoroughly, but he did it in “express mode” to make the review “hot” for the time being. But often the full impression of the device is formed only when you use it for a month or two, you will try it in all sorts of situations.
Today I want to talk about the HTC Sensation communicator - I have been using it for more than a month, it is being sold for even longer ... but I think that since this is a flagship, you can't rush to conclusions, and now is just the time that the price tag is just starting to come in order. On the net, you can easily find more detailed reviews, but I’ll tell you only about the key points. Caution traffic.
')
I had a wonderful communicator HTC HD2 , once the company's flagship - he faithfully served me a year and a half. A stunningly successful model, both in terms of the case (for all the time, no scratches appeared on its screen, and the age gave only a peeling back cover lacquer, which for $ 5 can be ordered from an ebay), and in terms of software - on this device at least three operating systems can work (standard WM, Android and WP7 ). On duty, I had to port an android there and ... and, as they say, it began. It seems to be working, but some unobvious shortcomings began to slowly drive crazy. In general, I pretty quickly experimented and realized that even if I took the communicator, it was only with my “native” android. All I wanted now was to find the same successful model for a year or two. I wanted calm :)
The ability to "feel" many new products helped a lot with this plan - it immediately became clear what the joy would be incomplete with. But the "full" joy to find everything somehow did not succeed, everywhere something repelled - the case is inconvenient, then the software is ugly, then there is no work. And then I was once called to the presentation (sales start in Russia) HTC Sensation - I twisted it like that… well, and decided to take a chance.
At this boring introduction ends and I invite you to watch (preferably in HD) a single video, from which much becomes clear:
I draw your attention to the fact that in the video there is not a “freshly printed” android, but a completely tortured (for a month with a tail) system. If there are still doubts after the video, I suggest reading the remaining text part of the review :) The predecessor of the “sensation” is considered to be Desire HD, but for lack of it, I will occasionally “remember” HD2.
Operating system : Google Android 2.3 c shell HTC Sense 3.0
Communications : GSM / EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS / HSDPA 900/2100 MHz
Processor : Qualcomm MSM 8260 with a frequency of 1.2 GHz (dual-core)
Memory : 768 MB (RAM), 1 GB (for data storage) and a slot for a microSD memory card up to 32 GB (8 GB card included)
Interfaces : Wi-Fi (802.11b / g / n), Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB (also known as an HDMI through adapter), 3.5 mm miniJack for a headset
Screen : 4.3 "(Super LCD, 540x960), touchscreen, capacitive type
Camera : 8 MP with autofocus, LED flash
Navigation : GPS, aGPS
Optional : FM radio, light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer, wear-resistant screen, metal body
Battery : Li-Ion, 1520 mAh
Dimensions : 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm
Weight : 148 g
Average price: 22 000 rubles
The communicator's packaging traditionally has the shape of a brick, but this time it turned black and slightly smaller:
A brick doesn’t hide anything special in itself - the device itself, charging, wire, paper and wired headset:
Later it turned out that an 8GB microSD card was inserted into the device itself, but even with it such a bundle cannot be called “flagship” - there is not even a simple case, as was the case with the same HD2. By the way, Sensation fits into that standard case just perfect - now it lives right there, out of harm's way.
Probably, you have already paid attention to the fact that there is too much red color on the packaging - the matter is that MTS, together with which a special action was organized. The fact is that the device was officially presented in Russia only on June 3, and for the first few weeks the phone could only be bought in the operator’s salons at a price of 26,990 rubles. The essence of the promotion lies in the fact that when using the SIM card of this operator in the phone, the user is provided with a “unlimited” mobile Internet free of charge for a whole year at the Bit rate. I will say even more - free Internet will be at ANY phone of the company, bought in ANY store until the end of August 2011! But ... in practice, the Internet is even very limited - no more than 50 MB per day. That, in other matters, is also not bad - I know quite a few people who “fear” the android just because he allegedly constantly climbs to the Internet and is pumping something there. However, the price for such a “limited edition” is an indelible logo on the back of the device, a “red” theme and a handful of unnecessary pre-installed applications.
Now you can buy Sensation without the “egg”, which is more appropriate for users of other operators.
Design HTC Sensation can not be called unique - from a distance of a meter somewhere in the subway, you can hardly distinguish it from other devices of the company. On the other hand, is it necessary that everyone, from a distance of one meter, see that it is Sensation that you have? For me, for example, no - for me it is much more important that the phone is comfortable and practical in everyday use. And it is here that the “sensation” just succeeds!
You should start with the metal frame of HTC Unibody, which is used in this model (something similar has already happened before) - it's easier to look at the picture than to try to explain the shape of the construction of this piece of iron.
