HTC One max Pro Reviews

By now, it’s absolutely evident that every phone maker is on board with the phablet craze. And why shouldn’t they be, especially when they’ve proven themselves to be at the very least, amped up versions of their flagship variants. Not only are they their super-sized counterparts, but as we’ve seen consistently, they pack just a little bit more in the experience to give them a higher productivity value. HTC has done some minor tweaking with its phablet, but as a whole, it’s still every bit of the HTC One we’ve seen in the past – bigger in size of course. In comparison, the LG G Flex is a very different phone, one that manages to move beyond what LG has done already with the G2. Rather than minutely building upon the successes with the G2, LG is daring enough to do something drastically different – to make it more innovative than anything else. Still, many people will have to think dearly about these two, especially when factoring price. As it currently stands, importing the LG G Flex is a costly investment – one that requires an exorbitant $940 payoff to own. Certainly it’s a premium figure that’s justified by its unique technological jumps, but we can argue that the HTC One max has a more suitable price point that’s befitting of today’s high-end stuff. Sporting an off-contract price of $600, the HTC One max is still an option that you might want to think about. If you absolutely want something that’ll impress your friends, the LG G Flex is undeniably the phone that’ll get the job done with its unconventional shape and spiffy technological attributes.

The HTC One Max is a nice extra-large phablet that lends itself to on-the-go media consumption, but otherwise doesn't justify its giant size.

Pricing, it’s the deciding factor for many people, as some people are more inclined to go with a device which will save them some much-needed cash in the process. So far, the trend seems as though phablets are graced with higher-than-normal prices, but that’s where the Nokia Lumia 1520 comes screeching onto the scene, as it impresses us with its aggressive on-contract price of $99.99 through AT&T. That’s some serious savings folks, especially knowing that it’s packing a newer piece of silicone under the hood, and a beefier camera that’s meant to capture the moment. On the other end of the spectrum, the HTC One max is being made available through a couple of US wireless carriers right now for $299.99 with a 2-year contract. Then again, the software experience really shows its worth, as Android as a whole has certain advantages that adheres to the needs of power users. Ultimately though, if you want a high-spec’d smartphone that won’t cost you an arm or a leg, then the Nokia Lumia 1520 will absolutely suffice. If money isn’t a concern, you can still get by with the HTC One max – though, the date piece of silicon under the hood, combined with its underwhelming photo snapping performance might make some people reconsider.

When I first learned of HTC's plans for the One Max I was very eager to give the big phone a spin. The company's HTC One rocked the mobile handset world with its lovely, luxurious aluminum styling and is still one the most beautiful phones I've ever used. The smaller HTC One Mini is also a success considering how good the compact device looks and feels, yet manages to offer a satisfying Android experience. The $249.99 HTC One Max's metal chassis, however, when blown up to its huge proportions is way too large, heavy, and unwieldy. I never thought I'd sing the praises of a plastic smartphone but the $299.99 Samsung Galaxy Note 3's thinner and lighter footprint is simply more manageable to use. Also, for just $50 extra, the Note 3's more impressive screen, and better components translate into a smarter phablet deal any day of the week.

The simplest way to look at HTC’s One Max is as an up-sized HTC One. It has similarly nice aesthetics (with some white plastic thrown in), the same internal specs (with the addition of expandable storage), the same camera, the same screen resolution, and many of the same features (with the addition of a fingerprint reader that you probably won’t use). It’s also one of the more comfortable big-screen phones to hold and use, although the larger-screened Galaxy Mega 6.3 isn’t bad, either. The One Max’s 5.9 inch screen is great for media consumption, with better speaker output than either the Note 3 or the Xperia Z Ultra. And you can actually see the screen in sunlight, unlike the Z Ultra. The One Max can’t match the Note 3’s pen input or performance, but it doesn’t have to, since the Max is effectively half that phone’s price on contract. If you don’t think you’ll use the S Pen and prefer the looks of BlinkFeed over TouchWiz, then you may want to save yourself $150 dollars or so and opt for the One Max. Just know that you’re buying a phone whose innards, while still fairly decent, will effectively be a year old in just a few months. But the One Max also supports Sprint’s Spark network, which does give the phone some future-proofing against the company’s pokey 3G network and spotty 4G coverage. As a flagship phone for HTC, the One Max is a bit disappointing. But it’s priced more like a mid-range model with a big 1080p screen, great battery life, and stellar speakers. Looking at it that way, the Max sounds pretty good. We would have liked it even more if HTC had just ditched the fingerprint reader and sold the phone for less.

