The HTC One Max is an Android

phablet A phablet (, ) is a mobile device combining or straddling the size formats of smartphones and tablets. The word is a portmanteau of ''phone'' and ''tablet''. Phablets feature large displays that complement screen-intensive activity such as mo ...

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...

designed and manufactured by

HTC HTC Corporation ( zh, t=宏達國際電子股份有限公司, s=宏达国际电子股份有限公司, p=Hóngdá Guójì Diànzǐ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī, first=t) or High Tech Computer Corporation, (literally ''Hongda International Electron ...

. The device is a larger variant of HTC's 2013 flagship high-end smartphone, the HTC One, notably incorporating a 5.9-inch display and fingerprint recognition features. The release of the One Max was met with mixed critical reception; although the software updates introduced in Sense 5.5 were noted as positive improvements, the One Max was panned for using the same hardware as the One and for the operation of its fingerprint sensor.

History

In June 2013, HTC North America's president disclosed plans to launch a "family of devices" around the design and technology of the then recently released HTC One. Shortly after the release of the HTC One in May 2013, leaked information revealed an upcoming HTC-produced

codenamed "T6", which was rumored to include a 5.9-inch

1080p 1080p (1920×1080 progressively displayed pixels; also known as Full HD or FHD, and BT.709) is a set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the screen ve ...

display,

stylus pen A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision w ...

, and a

fingerprint scanner Fingerprint scanners are security systems of biometrics. They are used in police stations, security industries, smartphones, and other mobile devices. Function Everyone has patterns of friction ridges on their fingers, and it is this pattern ...

. Leaked images revealed a device resembling a larger version of the HTC One alongside its standard and Mini counterparts, and competing devices. Other images showed the rumored fingerprint scanner on its rear, and a

Verizon Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas ...

-branded model for the United States.

Release

The HTC One Max was officially unveiled on 14 October 2013 for an almost-immediate release in European and Asian markets. It was released in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

exclusively by

Vodafone Vodafone Group plc () is a British multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. , Vod ...

(who indicated that its stock would begin arriving in-store later that week), while Sprint and

Verizon Wireless Verizon is an American wireless network operator that previously operated as a separate division of Verizon Communications under the name Verizon Wireless. In a 2019 reorganization, Verizon moved the wireless products and services into the div ...

confirmed plans to soon release the One Max in the United States. The One Max also includes 50 gigabytes of free

Google Drive Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service developed by Google. Launched on April 24, 2012, Google Drive allows users to store files in the cloud (on Google's servers), synchronize files across devices, and share files. In add ...

storage for 2 years. A black version of the One Max was released in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

in mid-December 2013, and in late-December 2013, a red version and an amber gold version of the One Max were released in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

Specifications

The HTC One Max uses an almost identical design to the HTC One; however, the Max has a plastic bezel similar to the One Mini, uses a side-mounted power button, and also includes a removable back cover which exposes

SIM card A typical SIM card (mini-SIM with micro-SIM cutout) A GSM mobile phone file:Simkarte NFC SecureElement.jpg, T-Mobile nano-SIM card with NFC capabilities in the SIM tray of an iPhone 6s file:Tf sim both sides.png, A TracFone Wireless SIM card ha ...

and microSD slots. The One Max inherits hardware features first introduced with the HTC One, such as front-facing dual BoomSound stereo speakers and a 4-megapixel rear-facing camera with an UltraPixel

image sensor An image sensor or imager is a sensor that detects and conveys information used to make an image. It does so by converting the variable attenuation of light waves (as they pass through or reflect off objects) into signals, small bursts of c ...

(however, the camera does not support

optical image stabilization Image stabilization (IS) is a family of techniques that reduce motion blur, blurring associated with the motion of a camera or other imaging device during exposure (photography), exposure. Generally, it compensates for panning (camera), pan an ...

). Additionally, a

is located directly below the camera. Internally, the One Max features a 1.7 GHz quad-core

Snapdragon 600 This is a list of Qualcomm Snapdragon systems on chips (SoC) made by Qualcomm for use in smartphones, tablets, laptops, 2-in-1 PCs, smartwatches, and smartbooks devices. Before Snapdragon SoC made by Qualcomm before it was renamed to Snapdr ...

processor with 2 GB of RAM, a 5.9 inch

screen with a pixel density of 373 ppi, an infrared blaster and NFC, uses a larger (but still non-removable) 3300 mAh battery, and contains 16 or 32 GB of expandable storage. The One Max ships with a version of Android 4.3 and

HTC Sense HTC Sense is a software suite developed by HTC, used primarily on the company's Android-based devices. Serving as a successor to HTC's TouchFLO 3D software for Windows Mobile, Sense modifies many aspects of the Android user experience, incor ...

5.5; the update adds RSS and

Google+ Google+ (pronounced and sometimes written as Google Plus; sometimes called G+) was a social network owned and operated by Google. The network was launched on June 28, 2011, in an attempt to challenge other social networks, linking other Google p ...

support to BlinkFeed, the option to disable BlinkFeed, a tool for making

animated GIF The Graphics Interchange Format (GIF; or , see pronunciation) is a bitmap image format that was developed by a team at the online services provider CompuServe led by American computer scientist Steve Wilhite and released on 15 June 1987. ...

s, and additional Highlights themes. The smartphone has recently been updated to

Android 4.4 Android KitKat is the codename for the eleventh Android mobile operating system, representing release version 4.4. Unveiled on September 3, 2013, KitKat focused primarily on optimizing the operating system for improved performance on entry-leve ...

. Users can unlock the phone by vertically swiping on the fingerprint scanner. Up to three fingers can be recognized by the system, and the One Max can also be configured to automatically launch a certain app when a specific finger is detected.

Reception

Some early reviews criticized the One Max for its CPU specifications (specifically, using the older Snapdragon 600 processor instead of a newer 800 model), its use of the same camera as the HTC One, and the awkward placement of the fingerprint scanner. Vlad Savov of ''

The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts. The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media ...

'' particularly felt that the sensor, which requires users to vertically swipe it when scanning, was positioned too close to the camera, and required an "uncomfortable" hand position to use properly because a user's fingers would naturally lay at an angle on the rear of the device in normal use. The 5.9" display, dual front-facing speakers, removable back cover with expandable storage, the power button placement, and the ability to customize or remove BlinkFeed were praised.

References

External links