Gadgetory

last summer I wrote a piece for PocketNow in which I made the case that smartphones were getting so big they could serve for some as tablet replacements since then devices have only swelled in size exceeding even the made-up phablets category of phone tablet crossovers and two of the most noteworthy entrance to that new space are with us today so let's bring them together and see how they compare I'm Michael Fisher this is PocketNow and this is HTC One max versus Sony Xperia Z ultra we've already given both of these devices the full review treatment here at PocketNow so if you want more detail and what it's like to own each of these phones check those reviews out on our channel page also be sure to follow PocketNow at the online watering hole of your choice so you don't miss future reviews and comparisons normally we kick off these head-to-head contests with a build discussion but an equally striking difference in this case is found in software so let's hit that department first both of these phones run a variation of Android jelly bean but the third-party UI is running atop those Android builds take entirely different paths to delivering a unique user experience both skins are very classy and modern in their understated greys and flat details and they each offer fluid responsiveness with little to no lag which we love but the Z ultra comes pre-loaded with various titles that plug into Sony's ecosystem like the Sony select app hub and the branded offerings like the Walkman media player and PlayStation mobile gaming and so on there's also something we love to see on a device as huge as this a utility for taking advantage of all that display acreage Sony's small apps use a windowed approach that we don't like quite as well as Samsung's split-screen multitasking but they still come in handy from time to time and the ability to download new ones or build your own even is a very nice touch you're not going to find any of that on the one max HTC's device delivers a much more familiar experience if you're used to the original HTC One a really any conventional Android phone the company was interested only in porting the experience of the original one to the larger screen when it designed the max so you're really just dealing with HTC Sense 5.5 here we like the nice touches like blinkfeed and the excellent gallery and UI experience but the fact that there's almost nothing here taking advantage of the large display canvas is pretty underwhelming next to the Z ultra which is capable of comfortably accommodating quite a few more apps and widgets on its home screens let's talk some more about the physical size of those screens themselves as we pivot into hardware well each is a 1080p panel the six point four inch triluminos display on the Z ultra Dwarfs even the massive 5.9 inch s LCD 3 on the HTC One Maxx and importantly it's just as gorgeous in fact since we updated the Z ultra software it's tough to tell the difference in quality between these panels in a dark room blacks are a little deeper on the Z ultra while White's seemed unnaturally warm next to the One Maxx but these are tiny differences you'll only notice if you're looking for them the Z ultra has come a long way since we first reviewed it and Sony is to be commended for the software tweaks that made that possible both screens are excellent the casings surrounding those displays though aren't even in the same neighborhood the One Maxx may have smartphone proportions but it's a tank like beast an aluminum slab measuring ten point three millimeters thick and resembling the one mini with its added reliance on plastic on the other side the Z ultra more closely resembles its tablet counterpart than any of Sony's smart phones with a wider body squared off corners and a thickness of only six point five millimeters the comparative fragility of the glass which does scratch easily is offset by the Z ultras water and dust resistance impressive ruggedness for so slim large as it is in the hand the Z ultra is also aesthetically stunning next to the one Max's more conventional bigness looking beneath the casings reveals more evidence of the Z ultras bolder ambitions remember HTC was just going for a bigger phone with the One Maxx and as such it's got a snapdragon 600 aboard powerful to be sure but not as powerful as the zeal triste Snapdragon 800 each offers expandable storage via microSD and a non removable battery though with the one maxes coming in slightly larger than Sony's and elsewhere the feature load is comparable unless you want to change your TV channels with your phone or awkwardly unlock your phone with a fingertip in which case you need to stick with the One Maxx the added boost of the Snapdragon 800 with its more powerful GPU means some high intensity games will function more smoothly on the Z ultra but neither of these phones are likely to disappoint most users in that arena it's in areas like acoustics where the Z ultra finally starts to lose some ground its lone speaker very quiet and tinny up against the hurricane onslaught of HTC boomsound that translates to the voice experience as well with callers telling us the Sony device made us sound significantly more muddled than the one max also muddled the camera situation we hate to say it but choosing which camera we like between these devices is definitely a lesser of two evils situation the four megapixel HTC camera is lower in resolution than the eight megapixel Exmor RS sensor on the Sony but it tends to overcorrect for exposure issues when using tap to focus much as the Sony camera overcorrects in terms of white balance rendering everything a little cooler than it should be sometimes that's a good thing the HTC images seeming a little warmer than necessary next to the starker sony shots but get these things into a low light situation and the one max shines next to the Z ultras over processed slop but then go ahead and choose another low-light situation in different conditions and watch those results get flipped on their head inconsistency seems to be the name of the game when comparing these shooters the only thing we're sure of is that neither would be our first choice for a night or even a day out on the town fortunately we'd probably have plenty of juice for test shots on each though the battery endurance between these devices is comparable and almost uniformly excellent to tie a bow on it we're left with the notion that how you feel about these products depends mainly on whether you're looking for an oversized phone or an undersized tablet if it's the former you're almost certainly going to prefer the one max with its acoustic superiority greater simplicity and slightly better one-handed usability if on the other hand you're looking for a tablet that's been shrunken down to pocketable size and barely look no further than the Z ultra its software utility resistance to the elements and beautiful industrial design are a potent combination that makes it the more capable device overall a fact that makes looking ridiculous while talking on it more than worth it in our view