Mobile phones have had a big leap in technology and also new features. Along with new high speed processors, awesome displays and feature, the screen size has also increased considerably. If 3.0 inch and 3.5 inches were big screens a few years back, today many phones have more than 4.5 inches screen size. There is also higher screen size, namely above 5.0 inch and also called phablets as they try to do the job of phones as well as tablets.
Ever since Samsung launched its first Android phablet, the Galaxy Note, it had created this new segment where every mobile manufacturer is trying to add in a new phone. 2013 is going to be an year where we are going to see more and more phablets being announced. So which are the best phablets around, which has the best specification and functionality? Here is a list of top phablets you can buy in 2013. Please note that some of them are only announced models and their actual availability will be some time later this year.
Existing Phablets:
Samsung Galaxy Note II:
Samsung Galaxy Note II was released in September 2012 as the successor to the popular Galaxy Note. It features a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280x720pixels. It comes with a Quad core 1.6 GHz Cortex A9 processor and 2GB of RAM. It sports a 8MP camera and one of the best phablets money can buy. It has a 3100mAh battery and comes with a s-Pen which performs more than a stylus. It is also one of the most popular phablets currently available in the market.
HTC Butterfly/ Droid DNA:
HTC Butterfly is high end smartphone from HTC. HTC Droid DNA is the Verizon exclusive version of Butterfly with similar spec. It features a 5-inch Super LCD that boasts 1920×1080 pixels resolution. The internal memory available is 16GB, but no support for expandable storage. It is powered by a Quad core 1.5GHz Krait processor, coupled with 2GB of RAM and also 2020mAh battery. There is also a 8MP shooter which produces stunning photos.
LG Optimus Vu II:
LG Optimus Vu II comes with 5-inch HD-IPS display that boasts a resolution of 1024×768 pixels. A dual core 1.5GHz Krait processor runs the phone which is complemented by 2GB of RAM. There is also expandable storage upto 64GB. It also features a 8MP camera.
Samsung Galaxy Grand:
Samsung Galaxy Grand was released in December 2012 with a 5.0 inch screen with 480 x 800 pixels. Galaxy grand is a budget phablet with lower specs. A Dual-core 1.2 GHz processor runs the phone with 8 GB storage, 1 GB RAM. There is also expandable storage support upto 64GB. It also has a 8 MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus and LED flash.
Apart from these, you can also try the first generation Galaxy Note, although the device is more than a year old now, it is still available in many stores.
Upcoming Phablets:
Sony Xperia Z:
Sony is also entering the phablet market with brand-new Xperia Z. The device was announced in January 2013 and expected to be available in first quarter of 2013. It’s a 5-inch phablet with a 1080p HD display and a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The Xperia Z packs a 2400mAh battery and is slim at 7.9mm. Sony has also included a 13MP shooter on the Xperia Z. Sony says it also has the fastest shutter speed of any similar device on the market. Xperia Z is IPX5/7 water-resistant and IPX5 dustproof.
Sony Xperia ZL:
Sony Xperia ZL is similar to Xperia Z in specifications and only major difference is the size. Unlike Xperia Z, ZL is not water proof or dust proof. The phone features BRAVIA Engine 2 technology, which improves brightness and contrast in images and videos. Similar to Xperia Z, ZL also comes with 13MP camera and 2.2MP front camera.
Huawei Ascent D2:
Huawei Ascent D2 is a massive phablet with 6.1 inch display with 1280×720 resolution and 4050mAh battery, which is much higher than even the Galaxy Note. It also packs a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. The phone was announced in Jan 2013 and expected sometime in first quarter of 2013.
ZTE Grand S:
ZTE Grand S comes with a 5-inch display and has a full 1080p HD panel with 441 ppi. It’s also packing a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at a blistering 1.7GHz, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. It has a 1780mAh battery and is just 6.9mm thick. It also has a 13 MP, autofocus and LED flash. It was announced in Jan 2013 and expected to arrive soon.
Update:
LG Optimus G Pro:
LG Optimus G Pro is a 5.5 inch tablet with full HD (1080p) display and a quad-core processor that’s likely the Snapdragon S4 Pro. Not much details is available about this device, we expect it be officially announced at MWC.
