HTC One Max - Making a Splash (Updated)

*Updated as of 18th October 2013 - Originally published as a preliminary review on 15th October, we've since completed all our tests and updated the article to a full review, complete with ratings. For those who've read our article previously, you can jump direct to our Performance and Conclusion page.

Overview

The HTC One Max is no secret device in the making; rumors surfaced as early as May with more substantial reports coming in the past three months. Its arrival is somewhat late since the other phone vendors (Huawei, LG and Sony) have caught up with Samsung in the phablet race. So what new features does the One Max bring to the table and can it take on the big guys? Well, let's find out in this review.

Key highlights of theHTCOne Max Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 5.5 5.9-inch Super LCD 3 display / 1,920 x 1,080 pixels Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.7GHz processor 2GB RAM 16GB internal storage microSD support up to 64GB 4-megapixel UltraPixel rear camera with BSI sensor, F2.0, 28mm lens and dedicated HTC ImageChip 2 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera with 88 degrees wide angle lens Fingerprint sensor micro-SIM 4G LTE NFC 3,300mAh battery (non-removable) Dimensions: 164.5 x 82.5 x 10.29mm Weight: 217g Price and Availability: $1,028 from 2 November at all three telcos and authorized retailers.

Design

Consumers who find the 4.7-inch HTC One a tad too small for their liking have their prayers answered; the One Max is the larger version of the One with the same design language that has garnered rave reviews around the world including HardwareZone. For a better understanding of the design considerations and of HTC's signature design, do check out our review of the HTC One.

Like its mini counterpart, there are minor differences that you should take note of. The thickness of the polycarbonate strip that runs along the sides of the device is increased. As mentioned in the review of the One mini, this isn't exactly a negative design element as the sides of the One Max are no longer cold like the bare aluminium that comes in contact with your hand with the original One. 

HTC finally shifts the power button, originally on the top left corner of the One and One mini, to the right side. Located just below the volume controls, the position of the power button midway along the side makes it convenient to access with your left index finger (for left-handers) or right thumb (for right-handers).

Another noteworthy change in the design of the One Max is the removable rear cover. Unlike the other One models, you can remove the rear cover of the One Max to access the micro-SIM card and micro-SD slots. Yes, your eyes ain't playing tricks on you - the One Max is the only member of the One family (2013) to come with a memory card slot, which supports memory cards up to 64GB in capacity.

Out-of-the box and after updating the preloaded apps, the One Max has about 10.15GB of available storage space. The One Max also does not offer 25GB free Dropbox space for two years. Instead, you get 50GB free Google Drive space for two years.

The rear cover is made up of anodized aluminum, which makes it feel very sturdy compared to the plasticky removable backs of its competitors such as the LG Optimus G Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note 3. When putting the rear cover back in its place, it is recommended that you slide the cover in from the left and press it down in a U-shape manner to ensure it is secured in place. This means that you press the plate down along the top section to the side of the device and then to the bottom section of the device. If not, there is a tendency to miss out an area and that would mean the rear cover might not be secure enough.

Handling

Weighing at 217g and measuring 10.29mm thick, the One Max is the heaviest and thickest phablet in the market despite not having the biggest display or battery. To put things in perspective, here are the physical dimensions of the other phablets:

• Huawei Ascend Mate: 163.5 x 85.7 x 9.9mm, 198g, 6.1-inch display
• LG Optimus G Pro: 150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4mm, 172g, 5.5-inch display
• Samsung Galaxy Note 3: 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3mm, 168g, 5.7-inch display
• Sony Xperia Z Ultra: 179.4 x 92.2 x 6.5mm, 212g, 6.44-inch display

However, it is important to note the One Max is the only phablet of the lot to use aluminum as part of its chassis while the other phablets use plastic which is lighter. In addition, the One Max features dual font-facing speakers with dedicated amplifiers which also contributed to its weight slightly.

