Telstra today launched HTC's new flagship smartphone the Sensation at only $792 or pay the minimum of $79 to get the device for free on the plan.

The Sensation is part of Telstra's premium Android smartphones and at only $792 it is about $100 cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S2 and Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc.

The Sensation has a 1.2 GHz dual core processor and an 8 megapixel back facing camera. It has a 4.3 inches touchscreen with a resolution of 540 by 960 also known as "qHD" or one quarter of a full HD 1080p frame. The resolution is better than other smartphones which only comes with a resolution of 480 by 800.

The HTC Sensation ships with the latest version of Google's Android OS, the 2.3 Gingerbread. Other features include the 1Gb of internal storage space and 1080 video recording capability. The smartphone also has the Telstra "HD Voice"- a higher quality sound that is available in Telstra's Next G network.

Telstra customers can have the HTC Sensation through any of Telstra's payment plans. Only those customers on the $79 plan or above can avail of the Sensation for no additional cost. Telstra Business customers can pick up the device on a $59 Business Mobile Maximiser plan for additional $13 handset payment.

The HTC Sensation adds another high-end Android smartphone to the Australian market already chock full of Android smartphones. To date HTC has the Desire S, Desire HD, and Incredible S available. Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and LG all have smartphones on sale giving the Australian customer more choices in the smartphone market.