You may have heard that HTC gained a large part of Beats Electronics, INC not too long ago (just a few weeks ago, really). When this happened, speculations as to how HTC would combine with Beats flew all over the web. With the announcement of the new HTC Sensation XE smartphone, the reason why HTC acquired such a large park of Beats has become clear.

The new HTC Sensation XE comes with Beats audio technology and a set of Dr. Dre Beats headphones. As a person who uses my smartphone as my main audio source, I find this new addition to the HTC Sensation XE both logical and useful – as I’m sure is the case with most people who currently use a smartphone as an audio source.

Why Beats Makes Sense for HTC

Many smartphones have decent sound. After all, people listen to music via smartphone regularly. But, most smartphones aren’t focused on sound alone. Instead, the sound coming from a smartphone is a sort of second thought on the part of a manufacturer. Sure, the sound coming from an iPhone is decent, but is it the best sound that you can get? I’m not so sure.
Beats Electronics has gained a lot of publicity for excellent sound.

The company is, after all, connected to the legendary Monster. Now that HTC has combined a decent smartphone with Beats sound, other manufacturers might be hard-pressed to, well, beat the sound coming from this smartphone. Then again, HTC may have Sony to contend with.

Sony Competition

Sony is set to roll out a new Walkman sometime in the very near future. This Walkman will feature all kinds of app connections and music downloads. Sure, the new Walkman won’t double as a smartphone, but it will focus solely on Sony sound – a decent competitor for Beats. I’m guessing that the smartphone crowd will be split in two pending the arrival of the new Walkman.
Some people (those concerned with excellent sound only) will stick with a smartphone that provides great sound, such as the new HTC/Beats offering.

Others will skip the smartphone altogether by using a device such as the Walkman as a music tool. Even though a smartphone can do it all, there is that pesky reality that damaging a smartphone while running or workout out means going without a (potentially expensive) phone. Still, the HTC Sensation XE does have a lot to offer the average audiophile.

Headphones and Availability

The Dr. Dre headphones that come with the new HTC Sensation XE are something of a music lover’s dream too. These headphones come with a pause, play, and track advancement option, but here’s the great part – you can ignore or answer calls straight from this headset.

This is something that you can’t do with the average pair of earbuds, but it’s definitely something that every headphones manufacturer should consider. Sadly, and for reasons unknown, the new HTC Sensation XE will not be available in North American any time soon. It will, however, be available in Europe, Africa, Asia, and parts of the Middle East in late September.