Beautiful and unusual, and the main charm is that it quite competently "fits" the phone stuffing around the perimeter, increasing the survivability of the device. For example, if you look at the display of the device, which occupies almost the entire area of the front side, you will notice that it is slightly “recessed” in the device case. At first I didn’t like it (there was an extra glare), but after a while I realized that this was done so that the screen was “new” as long as possible - even though Gorilla glass is used here, but why try fate again? And so you put the phone screen down and you know that nothing will happen to it - the device will lie on the metal edge of the case.
Unfortunately, the “sensation” cannot boast of the all-metal case, so part of the back panel is still made of soft-touch plastic of two different colors - the resulting tricolor looks pretty cool. As a result, the case turned out to be very practical - a very good combination of materials (judging by experience with HD2, where they were the same), which are much more pleasant to the touch than plastic from some Sony Ericsson Arc or Samsung Galaxy SII. I understand that for the sake of the hull alone you will not be able to buy an expensive phone ... but you will agree, it is pleasant when even such small things as the material and the lack of prints on it are pleasing. After all, of the two identical outwardly shirts, you too will surely choose the one that will be more pleasant to touch.
Above the screen, everything is standard - a system LED, a front camera eye and a conversational speaker grid. The grid is very small, so over time it will become clogged with dust (as in any other phone). But there is another unobvious moment in it - there is a chrome-plated frame around the loudspeaker grid, in which because of the small curvature of the groove glares from any light source constantly appear - at first it often confused me, as it often looked like white Light-emitting diode.
As I said, the screen is somewhat recessed in the case, and therefore all the touch buttons located below it:
The buttons have a nice white backlight and get used to them quickly. However, I like the hardware buttons more.
There are not so many functional elements around the case - the button in the key (s) and the minjack on the top, as well as the volume rocker and the microUSB connector on the right. It is difficult to get confused, but the lack of a camera button again upsets
Well, a few words about the reverse side. It traditionally has an external speaker, camera and LED backlight:
This time they didn’t decide to protect the camera in any tricky way - they simply “drowned” it in the case. On the one hand, it is reliable and in this situation there will never be any prints on the camera ... on the other hand, there will almost always be dust on it that will clog into this very recess. How to deal with it? The only way out is to remove the cover and wipe / blow all that has accumulated under it.
The cover can be removed easily - you need to press a small “button” at the bottom, after which the body will be divided into two parts. A curious design, but there is one trick in all of this - the contacts of various antennas of the device are displayed on the lid, which should not be disturbed once again. But how then to be, if the cover should be removed constantly to remove dust from the camera? Dilemma. Five small holes in the back of the lid add oil to the fire, through which it is even easier for the dust to get inside the device.
Inside the device, a 1520 mAh battery is installed - a small figure for modern pocket monsters, but it is good that the phone works with it easily, “working day”, and in a rather active mode. With energy consumption, things are much better than in their predecessors and competitors, which is good news. If the phone is used only for calls (when all the rest of the time it just lies without any Wi-Fi and synchronization), then the battery lasts for 4-5 days.
The SuperLCD display is somewhat inferior to the Galaxy SII AMOLED solution in terms of brightness and color saturation, but the poor and faded screen cannot be said to be on the HTC Sensation. It is excellent, with large viewing angles, as well as it is fully operational in sunny weather.
Compared to iPhone4:
Despite the fact that the HD2 and Sensation diagonals are the same, the resolution of the second is bigger:
Speaking about the external dimensions of the device, it’s a sin not to compare it with what the flagship models from other manufacturers offer - I managed to assemble HTC HD2, HTC Sensation, Samsung Galaxy SII, Sony Ericsson Arc, iPhone 4 and Nokia N8 at one space-time point. In terms of records, the flagship from HTC has nothing special to do - except for the protrusion of the camera in the Nokia N8 (there is no such thing in the E7), then the “sensation” is the thickest :)
On the other hand, if you compare it with the most subtle competitors (with the "galaxy" and the "arch"), it is clear that the difference is minimal.
And ... again, who cares about these grams and millimeters? If at other times we are ready to put extended batteries that turn all the advantages upside down.
But in terms of the size of the “shovel” itself, Senseyshen is quite modest - this is despite the fact that the diagonal in it is the same as that of other “champions”.
Some devices have an HDMI connector - a microUSB connector is quite suitable for this role in Sensation. Only initially you need to get an adapter that is not included :)
Summarizing in appearance. Despite the huge diagonal, the device does not seem to be in the hand “shovel” - even the fragile female pen can reach the top buttons on the screen. The device does not set records in weight or size, but you cannot call it huge and heavy. There are enough design flaws (only touch buttons, no camera button, a dilemma with a hidden camera and “antenna holes”), but on the whole “sensation” produces exceptionally pleasant sensations - everything is harmonious, balanced. It feels expensive breed, something in plastic competitors or not, or it is not at all obvious.
It can be seen that the creation of the device came with the soul, but could do better if you wanted. HTC HD2 in terms of design, I still consider the most successful (although there is something to modify) - if you fit the Sensation stuffing into its case ... that would be a real hit!