A huge phone with a great screen, but the camera is poor and performance only middling for the price

The HTC One Max is a nice extra-large phablet that lends itself to on-the-go media consumption, but otherwise doesn't justify its giant size.

The HTC One max and LG G2 both run on Android, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end - these are two vastly different phones. The One max offers the bigger, 5.9” screen and while that might seem like a clear advantage, it works out like a double-edged sword since the device is so large and not comfortable to handle and carry. The LG G2 in contrast has a smaller, 5.2” display, but is surprisingly compact and easy to operate. We have to admit that we like the nice vivid screen of the One max, its sturdy aluminum design and outstanding loud and clear front speakers, but in almost all else it’s a bit of underwhelming device. We are disappointed to see the Snapdragon 600 system chip instead of the latest Snapdragon 800, and we are particularly unhappy with the underperforming camera. The LG G2 is not a perfect device (if we had to nit-pic, we'd say we are not perfectly happy with its bluish screen and the loudspeaker is a bit tinny), but it has the future-proof Snapdragon 800, a great 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, and it’s compact and easy to handle. Plus, it costs less. The HTC One max is priced at $249 on Sprint and expected to cost a whopping $299 on Verizon (with a contract), and comparing this to the LG G2 cost varying from $50 to $150 on major carriers, it’s hard to see any justification for the One max price. If you plan on buying one of these off-contract, the difference is still big: the One max costs a whopping $700, compared to $530 for an unlocked LG G2. With all this in mind, the LG G2 easily wins our recommendation here.

We can only answer the question asked at the beginning of this review, whether the concept of HTC's One Max can succeed, with a clear "Yes". HTC's slogan "...more everything" is true. Except for the omitted image stabilizer, HTC's One Max is a blown up version of the great HTC One, but with a micro-SD slot and decently implemented fingerprint scanner. The big 5.9-inch, bright IPS touchscreen is compelling and reproduces content with high contrasts and crisp colors. Browsing, watching movies and games on the go are really fun with it. The well-sounding stereo speakers on the front decisively add to that. All the cutting-edge wireless technologies and the 16 GB flash memory round off the good configuration. The software excels with its instinctive user interface, HTC Sense 5.5 and a few useful, preinstalled apps. Additionally, the phablet scores with long battery runtimes and a good application performance. The quad-core SoC with a clock rate of 1.7 GHz and 2 GB of working memory will provide enough power even for the future. However, we would have hoped for the stronger Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 and a faster LPDDR3 RAM in the new flagship. Contenders like Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 or Sony's Xperia Z Ultra already feature this. Besides that, the UltraPixel camera did not completely convince us. Also, if the back cover can be taken off, it should have been possible to implement a removable battery. All in all, HTC has designed a very good phablet with the One Max. It has a few shortcomings and many advantages. However, its present price is approximately 660 Euros (~$890, RRP: 699 Euros, ~$943). The contenders, such as Samsung's Galaxy Note 3, are available for a current street price of about 550 Euros (~$742); Sony's Xperia Z Ultra costs 560 Euros (~$755).

Big, bigger, biggest. That seems to be the tale of phablets that started from the 5.3-inch size on the original Note back three years ago, and now shoot up to the sky. Despite that growth in screen sizes, Samsung has managed to actually make its Note 3 narrower and thinner than the original Note, and more comfortable in the hand, while the HTC One max feels too big. These are two premium high-priced and well crafted devices. Design is great on both and performance is buttery smooth. However there are a few areas where the One max is lacking - its processor is not future proof and most importantly its camera is underwhelming. It comes with extra large screen, though (5.9” for the One max vs 5.7” for the Note 3), and gorgeous front-facing speakers. The Galaxy Note 3 in contrast doesn't have such premium build, but is smaller and lighter. It ticks all boxes, just works better all around, adds some extra features thanks to its software and S Pen and gets our recommendation here.

