Well, let’s admit it. In today’s world, cell phones get bigger and bigger, and of course, this comes with lots of advantages! Why? First of all, a larger screen means increased productivity and a sense of efficiency because most people dislike the idea of carrying around two devices; keeping both a tablet and a phone at the ready. Also, larger screens allow us to watch or stream movies better. Wouldn’t everyone prefer to watch their favorite movie on something larger than a phone? And of course, social media. Who would not want a much bigger screen for taking selfies, groupfies, or breath-taking photos of beautiful views? Of all the many reasons, for me, the best part is…. The apparition of phablets enabled the manufacturers to add bigger batteries in order to extend battery life and add even more components. No need to worry about finding a plug to recharge your device! Now: If a phablet sounds like exactly what you need, let’s see our selection of the best biggest cell phones to buy in 2020!
Best Cell Phablets in 2022
Best Huawei and Honor Phablets
The Biggest & Best Cell Phablets of All Time
1. Samsung Galaxy S20+
Are you surprised? I bet not. Being the front-runner brand for Android, we couldn’t pass on the newer launch of Samsung. And I must say, the Samsung S20 line changed the game. It’s everything you dreamt Android to be! The camera is beyond imaginable, to say the least. Of course, it comes with phone storage, QUAD HD+ Resolution, 8K video quality, and all the good stuff. The only reason, that I can see, why you wouldn’t get this phone for yourself is its hefty price tag. Specifications:
2. Samsung Galaxy Note 9
With this phone, you can kiss your pen and paper goodbye! Just like the Note phones, it comes with a stylus to write notes, doodle, or navigate the interface. But wait, there’s more… Now, you can use the stylus as a remote – to take pictures, skip music tracks, or change slides in a presentation. And to be honest, it fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. Some cool things about this phablet are the fantastic screen, its battery and, of course, the S Pen. However, there are some things that could be improved. For example, you might find Bixby to be not nearly as good as Google Assistant. Specifications:
3. Samsung Galaxy S10+
Here’s another one from Samsung. This is the new Swiss Army Knife from Samsung and it helped disrupt a whole line of phones that were very similar. One of the first things you notice about this phone is… Its size – it redefines what a “phablet” means in 2019. With its 93.1% screen-to-body ratio, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the almost non-existent bezels and no notch. However, there are some things that we didn’t like about this phone. Obviously, the price is quite steep, compared to the other phones on this list. But not only that– its design is quite slippery and, for some reason, the Bixby button is still there. If you want to know more about this smartphone, we recommend you read our review “Samsung Galaxy S10: Everything You Need to Know” Specifications:
4. Xiaomi Mi 9
Di you know? The Xiaomi Mi 9 is the first device equipped with Snapdragon 855 to hit the market. And yes, it is one of the biggest cell phones on the market today! There are a lot of good reasons to buy this phone. From its excellent performance to its great display, the Xiaomi Mi 9 might outperform almost all phablets available today – just consider its 48MP camera and the excellent photographs it can take. However, even if this phone has evolved when it comes to specifications, it still has an eyesore of a teardrop notch for the front camera. Also, it has a glass backing that can pick up fingerprints quite easily. Specifications:
5. Google Pixel 3 XL
It’s not a secret that Google has ventured into mobile phones in the past few years. Being the company with the most-used search engine in the world, this is a phablet at a price for which you won’t have to sacrifice much of anything when it comes to features or specifications. Why? Well… It comes with a great design, and even though it’s made of plastic, it still feels like a quality product and is pleasing to the eye. It also has a fingerprint-resistant matte finish although there is a small strip of glossy plastic near the camera that will pick up fingerprints. Now, take a look at this: One thing that you might notice about this phone is that there is no notch – we’d consider that a plus. However, when it comes to the display, it’s spot-on for the price although it wouldn’t compare to Samsung’s AMOLED technology, as it’s not a particularly bright screen. Specifications:
6. Google Pixel 4XL
