HTC has officially outed the Sensation, an upcoming Android handset with impressive hardware specifications and Sense 3.0, the new version of HTC's custom software environment. The device will launch on Vodafone's network in the UK and will be available via T-Mobile in the United States.

The large form factor handset has a 4.3-inch qHD (960x540) Super LCD display fronted with Corning's gorilla glass. It is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor clocked at 1.2GHz and has 768MB of RAM. Its 8MP rear camera touts LED flash, autofocus, and support for capturing video at 1080p. It also has a front-facing VGA camera for video chat. The spec sheet claims that the phone can is capable of delivering 14.4Mbps download speeds on HSPA+ networks.

The Sensation will come with HTC's heavily-customized version of Android 2.3. The new version of Sense appears to bring some impressive enhancements, including a configurable lock-screen that can display widgets. The software will also bundle in HTC Watch, a new streaming service that allows consumers to pull down movies and television shows for viewing on the handset.

Ever since our review of the HTC EVO 4G last year, we have consistently argued that the WVGA resolution just isn't good enough for hefty handsets with 4-inch or larger screens. The much-needed arrival of qHD displays will finally make these mobile monoliths worth their weight.

A display of 4 inches is the sweet spot for ergonomic reasons, but 4.3-inches of qHD goodness seems like a pretty righteous combo for a multimedia smartphone. It's just as chunky as the EVO 4G, but HTC promises that it will feel good to hold due to high-quality industrial design. It's got a "contoured" screen and a "streamlined unibody aluminum design" (that one sounds a little bit familiar) with rounded corners.

In most ways, the Sensation seems like a premium slab of Android. We are a bit puzzled, however, by HTC's decision to offer 768MB of RAM instead of the increasingly-standard 1GB that is found in most current high-end Android phones. Bumping it up to 1GB would surely have offered a better multitasking experience. HTC also skimped on internal storage, which is rated at 4GB total with only 1GB of "user-addressable" space. That's a bit of a bummer for heavy app users.

We really dig the qHD display on Motorola's Atrix 4G and are pretty happy to see HTC offering comparable resolution on its latest and greatest. The high screen resolution gives the Sensation a nice boost over the Thunderbolt and Inspire, HTC's current pair of 4.3-inch Android handsets. The Sensation is expected to launch in Europe next month and will arrive in the US later this Summer.