For a long time I couldn’t decide whether to write this section or not - inside Sensation, the most common Android version 2.3.3 is installed and how it flies you saw at the very beginning of the review. Tell about android? Why, if everyone cares about it anyway. Well, okay, let's talk a little about the inner world of the piece of iron - for the sake of completeness ... and so, all of a sudden someone else did not see the “green robot” :)
All screenshots are clickable!
It takes about 7 (!) Seconds to press the power button until the system is fully turned on. Immediately after this, 7 desktops appear in front of the user, between which “inertial” switching appeared. I don’t remember the original view of the screens, but now it looks like this for me:
In addition to the latest android, the company has provided a novelty also with the latest version (3.0) of its wonderful HTC Sense interface. You know ... you can buy devices from HTC only for at least one of this shell - undoubtedly, this is the best that is on android-communicators out of the box. I just do not know another company that would pay so much attention to the appearance of the android interface - everywhere there are some kind of stupid ryushechki who combine wretchedness, inconvenience and brakes. And here ... everything is not just beautiful and licked to the smallest detail - I don’t want to stop using it all!
Of course, the appearance is customizable, and in some detail - any widgets, icons, themes. Each of the themes is also done to the conscience and is not limited to just changing the wallpaper - in a couple of clicks here you can switch from one beautiful design to something completely different. It is a pleasure to experiment, and if suddenly the ruffles seem small - they can always be downloaded from the HTC site.
Separately, you can pokoldovat over the appearance and lock screen, which is configured no less flexible.
By the way about the lock screen. If on other devices, at best, there is some kind of slider-unlocker, then HTC went further - in Sense 3.0, lockscreen literally blossomed. A special ring appeared on it - if you pull it up, the screen unlocks ... and if you drag it onto (or onto) one of the four icons, the corresponding application will start. Well cool?
I noticed a bug : if you start the camera from the lock screen, sometimes it does not have a shutter button - you have to exit the application and start the camera in the traditional way.
I like the Androids feature with authorization “by drawing” - it is much more convenient than any passwords (like on the same iPhone).
Noticed the moon ?! It allows you to guess without a clock reading that the review was written at night :) The weather is the most beautiful advantage of the Sense shell - it is sometimes more pleasant to look at the screen than the window. Of the possible weather options, only a meteor shower and a thunderstorm, snow, sun, etc. are not visualized. pleased users in previous versions of the shell. It looks extremely impressive and over time does not bother.
There are enough weather widgets - you won't be left without weather information, and nothing prevents you from monitoring the weather in several cities.
The taskbar (pulled from the top) in Sense 3.0 has become even more convenient - there are two tabs in it. The first contains the task manager and all sorts of system notifications, and the second - the key "switches", such as wi-fi, mobile Internet, bluetooth, gps, and so on - everything can be turned into one click in (s).
The standard keyboard is quite comfortable and good even if it has very large buttons - if the screen technology allowed, it would be convenient to type even in boxing gloves. But no matter how good the standard keyboards are, I always put Swype on without thinking - it’s hard to think of any faster way to enter text. Not only is it fast, it's also convenient - long messages are typed quickly, even blindly, standing somewhere in a crowd of people in a subway car. The official site of Swype clearly states that for qHD-resolution there is no version of the program with the Russian language, but the craftsmen with w3bsit3-dns.com have solved this problem long ago.
The message window also changed, the dialogues became more licked ... but here I am using something "non-standard", namely, the WhatsApp program, to which I try to transplant all my friends and acquaintances. For more information, use Google, but if in brief - this is a chat with reference to a phone number. How is it different from any ICQ? Yes, in principle, nothing ... except that the messages here come under almost any circumstances. Just try and understand everything, and you will soon be able to buy something useful for money saved (on sms and calls).
The address book has remained almost unchanged, however, what is there to change in it - it is much more convenient in its original form than on any iPhone (at least by the way of finding the right contact by name). As elsewhere, there are drawbacks - the most unpleasant for me is that every synchronization with Google makes normal contact photos terrible in quality - can you somehow fight this?
The device has 768 MB of RAM installed, of which about 200 MB remains for the user's needs - this is enough for the average geek. The video shows that I launch one application after another (including such heavy ones as “Navitel”) and everything works quite quickly. Also in everyday use - you use everything without the slightest thoughts about the task manager. Although it is better to close everything as far as possible, it will last longer.
There is no hint of brakes - the 1.2-gigahertz processor knows its business (by the way, most of the time it works at much lower frequencies). Dual core Yes, she is, but she really has never come in handy for me on the communicator :)
This is how the market looks like:
And so - some standard utilities. For example, a calculator (in the horizontal mode, the engineering mode is turned on):
Radio. It has the function of auto scanning FM-range with the possibility of further assignment of any name to each station. The only pity is that you will not listen to the radio without headphones - the standard problem of many non-core "radios".