Just so you know (if you don’t already)… Google Pixel 4XL is the newest release of Google together with its much simpler version, Pixel 4. With its 6.3-inch display, it’s no wonder why it made our list of the best phablets! And of course… Just like its predecessors, it comes with a price tag not everyone can afford. It comes with a newly-improved camera, for which the Pixel line has been well-known. But, here’s the catch: Given its specs, not to mention its price point, the battery life is very disappointing. Also, for a phone widely known for its camera, it’s a shame that it doesn’t have the ultra-wide camera mode that its competitors offer. Specifications:
7. OnePlus 6T
This might be the best cell phablet in the category of ease-of-use. It brings to the table new technologies and features, making it one of the best phones from OnePlus. However, this smartphone might mark the end of the headphone jack for the company. Even though another headphone jack bites the dust, the phone’s audio capability isn’t great either. Also, the Nightscape mode on the camera has a long way to go when it comes to improvement. However, the new fingerprint sensor feels really cutting-edge. Additionally, the design of this smartphone gets a really big thumbs up. Specifications:
8. Motorola Moto G7 Power
The Moto G7 Power might be one of the best budget phablets on the market today. It comes with a great design – it has a black bar notch at the top of the display and the expected bezels, and it has a good screen-to-body ratio. This phone is slightly heavier, as it weighs 198 grams, mostly due to the extra battery it packs. As with any device, there were some things that we didn’t like: The display is only 720p, and the photo quality could be greatly improved. However, we consider the Moto G7 to be an affordable phone, with phenomenal battery life, packing up a solid performance for the price. If you feel like you don’t really need the extra battery, we recommend you check out our review for Motorola G7. Specifications:
9. Asus ROG Gaming Smartphone
As its name suggests, this might be the best cell phablet for gaming or watching movies. It comes with a bold design – with a mixture of glass and metal, rocking a gamer phone look, a really powerful performance level, and quite intuitive features – making it one of the most compelling gaming phones today. So if you have the budget for this phone and dig the edgy design, with its bold colors and fans, it might be for you. However, you will probably need to spend even more money on accessories–especially for mobile games. Additionally, we think that for this price, this phone could have had a longer life battery – especially considering it’s for a gaming phone. Specifications:
10. Razer Phone 2
Razer Phone 2 is another phone perfect for hardcore gamers. Even though it only has a 5.7inch display, it has a 16:9 panel, meaning it has a wider aspect ratio compared to other flagships when held in portrait mode. So even though it has broader bezels and big front-facing speakers, its specifications make this phone a state-of-the-art gaming phablet. However, there are some things about this phone that we didn’t like. It has a quite unimpressive camera and a size that it might take some time to get used to. Additionally, it might be quite pricy unless you’re a gamer and you really need all the specifications. However, this might be the best gaming phablet today, having excellent surround sound and an awesome, bright 120Ghz display, among other amazing features. Specifications:
11. Sony Xperia XZ3
Like some other phones on this list, this one has minuscule bezels and no notch, giving it an excellent screen-to-body-ratio. Its design gives it a really premium feel, due to its luxurious materials and available colors. However, Sony has omitted the headphone jack, so we hope you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones if you want to buy this one. We really liked the stunning OLED display, premium design and the fact that you get Android Pie from the start, but we find the Xperia XZ3 a bit pricey and not significantly better than its cheaper rivals. Specifications:
12. Xiaomi Pocophone F1
The Pocophone F1 is an easy choice for people who want performance, good battery life and quality rather than flagship designs. This phone packs high-end specifications at a much lower price, nicknamed the “Master of Speed” by the manufacturer. Obviously, there are pros and cons to any device. We think the MIUI for Poco could take time to get used to–there’s also no NFC. It also has a plastic build and has bezels that are quite thick. However, for the price, it packs excellent performance, unbeatable battery life, and pretty decent cameras. Specifications:
Best Huawei and Honor Phablets
