HTC's latest Sensation now available through Telstra

Telstra will sell the HTC Sensation for $0 upfront on its $79 freedom connect plan over 24 months
The HTC Sensation Android phone

The HTC Sensation Android phone

Telstra has announced the pricing and immediate availability of HTC's latest Android smartphone, the HTC Sensation.

Read our comprehensive HTC Sensation review, and check out our guide to the best upcoming smartphones in 2011.

Seen as the main competitor to Samsung's popular Galaxy S II Android phone, the HTC Sensation is one of the most hotly anticipated Android phones of 2011, and combines an impressive list of specifications with the latest Android software. The Sensation features a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3in quarter high definition (qHD) display, and an 8-megapixel camera — all wrapped in a unibody aluminium design.

The HTC Sensation has a resolution of 960 x 540, and is one quarter of a full 1080p HD screen, hence its qHD name. The Sensation is the first smartphone with a 4.3in qHD screen to hit the market in Australia — the Motorola Atrix also has a qHD screen, but is a slightly smaller size at 4in.

"The HTC Sensation is the ultimate multimedia smartphone," said Ben Hodgson, country manager, HTC Australia. "With its premium industrial design, look and feel, an immersive, richer movie watching and music listening experience by virtue of its true widescreen and virtual surround sound capabilities, the HTC Sensation is simply a feast for the senses."

The HTC Sensation also comes with HTC's latest Sense UI customisation, 3.0. New features include customisable lock screens, 3D transitions between screens, and an improved weather app with more vibrant animations and sounds.

Telstra sells the HTC Sensation for $0 upfront on its $79 freedom connect plan over 24 months. The plan includes $800 worth of calls, unlimited SMS and MessageBank, and 2GB of data per month. The HTC Sensation is also available on Telstra's $59 business mobile maximiser Plan and will be sold outright for $792.