HTC Sensation Hardware Review (Video)

Following up on our unboxing of the super-hot HTC Sensation, we take a closer look at the hardware of the phone in this video. Not surprisingly, the Sensation has the now iconic HTC look: it has the chrome earpiece, rounded edges along all four corners, and capacitive buttons below the screen. What makes the Sensation a bit different than other HTC devices is the contoured glass that features concave edges all around the screen. While the special glass adds no functionality to the device, it looks and feels nice. 




The HTC Sensation is a powerhouse on paper. It's packing Qualcomm's first shipping dual-core CPU in the Snapdragon family of chips, and it clocks in at 1.2GHz. There is 768MB of RAM on the Sensation, and about 1GB of ROM. For imaging, the rear camera takes photos at 8MP and video at full 1080p, while the front-facing camera can take VGA photos and video. The screen is HTC's first qHD display, providing 960x540 pixels over a 4.3" area. It's also interesting to see a 16:9 aspect ratio display come on an HTC. This makes the screen a bit taller than we're used to on their other devices. 

The Sensation deviates a bit from the unibody metal design of the previous HTC flagship, the Desire HD. On the Sensation, you get a plastic battery cover which actually covers most of the device...even the front-facing camera and earpiece. The trouble with this is that pocket lint might find its way into the front camera and earpiece over time, necessitating that you use compressed air to keep the area dust-free. 

In-hand, the Sensation has a very high quality and substantial feel. It's not a lightweight, but it's also not heavy enough to be noticeable in the pocket. 

Coming up soon we'll take a thorough look at the Sense 3.0 software of the Sensation.

Dual-Core Face Off: Atrix 4G vs. Galaxy S 2 (Video)

Previously we compared the Optimus 2x with the Galaxy S 2 to determine which dual-core device is better on a variety of metrics. In this video we continue our series comparing dual-core Android phones, this time with the reigning champ, the Galaxy S 2, and the Motorola Atrix 4G. We compare specs, RAM after start-up, speed of launching apps, web browsing performance, and more. We also run a bevy of benchmarks to see which device performs better when really put to the test. 



As you can see in the spec comparison chart, the Galaxy S 2 looks better on paper with a faster-clocking CPU, less weight, and better cameras. That said, the Atrix 4G has an HDMI port, while the Galaxy S 2 needs a special accessory for HDMI output. 

Amazon Has A Great Deal On The Verizon HTC Thunderbolt

The HTC Thunderbolt still goes for $249.99 with a two-year contract over at Verizon and while Amazon had a great deal on the smartphone at the end of April it now manages to up the ante with an even better price.

The Thunderbolt can now be yours for $99.99 if you buy it from Amazon Wireless on Verizon contract. The smartphone scored a 4 out of 5 in our review and the Pros are getting even better at this price tag! You get 4G LTE is fast with simultaneous voice and data, great performance, excellent camera, 32GB microSD card bundled, kickstand is handy when watching video and more.

It packs a 4.3-inch WVGA screen, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 768MB RAM, 8GB of ROM, eight-megapixel camera with dual LED flash and a front facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat.

Source: Amazon Wireless
Via: PhoneArena

Sprint Announces HTC EVO 3D, Available June 24

The online smartphone simulator showing up for the Sprint HTC EVO 3D was a clear indication of things to come and the carrier has just announced the availability for the highly anticipated 3D smartphone from HTC. 

Referring to the smartphone as "America’s first ‘glasses-free’ 3D 4G device", the HTC EVO 3D will be available on Sprint starting June 24 (as rumored). It will cost $199.99 without tax and with a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade (and one of Sprint’s Everything Data plans plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones). You can also pre-order the smartphone at any participating Sprint Store with the purchase of a $50 gift card. 

Officially announced at the end of March, the HTC-made Sprint EVO 3D sports a dual core 1.2GHz Qualcomm CPU, 1GB of RAM, qHD resolution 4.3-inch glasses free 3D display, dual five-megapixel 3D cameras in the back, 1.3MP camera on the front for video chat and Android's latest, 2.3 Gingerbread. 

Source: Sprint

Google Android Malware Alarm Goess Off Once Again

Less than a week ago Google has removed more than two dozen applications from the Google Android Market because they were infected with the malware "DroidDreamLight". The Android malware alarm goes off once again today and it's North Carolina State University that triggers it. 

According to their blog, the malware is called "DroidKungFu" and is currently undetected by mobile anti-virus software solutions. The malware installs a "backdoor that gives hackers full control of your phone". This way all the user data is exposed and, even more, "they can turn your phone into a bot – and basically make your smartphone do anything they want". 

It appears that Android 2.2 Froyo and earlier versions of the platform are affected by the at least two known DroidKungFu infected applications which are spread on Chinese forums and third party software markets. Gingerbread apparently patched those vulnerabilities but DroidKungFu is still able to collect some information and sent it off to a remote server. 

Source: North Carolina State University Blog 
Via: Wall Street Journal