The HTC One Max is now available to buy from online retailers, including Clove Technology. Click here for details http://www.clove.co.uk/htc-one-max

To recap the HTC One Max has the same design styling as the HTC One. It includes HTC BlinkFeed, Zoe, BoomSound and TV Remote IR.

It has a 5.9″ Full HD 1080 x 1920 LCD3 screen. It measures in at 164.5 x 82.5 x 10.29 mm. It weighs over 200g. So it is heavy and huge.

Unlike the HTC One it has a removable back cover, giving you access to the SIM card slot and support for micro SD cards up to 64GB.

I imagine in 5 years time, we will think 5.9 inch phones are all too small.

Below are the official specs are the new HTC One Max. The first disappointment is that it is not using the new Qualcomm S800 processor. It still has the old S600 found in the HTC One. It also is more plastic with the same finish as per the HTC One Mini. This phone is heavy at 217g. Compared to the Samsung Note 3 at 168g there is a vast difference. Also the Note 3 is 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3mm. So be prepared to got lost holding the One Max. Also it appears Beats Audio is missing and Optical Image Stabilisation.The omission of OIS is dreadful. A large phone like this will be more prone to movement when snapping a photo, so OIS will be needed more not less. There are many positives as noted below in the specs for example a memory card slot and a side mounted power button.

And don’t expect the fingerprint scanner to work as well as the one on the iPhone 5S.

SIZE: 164.5 x 82.5 x 10.29mm

WEIGHT: 217g

DISPLAY: 5.9” Full HD 1080p

CPU SPEED:
• Qualcomm® Snapdragon 600, 1.7GHz quad-core CPUs

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)

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

SIM:
• micro SIM

SENSORS
• Gyro sensor
• Accelerometer
• Proximity sensor
• Ambient light sensor
• Fingerprint scanner

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
the phone to a compatible TV or computer
• 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 connection (Special cable required for HDMI connection.)

SOUND
• HTC BoomSound – Dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers
• 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 set by distance to subject
• 1080p Full HD video recording with HDR video
• Front Camera: 2.1 MP, 88° wide angle lens with HDR capability
• 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: 5V and 1.5A

Below is the official press release from HTC. The specifications will be on another post.

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 1200mAh 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, Tumblr 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.

HTC’s phablet is due to be announced on 15th October. Based on the HTC One, the 5.9 inch screened phone will be huge with front facing speakers.

But will front facing speakers make it too large? I think this will be a challenge on the size front and I am concerned that HTC might be using the same processor as used on the HTC One which is nowhere as good as the new S800 Qualcomm processor.

Fortunately, it won’t be long to find out.

More and more information is leaking out regarding the 5.9 inch phablet from HTC, called the HTC One Max. It looks identical to the HTC One, except is bigger in all dimensions.

The HTC One Max has 5.9-inch 1920×1080-pixel display, 1.7GHz processor Snapdragon S4 Pro according to a previous rumours, although it could be a Snapdragon 600 as well, 2GB RAM, 5-megapixel camera with UltraPixel tech, 16GB of storage, a 3,300mAh battery, and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

Looking at the specs it seems HTC are selling this somewhat short. All new phones are now being released with the new Snapdragon 800, which not only is more powerful, but has better battery life. In addition, the Max only comes in 16gb, whereas the smaller HTC One has 32 or 64gb. The only increase appears to be a 5mp camera up 1mp from the 4mp found on the HTC One.

There is also a rumoured fingerprint scanner on the rear, although I am not so sure about this being true.

So, is this phone for you?

EPrice has posted a photo of the upcoming HTC One Max. And it makes the Max looks seriously huge. Having front boomsound speakers like the original HTC One adds additional length.

Looking at the photo, I wonder if this phablet from HTC is just too big.

What do you think?