Nonetheless, the One Max is undeniably bulky for its form factor. While the contoured back makes the One Max rest solidly and comfortably in the hand, it also centralizes the weight to the middle of the device. Most other smartphones have their weights distributed evenly. As such, if you don't support its center of gravity, it might feel like the One Max will topple right out of your hands.

The One Max inherits the same two-button layout as the One and One mini which annoys us. The HTC logo is placed at a spot that has been effectively standardized as the location for the home button across the majority of Android phones. Shoving the home button to the right of the logo goes against what is intuitive and ingrained in most users, which is never a good thing. Even after repetitive use of the device over the past few days, we still found ourselves tapping the HTC logo subconsciously expecting it to take us back to the home screen. As such, we found this design choice unacceptable. More so because it doesn't have any function other than to annoy its users.

Features

Fingerprint Sensor

Touted as the most convenient security on Android, the One Max has a fingerprint sensor located just below the rear camera. Before you start to brand it as a copycat to the Apple iPhone 5S, it is good to set the record straight that Apple is also not the first to implement a fingerprint sensor on a phone.

Based on our research, there are four phones before the iPhone 5S which have fingerprint scanners. The four phones are the Windows Mobile 6-powered Toshiba G900, Windows Mobile 6.1-powered Acer M900, Android 2.2-powered Motorola Atrix and the Pantech Vega LTE-A. Of the four devices, only the G900 goes beyond the security feature of a fingerprint scanner to include a quick launch function and navigate the interface. 

While the G900 allows you to use up to 10 fingers to launch 10 different apps, the One Max lets you setup the fingerprint sensor to launch up to three different apps using three different fingers. 

Due to the size of the device, we recommend setting the left and right fingers to unlock the device as you can unlock the device in either hand under most situations. This leaves the third finger to unlock any of your most frequently used apps.

The fingerprint set up process is straightforward. You select which finger to set up by swiping it across the center of the fingerprint scanner four times to record your fingerprint. The on-screen guide will advise you to swipe your whole finger (not just the tip) across the center of the scanner.

As the fingerprint sensor works uni-directional and you need to execute a swipe gesture, the user experience cannot be compared to that of the iPhone 5S. In addition, the location of the fingerprint sensor at the back of the One Max means that you either have to pick up the phone to swipe your finger or key in the password (in the event the fingerprint scanner doesn't work) to unlock the device.

We find Apple's implementation on the iPhone 5S to be more intuitive. The embedding of the fingerprint sensor in the home button makes it almost second nature for anyone to unlock the phone compared to the rear location of the fingerprint sensor on the One Max. Hence, in our daily usage, we also find the speed at which the phone unlocks via the fingerprint scanner to be a tad faster on the iPhone 5S than the One Max (although the slightly slower speed is by no means a demerit point for the One Max).

Like the LG G2's rear power button, it took us a while to get used to unlocking the One Max via the fingerprint sensor. The initial confusion caused by the close proximity of the camera lens and fingerprint sensor is resolved after our fingers acclimated to the slight matte texture of the fingerprint sensor which helps our finger to locate it better.

Overall, HTC's implementation of the fingerprint scanner is decent, especially with the added functionality of quick launching up to three apps. However, there is certainly room for improvement for HTC in terms of user experience since the most obvious comparison will be with the iPhone 5S, which in all honesty, sets the benchmark.

5.9-inch Full-HD Display

If you haven't noticed by now, the One Max is HTC's first foray into the phablet segment. The One Max sports a 5.9-inch Super LCD 3 display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. In terms of screen quality, the One Max is top notch. 

Similar to the 4.7-inch One, we find the display on the One Max to be one of the sharpest if not the sharpest we've ever seen. It delivers natural and balanced color reproduction in contrast to the slightly oversaturated Super AMOLED display of the Galaxy Note 3. Viewing angles are excellent too, and does not suffer from a washed out appearance. In direct sunlight, with brightness set to maximum, we experienced slight problems in viewing content on the display, but that's understandable given the LCD technology used.

