Beat it
When HTC made a big song and dance about the fact it was investing in Beats by Dr Dre it was easy to disregard it as mainly a marketing gimmick, designed to show how down with the kids HTC is. But there was a practical reason for the investment, and we saw our first evidence of that with the launch of the Sensation XE.
This is the first in a new line of HTC devices to feature Beats Audio technology, which HTC claims offers ‘studio quality audio', whatever that entails. In practice HTC has concluded there's an underserved need for smartphones with better audio as people increasingly use them as MP3 players too.
Apple is, of course, the pioneer in marketing this functionality, stating in its current iPhone ad campaign that "If you don't have an iPhone, you don't have a built-in iPod," or something like that.
"Audio is a crucial part of any consumer's mobile experience and we are continually pushing the audio boundaries to encompass not only improved voice but music, movies and games," said Jason Mackenzie, HTC marketing head. "The HTC Sensation XE offers a truly incredible experience that demonstrates our commitment to place consumers at the center of their mobile worlds."
The phone itself is a Sensation on steroids. As well as the special audio, the dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8260 has been clocked up to 1.5GHz, and HTC is claiming there is now extended battery life. It will be available in EMEA and Asia from the end of this month. No word on pricing, but the usual high-end smartphone level of £500 or £35 per month will probably apply.
