The HTC Sensation XL, is a larger version of the HTC Sensation XE, which by itself is an upgrade to the original HTC Sensation. The HTC Sensation XL was launched in India recently and is also branded as the costliest Android phone in the country. On the other side, the LG Optimus EX is one of the powerful devices from LG and packs a dual core processor in it as well.
Note : The LG Optimus EX is a CDMA device.
The LG Optimus EX has really good internal hardware on it while the HTC Sensation XL packs a really interesting audio system by Beats by Dr.Dre.
If you are eyeing the HTC Sensation XL, do read HTC Sensation XL vs Galaxy Note Comparison, HTC Sensation XL vs Galaxy Note Comparison and HTC Sensation XL vs HTC Sensation XE Comparison .
Take a look at the detailed specs of both the phones and compare them side by side, in every category:
Table of Contents:
- Form Factor Comparison
- Display Comparison
- Camera Comparison
- Memory Comparison
- Connectivity Comparison
- Operating System and User Interface Comparison
- Battery and Processor Comparison
- Beats by Dr. Dre
Form Factor
The HTC Sensation XL is 132.5 x 70.7 x 9.9 mm, while the LG Optimus EX is 118 x 63.4 x 9.7 mm. The HTC Sensation XL weighs 162.5 grams while the LG Optimus EX is just 127 grams in weight, much on the lighter side than the HTC Sensation XL.
The standard four Android buttons are present on the HTC Sensation XL and comes with a solid build quality that is tough on the exterior with a plastic back while the LG Optimus EX has a thick black bezel and three capacitive touch buttons on the bottom, the Home, Back and Menu/Options.
The HTC Sensation XL has a 4.7 inch display, making it quite huge to carry while the Optimus EX has a 4.0 inch display.
While the HTC Sensation XE has some interesting color highlights like the four capacitive buttons lighting up in red, the earpiece on the top and the camera ring covered in red, The Sensation XL just has the Beats logo on the back, nothing much to it other than that.
Display
The HTC Sensation XL, comes with a S-LCD capacitive touchscreen of 4.7 inches with a pixel density of 199ppi while the LG Optimus EX has a IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen of 4 inches as well and has a screen density of 223 ppi. The HTC Sensation XL has a screen resolution of 480×800 pixels while the LG Optimus EX has a resolution of 400×800 pixels on it as well, which is quite a plus point considering that the screen is just 4 inches and matches with the resolution of the 4.7 incher on the HTC.
Both the phones support Multi-touch and there is an accelerometer and proximity sensor on both the cellphones as well. Also, the HTC Sensation XL has a Gyroscope on it, also called as a Gyro sensor, which enhances motion based gaming and gestures while the LG Optimus EX does not have it.
Both the displays are capacitive touch displays, support multi touch input and have support upto 16M colors.
Camera:
The Optimus EX from LG has a 5MP camera while the HTC Sensation XL has a 8MP Camera. The Sensation XL can take photos upto a resolution of 3264×2448 pixels while the Optimus EX from LG also has a maximum resolution of 2592×1944 pixels. There is autofocus and LED Flash on the HTC Sensation XL, with Dual LED flash on it but the LG Optimus EX does not have an LED flash.
Geo tagging, face detection and image stabilization are standard features on both the smartphones. Also the HTC comes with HDR support on camera.
The Optimus EX’s camera shoots video at 1080p resolution, at full HD at 30 frames per second while tht HTC Sensation XL shoots at 720p, at HD resolution.
Also, note that there is a secondary camera on both the devices, of VGA resolution in the HTC Sensation and the Optimus EX. This is used for normal camera purposes, by various camera based apps or for video calling via Skype, Google Talk etc.
Winner: LG Optimus EX ( Full HD Video ) ; HTC Sensation XL ( Better camera for still shots, 8MP )
Memory:
The HTC Sensation XL has 16GB of internal memory, and does not support a microSD card slot while the LG Optimus EX has 8GB of internal memory for usage and is extendable as well.
