HTC has announced the HTC Sensation XL, the third handset in its Sensation range of flagship smartphones, but the first not to feature a dual-core processor. The new handset was launched at HTC's Beats event at the Roundhouse in London.

So what is so XL about it exactly, given it falls behind even the first Sensation in the power department? Well 4.7-inches of screen puts the XL into this Sensation sandwich, along with 16GB of in-built memory (only 12GB available to the user) and the inclusion of the quite frankly awesome Beats Audio technology. 

The HTC Sensation XL is the second Beats branded phone to be launched by HTC, following the recent HTC Sensation XE. The XL is out-powered by the XE however, so even though it is bigger, it's not necessarily going to be better.

The Sensation XL includes an 8-megapixel camera with fast F/2.2 lens, which should be great for shooting in low light, as well as a dual LED flash and a 1.3-megapixel snapper on the front. It only offers 720p video capture however. 

Display-wise you get a 4.7-inch 480 x 800 Gorilla Glass screen. Powering the Sensation XL is a 1600mAh battery, which keeps the single core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM 8255 processor ticking over. There is 768MB RAM and the phone will ship with Android 2.3.5.

All the usual HTC bells and whistles are present, including the new HTC Sense 3.5, and as this is a Beats branded handset, you get a set of upbeats in the box, with custom Beats Audio profiles to make the most of your music when you hook-up those headphones.

There will also be an HTC Sensation XL special edition that comes with a pair of white Beats Solo headphones, although we don't yet know who will be offering this edition of the phone.

The handset itself measures in at 132.5 x 70.7 x 9.9mm and is relatively lightweight at 162.5g. If you fancy joining us an in depth look at the new monster Android handset why not check out our HTC Sensation XL First Look review where we'll give you all our first impressions and a huge gallery of glorious pictures.

UPDATE: We've heard that Vodafone, 3 and O2 will be stocking the new HTC Sensation XL in the UK, available from the beginning of November across Europe and Asia. 

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