Youtube player. Able to play even HD-content - if the channel allows.
Google’s voice search began to work quite well - if six months ago he recognized 3 of 5 words of mine, now he is almost not mistaken:
Driving consistently on the phone, he also drew attention to such a function as Locations, which he did not attach much importance to before. Listen, they came up with a great idea ... and it works! :) Especially convenient in some unfamiliar place.
As for the “full-fledged” navigation, then Sensation was also a little upset - if licensed Navitel with multitouch support was pre-installed on HD2, then there was no such luxury from the beginning - I had to download it. And along with it, Yandex.Maps, the subway map, normal Opera and Runkeeper are a small part of the programs I use, the screenshots to which I did for some reason)
Installed programs are divided into 4 tabs - "All", "MTS", "Frequent" (Useful tab) and "Downloaded". The full list of apps on HTC Sensation looks like .
The settings for the Android OS are pretty typical , I will not dwell on them.
I'll tell you about the camera. As I said, the device has two cameras - front (0.3 megapixels) and rear (8). It is a pity that such a weak camera module is used for the flagship model from the front - photos from it will not fit anywhere. What is she for? Until recently, it could be used (in good light) as a mirror, but finally a miracle happened - the latest version of Skype began to support video calls on Sensation. You can laugh at such a “miracle”, but I appreciated it at the true worth at the beginning of the year when I flew to Istanbul - I had iPad2 3G with me and, having bought a local sim card, I often chatted with my wife and child, showing them local sights . By the way, it was proved :) How much money would I have spent on communication during a conversation via cellular communication? I do not want to think. And then - chatter, albeit with a crap, but with the video. Conveniently.
The rear camera is much more powerful - it has an LED flash (of two diodes), so that it can be removed both during the day and at night. I also expected the quality of images to be different - despite the 8 megapixels, the output photographs take an average of 1 megabyte, while the 8-megapixel cameras of other cameras fit 2-4 MB. Understandably, compression (for publications in various twitter and facebook), but sometimes the overhaul is very much striking. Another disadvantage of the camera is the pink spot in the center of the camera, which becomes noticeable when photographing something white. This is a rather frequent “bug” of many devices - for the first time I met it on my HD2, now it is on the Sensation and on the next-lying Galaxy SII.
Autofocus slow and not very "tenacious" - to shoot a dynamic scene will be very problematic even with good lighting, not to mention darkness. Record FullHD-video is supported, but it is written in 3GP-format. The quality is pretty good, although I almost never take off the phone.
Sample photos:
To draw a line - the camera in the HTC Sensation is not perfect, but no worse than those installed in many other devices. Soon I will write about it separately and in more detail.
Excellent ergonomics, despite the size.
Metal frame and practical body materials
Large and bright screen, "showing" even in sunny weather
The shell of HTC Sense 3.0 is the best thing that is now in the world of communicators.
Productive stuffing, a lot of memory and incredibly fast work.
Low grade. At the flagship something.
Without hardware buttons, the world will appear gray.
The quality of the camera leaves much to be desired. It would be better if there was no front camera.
MTS logo on branded devices. How did they just think of this ...
Locked bootloader ... but no, it seems to have been unblocked already :) So
The advantages of battery life can not be attributed, but the disadvantages can not be - taking into account the processor power and the diagonal of the screen, the battery "honestly" work out the average working day, which sometimes can not even less productive competitors.
You will not complain about the price tag - even initially it was significantly lower (26990) than the flagship models of communicators from other manufacturers. Now, if you do not chase the "whiteness" of the device, you can easily meet the quite acceptable 18 thousand rubles.
Once I talked to the author of reviews of one of the most authoritative publications on mobile devices - then he had in his hands a simple telephone, almost with a black and white screen. He said that “ he doesn’t need anything more, just call and write sms ” - I then accepted these words with a smile, thinking to myself “well, yeah, don’t need it!” :) Now, having played enough with all sorts of gadgets, I more and more I come to the conclusion that you really do not need it - you just never wait for the perfect communicator in all respects.
I bought a tablet, which now has email, websites, twitter, games, video, and navigation — HTC Sensation does an excellent job with all this, but whatever one may do, and doing it all on a truly large screen is much more convenient. Especially, if the performance and battery life only contribute to this. And if, until recently, such a statement would be a direct hint at the iPad, now there is a choice - Flyer from HTC, GalaxyTab from Samsung and so on. So try to determine your needs, as it will be more and more difficult to navigate the range of devices every day.
No, I did not get rid of the communicator - now it is increasingly fulfilling its core functions, so it works much longer. And it is for this reason that for me the few differences in the "shovels" from different manufacturers are being gradually erased. Megahertz, megabytes, megapixels, inches - I understand schoolchildren and schoolgirls, but are real IT-students on this still underway?
If they are, then yes, HTC Sensation is really good :) If revenues allow, then I can safely recommend this device.
