With more and more of us opting in for larger screens, better performance, and the ability to be more productive on our mobile device, the line between a smartphone and a tablet is getting thinner and thinner – thereby giving rise to the new breed of devices, which we lovingly call Phablets.
If you’re in a hurry, here is a handy list of the 10 bestselling phablets:
10 Best Selling Phablet
Why buy a Phablet?
You want a smartphone. You want productivity. More features. 1 device. You want a Phablet.
The choice of a Phablet is very personal and mostly depends on your priorities. Some Phablets have very good display but short battery life. Some are great at multitasking but not so great when it comes to the interface and user experience. We found that most people who are interested in Phablets like to be more productive on the go. They want a device that is not just a phone but something that enables them to do a variety of daily tasks.
That’s why our top pick for the best Phablet is Samsung Galaxy Note.
The Galaxy Note is a great overall mobile device that consists of a wide selection of essential everyday features to enable you to get the most from your Phablet.
Samsung’s Multi Window feature lets you open multiple windows on the same screen. For example, you could open and run two apps on the same screen (split or pop-up). And, you can easily change the size and positioning of apps on the screen with one intuitive swipe. This is a feature that comes in really handy, when, lets say, you want to post your vacation pictures while browsing the internet.
The Galaxy Note comes equipped with an improved speaker phone and multiple micropohones for better noise cancellation when speaking in loud environments. Moreover, it has a built-in Voice Recorder that offers eight different directional voice tagging and a selective playback capability. This will allow you to isolate and listen to specific voices in a group conversation.
Samsung recently introduced a fast-charging technology called “Adaptive Fast Charge”. If your battery is low and you are in a rush, your battery can go from zero to 50% in about 30 minutes. Moreover, if you are out and about and your battery is running really low, you can use the “Ultra Power Saving Mode” to extend your phone’s life. With the Ultra Power Saving Mode enabled, even if you have as little as 10% of battery juice left, you can receive calls and texts for up to 24 hours.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note is a beautifully designed Phablet measuring at 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm and sporting a metal frame that adds a nice touch. Marc Chacksfield from Techradar thinks the metal rim surrounding the handset is “shielding the rest of the chassis like a velvet rope protecting celebs from real people in a club.”
Samsung is offering the Note 4 in two different processor variants, its own Exynos processor and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805, both of which are slightly faster than the last year’s option.
The display on Note 4 is Samsung’s best yet. At a resolution of 2560 x 1440, 5.7″ Quad HD Super AMOLED brings you a pixel-packed display that is clearer, brighter and more alive.
With so much screen surface, a stylus pen will come in very handy. Thankfully, Samsung’s S Pen will make your life much easier whether you want to take notes, hand-write, highlight, annotate pictures or whatever it is that you like to do. It doesn’t quite replace the experience of pen on paper, but Samsung has come pretty close – with just the right weight and improved pressure sensitivity.
JK Shin, CEO and head of IT and mobile communication at Samsung Electronics, explained in a recent statement introducing Galaxy Note 4:
“With the introduction of the Galaxy Note series, we brought the age-old culture of the pen and notepad into the digital world. The new Galaxy Note 4 introduces the most refined Note experience to-date by combining all the latest technology that users expect from the Galaxy series.”
The Galaxy Note 4 also comes with the fingerprint sensor, which can be used to lock/unlock your phone. The fingerprint scanner is separated into two halves – one on the screen and another one on the home button. The Phablet gathers the fingerprint scans from both surfaces before unlocking itself and allowing a user to access other functions.
Besides locking and unlocking your phone, you can get Private Mode, Samsung Account Verification and PayPal Payments linked with the fingerprint technology.
It has a built-in storage of 32GB, but Samsung has included a microSD slot to allow you to add up to 64GB additional storage to the device.
The Note 4 comes with a 3.7MP front-facing camera for your selfies. The front camera offers a 90 degree shooting angle and up to 120 degree wide angle so you can take the best group shots with friends. The better-than-ever 16MP rear camera will let you photograph anything else in amazingly high quality.
In conclusion, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is one of the best Phablets around that will serve you well. If you own a Note 3, you do not need to jump on this bandwagon yet. However, if you are looking for a decent new Phablet, this is a great purchase.
A Great Alternative
LG Phablet
| # | Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Microsoft Surface Pro 3 64GB Tablet Renewed | View Product Details | |
| 2 |  | Lenovo Tab M92023 Android 12 Or Later - Folio Case Included,Gray | View Product Details |
G3 is the latest smartphone in LG’s award-winning G Series and a great alternative to the Galaxy Note 4.
The LG G3 fits a stunning 5.5″ Quad HD IPS display into a handy smartphone with a superior pixel density of 538 pixels per inch for amazingly realistic detail.
It’s lighter than Note 4 at only 5.26 ounces.
Its 13 MP camera with Laser Auto Focus and OIS+ (Optical Image Stabilization) allows for improved focusing speed and object detection – so that you get a sharp, focused shot even when the object is moving.
Despite a large display, LG has done a great job of making the phablet usable with one hand, keeping user experience in focus.
G3’s 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 will give you enough processing power to get most of your “Phableting” activities done without a hiccup.
Its default storage capacity is 32GB but you can add up to an additional 128GB of storage with a microSD card, twice the amount of Note 4.
The 1W speaker with 1.5W boost amp produces deep low and clear high pitch Sound.
The 3,000 mAh removable battery is strategically packed in to not add to the overall slim design of the phone. The fully charged battery lasted me a 1 and half days with normal use.
LG G3 features “knock code” for security measures. You get secure access to the home screen by tapping your personalized 3 to 8 point pattern anywhere on the display.
G3 is smart in a sense that it is constantly learning from your use and provides personalized suggestions to make your life easier and more productive. With contextual analysis and smart notice features, it helps you get organized, stay on task and keep in touch with friends.
While Note 4 is our favorite Phablet so far, LG’s G3 is a great alternative at a reasonable price.
Patrick Cooper
Patrick has over a decade’s experience writing about consumer electronics on the web. An avid traveller, he is the father of two adopted pitbulls and a greyhound. Cheif editor at WhatRocksAndWhatSucks.com, right now Patrick lives in Austin, TX. Reach him at patrick@wraws.com.