Overall fantastic phone September 12, 2011

Reviewer:  Scarecrow  (El Cajon, CA United States) -

My review is quick and to the point since everybody else explained it better. I am really pleased with the phone. It is a huge upgrade over my T-mobile Mytouch. The battery life on this phone is surprisingly longer that the Mytouch and much faster.

I just wanted to say that my only gripe with this phone is the speaker sucks and so does the vibrate function. Listening to music, watching netflix, or watching youtube through the external speaker sucks. You can barely hear anything. Not only that sometimes I don't hear a phone call or text message. I keep my phone on vibrate at work, and half the time I never feel the phone vibrate against my leg when I get a text or call. It gets rather annoying sometimes. Other than those few complaints it's a great phone.

very good phone. August 11, 2011

Reviewer:  A. Smith "electronics master"  (somewhere) -

pros:
android 2.3.3
1.2ghz DUAL CORE
giant screen
lag? no such thing
awesome camera
good 4g speeds, barely drops to 2g
love the sense UI
very thin and barely weighs anything
GORILLA GLASS FTW.
not an apple product
looks very good quality
cons:
has a death grip in 1 tiny spot, barely ever hold it like that, but its known
battery life is pretty bad, but it lasts a whole day, so i am good with it
*problem with tmobile not the phone* - 4g didn't work for a whole day and had to call customer support to fix it

[oh yes, i do have a new review]
OK, this review might be an "exaggeration" to everyone's mind, but that's because my standard were so low, its impossible (i just upgraded from a Motorola milestone) so far this phone has been nothing but helpful to me. The battery lasts a whole day, 4G works wonderfully, the 1.2GHz processor doesn't have 1 second of lag, the screen is much better than the iPhone 4's retina display in my opinion *don't hate me all you apple fan-boys* its got the best camera I've seen on a cellphone, and its quite comparable to my CANON EOS REBEL XS. It may not be better than a full on DSLR, but its almost that good. I also like how it feels in my hands, its very light too and surprisingly not thick at all in my pocket. The fact its got HTC Sense 3.0 UI, makes the phone so much more fun to look at, and i can barely turn it off. When i show off my phone everyone says "Ah, i wish i had that phone" even all the iPhone users, and other android users.

Now this is the part that everyone will go frown at, the speaker is pretty pathetic AT THE BEGINNING, you just need to burn in the speakers (i learned this through jlabs), it actually helps very much if you play songs or high to low frequencies for an hour a day at medium volume, and it gets better over a week. Another thing is the DEATH GRIP, this sounds terrifying, but the fact is, when you put a case on it (barely $2) it gets you at least 1 more bar. The death grip is eventually non existent when you get to a spot with full 4 bars, it will always stay 4 bars unless you try to lose a bar. Another thing is the battery - it lasts about a day, which for some is bad but for me, i like the fact it lasts a whole day (7am-11pm) *my milestone barely lasted 3 hours* but that problem can be solved by buying an extended battery (1900MHz cost about $10 which is amazing compared to my milestone's extended battery -$60, which was also a bigger battery, the 1900MHz is the same size as the original, and according to reviews it adds a whole extra 6 hours, which i doubt it does)

so far pros= everything cons=nothing
my only concern was the price, its quite expensive, but you know how they say "you get what you pay for", in this case, its the best of the best for a usual price.

Great Hardware, minor software issues (and where's the dock)? July 1, 2011

Reviewer:  Paul Archer  (Plano, TX) -

I love the Sensation. It has a great screen, it's super fast, and the build quality is great. It feels really solid without feeling heavy. In fact, every time I hold it, I am amazed at how thin it feels.

It's not perfect, though. Even though the Sense UI is very good, I have a couple of nits to pick with it. First, although I like the lock screen, there is room for 6 or 8 quick-launch apps instead of the 4 provided.
Second, the USB port is on the left side. Presumably this is so the phone will work with a dock in landscape mode. (There is a "dock mode" application on the phone.) But the lock screen, the main screen, and even the dialer screen are all locked to portrait mode. So before HTC can release a dock, they're going to have to update the software.

worst phone ever? May 6, 2013

Reviewer:  E. Frazee 

Yes. I'm on, oh, let's see, maybe my 16th free replacement HTC Sensation from T-Mobile. I'm pretty sure no one else is going to actually purchase this buggy, erratic phone anymore, but I wanted to put my negative review in just to be sure. Any positive review for this phone is from 2011. Do your research, this phone has no longevity.

