Editors' Note: For a full review of the HTC One Max read CNET UK's evaluation of the global model of the handset.
HTC is the latest major phone maker to jump into the massive handset bandwagon with its new HTC One Max. Echoing devices from rivals Samsung and Sony, the One Max packs a gargantuan 5.9-inch screen yet manages to hold onto some of the smaller One's metallic style.
Unlike the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, LG G2, and Samsung's new Galaxy Note 3 though, the HTC One Max lacks the full-throated roar of Qualcomm's high-octane Snapdragon 800 processor. That said, the HTC One Max does its best to entice power Android users with plenty of other bells and whistles including a fresh roll-out of HTC's Sense interface along with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean software. Another slick enhancement up its sleeve is a fingerprint reader for added convenience.
HTC was kind enough to treat me to a little hands on time with the HTC One Max and I have to say I'm left a little underwhelmed by this over-sized creation. I seriously doubt the One Max has the chops to beat back other gigantic phones from its competition. In my mind a larger than life phone needs to come with more than merely a humungous display especially if it wants to fend off potent gadgets such as the Note 3 which pairs power with an impressive array of abilities.
A Maxed out HTC One Close your eyes and imagine if the HTC One flagship phone and the smaller HTC One Mini cross-bred. Now visualize the offspring of that union being hit with a shrink-ray in reverse, or perhaps put on a diet of pure miracle grow. What you'll have on your hands is the HTC One Maxx.
Standing a full 6.5 inches tall by 3.3 inches wide and 0.4 inch thick, the 7.7 ounce One Max is certainly a handful. It's over 2 inches longer than the HTC One and well over 2 ounces heavier. Still, HTC tried to keep the device manageable limiting the Max's width to 3.3 inches, only slightly wider than the One (2.7 inches). Of course, the 5.9 ounce Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is thinner, lighter, and more compact, measuring 6 inches tall by 3.1 inches wide and 0.33 inch thick.
(Credit: Brian Bennett/CNET)
The phone is essentially a splitting image of the HTC One Mini, complete with a silver aluminum chassis ringed by white plastic edges. It bears a strong resemblance to the HTC One as well and boasts two large speaker grilles above and below the huge 5.9-inch display. Part of HTC's vaunted Boom Sound mobile audio solution, I can vouch that these front-firing speakers get mighty loud yet sound clear and detailed.
Also sitting above the screen is the Max's 2.1MP front camera. Around back is the phone's 4MP Ultrapixel camera and LED flash, the same imaging hardware HTC equips the One and One Mini with. What's new here is a smooth black square, about the size of the lens, that serves as the One Max's fingerprint scanner.
HTC says that the gizmo lets you log up to three fingers which you can then use to unlock the phone in a flash, bypassing the typical lock-screen PIN or pattern security codes. I did notice that unlike the Apple iPhone 5S, and similar to the old Motorola Atrix 4G, users must swipe their fingers across the print scanner for the system to operate. Apple's solution uses a ring design which doesn't require finger movement. Hopefully all this finger sliding won't result in snafus and frustrating fingerprint read errors like I did back with the Atrix.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
I can say that the HTC One Max's curved back is comfy to hold despite the handset's staggering footprint. Its back plate is made from premium aluminum too and even comes off to reveal a Micro SD Card expansion slot. Just flip the switch on the phone's left edge to unlock the battery door. Don't get your hopes up about the Max's power source though. While much larger than the One (2,300 mAh) and One Mini (1,800 mAh), the device's 3,300 mAh battery is embedded and therefore not user removable.
HTC shuffled the button layout on the One Max too. You'll still find the IR blaster on the phone's top edge, but the power button has migrated to the right side, below the thin volume bar. Two capacitive keys for Back and Home flank the discrete HTC logo under the display.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Beefed up display Much of the impulse to buy an almost tablet-sized phone is to gain access to a huge display. Indeed the One Max's LCD display measures 5.9 inches across and sports a full HD 1080p resolution with a sharp 367 PPI. In my demo the Max showcased colorful imagery with respectably wide viewing angles. Still, the Note 3's higher contrast display and extremely vivid colors are more impressive to my eyes.
Core components and software I have to say I was disappointed to learn that the HTC One Max relies on the same 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor which drives the older HTC One. It also comes with an identical 2GB of RAM backed up by 32GB of internal storage. Trust me these are great components, but ring hollow when compared with the Note 3's 3GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 800 CPU you'll find beating inside it and other fresh smartphones, namely the LG G2 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra.
The One Max's camera isn't mind-blowing either since the device uses the same 4MP hardware used by HTC's other phones. That said the Max flaunts all the modern software HTC can muster, specifically Android Jelly Bean 4.3 along with the company's latest iteration of its Sense UI, version 5.5.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
As a result the One Max now offers enhanced menus which you access through swiping left and right. For instance users can drag fingers horizontally to tweak the BlinkFeed news aggregator or flip through tracks faster within the Music app with the same gesture. HTC also says that Sense 5.5 boasts improved options for its Zoe Video Highlights so that you'll have more editing options without restrictions on video length.
Outlook In the short time I had with the HTC One Max, I admit I wasn't that thrilled by the handset. Sure it's big and has pleasing smartphone skills but honestly so do the smaller HTC One and One Mini. Its screen didn't exactly bowl me over either as does the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Let's not kid ourselves here, moving to a huge tablet style phone comes with trade offs. A large phone like this is simply harder to carry around and jam into pockets and I want to get something in return for my diminished convenience. At least the Note 3 serves up a fantastic screen on a plate with a side of outrageously swift mobile processing. The Note 3's superior 13MP camera is a tasty though welcome extra too.
If the HTC One Max resonates with you, however, look for it to arrive on Verizon and Sprint by the holiday season. You can also check out CNET UK's full review of the HTC One Max global model for an in depth dive.
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