Accessories

We were shown two new accessories by HTC for the One Max - the Power Flip Case and HTC BoomBass. Now, let's take a look at the two accessories and what they have to offer: 

Power Flip Case

As the name suggests, the flip case not only protects the One Max from scratches and bumps, it also provides extra battery juice to the One Max. According to HTC, the Power Flip Case is able to provide 30% more battery for the One Max thanks to its embedded 1,210mAh battery.

The 1,210mAh battery is actually integrated as part of the flip case (red cover). Charging is done via the three pogo pins located at the bottom left corner of the black case. Due to the embedded battery, do not expect the Power Flip Case to be light. In fact, it is heavy on its own and if you are planning to use it with the One Max, the combined weight will certainly weigh your pocket down.

There are two points to note on the Power Flip Case. The first point is related to charging the case. You cannot charge the Power Flip Case on its own as it does not have a charging port. Therefore, you have to charge the case and the phone together via the supplied micro-USB cable.

The second point is related to the lack of sleep/wake function. Unlike some third party cases, the Power Flip Case does not have a sleep/wake function. We find this quite disappointing since it would have been more convenient for users to turn on the display without reaching for the Power Button. 

HTC BoomBass

The HTC BoomBass is a mini subwoofer with a built-in amplifier and it goes hand-in-hand with the phone's dual front-facing speakers to form a 2.1-channel sound system. According to HTC, the BoomBass will deliver clear/strong bass for better music and gaming experience. It has Apt-X support (Apt-X is a real-time digital audio data reduction system which offers linear compression of audio samples by a factor of 4:1, and hence mitigates some of the drop in quality due to Bluetooth transmissions), for better wireless audio transmission support and pairs with your One Max via NFC.

Pairing of the One Max and BoomBass is easy. You just need to enable NFC on the One Max and tap the upper portion of the device on the top of the BoomBass. During our trials, we found the audio experience to be significantly better thanks to the extra bass delivered by the BoomBass. To maximize the output of the BoomBass, you will need to put the volume of the One Max close to maximum. Be warned though, the combined 2.1-channel sound system is quite impressive for a mobile device, but it's also fairly loud at the same time (we drew in a lot of stares from across our office). The only drawback is when you're using it at lower volumes, as BoomBass will not be loud enough to give you any significant boost in bass. In terms of loudness, we feel that the BoomBass volume isn't quite synced with the phone's speakers.

Android 4.3 and Sense 5.5

The One Max is the second non-Nexus/non-Google Play Edition device to run Android 4.3 after the Galaxy Note 3. As with most Android devices, the One Max runs the latest Sense 5.5 on top of the stock Android interface. Sense 5.5 brings some notable new features such as:

• The option to turn off BlinkFeed 
• Custom tabs in BlinkFeed 
• New content in BlinkFeed
• Offline viewing in BlinkFeed
• Ability to rearrange Quick Settings 
• Dual-capture and Panorama+ in Camera app
• Emoticons in the HTC keyboard 

BlinkFeed

Like it or hate it, BlinkFeed is here to stay. If you belong to the group of consumers who dislike BlinkFeed, HTC now adds an option for you to disable BlinkFeed. Previously, users cannot disable or remove BlinkFeed and have to install a third-party launcher. As BlinkFeed is a key element of the Sense experience, HTC has refined it to be more useful for its users. 

HTC also allows you to personalize the content on BlinkFeed by offering the ability to set up custom topics. You can basically search for any term and BlinkFeed will show you a list of results related to your search term. 

Taking a leaf out of Pocket's books, HTC adds offline viewing for its content on BlinkFeed. According to HTC, users can download up to 120 articles for offline viewing on the One Max. Each article you read on BlinkFeed will have two options at the bottom: Read Later or Share. Tap on the "Read Later" option to save it to HTC Reading List or Evernote.

Reorganizing Quick Settings

First seen in the HTC Butterfly S, Quick Settings can be accessed either with a two-finger swipe down on any home screen (including the lock screen) or a swipe down followed by a tap on the Quick Settings icon on the top right corner of the screen. 

