HTC Sensation XE review

HTC handset gets rebooted with Ice Cream Sandwich

HTC Sensation XE
The definitive HTC Sensation XE review

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Battery Life

HTC sensation xe ice cream sandwich review

Take the back cover off the HTC Sensation XE and you will find a 1730mAh battery inside.

While running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Sensation XE users complained that the battery life was still poor, even though it packed a bigger battery than the original Sensation.

HTC sensation xe ice cream sandwich review

There is some good news though, as the update to Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and Sense 3.6 looks to have optimised the Sensation XE, giving you more power from the same battery.

Now don't expect record breaking performance, but we were comfortably able to get a full day's use out of the Sensation XE, which included web browsing over Wi-Fi and 3G, calls, texts, games and some classic YouTube action.

We would still strongly recommend a nightly charge for the HTC Sensation XE, but the software updates seem to have made a marked improvement and will reduce panic on a daily basis.

Connectivity

As you may expect from high-end smartphones these days the Sensation XE provides you with numerous connectivity options included Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and USB. The only main omission here is NFC technology.

HTC sensation xe ice cream sandwich review

The microUSB slot is found towards the bottom on the left hand side of the handset and its placement means the Sensation XE is difficult to hold in the hand while charging or connected to a computer, as the wire sticks out and gets in the way.

HTC sensation xe ice cream sandwich review

You can also use the Sensation XE as a Wi-Fi hotspot if you need to share some web love with your laptop and it can be easily set up via the Settings menu - although this drains the battery like crazy.

HTC sensation xe ice cream sandwich review

The Sensation XE also provides DLNA with its Connected Media app allowing you to easily stream music, videos and pictures to compatible TVs, computers and game consoles, which competes strongly with Samsung's AllShare and Apple's AirPlay solutions.

If you fancy hooking up the old fashioned way via USB, the HTC Sensation XE allows you to simple drag and drop files on and off the phone – although you will need to be careful as its pitiful 1GB of internal memory will fill up fast.

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.