Have a good weekend!
Today I want to talk about the HTC Sensation communicator - I have been using it for more than a month, it is being sold for even longer ... but I think that since this is a flagship, you can't rush to conclusions, and now is just the time that the price tag is just starting to come in order. On the net, you can easily find more detailed reviews, but I’ll tell you only about the key points. Caution traffic.
')
I had a wonderful communicator HTC HD2 , once the company's flagship - he faithfully served me a year and a half. A stunningly successful model, both in terms of the case (for all the time, no scratches appeared on its screen, and the age gave only a peeling back cover lacquer, which for $ 5 can be ordered from an ebay), and in terms of software - on this device at least three operating systems can work (standard WM, Android and WP7 ). On duty, I had to port an android there and ... and, as they say, it began. It seems to be working, but some unobvious shortcomings began to slowly drive crazy. In general, I pretty quickly experimented and realized that even if I took the communicator, it was only with my “native” android. All I wanted now was to find the same successful model for a year or two. I wanted calm :)
The ability to "feel" many new products helped a lot with this plan - it immediately became clear what the joy would be incomplete with. But the "full" joy to find everything somehow did not succeed, everywhere something repelled - the case is inconvenient, then the software is ugly, then there is no work. And then I was once called to the presentation (sales start in Russia) HTC Sensation - I twisted it like that… well, and decided to take a chance.
At this boring introduction ends and I invite you to watch (preferably in HD) a single video, from which much becomes clear:
I draw your attention to the fact that in the video there is not a “freshly printed” android, but a completely tortured (for a month with a tail) system. If there are still doubts after the video, I suggest reading the remaining text part of the review :) The predecessor of the “sensation” is considered to be Desire HD, but for lack of it, I will occasionally “remember” HD2.
Specifications
Operating system : Google Android 2.3 c shell HTC Sense 3.0
Communications : GSM / EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS / HSDPA 900/2100 MHz
Processor : Qualcomm MSM 8260 with a frequency of 1.2 GHz (dual-core)
Memory : 768 MB (RAM), 1 GB (for data storage) and a slot for a microSD memory card up to 32 GB (8 GB card included)
Interfaces : Wi-Fi (802.11b / g / n), Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB (also known as an HDMI through adapter), 3.5 mm miniJack for a headset
Screen : 4.3 "(Super LCD, 540x960), touchscreen, capacitive type
Camera : 8 MP with autofocus, LED flash
Navigation : GPS, aGPS
Optional : FM radio, light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer, wear-resistant screen, metal body
Battery : Li-Ion, 1520 mAh
Dimensions : 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm
Weight : 148 g
Average price: 22 000 rubles
Equipment
The communicator's packaging traditionally has the shape of a brick, but this time it turned black and slightly smaller:
A brick doesn’t hide anything special in itself - the device itself, charging, wire, paper and wired headset:
Later it turned out that an 8GB microSD card was inserted into the device itself, but even with it such a bundle cannot be called “flagship” - there is not even a simple case, as was the case with the same HD2. By the way, Sensation fits into that standard case just perfect - now it lives right there, out of harm's way.
Appearance
Probably, you have already paid attention to the fact that there is too much red color on the packaging - the matter is that MTS, together with which a special action was organized. The fact is that the device was officially presented in Russia only on June 3, and for the first few weeks the phone could only be bought in the operator’s salons at a price of 26,990 rubles. The essence of the promotion lies in the fact that when using the SIM card of this operator in the phone, the user is provided with a “unlimited” mobile Internet free of charge for a whole year at the Bit rate. I will say even more - free Internet will be at ANY phone of the company, bought in ANY store until the end of August 2011! But ... in practice, the Internet is even very limited - no more than 50 MB per day. That, in other matters, is also not bad - I know quite a few people who “fear” the android just because he allegedly constantly climbs to the Internet and is pumping something there. However, the price for such a “limited edition” is an indelible logo on the back of the device, a “red” theme and a handful of unnecessary pre-installed applications.
Now you can buy Sensation without the “egg”, which is more appropriate for users of other operators.
Design HTC Sensation can not be called unique - from a distance of a meter somewhere in the subway, you can hardly distinguish it from other devices of the company. On the other hand, is it necessary that everyone, from a distance of one meter, see that it is Sensation that you have? For me, for example, no - for me it is much more important that the phone is comfortable and practical in everyday use. And it is here that the “sensation” just succeeds!
You should start with the metal frame of HTC Unibody, which is used in this model (something similar has already happened before) - it's easier to look at the picture than to try to explain the shape of the construction of this piece of iron.
Beautiful and unusual, and the main charm is that it quite competently "fits" the phone stuffing around the perimeter, increasing the survivability of the device. For example, if you look at the display of the device, which occupies almost the entire area of the front side, you will notice that it is slightly “recessed” in the device case. At first I didn’t like it (there was an extra glare), but after a while I realized that this was done so that the screen was “new” as long as possible - even though Gorilla glass is used here, but why try fate again? And so you put the phone screen down and you know that nothing will happen to it - the device will lie on the metal edge of the case.
