The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and its predecessor have all but invented a new genre: the phablet. Short for phone-tablet, they can make calls, and they’re just small enough to hold to your ear for a chinwag, but they’re big enough to browse the full size web, watch videos and much much more.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2 is the undisputed king of the category right now – it’s already sold more than three million worldwide – but it’s got some fierce competition coming up. Read on to meet the contenders.
HTC Droid DNA
HTC says it’s not a phablet, but with a huge five inch screen, it’s hard to argue that point. The HTC Droid DNA is an absolute beast of a phablet, with 4G and a full HD resolution screen, making it the sharpest phone on the planet right now. One thing it lacks compared to the 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 2 however is a stylus for handwriting and doodling memos and pictures: it’s fingers all the way here. It’s out later this month in the US, though it’s not clear when we’ll see it in the UK just yet.
LG Optimus Vu 2
The LG Optimus Vu 2 will be the Samsung Galaxy Note 2’s biggest rival when it arrives in the UK: what makes this five-inch beast stand out isn’t the blazing fast 1.5GHz processor (they’ve all got one), but its unusual aspect ratio. Like an iPad, it’s got a much wider 4:3 aspect ratio than the widescreen you’re used to on smartphones, which LG hopes will make web browsing easier and more productive. Time will tell – we’ll bring you a review of the LG Optimus Vu 2 as soon as it hits our shores.
Huawei’s giant secret
If you thought the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was big, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Chinese giant Huawei is reportedly gearing up to crash the phablet party, with an epic 6.1-inch Android device to call its own. Huawei’s still a relative unknown in the UK, but if it can partner with a big mobile network, it could take the market by storm.
ZTE’s epic Windows Phone
Much of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2’s competition will run Android, but not all, it seems. Last week, images leaked out of a 5.9-inch Windows Phone device from ZTE, Huawei’s arch-rival. Curiously, it’s supposed to be a full HD number like the HTC Droid DNA, but this isn’t a resolution that Windows Phone 8 officially supports – yet.
Pantech Vega R3
This bad boy may never see the light of day outside of South Korea, but the Pantech Vega R3 certainly packs the specs to kick it with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. As well as a 5.3-inch screen, it boasts a beefy 2GB of memory, as well as a monster 13 megapixel camera sensor.
What do you make of the new trend for phablets? Daft or desirable? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments
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