HTC Sensation 4G Hands-on: Smarter Sense, Dual-Core Snapdragon, Video Store

Usually an Android phone’s lock screen just slows you down. This one can actually save you time. The HTC Sensation 4G is coming to T-Mobile this summer, and it’s bringing an enhanced Sense experience along for the ride along with a new video download service called HTC Watch. Like the upcoming EVO 3D for Sprint, the Sensation 4G sports a 4.3-inch display display with qHD resolution (960 x 540 pixels), minus the 3D effect. However, the Sensation 4G is lighter than the EVO 3D (5.2 vs 6 ounces), making you almost forget that a big-screen phone is in your hand . We also like the sturdy aluminum unibody design and slightly contoured screen. A 1.2-GHz Snapdragon processor provides the power.

The software is the real story here, though. HTC has re-invented the lock screen on Android phones with Sense. For example, you can launch the camera just by dragging an application shortcut into a circle. You can choose up to four app shortcuts for this lock screen, and it’s easy to customize. There’s also a lock screen option that displays social networking updates and another that shows pics from your photo gallery floating in the background. HTC Watch is a new video download store lets you rent or buy movies and TV shows. Like Samsung’s Media Hub, a progressive download feature lets you start enjoying the show almost immediately.

Other key features of this Gingerbread phone include an 8-MP camera with 1080p video recording, HDMI and DLNA output, and a 1520mAh battery. We can’t wait to see how the Sensation 4G stacks up against the likes of the T-Mobile G2x and EVO 3D. Check out some hands-on shots below.