Worst phone I've owned January 25, 2013

Reviewer:  lea w  (seattle, wa) -

To start: Battery life is maybe 10 hours. Maybe. It's ridiculously slow, and I'm not talking about the speed of service. If I try and open an app, the phone sits and thinks for probably 20 seconds before the app will open. If I've ever toggled between apps and then hit the Home Screen button, the phone restarts itself. If I make a phone call and then hit the Home Screen button, the phone restarts. If I try and touch the phone, it restarts. The keyboard is so small that it takes me five minutes erasing all of the periods I've entered when i meant to hit the space bar. And the thing is HEAVY. After about two weeks of usage I learned exactly how much I hated this phone, but I waited for the Samsung Galaxy III to come out, and it was like a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, I dropped my Galaxy while at the gym and the screen shattered. I therefore had to resort back to this phone until my screen gets fixed, and I'm reminded of how god-awful and waste of money this POS is.

Defective. Broke after 1.5 years. November 25, 2012

Reviewer:  D. Stamatis  (San Francisco, CA) -

I bought this phone, the day it was released, back in May, 2011.

2 hardware defects:

1) Incoming calls: I can no longer hear the person on the other end. They hear me, but I can't hear them. The only workarounds are using a headset or switching to speakerphone.

I've confirmed this is definitely a hardware defect (and not a software, routing, or settings issue).

2) GPS internal antenna is very weak. I've had assisted-GPS phones that lock within a few seconds. This phone takes 2+ minutes. And, in the car, unless it's sitting on my dashboard, it only barely gains a lock within 20 feet. Absurd.

So, aside from the phone not being to make phone calls, and the GPS not being able to navigate... it's just peachy.

Worst experience of my life October 13, 2012

Reviewer:  Mike 

HTC has the worst warranty system I have ever come across. My first HTC Sensation came with a defective screen; I was able to exchange it the next day. The second one had the same problem! After 3 warranty cycles without solving the problem, I finally received a "refurbished" phone which was in worse cosmetic condition than the one I sent them. Also, this used phone HTC warranty sent me is defective! (intermittent shutdown & frozen applications). The problem with the used replacement phone I received manifested from day 1. Now HTC warranty is refusing to fix this dysfunctional phone they sent me, alleging "abuse" on my part. It's been over one year, and 6 warranty applications, and I still have a malfunctioning phone. I can't believe this kind of treatment still occurs in today's marketplace.

Promises you the world. Gives you Philadelphia. September 25, 2012

Reviewer:  Grumpy 

Lots of cool apps for this phone - wonderful! seamless integration with youtube. Also many applications that will let me rent movies that can be downloaded on a wi-fi network, to watch later when I have time.

Oh, wait...battery only lasts 8 hours, and the phone spontaneously powers down when the battery is half drained. So I'm not going to be doing too much with those awesome apps. media volume as well as ringer volume is extremely low. I don't hear it ring, I don't feel it vibrate, even with the volume turned all the way up. Miss a lot of important calls that way.

I carry around 2 batteries at all times, because I often have to replace the battery in places where charging is just not possible. I also try to carry the phone close to my chest so I'll hear it when it rings. forget about enjoying music or movies on the subway platform or in any noisy area. Sound is just not going to be audible.

no way to get large videos off phone April 30, 2012

Reviewer:  Cube 

I am over all happy with this phone. What is frustrating, which may be a common problem with all smart phones is that that large videos are impossible to transfer off the phone. I attempted to email a large video and transfer it by cable. No luck. The pictures came off it easy but not the videos, I called T-Mobil and was told to reduce the video quality in order to be able to transfer a video off the phone! That's no good! The short of it is you can take HD video on the phone but it can only be displayed on the phone! That fact was not advertised.

