HTC Amaze 4G vs. HTC Sensation 4G: T-Mobile Smartphone Battle

Two of T-Mobile's best devices are made by HTC, the Sensation 4G and the Amaze 4G. They are the same size, nearly the same price and both run the Android system, so you have to look closely to see what separates them. Both have 4.3-inch touchscreens with 960x540p resolution and eight megapixel cameras, but the Amaze has better battery life and more internal storage. They both have expandable memory slots, but the Amaze has more built-in storage.

Despite being so similar, the Amaze is the only one currently slated to get the Android 4.0 update when it comes out. HTC has announced several of their phones will get the update, but the Sensation 4G is not one of them. They may announce it later on, but there is no word yet.

Does that justify the Amaze's higher price tag? For some it will, but Amaze also has a faster processor and double the memory of Sensation 4G, and that might seal the deal. Amaze also features a fast shutter speed on its camera, plenty of photo editing software and the futuristic Near Field Communication chip. NFC allows for instant transfer of data between two devices. That means Amaze 4G owners will be able to take advantage of the Android Beam when the Android 4.0 update comes over. It lets people instantly exchange apps, contacts, music, videos - almost anything. There's no menu to open, application to launch, or pairing needed. Just touch one Android-powered phone to another, then tap to send.

For sharing apps, Android Beam pushes a link to the app's details page in Android Market. On the other device, the Market app launches and loads the details page, for easy downloading of the app. Individual apps can build on Android Beam to add other types of interactions, such as passing game scores, initiating a multiplayer game or chat, and more. It's a fun feature that makes Amaze 4G a real flagship phone for T-Mobile, and if you're already spending $200 on a phone, you might as well have the best. Amaze 4G wins this battle, so tell us in the comments if you're looking for after Christmas deals on these devices.