HTC Sensation And Sensation XE To get Android ICS Preview In Europe

We've just received word from HTC that it'll be releasing what it's billing as an "early access preview" of its Android 4.0 upgrades for the Sensation and Sensation XE handsets in Europe. The company says that it hopes users will "play with it and enjoy getting used to the ICS experience with Sense," which implies that there'll be changes to HTC's skin in this build, something we've been expecting for quite some time anyway. You won't just be able to download the build at will. HTC will initially only be offering it to members of its Elevate beta program and T-Mobile subscribers using the Sensation 4G won't be included. That's a shame, but there's a silver lining: the company says that it'll be doing similar previews for other phones in its portfolio in the future. Meanwhile, look for the Sensation and Sensation XE builds to roll out to selected individuals "in the coming days."

HTC's move is likely in response to a groundswell of interest for Android OEMs to be more upfront about their upgrade plans; we've already seen Sony do something similar for several of its models (albeit on a wider scale). Motorola, meanwhile, is being honest about its laggy ICS upgrade schedule but so far, no public previews.

HTC Sensation XE Android smartphone video review:

HTC Rezound leaks in a press photo with an HTC case

Even though we haven’t seen the official press photos for the upcoming HTC Rezound, a different type of press photo has leaked of the powerful Android handset that shows it off wearing an HTC branded case.

For the past couple of months we have come to know the device formerly known as the HTC Vigor quite well. We have seen it in unofficial photos, videos, renders and more. Although the smartphone is expected to be launched on November 10 on Verizon Wireless along with the Motorola DROID RAZR and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus it still hasn’t been officially introduced.

The HTC Rezound is going to be quite the beast of a smartphone. Although it will not have Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich when it launches it will still boast some pretty enticing specs. It is an Android 2.3.4 device that is blessed with the latest version of HTC’s Sense user interface. It will be one of the latest devices to run on the ultra fast 4G LTE network. The Rezound has a 4.3-inch display that is expected to have a 720p resolution. Fueling the handset is a dual-core 1.5GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. Of course it has a pair of cameras; an 8 megapixel shooter on the back that can record video in full 1080p HD and a front-facing 2 megapixel shooter.

The two press shots that are meant to show off the HTC case at least reassure us that the HTC Rezound is what we thought it was. The colors of the case itself may not be for everybody but odds are there will be a bunch of options if this is to be HTC’s flagship device on Verizon for a while. The DROID RAZR and the Galaxy Nexus have already been announced so it should only be a matter of time until the HTC Rezound becomes official. All signs are pointing to a November 10 launch so keep your eyes peeled for when the news becomes official.

The “Mega-Powerful, Multimedia Superphone” Sensation XE

The HTC Sensation XE is an update to the existing HTC Sensation. It's the first smartphone in the world with integrated Beats Audio, which promises to deliver superior sound quality compared to competing smartphones.

HTC Sensation XE runs on Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread OS.  The phone is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor, Adreno 220 GPU, Qualcomm MSM 8260 Snapdragon with 768 MB RAM.

The phone has a 4.3 inch qHD touchscreen (540 x 960 pixel resolution) with 16 M colors. To handle touchscreen eaily, certain features like Proximity Sensor for auto turn off, Multi Touch input method, Accelerometer sensor for UI auto rotate, Gyro Sensor, HTC Sense UI and Touch Sensitive Controls are also added.

The phone captures crystal clear pictures (3264 x 2448 pixels) with the 8 Megapixel autofocus camera and dual LED Flash. The other features include Geo Tagging, Touch Focus, image stabilization, face detection and instant capture.

HTC Sensation XE features a Beat Audio profile with audio manipulation technology. You need to have Beats Headphones to actually feel it and thankfully a pair of earbuds is already included in the box.

HTC Sensation XE comes with loads of features which include Digital Compass, HTML Web Browser, JAVA MIDP emulator, Document Viewer, Digital Compass, Organizer, Push Mail, E Mail etc.

It has got a Li-Ion battery of 1730 MAH. The battery is better than HTC Sensation but the improved processor can eat up a lot of it. The battery offers talk time of 9h 16min (2G)/ 7h 20min(3G) and a standby time of 310h (2G).

Phone is releasing in the month of October 2011, and the actual price will be available after releasing of device.