Great Smartphone! November 14, 2011

Reviewer:  John Hwang  (LA, CA, USA!) -

I've had this a month, and I am very pleasantly satisfied with the phone.

PRO
* big 540p qHD screen
* HTC Sense UI is very nice
I bought the Sensation over the other "top" phones primarily based on the qHD screen, as I wanted to be able to watch movies, etc nicely. Compared to more "stock" phones (e.g. Samsung), HTC Sense UI widgets really do make a big difference in usability.

CON
- $200 on contract
- heavy
The Sensation is not a cheap phone, requiring $200 down and $300 to pay over time. It's also quite a bit heavier than other similarly large phones like the Samsung Galaxy. I guess the extra weight is where HTC cut some cost.

MEH
~ HD video & 8 MP camera
~ wants frequent charging
The video & camera are "nice to have", but I don't take that many pictures or films. The battery can burn down fast, but I usually have charging available

END
* solid performing smartphone
* decent value for performance
As an Android phone, the Sensation does basically everything you'd want it to. There are a few nits, like wanting a bit more RAM (i.e. 1 GB) or a slightly lower price (especially with the newest HTC phones out for comparision), but overall, I'm happy with the Sensation.

touch screen and unlock ring stinks!!! read further... July 17, 2011

Reviewer:  jack 

Just Google " issues with unlocking screen for sensation" and you'll find that this issue is way too common. I've had thephone for a week and have never dropped it, just yesterday the unlocking ring has been giving me problems 90% of the time. When I get a call sometimes I have to swipe the ring 3-10 times before it answers the call. And occasionally I missed the call because I couldn't get it to answer. If I had a choice I would stay away from this phone it has some major issues that apparently are not solvable. Don't take my word for it, Do Ur own research and you'll find that this is happening to most owners.

I love this phone! July 9, 2011

Reviewer:  JLind555 

I wanted to replace my Blackberry Curve and was going eeny-meeny-minie-mo between i-Phone and Android for weeks, but I was sold on the HTC Sensation when it came out. I've had one now for three weeks and so far it's great. It's slim but not flimsy, feels solid yet lightweight, good size screen, great colors, and the speed is like greased lightning. And I can't fault T-Mobile for their customer service. They were absolutely great about setting up my e-mail, transferring my Facebook app from my Blackberry, etc. It can be a battery hog but I recharge my phone every day anyway so for me this is no problem. This phone is definitely a keeper.

Judy Lind

Best 4g phone on market June 25, 2011

Reviewer:  J.Levins  (Cary, NC) -

Preface
Been w/TMO for 9 years, had Blackberry for most. Thought would try Verizon thinking would get better coverage in rural areas, came right back to TMO because of call quality. With two of VZ's latest phones - the Thunderbolt and Charge, sound was thin, tinny, even crackly. Checked out next to my TMO BB, night and day - TMO was clear, absolutely clear.
That said, I've shopped to beat the band for phones - checked 'em all out, and this one's the best.

Pros
* Mass - it's thin, lightweight, not too wide or long, just feels real good in the hand
* Call Quality - sound is very good, albeit not quite as good as my BB was
* Speed - blazingly fast. Now, any 4g phone you get is going to be fast, but this one with its dual-core processor would have to be a winner, especially when multi-tasking
* Interface - smart, intuitive, nice little features, I just really like Sense

Cons
* Just one so far - when scrolling thru Internet search results, if pause too long, it scrolls itself back to the top, so I have to fight with it.

best phone available July 6, 2011

Reviewer:  S. Sullivan 

I have tried them all personally. Every generation of the iPhone, all the top androids and even Windows phones for some reason. All I got to say is hands down this phone tops them all. I'm not t he biggest fan of T-Mobiles network, of course Sprint will always have the actual best nation wide service. But this is about the phone. I've had it for a little over a week now and couldn't be happier. My one and only complaint is there is no shortcut button on the side of the phone, which I usually use for the camera, so the only way to take pictures is with the button on the screen, a slight inconvenience but definitely not a deal breaker. Also, something I discovered the other day, the netflix app where you can watch you're actual instant que is not available for this yet, only the g2, which my gf has, and I believe the evo only for right now. I'm just really jealous of my gfs phone for that only reason.

