HTC's Sensation XL is one of two ‘Beats by Dr Dre’ smartphones that Vodafone’s snapped up as an exclusive and in the case of the XL, it’s named as such because it’s a large phone, with its 4.7in display and a pair of very large Beats headphones bundled in. The latter are exceptionally good for a smartphone, if a little bass-heavy.
On paper, the XL itself looks like a poor cousin to the Sensation XE, with its single-core 1.5GHz processor and 800 x 480-pixel screen. In actual usage, the effect of the lower-spec CPU isn’t immediately apparent, however, as this is a fairly nippy phone. That 4.7in display stretches to near the edge of the screen, making it similar in feel to the Motorola RAZR, but without that phone’s rather over-large bezel.
Still, those with smaller hands may find it a bit too much phone to grasp, and for that reason we’d suggest trying one in-store. The Sensation XE has the faster CPU, but the XL includes better headphones and more screen real estate with no real perceptible performance hit. It's exclusive to Vodafone if you want a contract, but also available from $540 outright (at the time of posting) from importers such as Mobicity and Kogan.