While Huawei and Honor have some great devices on the market, we’ve listed them separately due to the fact that recently, due to an executive order, Google, as a U.S. Company, had to stop doing any form of business with Huawei. If you want to know more about this, we recommend you read our article “Google suspends business with Huawei, effective immediately”. However, let’s see what amazing devices Huawei and Honor have that are worth mentioning:
1. Huawei P30 Pro
This latest flagship from Huawei is definitely worth your attention. I bet you heard it already. The Huawei P Series camera is crazy! They have improved the amount of zoom that you get, rebuilding the entire camera system obtaining the quadruple-camera system that you see on the P30 Pro. And mind you, if you are to use the maximum 10X hybrid zoom, the photo quality is still amazing. How ’bout that? One more thing is that it has a smaller notch giving you more display space. Even so, it still managed to pack an impressive 32MP front camera which is pretty darn good too! This phone is an impressive device – with a great curved display, water and dust resistant, with features like reverse wireless charging and one of the fastest fingerprint scanners there are. Specifications:
2. Huawei Mate 20 X EVR-L29
It’s no secret: The Huawei Mate 20 X is the biggest phone in the Mate 20 series as it’s close to the size of an actual tablet and the best cell phablet with a whopping 7.2-inch display! However, of course it also can be a little heavy, weighing 221g, making it not the easiest phone to hold with only one hand. There’s another thing that might bother you. The speaker’s location might be a bit awkward if you’ll be using the device in landscape mode. There were times when I accidentally covered the speakers while playing games. Honestly, not too much of a big deal. The design also feels premium, with a glass back that doesn’t attract as many fingerprints as expected – engraved with a pattern that gives it a fine finish. We really liked that this device is excellent for video recording, gaming or reading, also packing a really great battery life, making it a pretty powerful handset. Specifications:
3. Huawei Y9 Prime
If you are looking for a big Huawei phone but want something in between P30 Pro and Mate 20X, well, the Huawei Y9 might be the best for you. Why? Well, it’s just the right size and easier to hold compared to Mate 20X. Also, no need to worry about notches because the front camera is strategically placed in a pop-up surface. For its price-point: definitely worth it. Specifications:
4. Honor View 20
The Honor View 2 might be the best device from the Chinese brand. How do I say so? It has a great design – with really thin bezels and no notch at all! Perfect for those of you who are not a big fan of notches. On top of that… It has really powerful specifications and impressive cameras. This device sets a standard for the specifications that you’d find in a more expensive phone. We like the excellent battery life this device packs, and also the smart camera, 48MP+3D cam for the rear, and 25MP for the front one. However, this device lacks water resistance, something that has become almost standard with smartphones. Specifications:
5. Honor Note 10
Without a doubt, Honor really offers fair prices and great value considering the specs of its devices. That’s why it’s not much of a surprise to find the brand in this list. Why not? The Honor Note 10 has a screen size of 6.95 inches which allows the phone to give a ultra-big screen moment for users. However, due to its size, you can hardly fit it in your pocket. There’s also a chance that you might feel awkward holding it and might consider it too big. Specifications: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra might be the best phablet with ‘pro’ mode. Samsung has always been an amazing product especially with cell phablets. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 ultra phablet contains a pro-grade camera with super resolution even through low light. The ultra fingerprint feature on this phablet protects and unlocks in the first touch. The ‘pro’ mode allows the users to make changes on key settings even on raw format. The 6.9″ Infinity-O Display is one of the main features of this phablet making it one of the biggest phones in the world. With this phablet, you can store up to 128GB. This note series comes along with an ‘S Pen’ stylus. Specifications
Biggest Cell Phones – Replace Your Tablet
We suggest you are careful about the specifications of the phone you decide to buy. And, let’s be real. As we mentioned, there is no reason to buy a really powerful phone if you’re not going to use it to its full potential. We hope you enjoyed the reviews of the phablets we’ve listed, and we truly encourage you to do your research before buying one. So what phablet was your favorite? Do you own any of them? Let us know in the comments below!