With the One Max, you can now reorganize the Quick Settings according to your preferences. As you are limited to 12 Quick Settings, it is recommended to choose the 12 most frequently accessed apps or settings. By default, fingerprint scan and Do Not Disturb mode are included in the 12 Quick Settings.

Emoticons in HTC Keyboard

With Sense 5.5, HTC has preloaded emoticons in its keyboard for users to insert in text messages and emails. If you recall, LG boasted about it being the first to implement in an Android smartphone with their Optimus G Pro. As mentioned before, there are already several third party keyboards such as Go Keyboard that have support for Emoji.

If the emoticons look familiar, they are actually inspired from the stock emoticons in WhatsApp. Users who message a lot and go beyond simple text will appreciate this feature as they don't need to install a third-party keyboard to enjoy these perks.

Lack of One-Handed Operation Features

For a device of its class, it's odd that HTC did not add one-handed operation features for the One Max. Competing phablets offer one-handed feature in unlocking, dial pad, keyboard and calculator. We find the lack of one-handed operation features a tad disappointing since users have no choice but to make do with the standard layout. This simply means more effort on your part as you try to tackle the device one-handed or even use it two-handed.

Performance Benchmarks

The One Max is powered by the same components in the One, which are the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.7GHz processor and 2GB RAM. On paper, the One Max is every bit inferior to its competitors, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

Although there is no real world difference in actual user experience between a Snapdragon 800 and 600 processor, it only makes sense for HTC to equip the One Max with the newer Snapdragon 800 processor as most customers want to have their money spent on a device with the latest and greatest hardware/software possible.

Potential buyers may be turned off by the fact that Samsung and Sony are able to fit in the latest generation processor in their phablets while HTC is unable to do. It gets even more frustrating when we consider the fact that HTC equipped a similar processor with a slightly faster clock speed in the Butterfly S.

Having said that, we will be pitting the One Max up against other phablets such as the LG Optimus G Pro, Huawei Ascend Mate, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

Editor's note: Since news of Samsung "artificially boosting" the processor for selected benchmarks and other Android vendors guilty of such tactics broke, we encourage readers to adopt a more objective approach in assessing a phone's performance and not base everything purely on benchmark scores. The benchmark numbers merely serve as a guide.

 

Quadrant

Quadrant evaluates a device's CPU, memory, I/O and 3D graphics performance. As expected of a Snapdragon 600 processor, the One Max is more or less on-par with the Optimus G Pro. Aside from the Samsung Galaxy Note 3's score, you can also see that the Snapdragon 800 processor powered devices have a significant lead over the Snapdragon 600 processors. What about the higher clocked HTC Butterfly S? While the similarly clocked HTC One scored about ~12400 points, the Butterfly S managed an even better figure of about 12600 points. Still, the void left between the Snapdragon 800 and 600 based devices are rather wide.

3DMark (2013)

Originally developed as a PC benchmarking tool, 3DMark is now expanded to support multiple platforms including Android OS. The Ice Storm benchmark is designed for smartphones, mobile devices and ARM architecture computers.

For an in-depth understanding of 3DMark for Android, do head over to our article, "3DMark - Android Device GPU Performance Review." In a nutshell, 3DMark consists of three test sections:

• 3DMark Ice Storm is an OpenGL ES 2.0 benchmark test that uses fixed off-screen rendering at 720p then scales the output to fit the native display resolution of your device. Ice Storm includes two graphics tests designed to stress the GPU performance of your device and a physics test to stress its CPU performance.
  
   
• 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme raises the off-screen rendering resolution to 1080p and uses higher quality textures and post-processing effects to create a more demanding load for the latest smartphones and tablets.
  
   
• 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited is used to make chip-to-chip comparisons of different chipsets, CPUs and GPUs without vertical sync, display resolution scaling and other operating system factors affecting the result.

