HTC Sensation vs Samsung Galaxy S II

It's been a good year for the smartphone obsessed so far, with releases from LG and Motorola raising the bar with dual-core architecture and adding other cutting-edge features to the mix, but even those powerful new devices stand in the shadows of today's competitors: Samsung's amazing Galaxy S II and HTC's Sensation.

Which one will come out on top in today's head-to-head though?

Build
HTC Sensation - 126.1x65.4x11.3 mm, 148g.
Samsung Galaxy S II - 125.3x66.1x8.5mm, 116g.

HTC is known for high quality devices and we expect the Sensation to be no different. Expect top quality materials, solid construction and sleek good looks to be the order of the day when the device goes on sale later in the month.

Samsung has kicked things up a notch with the Galaxy S II and the device is a beauty to look at. It's thin (maybe too thin) and the weight is never going to be an encumbrance if you're one of the many people who choose to pocket your device. We'd avoid the back-pocket though, as we aren't sure whether the Galaxy S II will tolerate being sat upon.

The use of lightweight plastics in the construction will likely divide opinion though and while some people prize lighter weights above all else we personally like a touch of the premium in our devices, and the minor weight gain that it brings, which leads us to put our cross next to HTC on this rounds score-card.

Winner - HTC Sensation

Screen
The HTC Sensation features a 4.3-inch Super-LCD display, which is fronted with Corning's Gorilla Glass (to give the ham fisted among you a little extra reassurance).

Operating at a resolution of 540x960 pixels, the Sensation brings vibrant colour and lively performance to the user. It may not be cutting edge, like Apple's fabled Retina Display, but it will do what it's intended to well.

Samsung's Galaxy S II however, comes fitted with the latest Super AMOLED Plus screen from the Korean giant.

Measuring 4.3-inches with 480x800 pixels, the Galaxy S II's screen brings low power demands, rich colours, deep blacks and super snappy performance to bear on the market, as well as pin sharp detail and amazing performance. Not to mention a healthy dose of Gorilla Glass of its own!

Not only does the Galaxy S II beat the Sensation in this round, but Apple had better watch out too, as the Samsung is arguably a better performer than the much lauded iPhone 4.

Winner - Samsung Galaxy S II

Optics
If snapping photos is one of your favourite pastimes then prepare to be impressed by both of today's contenders.

The Samsung Galaxy S II ships with an 8-megapixel primary camera with LED flash and 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video-calling support.

The primary snapper also offers geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection and image stabilisation, which should allow even the most amateur photographer to turn out some impressive results. Or if taking video is more your thing you can enjoy support for full 1080p capture.

Similarly the HTC Sensation comes with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with dual-LED flash, geo-tagging, touch-focus, image stabilisation, face detection and instant capture as well as support for 1080p video recording.

Secondary duties will be performed by the included front-facing VGA camera which, although it isn't up to the same standard as the Samsung, will be more than adequate for most.

Winner - Samsung Galaxy S II