There's quite a lot that sets the HTC One max and the Samsung Galaxy S4 apart. They're both great Android smartphones, there's no denying that, but they are clearly not meant to appeal to the same type of audience. That's why we can't label one of them as superior to the other – that would be like saying that a Ferrari is better than a Hummer, or vice versa. The HTC One max is for those few who can really put its extra screen real estate to good use and don't mind its extreme dimensions. These are folks who often find themselves using their phones for web browsing, watching videos, playing video games, and performing other activities that take advantage of a larger screen. The phone's metallic design is impressive as well and perhaps we won't be wrong if we say that the One max is the best-looking phablet money can buy right now. But above all, owning the HTC One max eliminates one's need to have both a smartphone and a small-sized tablet as it effectively combines the functionalities and advantages of both device classes. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S4 would be a worthy pick for a buyer demanding a high-end Android phone that can actually fit inside their pocket. With its compact size and 5-inch screen, it is sleek, light, and neither too big, nor too small. And if that is not enough of an advantage, the S4 packs a camera that can easily leave the One max's Ultrapixel cam trailing in the dust.

As the HTC One and the HTC One mini before it, the HTC One max is a well-made phone. Seriously, there's quite a lot to like about it: from the outstanding metallic design and the large high-resolution display to the awesome front-facing speakers and the solid battery life. But being an HTC One max user is not all roses. We are pretty underwhelmed by the performance of its UltraPixel camera – with its average-looking photos, it can't be taken seriously when compared to its rivals. Then there's the fingerprint scanner on the phone's back – a seemingly cool security feature that only a few other handsets offer, but in reality, a gimmick that can be frustrating to use. Having these and many other minor imperfections in mind, we can't rank the HTC One max as the ultimate phablet. Is it still one of the best smartphones in this class? You betcha! For those who don't feel like the HTC One max is the right choice for them, we have a few alternatives to recommend. One if them is the 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 3, which is definitely more capable in the hardware department with its Snapdragon 800 SoC and 3GB of RAM. An option that impresses with both performance and design is the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, which is, on top of it all, resistant to dust and water damage. And in case your budget can't handle any of these, the 6.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 is a great handset that offers plenty of bang for its buck. Last but not least, the 5.2-inch LG G2 is for those who need a high-end smartphone that can still fit in a regular pocket.

It won't be for everyone, but if you want a big phone (and we mean BIG), you could do a lot worse than the HTC One Max. This is a serious performer that is built to look good and last.

If you want a larger-screened smartphone and liked the One but have been waiting for a long time for the One max, by all means, get it. If you want a larger screened smartphone however, I think it’s easy to make the case that there are better devices out there right now. Had the One max arrived a month or two after the launch of the original One, this conclusion would've likely been a very different one.

The One max was the obvious next step for HTC’s range. “We’re very committed to being tight with the product portfolio” HTC told us, contrasting its scattershot approach of old – different devices for every different carrier, and for every different possible market niche – with a new age of restraint. The company is particularly proud of the fact that the One max will launch with that branding universally, rather than being renamed on Verizon.Unfortunately, the innovation that endeared us to the original HTC One is absent this time around. The HTC One max slaps the One onto a photocopier, hits “enlarge”, and then grafts on a half-baked biometrics system. It’s too bulky, too heavy, and lacks key features of the original like optical image stabilization. Most damning, however, is the fact that HTC simply hasn’t taken full advantage of the larger screen size. We’re used to phablets being big and demanding compromise in how much space they take in your pocket or bag, but the accepted deal is that they pay it back in extra functionality. Instead, the One max gives you the same software experience as on the One, just on a device that’s more unwieldy to hold. Phablet fans should continue their pilgrimage to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3; if you want HTC’s best, our advice is to stick with the original One.

The HTC One max won't be for everyone, but if you've got big pockets and want the HTC experience on a bigger phone, then this is the One for you. But we suspect that for many, the original HTC One will be the better option.