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Yesterday we got another good look at the rumored HTC One Max after a snap shot of the massive device landed on Instagram. We get it, the phone is essentially a larger HTC One of Note-like proportions and we’ve known this for awhile now. Other than it’s huge size, the other standout feature in the One Max is one HTC was trying to keep under wraps, it’s fingerprint scanner. We’ve seen countless leaks of this alleged fingerprint scanner and though we knew how it’d work. Simply use your finger print to secure and unlock the device with little fuss. Turns out HTC might still have a few more secrets up their sleeves.
Some purported instructional images of the HTC One Max’s fingerprint scanner have leaked online, and show some neat bonus features users will be able to take advantage of once they get their fingers on the device. Apparently the fingerprint scanner will allow users to launch specific apps according to the finger used to unlock the device. For instance you can have your index finger simply unlock the phone, while the middle finger opens up the camera app (or dials 1-800-Apple). In all seriousness, app shortcuts based on fingers sounds like a nice way to add some additional functionality to what could otherwise be considered an Apple-copycat feature.
The fingerprint scanner could also act as a trackpad, ala Blackberry devices or the short lived optical trackpad found on the T-Mobile G2. Swiping up/down/left/right could move a cursor although the images “move focus” wording has us second guessing. In any case, the One Max and it’s fingerprint scanner should make an interesting addition to HTC’s lineup. Some Android enthusiasts have voiced their displeasure with the device “only” carrying a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, and 2GB of RAM, factors the average consumer doesn’t take into consideration when shopping for their next phablet.
Hmm, I’m just starting to feel that I need a fingerprint reader on my Note 3. Good stuff.
That’s brilliant! Makes it actually useful instead of just a gimmicky replacement for a password.
It is pretty neat, although realistically you’ll probably only be able to reach the scanner with with your 3 middle fingers. :P
Chris, you have 3 middle fingers?
lol swiping the back of the phone instead of pushing the home button they are years behind.
Sad really.
Funny they say “apple copycat” feature when we kinda knew hTC was already working on the finger unlocking sensor before iPhone 5S is announced. It’s not like hTC went back to the drawing board to come up with hTC ONE MAX after the announcement of iPhone 5S.
We’re also sure that Apple was working on this feature well before the iPhone 5s was announced same as HTC. If I remember correctly, rumors first began with the iPhone 5s, then the HTC One shortly after.
The iPhone 5 was supposed to have such a feature, long time ago… oh Apple you’ve been holding back fearlessly lately….
They always hold back. That’s their business model. Where Android OEM’s are hitting a ceiling with mobile tech, Apple wants to make sure they can milk this smartphone thing for as long as possible..
As much as it hurts me to admit, I don’t think they have ALWAYS held back, for many periods of time they were the ones actually pushing the tech industry forward, they still do, for example, the new Mc book pro is a thing of beauty, extremely innovative piece of work, that being said, yes the iPhone and iOS really haven’t evolved as much as they should lately and that’s why I love Android so much. Next year with the iWatch and iPhone 6 Apple will have the chance to prove they still got it. For now nothing gets close to Samsung and/or Google. Will see how’s that gonna play out next year.
Considering that Apple acquired the technology that they are using for fingerprint scanning and that other companies were producing fingerprint/biometric technology as well; and considering that biometric scanning had been used on laptops and phones before the iPhone5S – they’d be hard pressed to have any critical patents that would keep anyone else from doing the same thing.
All HTC or anyone has to do is not use the same method as apple uses for finger printing.. Two companies can both use finger printing as long as they didn’t use the exact same method.
Chris Chavez since you obviously are new to this whole mobile market. Let me remind you that Apple was not the first phone to have a fingerprint scanner to unlock your phone. If you recall a little phone called the Motorola Atix maybe you heard of it?
Maybe, before trying to insult someone, you should make sure you spell Atrix correctly.
Never said Apple was the first to market with a fingerprint scanner, but it’s not like OEMs were jumping on this tech after the Atrix. Heck, even Motorola abandoned it. Never saw it again until the iPhone 5s.
While true, the One Max has been said to have a fingerprint scanner way before the 5S was announced! Which sucks, because most people will think HTC is copying Apple, when really they both just happened to have them.
They still aren’t jumping on it. Its showin up more in Laptops though but thats before the iphone released its nothing due to apple
Compaq iPaq in 2002. Even had the whole ‘i’ thing.
And those ipaqs were made by HTC. That’s how HTC became famous in the first place.
There will be a learning curve with something like this, but I still don’t like the idea of my phone knowing my fingerprint.
Why not? My phone knows all my credit cards, photos, emails, passwords, banks… pretty much everything about me. The fingerprint would be the last thing I’d be worried.
A fingerprint is verified identity. All other things you mentioned are unverified. In court, a fingerprint is used as evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. What’s next? If we ride the fingerprint train, where will that take us? Iris scans? DNA sample? Why do we need all this? If we at least lived in a world without evil governments, maybe i’d agree to all this amazing technology. But seeing as how evil the US government is, this technology is dangerous in their hands.
I know what u mean and yes, it is scary indeed. The only thing is that fingerprint scanners have been around for a long time (laptops, gym entrances, goverment, etc.) and never really caused any trouble, don’t you think you might be a little paranoid about it? I mean, I agree with you in your logic but not to the same extend of it.
