Sunscreens containing Titanium Dioxide are often hard to spread on the skin and they leave a disturbing whitish tint. The disadvantage of Titanium Dioxide is that it's not cosmetically elegant, meaning it's a white, 'unspreadable' mess. Regular sized Titanium Dioxide also has a great safety profile, it's non-irritating and is pretty much free from any health concerns (like estrogenic effect worries with some chemical filters). Its protection is very good between 290 - 350 nm (UVB and UVA II range), and less good at 350-400 nm (UVA I) range.
Anyway, it doesn't matter if it reflects or absorbs, Titanium Dioxide is a pretty awesome sunscreen agent for two main reasons: it gives a nice broad spectrum coverage and it's highly stable.