Note: We will just be reporting the 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited scores as the One Max maxed out the score limit of the 3DMark Ice Storm and Ice Storm Extreme after a recent update to the app.

The One Max surprisingly registered a better score in the 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited benchmark than the similarly-spec'ed Optimus G Pro although we cannot ignore the possibility of discrepancies occurring when running the benchmark. Nonetheless, you once again can see the Snapdragon 800 processors pulling a huge lead over the Snapdragon 600 processors.

SunSpider JavaScript

SunSpider JavaScript measures the browsing performance of a device. It not only takes into consideration the underlying hardware performance, but also assesses how optimized a particular platform is at delivering a high-speed web browsing experience.

The One Max scored quite decently in the SunSpider Javascript benchmark although it fell slightly behind that of the Snapdragon 800-equipped devices.

Synthetic benchmarks aside, the user experience on the One Max is unchanged from that of the original One and any other Android devices we've tested recently. We did not encounter any lags or system freezes during the past few days of usage, while navigation remained smooth and fluid.

Camera Performance

Like the One mini and Butterfly S, the One Max lacks built-in optical image stabilization (OIS), a feature that is present in the HTC One. If the feature is missing on the One mini, we could forgive HTC as the device is not positioned as a top-tier offering.

However, as HTC's first phablet device and probably the last device for this year, the lack of OIS on the One Max is rather disappointing. Other flagship devices such as the LG G2, Nokia Lumia 1020, 925 and 920 sport this feature and we are disappointed that HTC was unable to feature it on the One Max. Granted that none of the competing phablets have OIS, HTC misses a valuable opportunity to set the One Max apart from the competition.

Having said that, the One Max is equipped with the same 4-megapixel UltraPixel rear camera with BSI, a dedicated HTC ImageChip 2, F2.0 and 28mm wide angle lens. We have done a comprehensive article on the UltraPixel camera and its performance, and hence we will not be going into great lengths about it again.

In a nutshell, the One Max's camera isn't entirely bad just because it lacks OIS. If you use the pictures for social media sharing, it is unlikely that anyone will notice the loss in image detail when viewing on their desktop browser or mobile phone. However, HTC's implementation of 'Ultrapixels' doesn't convey any significant advantage to image quality over the better camera phones of today.

*Updated on 17 October: The following sections on battery performance and conclusion have been added to complete the review.

Battery Performance

Our standard battery test for mobile phones has the following parameters:

• Looping a 800 x 480-pixel video with screen brightness and volume at 100%
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
• Constant data streaming through email and Twitter

The One Max managed to last an impressive 10 hours and 26 minutes in our battery test, which is by far the best we've seen from a HTC device and ranks second behind the Galaxy Note 3. Despite just having a slightly larger battery and a much bigger display compared to the 5-inch Butterfly S (3200mAh), the One Max could last an extra 2 hours!

Based on the Power Consumption chart, the One Max registered the second lowest power consumption at 1.20W which is significantly lower than most of the competing phablets. In comparison, the Butterfly S has a power consumption of 1.47W. We're glad to see that HTC has made significant inroads to improving the power consumption of their device.

Do note that in the case of the One Max, BlinkFeed was turned off. We are conducting another round of battery test with BlinkFeed enabled to determine if there is any significant difference in the battery mileage and power consumption.

In the Portability Index where each device is assessed on its ability to balance battery mileage with its size and portability, the One Max didn't fare as outstandingly because its massive dimensions and weight outweigh its long battery life. It still fares better than most of the competition, but unfortunately the Galaxy Note 3 still has the overall advantage.

But how did the HTC One Max fare in our real-world usage? Check out these screen grabs:-

As seen from the graph above, the One Max could last about  26 hours with 6% battery left. Some notes:

• The device logged onto a 3G network as the SIM card used does not support 4G LTE.
• The device logged onto Wi-Fi networks from time to time.
• Power saving mode was not enabled throughout the day.
• BlinkFeed was disabled.