Unfortunately, the “sensation” cannot boast of the all-metal case, so part of the back panel is still made of soft-touch plastic of two different colors - the resulting tricolor looks pretty cool. As a result, the case turned out to be very practical - a very good combination of materials (judging by experience with HD2, where they were the same), which are much more pleasant to the touch than plastic from some Sony Ericsson Arc or Samsung Galaxy SII. I understand that for the sake of the hull alone you will not be able to buy an expensive phone ... but you will agree, it is pleasant when even such small things as the material and the lack of prints on it are pleasing. After all, of the two identical outwardly shirts, you too will surely choose the one that will be more pleasant to touch.
Above the screen, everything is standard - a system LED, a front camera eye and a conversational speaker grid. The grid is very small, so over time it will become clogged with dust (as in any other phone). But there is another unobvious moment in it - there is a chrome-plated frame around the loudspeaker grid, in which because of the small curvature of the groove glares from any light source constantly appear - at first it often confused me, as it often looked like white Light-emitting diode.
As I said, the screen is somewhat recessed in the case, and therefore all the touch buttons located below it:
The buttons have a nice white backlight and get used to them quickly. However, I like the hardware buttons more.
There are not so many functional elements around the case - the button in the key (s) and the minjack on the top, as well as the volume rocker and the microUSB connector on the right. It is difficult to get confused, but the lack of a camera button again upsets
Well, a few words about the reverse side. It traditionally has an external speaker, camera and LED backlight:
This time they didn’t decide to protect the camera in any tricky way - they simply “drowned” it in the case. On the one hand, it is reliable and in this situation there will never be any prints on the camera ... on the other hand, there will almost always be dust on it that will clog into this very recess. How to deal with it? The only way out is to remove the cover and wipe / blow all that has accumulated under it.
The cover can be removed easily - you need to press a small “button” at the bottom, after which the body will be divided into two parts. A curious design, but there is one trick in all of this - the contacts of various antennas of the device are displayed on the lid, which should not be disturbed once again. But how then to be, if the cover should be removed constantly to remove dust from the camera? Dilemma. Five small holes in the back of the lid add oil to the fire, through which it is even easier for the dust to get inside the device.
Inside the device, a 1520 mAh battery is installed - a small figure for modern pocket monsters, but it is good that the phone works with it easily, “working day”, and in a rather active mode. With energy consumption, things are much better than in their predecessors and competitors, which is good news. If the phone is used only for calls (when all the rest of the time it just lies without any Wi-Fi and synchronization), then the battery lasts for 4-5 days.
The SuperLCD display is somewhat inferior to the Galaxy SII AMOLED solution in terms of brightness and color saturation, but the poor and faded screen cannot be said to be on the HTC Sensation. It is excellent, with large viewing angles, as well as it is fully operational in sunny weather.
Compared to iPhone4:
Despite the fact that the HD2 and Sensation diagonals are the same, the resolution of the second is bigger:
Speaking about the external dimensions of the device, it’s a sin not to compare it with what the flagship models from other manufacturers offer - I managed to assemble HTC HD2, HTC Sensation, Samsung Galaxy SII, Sony Ericsson Arc, iPhone 4 and Nokia N8 at one space-time point. In terms of records, the flagship from HTC has nothing special to do - except for the protrusion of the camera in the Nokia N8 (there is no such thing in the E7), then the “sensation” is the thickest :)
On the other hand, if you compare it with the most subtle competitors (with the "galaxy" and the "arch"), it is clear that the difference is minimal.
And ... again, who cares about these grams and millimeters? If at other times we are ready to put extended batteries that turn all the advantages upside down.
But in terms of the size of the “shovel” itself, Senseyshen is quite modest - this is despite the fact that the diagonal in it is the same as that of other “champions”.
Some devices have an HDMI connector - a microUSB connector is quite suitable for this role in Sensation. Only initially you need to get an adapter that is not included :)
Summarizing in appearance. Despite the huge diagonal, the device does not seem to be in the hand “shovel” - even the fragile female pen can reach the top buttons on the screen. The device does not set records in weight or size, but you cannot call it huge and heavy. There are enough design flaws (only touch buttons, no camera button, a dilemma with a hidden camera and “antenna holes”), but on the whole “sensation” produces exceptionally pleasant sensations - everything is harmonious, balanced. It feels expensive breed, something in plastic competitors or not, or it is not at all obvious.
It can be seen that the creation of the device came with the soul, but could do better if you wanted. HTC HD2 in terms of design, I still consider the most successful (although there is something to modify) - if you fit the Sensation stuffing into its case ... that would be a real hit!
