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Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs. HTC One Max: What We Know So Far

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The battle between the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One is only the beginning it seems as the companies are rumored to be doing battle once again later this year with the rumored arrivals of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the HTC One Max, a larger version of the HTC One.

Last year, we saw the emergence of a true Android battle between HTC and Samsung with the arrivals of the HTC One X and the Samsung Galaxy S3. And while the Galaxy S3 decisively won that battle in terms of sales, the companies have met head on again in 2013 with the release of the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4.

The two devices are arguably two of the best smartphones ever made and they have taken the smartphone market by storm since their arrival on an assortment of U.S. carriers back in April of this year. The Galaxy S4 and the HTC One may represent the current battle between the two companies but they don’t appear to represent the true war.

HTC and Samsung are rumored to be doing battle at least two more times later this year with Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Mini thought to have competition in the form of the HTC One Mini, a device that HTC inadvertently confirmed, and another, larger battle that could see HTC try and topple Samsung’s popular Galaxy Note series.

Samsung is heavily rumored to be replacing its successful Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with a new Galaxy Note, dubbed Galaxy Note 3. However, it doesn’t appear that HTC is going to go quietly like it did in 2012.

Rather than sit back and watch the Galaxy Note 2 reap all the rewards, it appears that HTC is preparing a larger HTC One, an HTC One Max, that will come to challenge the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

With rumors rampant and excitement at a high level, it’s now time to take a look at everything we know about the battle between the rumored Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the rumored HTC One Max.

Release Date

Expect a Galaxy Note 3 in Berlin.

Expect a Galaxy Note 3 in Berlin.

While neither HTC nor Samsung is talking about what they have in their 2013 pipeline, it’s clear that they both have several new devices up their sleeve. Two of those devices appear to be the HTC One Max and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, massive smartphones that will compliment their smaller flagships, the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4.

While there aren’t launch or release dates set for either of these devices, rumors have emerged for both. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, September has been rumored as the device’s launch month. Samsung has, in the past, introduced its Galaxy Note series at the IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany and this year’s IFA kicks off on September 6th.

September 4th has been mentioned as a possible launch date with late September rumored for a release date. Neither is confirmed though given how quickly Samsung has been moving from launch to release, it could be that we see the Galaxy Note 3 emerge onto shelves in September.

Read: HTC One MAX Rumored to Take on Galaxy Note 3 in September.

It appears that HTC may be looking to counter Samsung this fall as a new rumor suggests that the HTC One Max is on its way in September as well. No date has been mentioned though we did see a September 5th date emerge on the Verizon HTC One which could mean that HTC has something planned for that date.

The Verizon HTC One of course isn’t the HTC One Max, but that is certainly a date to keep in mind as it falls around IFA. A release date isn’t yet known though it’s looking like it could be sometime this fall alongside the Galaxy Note 3.

Design

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 rumors have suggested that the device could take on a design similar to that of the Galaxy S4. That could mean a plastic design with rounded corners, a microSD card slot, a removable back and a design that features a faux-metal band around the length of the device. The Galaxy Note 2 of course didn’t look exactly like the Galaxy S3 but they were similar.

Rumors suggest that the device will sport a 8mm frame, thinner than the Galaxy Note 2, though it is said to weigh 182 grams which is about 2 grams heavier than the previous model.

A metal Galaxy Note 3 concept.

A metal Galaxy Note 3 concept.

There are also rumors that Samsung is toying with the idea of releasing premium and cheap Galaxy Note 3 variants with at least one variant possessing a premium build. While exciting, it could be that Samsung is actually playing around with several different prototypes and has no plans to release devices using different build materials and specs.

We did see the company release several iterations of the Samsung Galaxy S4, including a Samsung Galaxy S4 Active that features a water and dust resistant design, so it’s entirely possible that we could see several different Galaxy Note 3 variants.

This could be the HTC One Max.

This could be the HTC One Max.

HTC One Max rumors have only shown one variant of HTC’s larger HTC One. Like the HTC One Mini, the HTC One Max is thought to have a similar design to the current HTC One, complete with metal form factor. The device is said to be around 9.4mm thin, a little wider than the Galaxy Note 3.

The device itself hasn’t leaked out though a possible sketch gives consumers a look at what the HTC One Max, also known as the HTC T6, might look like when it arrives.

Display

Maybe the most unique feature of these two devices will be their displays. While the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4 utilize 4.7-inch and 5-inch displays respectively, the HTC One Max and Samsung Galaxy Note 3 are both rumored to dwarf those in terms of size.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has been rumored to have a 5.7-inch display with 1080p resolution and a high pixel-per-inch count. It’s said to be Super AMOLED, LCD or flexible (Samsung Youm) in nature with the AMOLED display being the most probable. If the display is that big, it will be .2-inches bigger than the Galaxy Note 2 display and likely give users a little more space on which to use the S Pen stylus.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 display is said to be 5.7-inches.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 display is said to be 5.7-inches.

