I streamed a movie trailer over 4G from HTC Watch and managed to choke the video three times during playback, though I had to move my hands around quite a bit and grip the phone to kill the 4G signal and send the video into buffer mode. Again, I found that how I held the phone seemed to affect its data speeds. In three tests conducted in the South Park neighborhood of San Francisco, I recorded an average download speed of 1.

These test results suggest that holding the phone in a certain way may have contributed to the observed degradation in data speeds. I view my test results as worrisome, but not conclusive. We will be conducting more of our own tests over the next few days. Stay tuned for a video and our test results. Thankfully, HTC has mixed up the color scheme with a tritone paneled battery cover for the Sensation 4G. Despite having a 4. Measuring 4. That resolution is one-quarter of a full-HD p frame hence the name , or three-quarters of a p frame.

The screen on the Sensation 4G yielded spectacular images: Colors were bright yet not oversaturated, details looked sharp, and animations in the user interface—and native video—played back smoothly. In bright sunlight, however, the display completely fades. I had a very hard time finding a phone number to let some friends know that I was outside their apartment. A very long chrome volume rocker occupies the left spine, with the micro-USB port situated below it.

The left spine and the bottom of the phone are bare. Uploads came in at 1. By contrast, the T-Mobile G2x pulled down a faster 7. Out in Queens, NY, a weaker 4G coverage area, we saw slower average speeds. The Sensation 4G delivered 1.

The G2x took slightly longer here, 5. Both phones were slower to fire up the full desktop version of Laptopmag. The Sensation can act as a mobile hotspot for up to five devices using the dedicated app. HTC Hub below right lets users download customization tools such as widgets, sounds, scenes, and skins. Other useful HTC apps include Friendstream below left to keep tabs on what your contacts are up to on Facebook and Twitter, a music app that handles song playback, and FM Radio.

Useful third-party offerings include a day trial of Lookout Premium mobile security below right , Qik video chat to make video calls, and Polaris Office to open and read office documents. Connected Media allows for wirelessly sharing photos, video, and music with DLNA compliant gear over a network. Equipped with an 8-megapixel camera with a dual-flash system, the Sensation delivered sharp and well-saturated photos of Bryant Park on a summer day.

Green tree leaves, blue skies, and purple violets were full of life. The camera performed well under low-light conditions too, with the two flash strobes evenly exposing subjects. The Sensation 4G's camera settings are comprehensive, with controls and features spanning ISO, autofocus, face detection, and image stabilization.

Movies we shot at this resolution looked crisp with vivid colors, but we did see some clipping and lurches. Video taken at a lower qHD wasn't as pristine but played back more smoothly. The phone features a front-facing VGA video camera as well; on Qik video calls over Wi-Fi, image quality was acceptable but on the grainy side with washed-out colors.

Sadly, this Gingerbread phone doesn't support Google Talk video chat, because it runs 2. Why, we don't know.

Callers said we sounded clear and loud. Voices on our end were clean as well, but audio wasn't the loudest we've heard. While on a call, flipping the phone over with the screen facing down engages the speakerphone, which doesn't have a lot of volume either. Callers reported we sounded clear, but we couldn't stray too far from the device before our voice became too hard to hear. Picking up the handset again reactivates the earpiece.

For a high-octane dual-core superphone, the HTC Sensation offers plenty of endurance. On the Laptop Battery Test web surfing via 4G , this device ran for an impressive 7 hours and 12 minutes before expiring.

That's 1 hour and 15 minutes longer than the current average, and much better than the T-Mobile G2x Of all the monster 4. In other words, it's great because it's not a monster at all. This smartphone also has plenty of power, thanks to its dual-core Snapdragon CPU. While it's not as fast as the T-Mobile G2x and doesn't offer the same pure Android experience, the Sensation has a more intuitive interface in Sense and more battery life than the G2x as well as most 4G phones.

Add to that a sharp and bright display and a great camera, and the Sensation 4G is one of the best Android devices available. Laptop Mag. Some users have been reporting Wi-Fi connectivity issues, but that appears to be a region problem and not wide spread, reports XDA.

Check out the changelog, ROM information and features in this unofficial version. If you are curious to try out this CyanogenMod 12 build to get Android 5.

CyanogeMod 12 ROM. Note: Before you start, move the downloaded files to the SD card of the phone and remember the location. How to install Android 5. First switch the phone off.