HTC announces the Sensation XE, 1.5GHz dual-core with Beats audio included

By Jeffrey Van Camp September 14, 2011

htc-sensation-xe-with-beats-audio — Image used with permission by copyright holder

A lot of phone and computer manufacturers are spiking up their audio offerings with Dolby sound and Beats Audio, but HTC is taking it to a new level. Today, the smartphone maker announced the HTC Sensation XE, a 1.5GHz dual-core Android phone with a big Beats logo on the back and special Beats earbuds. The company says this is just the first of many phones to feature Beats by Dr. Dre.

Here are some specs:

OS: Android with HTC Sense (we’re guessing Android 2.3)
Screen: 4.3 inches with qHD resolution (540×960)
Extended battery life (1725mAh, about 225 more mAh than most devices)
Camera: 8MP rear with LED flash, VGA front, 1080p video recording
Processor: 1.5GHz dual-core
RAM: 768MB
Storage: 1GB available (4GB total), 8-16GB microSD card included
Data: 3G speeds

Currently, the Sensation XE is only headed for Asia and EAMA (Europe, Africa, Middle East), but a U.S. release is likely at some point. We hope that HTC includes 4G connectivity for its American debut.

The question is, can Beats by Dr. Dre really sell a phone? HTC has a good chance here because it looks like a good phone, but it’s hard to say if many people will pick up a device just because of its audio. Those who are really into sound usually pony up for expensive beats headphones, which seem to be fairly trendy right now.

Would you buy a phone with Beats Audio? Does it influence your decision?

Topics

Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

Mobile

We just learned a lot more about Motorola’s next folding phone

A video playing on the Motorola Razr 40's half open screen.

Italian retailer Deal N Tech has leaked new information about the upcoming Motorola Razr 50 Ultra foldable phone — including color and storage options, as well as pricing details in Europe. The phone, a successor to the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra/Motorola Razr Plus, has no release date yet, but is expected very soon.

According to the report by Deal N Tech, the new phone will be priced at 1,200 euros (approximately $1,292) in Europe for a 512GB storage variant with 12GB of RAM. It is worth noting that the previous model was launched in 2023 at the same price, but it had a 256GB storage capacity and 8GB of RAM. A previous rumor also noted that the new phone would be available with 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM.

Mobile

Apple apologizes for its controversial iPad Pro ad

Apple's ad for its refreshed iPad Pro tablet.

It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but an ad by Apple for its thinnest-ever iPad has turned into a massive headache for the company.

The 68-second “Crush!” ad for the iPad Pro debuted with the unveiling of the new tablet on Tuesday. It shows a large number of objects such as musical instruments, books, and cans of paint being crushed by a hydraulic press in an apparent effort to demonstrate how it's packed a huge amount of creative potential into an ultra-slim digital device.

Mobile

Apple finally fixed my biggest issue with the iPad Pro

iPad Pro.

The iPad Pro 2022 Joe Maring / Digital Trends

After a year of no new iPad models, Apple finally gave us what we were hoping for (and then some) during its Let Loose event on May 7. Apple revealed a new 13-inch size for the iPad Air (in addition to the standard 11-inch model), plus brand new iPad Pros.