Taiwanese phone manufacturer HTC has officially announced its HTC One Max smartphone with a 5.9-inch HD display, putting it firmly in "phablet" territory.
Rumors of a fingerprint security sensor have been confirmed, with HTC saying its Fingerprint Scan sensor will allow users to lock or unlock the device using a fingerprint.
Users will also be able to launch up to three of their favorite applications by assigning an individual finger to each of those apps, SlashGear reported Monday.
The One Max is powered by a 1.7 GHz QUALCOMM Snapdragon 600 processor and storage options are16 GB or 32 GB, expandable by microSD card.
The feature set is rounded out by front and rear cameras for photos and video, a 3300 mAh battery, 2 GB of ram and the Android 4.3 operating system.
The phone is expected to be available in mid-October; no pricing information has been released.
Update to Windows Phone OS brings larger screens, driving help
Redmond, Wash. (UPI) Oct 14, 2013 –
Microsoft has announced an update to its Windows Phone 8 operating system it says will support higher resolution display screens.
The ability of so-called "phablet" phones with 5-inch and 6-inch screens to run Windows Phone 8 at 1080p HD will create new opportunities for Microsoft's hardware partners looking to compete with other increasingly popular giant-screen devices in the in the smartphone arena.
The update will also allow Windows Phone 8 to take advantage of faster quad-core processors, Microsoft said.
It will allow more "Live Tiles" — the signature interface style of Windows phones — by adding a third column of tiles on larger phones.
The upgrade — the third since Windows Phone 8 was released a year ago — also includes a Driving Mode, which will automatically silence incoming calls and texts so that users can concentrate on safe driving. The feature can automatically respond to incoming calls with a text message to alert the caller to the fact the user in on the road.
The feature can activate activated automatically when the phone is linked wirelessly with a Bluetooth device in the car, such as a hand-free headset.
