The HTC One Max is one step closer to getting in the hands of smartphone fans. The phablet just received approval from the Global Certification Forum (GCF), signaling an imminent release.
HTC is getting ready to launch a new variant of its wildly popular HTC One smartphone. The company has already gone the mini route with the HTC One Mini and it will now head into the phablet market with the much-rumored 5.9-inch HTC One Max. Just like the HTC One Mini, the HTC One Max will take design cues and features from the company's flagship HTC One and, believe it or not, Apple's iPhone 5s.
The HTC One Max will use the same curved anodized aluminum unibody case, gorgeous HD display, and front-facing stereo speakers that have made the HTC One a huge hit. It will also follow Apple's iPhone 5s by using an on-board fingerprint scanner for increased security when it goes on sale. HTC is expected to officially announce the One Max in the coming weeks and it shouldn't be too much longer until launch, since the phablet just received approval from the Global Certification Forum.
The latest rumors claim the HTC One Max will feature a 5.9-inch 1080 x 1920 full HD display with a pixel density of 373 pixels per inch (ppi). It is expected to be powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and 2GB of RAM to provide a snappy user experience. The phablet will run Android 4.3 and may be the first HTC smartphone to ship with HTC Sense 5.5.
It will be offered in two storage capacities, 32GB and 64GB, and will include a microSD expansion slot for additional memory. Its wireless connectivity options include a 4G LTE radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and NFC. It will use HTC's UltraPixel rear camera and include a fingerprint scanner below the camera. HTC will reportedly ship the smartphone with a large 3,200 mAh battery.
There have been two release dates rumored, Oct. 15 or Oct. 17, so an official announcement should be just around the corner. We'll keep you updated as soon as new details come in.
