Engadget Review of Sensation up

[ThunderFan]

Engadget Review of HTC Sensation

Does this change anyones mind on picking up the Sensation? Was a bit suprised to see the rather mediocre review after all the hype the phone has been getting. I thought it might get the standard 9 our of 10 for the top tier phones and was a bit shocked to see it was underwhelming in the eyes of Engadget. Is it just cause everyone is hyped up about the Galaxy S II?

Thoughts?

 

[MannyZ28]

If I worked at HTC and was in charge of Sense and would be told to come up with a new major release that improves the experience, uses the new hardware, but doesn't alienate the millions of users that like the current Sense experience, then I probably would have come up with what Sense 3.0 is now. Maybe I am not a very imaginative person, but there aren't too many things I can can think off that they could do to improve the Sense experience.

That seemed to have been their major beef with the phone which is highly subjective. I wasn't too please to read about the occassional lag, but, if what was said at Google IO is true, once the phone gets upgraded to ICS, things should improve quite a bit. I am going as far as saying that it might be like getting a new phone all over again, with just the OS update. I am curious to see how HTC will handle Sense once ICS drops.

Aside of that I found the review good, all the stuff I care about did well. Things that they mostly harped on was Sense, and I am fine with it, and the keyboard, that can be replaced with the shiny new Swiftkey X.

To answer your question, no, it would not deter me from buying it, however, I am on Sprint, so I am spending my money on an Evo 3d, I just like reading Sensation reviews because of the similar hardware between the two, I did the same thing last year staying busy reading Droid Incredible reviews.

 

[going_home]

No need for Swiftkey if you get a T-Mobile version as it will come with Swype,
which a much superior and faster typing experience.

I will probably get a Sensation off Craigslist.
I prefer stock Android, dont like the Sense UI nor will I use the stupid movie garbage.

 

[junglejunkie]

I think that calling Swype a "much superior and faster typing experience" is very much preference. I also prefer Swiftkey to Swype. It doesn't mean one is better than the other...it's all about choice. Just be glad we have the ability to swap out keyboards.

 

[going_home]

I think that calling Swype a "much superior and faster typing experience" is very much preference. I also prefer Swiftkey to Swype. It doesn't mean one is better than the other...it's all about choice. Just be glad we have the ability to swap out keyboards.

I have both and tying is much faster with Swype hands down.
Just saying.

I do like how TMO is putting Swype on all their phones though.
Seems like they are one of the only ones doing that.

 

[MannyZ28]

I have Swype on my Evo as well, and I hate it. Swiftkey is so much better especially for us bilingual folk, I can type in german and in english within the same sentence and it recognizes both languages perfectly.

 

[junglejunkie]

I can type in german and in english within the same sentence and it recognizes both languages perfectly.

Didn't know about that, cool.

 

[sashyenka]

I just read the article and my impressions of it were that they spend their time tripping over themselves giving the device praise, noting their opinions of Sense 3 being a bit lackluster, and then sort of arbitrarily deciding at the last minute that the device is underwhelming. I don't think it was substantively really a bad review, though. Their criticisms of Sense != an underwhelming device, so the conclusion was a little misleading, IMO.

 

[Droid800]

I just read the article and my impressions of it were that they spend their time tripping over themselves giving the device praise, noting their opinions of Sense 3 being a bit lackluster, and then sort of arbitrarily deciding at the last minute that the device is underwhelming. I don't think it was substantively really a bad review, though. Their criticisms of Sense != an underwhelming device, so the conclusion was a little misleading, IMO.

They need to just add in 'we hate Sense, but we love the rest of it', because that's basically what it was.

I just thought it was a crap review. They injected something about hating sense into every section, which was unnecessary. I think they were also expecting too much; Engadget just doesn't get it sometimes, and this review is proof of it.

Doesn't change my mind. I'm still going to play around with one and probably get one. I like Sense for the most part, and I want dual core, so the Sensation is my only choice.

 

[junglejunkie]

Don't hate me, but I think I am going to hold out for the SGS2(4G?), I am in love with the SAMOLED+ screen. The way I see it, you look at the screen it may as well be NICE.

My N1 will just have to get me by...

 

[Droid800]

Don't hate me, but I think I am going to hold out for the SGS2(4G?), I am in love with the SAMOLED+ screen. The way I see it, you look at the screen it may as well be NICE.

My N1 will just have to get me by...

Well the screen on the Sensation is still very, very good, just not as good as the SAMOLED+. (personally, I can't stand SAMOLED, because its way oversaturated and cartoony)

 

[ThunderFan]

I agree. I think they seemed to have the impression that Sense 3.0 was going to change the world. In reality the sense and motoblurs of the world are typically what we hate about the branded locked phones. They slow stuff down and make things buggy when their is a perfectly good underlying OS waiting to be unleashed. The fact that Sense was just mediocre but did not slow things down I think is a very slight plus to just breakeven from a reviewers standpoint. Every phone with a mobile branded skin over it is crap. At least this one isn't total crap. Other than that one part of it the rest looked awesome. Think it makes it a tough decision between waiting for the SGS2 and just snatching a Sensation up.

 

[coronaboy10]

So you're getting the S2 and the Sensation? In two different threads you mention you're getting the Senation and in another you said you're picking the S2 over it. Are you getting both?

 

[going_home]

So you're getting the S2 and the Sensation? In two different threads you mention you're getting the Senation and in another you said you're picking the S2 over it. Are you getting both?

Craigslist is my friend.
I want both phones.
Is that allowed ?

I'm thinking the GSII will be the one I keep out of the two being its to be 21mbps 4G.

Faster has got to be better ?

 

[SUB-dawg]

engadget is bias, they are die hard apple fanboys. it has gotten a little better recently with the leave of all of the major editors but the iphone is still the signature handset to them.

 

[coronaboy10]

Ah sure. Just curious is all. I was thinking youre going to have your cake and eat it too

 

[Droid800]

engadget is bias, they are die hard apple fanboys. it has gotten a little better recently with the leave of all of the major editors but the iphone is still the signature handset to them.

Ehhh. Their criticisms (besides Sense) were fair. And the phone still got a good rating.

 

[ThunderFan]

Ehhh. Their criticisms (besides Sense) were fair. And the phone still got a good rating.

But besides the Sense criticisms what other ones were there? Only real thing I am pulling from the review is that they weren't satisfied with viewing angles.

I think the real problem is the fact that they were comparing the phone to the GSII. I think if they just reviewed the phone from a pure standpoint it would get a 9 out of 10 every time. I mean if they rereviewed the iphone4 and spent the review time comparing it to the GSII it probably would get a 8 as well. Even though it sits with a 9 right now on their site.

 

[MOTH477]

Don't hate me, but I think I am going to hold out for the SGS2(4G?), I am in love with the SAMOLED+ screen. The way I see it, you look at the screen it may as well be NICE.

My N1 will just have to get me by...

I agree. I was liking the Sensation but its had to overlook that SAMOLED screen. Also, I like the voice commands on GS2. It sucks that neither of them have a dedicated camera button.