The HTC One Max display is also said to be 1080p though it’s said to be a little bigger than the Galaxy Note 3’s display. Rumors point to either a 5.9-inch or 6-inch display on the HTC One Max which would be about .2-inches or .3-inches bigger than the rumored display on Samsung’s phablet. Like the Galaxy Note 3, the HTC One Max is thought to have some sort of stylus though it’s not clear if the device comes bundled with it.

In terms of display quality, these two, like the Galaxy S4 and HTC One, should match up well. However, it’s looking like the bigger of the two might wind up being the HTC One Max.

Cameras

Both the HTC One Max and Samsung Galaxy Note 3 are thought to have cameras similar to the ones found on the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4. Rumors point to a 13MP camera on the Galaxy Note 3 and an Ultrapixel camera on the HTC One Max. If true, it will mean that both devices will sport solid cameras that can shoot excellent video and capture great photos, even in low-light environments.

We should also see front-facing cameras emerge on both with the HTC One Max rumored to have a 2.1MP wide-angle front-facing camera aboard for use with activities like video chat.

The HTC One Max is rumored to have an Ultrapixel camera.

The HTC One Max is rumored to have an Ultrapixel camera.

The same rumor that claimed that Samsung was looking at launching cheap and premium versions of the Galaxy Note 3 claimed that the cheap model(s) would have an 8MP camera which if true, would likely mean lesser quality photos and video. Again, that rumor is still unconfirmed and isn’t probable given Samsung’s past.

Processor

These two devices will likely match up well when it comes to their processors. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is rumored to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor or a Exynos 5 Octa processor on board, meaning, we should see a performance hike from the Galaxy Note 2 which possesses an older generation Exynos quad-core processor.

Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs. Galaxy S4: 5 Things Buyers Need to Know.

The HTC One Max is rumored to have a Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor on board which should mean that its performance is at least near the Galaxy Note 3. Both processors should provide for superb gaming performance, particularly when paired with their displays, and they should also mean that these devices will have stellar battery life.

The Galaxy Note series is known for its incredible battery life so it will be up to HTC to match it with its big-screened smartphone.

Software

Like display size and design, this appears to be another area where these two devices will differ. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is thought to currently be on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean though it will likely arrive with Android 4.3 should it arrive this month.

It will also likely arrive with some of the software features of the Galaxy S4 and it should also come with some updated and possibly new apps for use with the device’s S Pen.

While some consumers will hope for a Galaxy Note 3 without Touchwiz, there is no chance of Samsung leaving off its user interface, particularly with a device like the Galaxy Note 3 that depends on stylus-oriented software.

The HTC One Max has been rumored to have Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie though consumers will want to temper their expectations. If it’s indeed coming in September, it will likely have Android 4.3 Jelly Bean instead. Android 5.0 isn’t thought to be coming until later this year, possibly in October.

It’s unclear just what kind of software HTC will use on board the HTC One Max, a device that is rumored to use a stylus like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Perhaps we will see the return of HTC’s Scribe software or maybe we’ll see a heavily modified version of HTC Sense 5. Or neither. It’s unclear.

Whatever the case may be, expect to see these devices sport software that is extremely different.

Carriers

Expect plenty of carriers for both.

Expect plenty of carriers for both.

Both the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One launched on a host of carriers in the United States and at the moment, there is no reason to suspect that we’ll see any exclusives with the HTC One Max and Samsung Galaxy S4.

The HTC One Max is currently rumored for Verizon though it’s possible that we could see it arrive for other carriers in the United States who hope to use it as competition for the Galaxy Note 3.

Read: HTC One Max (HTC T6) Rumored for Verizon.

As for the Galaxy Note 3, rumored carriers include AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, four out of the five carriers that carried last year’s Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

Both devices should be LTE-enabled.

Price

Finally, price. We haven’t heard anything about the pricing on either device though we suspect that the Galaxy Note 3 may come with a $299.99 on-contract price tag, the same price tag that we’ve seen attached to previous Galaxy Note models.

And while there is no history to go on when it comes to the HTC One Max, consumers should expect the price to be more expensive than the HTC One’s $199.99 price while going no further than Samsung’s $299.99 ceiling.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. renzkiejr

    07/15/2013 at 10:24 pm

    how about storage? Do they have expandable storage????

  2. Odima

    07/16/2013 at 2:38 am

    Please HTC/Samsung give us premium dual sim

  3. Maken

    07/16/2013 at 9:51 pm

    The S-pen is kind of a deal breaker for HTC. While I am all for a bigger more impressive screen, for $300 I would like something more in the way of functionality to make it worth the cost and the S-pen does it for me. I use my Note in the field to jot down quick notes, and to sketch in my spare time(when I’m waiting for a client to call back lol). Plus certain games like Spirit HD play far better, for me, with a stylus than by finger. Also the stylus tucks neatly into the phone , so I don’t have to keep track of a separate stylus as I would with the HTC(assuming it doesn’t come with one).

  4. keith french

    07/25/2013 at 5:06 pm

    HTC gave us users a bad deal! after promising to upgrade to the “coming” 4.2+ they backed out and canceled. How can any one believe them. When I purchased through sprint I expected the upgrade. I paid too much for a “dumphone”. I was sold by the ads. In hindsight I should have purchased a Galaxy S4

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