The HTC Sensation XL and XE will be sold exclusively through Vodafone in Australia. The two smartphones are a direct result of HTC's strategic partnership with the Beats By Dr. Dre audio company. When used with the included Beats headphones, HTC claims that the Sensation XL and XE use a personalised sound profile that results in exceptional audio quality.
The HTC Sensation XL will come bundled with a limited edition version of the over-the-ear Beats headphones. These premium headphones match the white colour of the Sensation XL handset and are valued at $299, according to HTC. The HTC Sensation XE will be bundled with a more traditional pair of in-ear Beats headphones that include the Beats branding, a signature red cord, and in-line volume and music playback controls.
"The Sensation XE and the XL are the fastest and thinnest smartphones we've ever launched and they also have the biggest screens of any HTC device to date," said Ben Hodgson, HTC's country manager for Australia and New Zealand. "They're the best smartphones we've ever created."
The HTC Sensation XE and XL are the second and third variations of the company's Sensation smartphone. Telstra exclusively launched the original in July and the Sensation XE is a minor update to this model. It features a near identical unibody chassis, the same 8-megapixel camera, and an identical 4.3in qHD screen. The XE has the same dual-core processor as the original Sensation but it's been overclocked to 1.5GHz (up from 1.2GHz). It also gets a bigger batter -- 1730mAh compared with 1520mAh -- and has 4GB of internal memory compared to the original's 1GB.
The Sensation XE has red backlit buttons and the Beats Audio logo emblazoned on the rear battery cover. Both the edge of the camera lens and the grille covering the earpiece also get a coat of red paint, while the phone itself is black.
The HTC Sensation XL on the other hand has a giant 4.7in screen, the largest on any HTC smartphone to date. It's also just 9.9mm thick. The screen itself is a Super LCD panel coated with Gorilla glass. It has a resolution of 480x800, so it can't quite match up to the Sensation XE's qHD resolution of 540x960.
The Sensation XE sports a dual-core processor but the Sensation XL only has a single-core, 1.5GHz processor. It also has a slightly smaller battery than the Sensation XE -- 1600mAh instead of 1730mAh. HTC says a single-core processor should mean better battery life.
Both the Sensation XE and XL will be available from 9 November exclusively through Vodafone. The Sensation XE will be available for $0 on Vodafone's $59 cap over 24 months, while the Sensation XE will cost an extra $5 a month (totalling $64 per month) on the same plan.