HTC One Max

Stuff | Sophie Charara

Gorgeous screen, slick Sense and superb battery life but the max doesn't quite master its phablet maths.

NotebookCheck | 16/11/2013

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.

Coolsmartphone | Dan

Taking all specs into account the Note 3 is the far superior handset as well as being thinner and lighter.

pocketnow | Michael Fisher

HTC didn't set out to do what we expected it would, but does the phone do a good job of fulfilling the function it was designed for? Yes. It may not sell in huge numbers, but for those phablet-shoppers looking more for an oversized smartphone than a miniature tablet, the HTC One max definitely has a lot to offer – even if we're not entirely sure why it exists.

ITProPortal | Sandra Vogel

In short, HTC fans should love this handset if they're looking for a larger smartphone model.

PC Advisor | Matt Egan

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.

Know Your Mobile | Paul Briden

If you can ignore the bulk of the HTC One Max and want a brilliant display with stacks of battery life, you may find you're happy with it. Just make sure you're not going to be looking longingly at the cameras on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, iPhone 5S or the Nokia Lumia 1020.

Mobile Choice

The HTC One Max may rock a more spacious screen and offer expandable storage, but it's more unwieldy than its smaller siblings and the fingerprint scanner is a dud.

CNET UK | Andrew Hoyle

The Max's metal body and huge, high-definition display make it a great choice for those of you who love the look of the standard HTC One, but want some extra room to enjoy your movies and games.

Phone Scoop | Eric M. Zeman

The max is clearly meant to be used with two hands, and that means it is for people who are looking for that particular experience. Personally, it's not for me, but for people seeking the cinematic, over-sized device, it might be perfect.

BGR | Zach Epstein

HTC's new phablet is among the best in the business. Its specs aren't all on par with most modern phones due in part to HTC's decision to go with a previous-generation Snapdragon 600 processor, but performance is still quite smooth in most cases. The One max is also one of the best phablets on the market in terms of design as well as fit and finish, and the aluminum case has a nice premium feel. But still, the One max is a very tough sell.

TechnoBuffalo | Todd Haselton

The One Max feels too bulky for what it offers under the hood, and that's our biggest complaint with the phone.The software is great, and while we know it's purely a matter of opinion, we really like Sense 5.5 and the additional features that are now available. At the end of the day, we prefer the HTC One.

SlashGear | Vincent Nguyen

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.

The Inquirer | Carly Page

While its extra display real estate will be attractive for those after an HTC smartphone ideal for web browsing, gaming and watching videos, we found that the device felt somewhat unfinished. Apps don't make use of the screen's extra real estate, the fingerprint scanner seems somewhat pointless and the big device has lost the appeal of the HTC One due to its over-sized dimensions.

Ubergizmo | Daniel Perez

The HTC One Max is a solid phablet that will make fans of the HTC One happy. On the other hand, if this is your first time in the phablet show, there are certainly other phones that have impressed far more than the HTC One Max did.

Trusted Reviews | Andrew Williams

This is a solid phone, but a series of slight disappointments ensure it's not the perfect smartphone storm that the HTC One was.

Pocket-lint | Chris Hall

... for all the refinement that HTC Sense brings, there's nothing here in the HTC One max that really uses the screen size. That means, in every way, the One max is just a giant smartphone experience: unlike the Samsung Galaxy Note there's no play to split screen multitasking, nor clever S Pen features.

Wired UK | Katie Collins

It doesn't quite match its rivals in terms of raw processing power, but a decent camera, some pleasing software tweaks, great screen and a stunning physical design might just make up for it.

Engadget | Sharif Sakr

Big though it may be, the One Max is still overshadowed by our expectations. It should have taken things further than the One, but instead it merely attempts to cash in on the One's reputation by allowing HTC to claim that it has a "family" of One devices -- devices that in reality have little in common with each other beyond their superficial appearance.

Brighthand | Jeff Dunn

A long-lasting, powerful phone that fails to take advantage of what makes phablets great. We can understand picking up the One Max if you want to a relatively luxurious way to watch videos or play games on the go, but even then you're probably better off settling for a 7-inch tablet with an LTE data plan.

Digital Trends | Matt Safford

HTC's One Max is mostly an upsized version of the original One, with a frustrating fingerprint reader tacked on. But if you're looking for a phablet at a reasonable price, it's still a good choice, especially if you like long battery life.

The Gadget Show

The HTC One may be the best smartphone of the year under five inches, but sadly, its bigger brother is not the best phablet.

V3 | Carly Page

The HTC One Max didn't manage to impress us as much as its siblings. While it offers slick performance, we found the device too bulky and the fingerprint sensor glitchy, with the device feeling somewhat unfinished.

T3 | Thomas Tamblyn

Whereas the Note 3 offers added functionality with the S-Pen and the Xperia Z Ultra has its slim profile and waterproofing we unfortunately can't see why you'd choose the One max over either of these.

Expert Reviews | Chris Finnamore

We like the design, the screen and the battery life, but the phone's performance is only middling considering its premium price, and the camera is substandard.