Right now it might be fine, and maybe even for the next 50 years. But eventually technology like this will be used to control a society, similar to the book 1984 by Orwell.
I think technology is one of the many things that can be used for good or for bad. Technology itself is not bad, as undoubtedly it has brought many more good things to mankind than bad things. It’s all up to us to decide how to use it and how we allow our governments to use it. The best weapon we have against the government and any other thing that might try to control us is knowledge/education. I think in this case the fingerprint reader is just fine as it brings many more benefits than anything else.
It’s not Moto invented it but apple will take credit like usual
Posting before another ridiculous Apple lawsuit gets filed. Next they’ll be claiming they invented fingerprints…
Finger print scanners have been implemented on a cellphones in recent history so there is no way crapple can claim it.
never say never with Apple and a corrupt judicial system.
If true, that actually sounds like neat functionality. STill not gung ho about fingerprint scanning, but this functionality sounds great, nonetheless.
App shortcuts are cool and all but it would still be incredibly faster and more efficient if I simply had important apps right there on my home screen. What would be nice though is if you can set it up to adjust certain settings like I do with nfc tags.
some people like cleaner homescreens and dont have a bunch of apps on it, so this would be useful for those guys. All of the apps on my homescreen are in folders, so they require 2 clicks to get to.
So I guess it will come down to how fast it will read your print, figure out which finger it is, then open that particular app. I would think all that will still take longer than two or three quick clicks.
So if it does have this facility, then set up a series of tasker scripts to do what you want and then link them to the finger pokes.
What I want to know is which finger would it be to take us to the secret porn on our phones?
Middle finger, obviously :)
Lmao!
I Still want a gallery album that can only be unlocked with my finger… im all over that idea
Anyone else think a fingerprint should be a username and NOT a password?? Could be good implementation for profiles on 4.2+ devices
sounds like a good idea
“what could otherwise be considered an Apple-copycat feature”
Why do we read this crap even on Android sites that should know better..?
I had been using REAL smartphones since 5 YEARS BEFORE Apple “invented” the (most DUMBED DOWN) smartphone and from then on they have mostly been APPROPRIATING others’ ideas and features and the average dumb user and the “tech” (LOL) press seem to discover they exist only when Apple (*belatedly*) adds them…
APPLE never invents, they just popularize and bring to the mainstream the old innovations.
I so agree. The HTC wing was light years ahead of apple. I had the first HTC with Swype. Later my HTC G2 was the most dependable & durable phone ever, it replaced my laptop. Now on the one, Wow! This is a fine little computer.
I can see it now
Where you guys are getting Snapdragon s4 Pro from I dunno. It’s the newer 600, the one that’s in the One flagship.
IIRC Qualcomm merged the 2 into 1 name
No they didn’t .. they added letter extensions to the model number for the S600 series. The S4 has no letters after the APQ8064 .. the s600 is a APQ8064T or AB or –1AA (Advertised as S4 Pro) etc. etc.
oh ok… thnx for clarifying that
They got it from that dumb French site that published a so-called HTC One Max spec sheet .. Looks like (if it was authentic) it was for the Far East version – It had the model numbers for an S4 and a non-LTE RF Modem … no chance HTC would ever release that set of specs in a member of their flagship range so I’m still expectingpeople to get a surprise next week.
I hope you’re right
From what I can see, these fingerprint scanners are for from a security feature. They are a gimmick *cough iPhone5S
“Factors the average consumer doesn’t take into consideration when shopping for their next phablet.” Can we just stamp that on every flaming Sambot’s forehead. The majority of the general population doesnt care.. Give HTC the same marketing budget and youll be surpised how HTC ONE MAX would fare against the Note 3
Im considering whether to get the beast of a Galaxy Note 3 or this phone Im defernetly going to wait because we all know its going to come hard with the great build quality I just want to see what the One max is pushing in the features and the specs department.
I wanted to get a Galaxy Note but after my short experience with the Samsung Galaxy 3 I went back to my HTC Desire HD. This is only my personal preference, but I can’t stand touch wiz and why on earth do they have a hard press button on galaxy phones (and iPhones) it seems Jurassic to me, so I’ve held out till now and can’t wait for the Max if it’s just a bigger version of the One (I’m getting old and my eyes aint what they used to be).
“Apple-copycat feature” … sure … after all, it only takes a month or so to completely redesign a phone casing and rewrite the software to include a totally new peripheral ..
get real mate.
Decided to go ahead and get the reg size one. Didn’t want to wait just for a bigger version. Don’t need a finger scanner. WOW! This is an awesome phone. I thought my music was lost to my Zune, but my music has been completely revived & improved! Beautiful sound with Phillips ear buds. Video playback is much smoother & sharper on the one than the G2 or S4 in practice. WOW!
A fingerprint scanner? Hummmmm. What an ingenious way for the government to get their grubby little fat hog sausages on everyones finger prints. Convenient. Or should we “trust” them. Again-
Lovely. So I’ll be able to swipe the screen again instead of trying to pinpoint exactly where I want to go. LoL!!
Though HTC has that cool little magnifying glass that pops up. So I don’t mind trying to pinpoint while using Sense.