Winner: LG Optimus EX
Connectivity:
The HTC Sensation XL has GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 bands and HSDPA 900/2100 bands which gives maximum speeds upto 14.4Mbps on HSDPA and 5.76Mbps on HSUPA while the LG Optimus EX is a also CDMA bands 800 / 1900 on 2G and 2100 on HSDPA.
Both the phones have WiFi in them and support popular Wi-fi bands, compliant to the 802.11 standards. 802.11 b,g and n are supported and the WiFi Hotspot feature on them is also available on both the devices. To know how to enable Wifi Hotspot via tethering, follow these instructions here. DLNA and Wi-Fi direct are also present in the Optimus EX.
GPS is available on both the phones and Bluetooth 3.0 is enabled on the HTC Sensation XL while the LG Optimus EX also comes with Bluetooth 3.0. There is EDR support with A2DP on both the phones as well.
The HTC Sensation XL has FM Radio but it is not supported in the LG Optimus EX. There is a HDMI port on the LG Optimus EX, enabling you to connect your phone to your high definition screen to enjoy movies and games,
Operating System and UI:
The HTC Sensation XL and LG Optimus EX runs on Android Gingerbread 2.3.4, while the Optimus EX comes with LG’s own User Interface, which is however limited to the homescreen and menu layout and can be customized while HTC has its own Sense UI, which is quite famous for its excellent gesture support and user friendly UI throughout the OS, built by the HTC engineers over the Android layout.
The HTC Sense is definitely fun to use and has lots of small add-ons everywhere while LG’s new UI has refreshed iconography, user changes here and there and some slight improvements to the User Experience though nothing is significant or of much help while using the phone.
HTC has confirmed that the Sensation XL will be receiving the Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 update soon.
Winner : HTC Sensation XL
Battery and Processor
The HTC Sensation XL has a 1600mAh battery while the LG Optimus EX has a 1500mAh battery. The HTC Sensation XL, on 2G, has a talktime of upto 12 h and 360 hours of standby time and upto 7 hours of talktime and 460 hours of standby time on 3G. While the LG Optimus EX has a talktime of upto 10 hours.
The HTC Sensation XL and Optimus EX come with powerful processors. On the HTC Sensation, there is a 1.5 GHz Scorpion Single Core processor powered by an Adreno 205 GPU backed by the Qualcomm MSM8255 chipset while the Optimus EX has a Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9 Processor powered by a ULP GeForce GPU and an Nvidia Tegra 2 AP20H Chipset.
Beats by Dr. Dre
The HTC Sensation XL comes with audio from Beats by Dr. Dre, one of the most premium companies specializing in Audio technology in the world. The HTC Sensation XLcomes with Beats Audio™ inbox with custom made Beats headsets, engineered to deliver extraordinary sound. Their software is also specially tuned software and the user interface is tweaked to deliver the best mobile audio experience. Also, HTC has got Beats to make a custom earphone for the Sensation XL, which comes in the box as well. The headset has music control buttons on it as well.
Conclusion
The HTC Sensation XL is a nice device overall, and comes with solid build quality and design in the software and hardware part while the Optimus EX is cheaper in its price, and has a more powerful processor. The Sensation XL would make a good device to those who are looking for an amazing multimedia experience, with movies and TV shows to watch on the move as it is coupled with an amazing audio system by Beats by Dr.Dre and also comes with a specially made headset for it. While the Sensation XL scores high on multimedia, its internal specifications aren’t that bad either, though it doesn’t have a dual core processor on it.
The Optimus EX from LG on the other side is a quite costly device for its features, but comes with a dual core processor, powerful GPU and a good camera that shoots video at 1080p. If you are don’t mind shelling out few extra bucks and looking for entertainment on the big screen on the move, go for the Sensation XL but if you are looking for the best Android experience on a budget pricing with dual core processors and a powerful GPU, the LG Optimus EX is the best buy,