Soft
For a long time I couldn’t decide whether to write this section or not - inside Sensation, the most common Android version 2.3.3 is installed and how it flies you saw at the very beginning of the review. Tell about android? Why, if everyone cares about it anyway. Well, okay, let's talk a little about the inner world of the piece of iron - for the sake of completeness ... and so, all of a sudden someone else did not see the “green robot” :)
All screenshots are clickable!It takes about 7 (!) Seconds to press the power button until the system is fully turned on. Immediately after this, 7 desktops appear in front of the user, between which “inertial” switching appeared. I don’t remember the original view of the screens, but now it looks like this for me:
In addition to the latest android, the company has provided a novelty also with the latest version (3.0) of its wonderful HTC Sense interface. You know ... you can buy devices from HTC only for at least one of this shell - undoubtedly, this is the best that is on android-communicators out of the box. I just do not know another company that would pay so much attention to the appearance of the android interface - everywhere there are some kind of stupid ryushechki who combine wretchedness, inconvenience and brakes. And here ... everything is not just beautiful and licked to the smallest detail - I don’t want to stop using it all!
Of course, the appearance is customizable, and in some detail - any widgets, icons, themes. Each of the themes is also done to the conscience and is not limited to just changing the wallpaper - in a couple of clicks here you can switch from one beautiful design to something completely different. It is a pleasure to experiment, and if suddenly the ruffles seem small - they can always be downloaded from the HTC site.
Separately, you can pokoldovat over the appearance and lock screen, which is configured no less flexible.
By the way about the lock screen. If on other devices, at best, there is some kind of slider-unlocker, then HTC went further - in Sense 3.0, lockscreen literally blossomed. A special ring appeared on it - if you pull it up, the screen unlocks ... and if you drag it onto (or onto) one of the four icons, the corresponding application will start. Well cool?
I noticed a bug : if you start the camera from the lock screen, sometimes it does not have a shutter button - you have to exit the application and start the camera in the traditional way.
I like the Androids feature with authorization “by drawing” - it is much more convenient than any passwords (like on the same iPhone).
Noticed the moon ?! It allows you to guess without a clock reading that the review was written at night :) The weather is the most beautiful advantage of the Sense shell - it is sometimes more pleasant to look at the screen than the window. Of the possible weather options, only a meteor shower and a thunderstorm, snow, sun, etc. are not visualized. pleased users in previous versions of the shell. It looks extremely impressive and over time does not bother.
There are enough weather widgets - you won't be left without weather information, and nothing prevents you from monitoring the weather in several cities.
The taskbar (pulled from the top) in Sense 3.0 has become even more convenient - there are two tabs in it. The first contains the task manager and all sorts of system notifications, and the second - the key "switches", such as wi-fi, mobile Internet, bluetooth, gps, and so on - everything can be turned into one click in (s).
The standard keyboard is quite comfortable and good even if it has very large buttons - if the screen technology allowed, it would be convenient to type even in boxing gloves. But no matter how good the standard keyboards are, I always put Swype on without thinking - it’s hard to think of any faster way to enter text. Not only is it fast, it's also convenient - long messages are typed quickly, even blindly, standing somewhere in a crowd of people in a subway car. The official site of Swype clearly states that for qHD-resolution there is no version of the program with the Russian language, but the craftsmen with w3bsit3-dns.com have solved this problem long ago.
The message window also changed, the dialogues became more licked ... but here I am using something "non-standard", namely, the WhatsApp program, to which I try to transplant all my friends and acquaintances. For more information, use Google, but if in brief - this is a chat with reference to a phone number. How is it different from any ICQ? Yes, in principle, nothing ... except that the messages here come under almost any circumstances. Just try and understand everything, and you will soon be able to buy something useful for money saved (on sms and calls).
The address book has remained almost unchanged, however, what is there to change in it - it is much more convenient in its original form than on any iPhone (at least by the way of finding the right contact by name). As elsewhere, there are drawbacks - the most unpleasant for me is that every synchronization with Google makes normal contact photos terrible in quality - can you somehow fight this?
The device has 768 MB of RAM installed, of which about 200 MB remains for the user's needs - this is enough for the average geek. The video shows that I launch one application after another (including such heavy ones as “Navitel”) and everything works quite quickly. Also in everyday use - you use everything without the slightest thoughts about the task manager. Although it is better to close everything as far as possible, it will last longer.
There is no hint of brakes - the 1.2-gigahertz processor knows its business (by the way, most of the time it works at much lower frequencies). Dual core Yes, she is, but she really has never come in handy for me on the communicator :)
This is how the market looks like:
And so - some standard utilities. For example, a calculator (in the horizontal mode, the engineering mode is turned on):
Radio. It has the function of auto scanning FM-range with the possibility of further assignment of any name to each station. The only pity is that you will not listen to the radio without headphones - the standard problem of many non-core "radios".
Youtube player. Able to play even HD-content - if the channel allows.