Our typical usage scenarios include making some voice calls, texting via WhatsApp, taking some photos and sharing them on social networking sites (Facebook and Instagram), the occasional web browsing via Pulse News Reader and emailing. Since battery mileage varies greatly depending on usage patterns, what we've shared is just for reference from our personal usage.

 

Conclusion

Is the One Max as good as the other phablets in the market? Well, the answer isn't a resounding yes, but HTC deserves credit in some aspects that makes it one of a kind.

When it comes to design and build quality, HTC is second to none and is miles ahead of the other phablets. It's good to see HTC trying its best to keep a standard design philosophy across its One family this year. However, this comes at the expense of portability as the One Max is currently the thickest and heaviest phablet device. Given the choice of materials, these downsides are not unexpected and it's one of the main reasons some of its competitors have sighted that they can't afford to debut a non-plastic phablet device. As we've mentioned on the first page, the HTC One Max is the only phablet that uses an aluminum chassis.

The 5.9-inch display on the One Max is still one of the best in the industry although the Optimus G Pro and Galaxy Note 3 are not far behind in terms of screen quality. Another differentiating factor that the One Max has is its front-facing stereo speakers, which arguably delivers outstanding audio quality for a pocket-able device. To kick things up a notch, HTC also has a BoomBass accessory that does exactly what its name suggests - to function as a subwoofer and deliver more bass.

We also noticed that HTC considered users' feedback and added in three important features - a larger capacity battery, improved power management and a microSD card slot. The battery performance of the One Max has improved significantly from previous generations of HTC devices, and this is clearly shows in our benchmarking session and real-word usage. If you pause a moment to consider that the HTC One Max has great battery life with top notch audio delivery and a great screen to boot, the One Max could have been the perfect portable entertainment device for many. Alas, it has a few drawbacks that still weighs it down.

HTC may be the among the first to implement a fingerprint sensor in an Android smartphone and expands its functionality beyond just unlocking the phone, but compared to the iPhone 5S, the One Max misses the mark. It isn't about who does it first. It's about who does it better. Truth be told, we still prefer Apple's implementation as it's intuitive and you don't have to deal with getting acclimatized on the position of the fingerprint sensor. An annoying byproduct of HTC's design choice for the finger print sensor is that you risk smudging the camera lens glass and this might easily cost you a memorable moment from an already average imaging quality that the Ultrapixel camera churns out. Also, let's not forget the irritating soft-button layout where the home button position is off-center while the HTC logo has no function.

So who should get the HTC One Max?

At this point of time, given the options available in the market, there's an ideal phablet for every user. If you want the best looking device, look no further than the HTC One Max. For multimedia buffs who want the best portable media player experience on a phablet form factor device, HTC has got you covered again. But note that the One Max is bulky, live with the limitations of the UltraPixel camera and its software features isn't optimized for large screens.

As the first phablet device for the company, the One Max also goes up against stiff competition. The Xperia Z Ultra boasts a larger display, slimmer chassis and the latest Snapdragon 800 processor. Not to mention, it's an ideal 7-inch tablet replacement and is dust and water proof to a certain degree. Samsung, having had two generations of Galaxy Note devices prior, has baked an almost perfect phablet offering in the Galaxy Note 3 with better all-round performance, functionality and features.

Meanwhile, the Optimus G Pro is a good alternative to the One Max as both devices are powered by the same processing platform, but LG's device has been in the market for some time with far more favorable street price. Besides being the ideal budget phablet, LG also makes it convenient for users to swap out batteries on the Optimus G Pro, and in terms of imaging capability, the Optimus G Pro edges out the One Max in quality and details captured.

Pricing and availability of the HTC One Max hasn't been announced yet, but we'll make an update as soon as it's known.

*Update on 23 October 2013: The One Max (Glacier Silver) will be available in Singapore from 2 November at a retail price of $1,028 without line contract at all three telcos and selected authorized retailers. The Stealth Black model wil be available at a later date.

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