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

By Jeffrey Van Camp Updated 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?

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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…

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