Google’s voice search began to work quite well - if six months ago he recognized 3 of 5 words of mine, now he is almost not mistaken:
Driving consistently on the phone, he also drew attention to such a function as Locations, which he did not attach much importance to before. Listen, they came up with a great idea ... and it works! :) Especially convenient in some unfamiliar place.
As for the “full-fledged” navigation, then Sensation was also a little upset - if licensed Navitel with multitouch support was pre-installed on HD2, then there was no such luxury from the beginning - I had to download it. And along with it, Yandex.Maps, the subway map, normal Opera and Runkeeper are a small part of the programs I use, the screenshots to which I did for some reason)
Installed programs are divided into 4 tabs - "All", "MTS", "Frequent" (Useful tab) and "Downloaded". The full list of apps on HTC Sensation looks like .
The settings for the Android OS are pretty typical , I will not dwell on them.
I'll tell you about the camera. As I said, the device has two cameras - front (0.3 megapixels) and rear (8). It is a pity that such a weak camera module is used for the flagship model from the front - photos from it will not fit anywhere. What is she for? Until recently, it could be used (in good light) as a mirror, but finally a miracle happened - the latest version of Skype began to support video calls on Sensation. You can laugh at such a “miracle”, but I appreciated it at the true worth at the beginning of the year when I flew to Istanbul - I had iPad2 3G with me and, having bought a local sim card, I often chatted with my wife and child, showing them local sights . By the way, it was proved :) How much money would I have spent on communication during a conversation via cellular communication? I do not want to think. And then - chatter, albeit with a crap, but with the video. Conveniently.
The rear camera is much more powerful - it has an LED flash (of two diodes), so that it can be removed both during the day and at night. I also expected the quality of images to be different - despite the 8 megapixels, the output photographs take an average of 1 megabyte, while the 8-megapixel cameras of other cameras fit 2-4 MB. Understandably, compression (for publications in various twitter and facebook), but sometimes the overhaul is very much striking. Another disadvantage of the camera is the pink spot in the center of the camera, which becomes noticeable when photographing something white. This is a rather frequent “bug” of many devices - for the first time I met it on my HD2, now it is on the Sensation and on the next-lying Galaxy SII.
Autofocus slow and not very "tenacious" - to shoot a dynamic scene will be very problematic even with good lighting, not to mention darkness. Record FullHD-video is supported, but it is written in 3GP-format. The quality is pretty good, although I almost never take off the phone.
Sample photos:
To draw a line - the camera in the HTC Sensation is not perfect, but no worse than those installed in many other devices. Soon I will write about it separately and in more detail.
Advantages and disadvantages
Excellent ergonomics, despite the size. Metal frame and practical body materials Large and bright screen, "showing" even in sunny weather The shell of HTC Sense 3.0 is the best thing that is now in the world of communicators. Productive stuffing, a lot of memory and incredibly fast work. Low grade. At the flagship something. Without hardware buttons, the world will appear gray. The quality of the camera leaves much to be desired. It would be better if there was no front camera. MTS logo on branded devices. How did they just think of this ... Locked bootloader ... but no, it seems to have been unblocked already :) So The advantages of battery life can not be attributed, but the disadvantages can not be - taking into account the processor power and the diagonal of the screen, the battery "honestly" work out the average working day, which sometimes can not even less productive competitors.
You will not complain about the price tag - even initially it was significantly lower (26990) than the flagship models of communicators from other manufacturers. Now, if you do not chase the "whiteness" of the device, you can easily meet the quite acceptable 18 thousand rubles.
The end
Once I talked to the author of reviews of one of the most authoritative publications on mobile devices - then he had in his hands a simple telephone, almost with a black and white screen. He said that “ he doesn’t need anything more, just call and write sms ” - I then accepted these words with a smile, thinking to myself “well, yeah, don’t need it!” :) Now, having played enough with all sorts of gadgets, I more and more I come to the conclusion that you really do not need it - you just never wait for the perfect communicator in all respects.
I bought a tablet, which now has email, websites, twitter, games, video, and navigation — HTC Sensation does an excellent job with all this, but whatever one may do, and doing it all on a truly large screen is much more convenient. Especially, if the performance and battery life only contribute to this. And if, until recently, such a statement would be a direct hint at the iPad, now there is a choice - Flyer from HTC, GalaxyTab from Samsung and so on. So try to determine your needs, as it will be more and more difficult to navigate the range of devices every day.
No, I did not get rid of the communicator - now it is increasingly fulfilling its core functions, so it works much longer. And it is for this reason that for me the few differences in the "shovels" from different manufacturers are being gradually erased. Megahertz, megabytes, megapixels, inches - I understand schoolchildren and schoolgirls, but are real IT-students on this still underway?
If they are, then yes, HTC Sensation is really good :) If revenues allow, then I can safely recommend this device.
Have a good weekend!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/125760/
All Articles