Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs HTC One Max: Hardware Specs, Release Date, and Price Reviewed for the High-Powered Phablet Competitors

This week, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is rolling out across several carriers in the U.S. With the new phablet hitting the U.S. and the release date for a rival phablet by HTC rumored to be arriving any time now, consumers will be faced with a choice: get what's available now from Samsung or wait for the HTC One Max.

Let's compare what we know about the HTC One Max with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has an impressive 5.7-inch Super AMOLED screen with 1080 x 1920p Full High Definition resolution. That means it packs about 386 pixels per inch on the large screen. Samsung managed to increase the display size over last year's Galaxy Note 2, without making the phablet too much larger in general. In fact, the Galaxy Note 3 is a slimmer device.

But compared to that, the HTC One Max's rumored 5.9-inch display will provide more screen real estate for those who want their phones as large as possible, while also purportedly sporting a 1080 x 1920p resolution. On the 0.2-inches larger screen, that leaves you with a slightly lower, but still vibrant 373 pixels per inch.

Size

As mentioned, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is impressively light and small, given that it's a phablet with a 5.7-inch screen, a slot for the S Pen and a large battery. It's got dimensions of 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm and weighs just 168 grams.

Unfortunately, since the HTC One Max hasn't been officially unveiled, there's no clear picture of how big the phablet will be, but judging from the fact that it will sport the same style aluminum body that the HTC One has, which makes that 4.7-inch phone weigh 143 grams, the One Max will undoubtedly be heavy. Some people like that though - a hefty phone also feels like a solid phone.

Power (Processor and Battery)

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is quite a powerful machine, with U.S. versions sporting a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor and 3GB of RAM (a first for mobile devices). Against that spec, the HTC One Max's rumored 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 with 2GB RAM feels wimpy, though you would almost certainly never feel like you were waiting on your One Max to load anything. Also, keep in mind these are prospective specs, which could be proven wrong with the HTC One Max is officially unveiled.

Speaking of prospective, the HTC One Max has a rumored removable 3,300 mAh beast that should definitely provide enough power for a any given task throughout the day, but we can't be sure of that spec just yet. If true, it would be comparable to the Galaxy Note 3's 3200 mAh battery, which provides up to 21 hours of talk time for the phablet.

Camera, Storage, and Other Features

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with the Android flagship-standard 13-megapixel camera, but adds the ability to shoot 1080p video at 60 frames per second with image stabilization and to take simultaneous HD video and images. International versions of the phone can shoot in ultra HD 4K video.

The HTC One Max is almost certainly going to flaunt the same 4-megapixel "Ultrapixel" technology that the HTC One and One mini both have. That means great low-light photography, but perhaps lower quality on zoomed-in shots. The One Max is also rumored to have optical image stabilization, but we'll see when its officially announced.

On the storage front, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 wins by default, as it has a microSD card slot for up to 64GB of extra media storage, while the internal storage you get with the One Max will be all you get (*probably. There have been some rumors that the HTC One Max may have a microSD slot, but this seems unlikely, given the way HTC has manufactured every other One variant).

The HTC One Max will also almost certainly feature some of the hardware and software that made the HTC One a hit with critics, including the BoomSound stereo speaker system, Zoe camera software, and BlinkFeed. It is also likely to have a new feature, only seen currently on the iPhone 5s: a fingerprint scanner on the back of the device.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has some tricks up its sleeve too, including a new and improved S Pen that has several new multitasking functions and Samsung Knox security suite.

Release Date and Price

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has launched on Oct. 1 for AT&T, Oct. 2 for T-Mobile, and has a release date of Oct. 4 for Sprint and then Oct. 10 on Verizon Wireless. Most carriers are pricing the Note 3 at around $300 with a two-year contract, but T-Mobile's plan gives you the device for $200 up front with 24 monthly payments of $21 or $0 up front with 24 monthly payments of about $29. An unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will cost about $725.

Meanwhile, the HTC One Max is rumored to be releasing sometime in late October, possibly Oct. 15 or 17, and has a rumored full price of around $800. The carrier plan cost of the HTC One Max will probably be comparable to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 though.