HTC launches One Max with huge 5.9-inch display and fingerprint scanner

The bigger the phone, the harder it is to hide. After a slew of detailed leaks, HTC is finally ready to announce the HTC One Max: an enlarged version of the original One that boosts the size of the 1080p LCD panel up to 5.9 inches while attempting to keep the One’s classy aluminum look and feel. This attempt is made regardless of the impact on general portability — the phablet weighs 217 grams and is over 16 centimeters long and 10.3mm, and it only gets phatter if you squeeze it into something like HTC’s $90 power case, which contains a bendy 1,200mAh battery to add to the capacity of the built-in (and non-removable) 3,300mAh battery.

Aside from the size, there are other important differences, including a brand new fingerprint scanner on the rear side of the phone, which isn’t as neat as the iPhone 5s’s solution but does let you log in with a swipe of your fingertip. The back cover is removable, for a change, letting you expand the 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage with up to 64GB more via microSD — a feature that was missing on the One and on the One X before that. The One Max sticks with a Snapdragon 600 (with 2GB of RAM) for processing, rather than the superior Snapdragon 800 used in rival devices like the Xperia Z Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

On the software side, we’re looking at a significantly revised version of HTC’s Android skin, Sense 5.5, which runs on top of Android 4.3 and provides a new level of customization for BlinkFeed, as well as a list of other features that are summarized in the press release and spec sheet below. Check out the gallery below too, and standby for our review coming very shortly.

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Spec sheet:

HTC One max Specifications

SIZE: 164.5 x 82.5 x 10.29mm

WEIGHT: 217g

DISPLAY: 5.9″ Full HD 1080p

CPU: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600, 1.7GHz quad-

core CPUs

SENSORS:

Gyro sensor

Accelerometer

Proximity sensor

Ambient light sensor

Fingerprint scanner

PLATFORM:

Android™ 4.3 with HTC Sense™ 5.5

HTC BlinkFeed™

MEMORY:

Total storage: 16GB/32GB

RAM: 2GB

Expansion card slot: Supports microSD™

memory card for up to 64GB additional

storage (card not included)

CONNECTIVITY:

3.5 mm stereo audio jack

NFC

Bluetooth® 4.0 with aptX™ enabled

Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n

DLNA® for wirelessly streaming media from

HTC Connect™

Support consumer infrared remote control

micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port with mobile high-

definition video link (MHL) for USB or HDMI

NETWORK:

2G/ 2.5G – GSM/GPRS/EDGE:

850/900/1800/1900 MHz

3G – UMTS/ HSPA:

EMEA: 900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps

Asia: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps

Sprint: 1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 14.4 Mbps

Verizon: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 14.4 Mbps

3G – CDMA

Sprint & Verizon: 800/1900 MHz

4G – LTE:

EMEA: 800/900/1800/2600 MHz

Asia: 900/1800/2100/2600 MHz

Sprint: 1900 MHz

Verizon: 700 MHz

SOUND:

HTC BoomSound™

Sense Voice

CAMERA:

HTC UltraPixel Camera

BSI sensor, Pixel size 2.0 µm, Sensor size 1/3′

Dedicated HTC ImageChip™ 2

f/2.0 aperture and 28 mm lens

Smart Flash: Five levels of flash automatically

1080p Full HD video recording with HDR video

Front Camera: 2.1 MP, 88° wide angle lens

Front Camera: 1080p Full HD video recording.

HTC Zoe™ with Sequence Shot, Always Smile

and Object Removal

Gallery with Video Highlights and HTC Share

Continuous shooting and VideoPic

Slow motion video recording with variable

speed playback

MULTIMEDIA:

Audio supported formats:

Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav,

wma (Windows Media Audio 9)

Recording: .amr

Video supported formats:

Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv (Windows Media

Video 9), .avi (MP4 ASP and MP3)

Recording: .mp4

BATTERY:

Embedded rechargeable Li-polymer battery

Capacity: 3300 mAh

Talk time:

Up to 25 hours for WCDMA

Up to 28 hours for CDMA

Standby time:

Up to 585 hours for WCDMA

Up to 393 hours for CDMA

GPS:

GPS/AGPS

Digital Compass

AC ADAPTER

Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240 V AC,

50/60 Hz

DC output: 5 V and 1.5 A

Show full PR text

THE HTC ONE GETS SUPERSIZED WITH THE HTC ONE MAX

World’s best smartphone now in 5.9″ with new and improved HTC Sense 5.5 ® experience

London, October 15, 2013 – HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today announced the HTC One max, a super-sized smartphone that brings the award-winning design, functionality and performance of the HTC One to fans of larger handsets. A new Fingerprint Scan feature takes convenience to a new level while acclaimed features including HTC BlinkFeed™, HTC Zoe™ and HTC BoomSound™, combined with the new HTC Sense 5.5, which are all enhanced to continue to deliver the best overall smartphone experience, now on a larger screen.

“The addition of the HTC One max means that we now have an HTC One phone for everyone. The family has been built on quality and game-changing innovations and the HTC One max is certainly no exception,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The upgrade to HTC Sense 5.5 will provide our most amazing mobile experience yet, with the HTC One max delivering the size and power required to do everything you want, and more, without compromise.”

Big and powerful

The HTC One max’s 5.9″ full HD1080p display is perfect for enjoying photos, videos and movies on the go. Smooth and efficient performance comes courtesy of a quad-core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600 processor featuring a quad-core 1.7 GHz CPU enabling jaw-dropping performance, ultra vivid videos and booming sound. Whether you’re watching videos in stunning HD, playing games or checking out what’s hot online, the HTC One max sounds amazing, looks sharp and keeps working when you need it.

The 16GB or 32GB onboard memory can be expanded thanks to a microSD™ card slot, with a massive 50GB of additional free Google Drive online storage being offered exclusively to HTC One max owners

The large 3300mAh embedded battery means that this level of performance will last and last. Even the most intensive users will find the HTC One max is up to the challenge thanks to the optional HTC Power Flip Case, a stylish 1150mAh battery expansion for your HTC One max which offers both protection and extra juice when you need it most.

Maximum convenience at your fingertips

The average person checks their phone multiple times a day, so the HTC One max welcomes a new era of convenience and advanced functionality thanks to a built-in Fingerprint Scan feature. Located on the back of the device, the fingerprint scanner allows users to lock or unlock the screen and quickly launch up to three favourite applications by assigning an individual finger to each.

More content than ever before

The HTC One max’s Sense 5.5 upgrade comes with a more social, personalised HTC BlinkFeed that can be further refined by customisable topic categories and new integration with premium content providers including Instagram and Google+. Up to 120 articles can also be downloaded for offline viewing, making BlinkFeed even better for snacking on information wherever and whenever you are.

Ultimate imaging

Featuring HTC’s UltraPixel camera technology, HTC Zoe mode, that brings your photos to life, and a 2.1MP front-facing camera, the HTC One max will capture stunning photos and full HD 1080p videos whether you’re the photographer, the subject or both. Dual Capture means you can now snap memorable moments and your reaction to them in one extraordinary photo or video by simultaneously shooting with the front and rear cameras.

Improved imaging is also introduced through Video Highlights, which combines your photos and videos to create a mini movie complete with the soundtrack and visual theme of your choice. And with the HTC One max, your Video Highlights can now be any length you want.

Design at its Best

Available in Glacial Silver, the HTC One max shares the same premium design credentials as the rest of the HTC One family, providing an all round exceptional experience.

Global Availability

The HTC One max will begin rolling out across the globe from mid – end October. See specific regions for details.