Introduction
Here is a comparison of an old warhorse, the HTC One Max, up against the new OnePlus One. Both devices were designed to belong in the Phablet world with the Max inching in at 5.9-inches and 373 PPI versus 5.5-inches and 401 PPI for the OnePlus One with both use the LCD technology. They each offer a 16GB version, with the One jumping to 64GB with no microSD expansion slot and the Max then jumping to a 32GB version, but it does included a microSD slot for up to 64GB of additional storage. The camera technology is vastly different with the Max using HTC’s 4MP UltraPixel design and the OnePlus One using the more conventional 13MP operation. The HTC One Max follows the aluminum body of the original HTC One M7 with the addition of a fingerprint scanner on the back and bigger in all dimensions. The batteries are fairly close in size with the One using a 3100mAh and the Max jumping to a 3300mAh. Both offer dual speakers, although the One’s are mounted on the bottom of the device with the placement of the Max’s is squarely on the front of the device and offering a great sound – a trademark of the HTC One line of devices. Please look over the specifications section and then we will look at what make these devices unique from one another and that should help us pick a winner.
Specifications
OnePlus One
The new OnePlus One is making waves before its arrival later this month – the One is packing some high-end specs for less than what it would cost to buy a Nexus 5 smartphone, which means it is quite a bargain indeed. How does it stack up to the older HTC One Max, also a Phablet, released in the U.S. this past November? The 5.5-inch FULL HD display is slightly smaller than the 5.9-inch on the Max, but it does make the device more manageable in your hand and certainly thinner and lighter. The Snapdragon 801 quad-core clocked at 2.5GHz simply blows the HTC One Max’s processor out of the water. That processor is coupled with 3GB of RAM which also beats out the 2GB of RAM in the Max. The One does not offer internal memory expansion beyond the 64GB model. The One has a more traditional 13MP main camera from Sony with a six-lens configuration and the 5MP front-facing camera uses a wide-angle lens to capture more area for video chats and excellent group selfies. The One operates the newest Android 4.4 KitKat operating system built-over by CyanogenMod, which claims a near pure Google experience with several enhancements. The pricing is where it really shines – $299 for the 16GB model and only $349 for the 64GB model, and these are off-contract prices. The One will only work on AT&T and T-Mobile networks in the U.S.
HTC One Max
The HTC One Max is simply the original HTC One M7, only larger in every direction, including weight – with the addition of a fingerprint scanner on the back of the device, directly under the camera. The screen retains its Full HD 1080p display, but because of its 5.9-inch size, the pixels-per-inch (PPI) drops to 373 – which is still very good. As in most, new versus older devices, the processor is a little disappointing in the Max – a Snapdragon 600 quad-core clocked at only 1.7GHz versus the new model 801 clocked at 2.5GHz found in the OnePlus One. The Max sports ‘only’ 2GB of RAM compared to the One’s 3GB. The Max does offer a microSD slot for an additional 64GB of internal storage, if you so desire. HTC insists on using their 4MP UltraPixel technology on their main cameras, and while MP is not everything, the pictures are good, but not great. The battery is slightly larger at 3300mAh versus 3100mAh in the smaller One, but not enough of a difference to mean much in battery life. The Max is running the latest Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade with well-received Sense 5.5 overlay.
…and the Winner is…
Summary
This was an easy one to pick. The HTC One Max is a nice looking device, with a fingerprint scanner, and great front-facing stereo speakers, but after that it drops off the spec sheet when compared to the OnePlus One. The One has a much better processor, more RAM, a huge battery when compared with other devices and almost matches the HTC One Max’s battery, a better camera in both the main (dual LED Flash) and FFC, and is lighter, thinner and more compact all around. The One also has dual speakers at the bottom on the device, although maybe not as loud as the Max, they should offer a good sound and are placed smartly on the bottom, which is great for speakerphone use. The CynaogenMod 11s UI is also very popular among users that root their Android devices, keeping the essence of pure Android with a few extras built-in. Add up all of those and with the killer price, we have no choice but to crown the OnePlus One as champ in this comparison.
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