At what size does a phone become too big? That answer will obviously differ from person to person, but the popular consensus among handset makers, at least at the moment, seems to be bigger is better. Just direct your attention to the recent Galaxy S II Skyrocket, 4.5-inch; Droid Razr, 4.3-inch; and HTC Vivid, 4.5-inch.

We’re not complaining, though, as the 4.7-inch Super LCD on the HTC Sensation XL is a joy to behold – the iPhone’s 3.5-inch screen is puny in comparison. After many years of staring at monitors and smartphone screens, the old eyes have begun to fail, so bigger screened offerings are always welcome, and the Sensation XL’s is beautiful.

When we first got our hands on the Sensation XL back at CTIA, one of the first things we noticed was how beautifully designed the device is. For someone with small hands, the phone’s size may at first seem overwhelming, but because of the Sensation’s thickness (9.9mm) it quickly becomes a non-issue. While that may seem thick, the height and width size makes it seem small, though it may not be the most pocketable device. The white color pops as well, and the brushed silver back is nice to the touch.

Other Sensation XL specs include Android 2.3 with HTC Sense UI 3.5, 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 8-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording and 1.3 front-facing camera.

Of course the phone’s biggest draw is its Beats by Dre capabilities. We don’t profess to be experts on the subject, but the Beats technology for us makes a notable difference – the overall sound is much more rich. When we compared the Sensation’s Dre headphones against a third party pair, there was an undeniable difference between the two. But what do we know? It’s a great addition to a premium handset, which is why we hate to get to this last part.

The biggest thing to dislike about the HTC Sensation XL is that it won’t be available in the U.S., so audiophiles and big screen lovers hoping for this to be their next device will have to wait until something else comes along. Still, ogle over our video walkthrough and take a peek at the gallery. Maybe if we wish hard enough, an iteration of this phone will make it to our shores.

Thanks to our friends at Negri Electronics