Best Phone I've Ever Used/Owned July 4, 2011

Reviewer:  John Ehlers 

I waited for this phone to come out for months. When it finally released, I was so excited. My first impressions met my expectations well. It is LIGHTNING FAST and just amazing. Get one!

Great on paper July 20, 2011

Reviewer:  zomg 

Pros: The interface is lovely, the keyboard is way better than the iPhone's, Android apps are mostly free. Cons: Battery life is a joke, can't currently root the phone to get rid of the stupid pre-installed apps, when using the phone for more than 5 minutes the battery get hot enough to burn your hand.

Excellent smart phone....a winner...not a whiner... October 27, 2011

Reviewer:  Robert M. Macala "Eclectic"  (miami beach) -

The critics of this phone, must have purchased lemons because my Sensation is indeed a Sensation. It's got it all. Used it throughout Europe as my portable computer. Put it on airplane mode, and it was good to go, picking up internet signals from
Madrid throughout Europe to Stockholm. The camera is outstanding, better than any of the competitors. True the battery could be better but I upgraded and I'm always ready. Yahoo, Google, Stock apps., Facebook are ready when you are. HTC Sensation is a winner.

The best smartphone I ever had! August 5, 2011

Reviewer:  dima  (San Jose, CA) -

This phone is super-fast, so working with all apps is just a pleasure. It looks sturdier than Galaxy S (Vibrant), but weighs more too. Battery life is not bad at all. Of course, my old Nokia went for a week w/o a charge. But a smartphone phone that could get me through a day of regular usage is perfectly fine in my books. The screen is gorgeous, the keyboard works great (though I still prefer Swype). Integration with all Google services is seamless - GMail, Calendar and Google Voice work like a charm. I have 4G around my office and and wi-fi at home, otherwise its mostly 2G. Still, Pandora streaming works with very little issues at HQ settings all the time. I got it without contract and paid the full price, but have no regrets so far.

Best phone to date! July 18, 2011

Reviewer:  Spaided 

Super fast, never any issues! I have had many phones apple, android, and Window phone 7. This phone beats them all!

SENSATIONal! August 18, 2011

Reviewer:  Lisa H 

We received the Sensation 4G from T-Mo yesterday (8/17/2011).

We were impressed by the clean lines of the packaging, as well as the minimal amount of cardboard and plastic included therein.

What is in the box:
HTC Sensation 4G (8GB MicroSD Card and battery installed)
Terms & Conditions BOOK (Thicker than the phone!)
User Manual
SIM Card
Wired Stereo Headset
USB A to Micro USB Cable
Wall Charger

Protip: The Sensation has a known bug where it thinks it has a voice mail when it comes out of the box. You can simply go to MENU -> SETTINGS -> CALL -> CLEAR VOICEMAIL NOTIFICATION. It is really that easy.

First Impressions:
The screen on this thing is HUGE!
Great call quality.
Takes amazing pictures with a surprisingly short focal distance.
Bright crisp display
The screen on this thing is HUGE!

Pros:
Going from a Motorola CLIQ to this device is simply stunning. The screen response is lightning fast, the apps load nearly instantaneously, and we can play Angry Birds without our laptop! Oh, and the screen on this thing is HUGE! (Have I said that already?)

Cons:
Unlock glitch results in a split screen sometimes. Simply exiting the app results in this problem going away. (I am promised by T-Mo that this is being remedied in the coming update) We have heard this before with past Android devices, but we are hopeful. UPDATE: We have downloaded the update to correct the split screen issue! HTC Delivers!
Camera placement is a tad tricky when using the phone in "landscape" position. It is difficult to keep ones finger from setting right on the glass cover for the camera lens. This seems to be an issue with every device in this class. We're hoping that some brilliant engineer at one of the Android manufacturers comes up with that before Apple does.