Phablets
Need a phablet? If a smartphone with a large screen is a must for you, this is the place to start your search. You’ll find all phones with a nice, big screen here; you can filter them by other specs, compare them with other models, and sort them by the lowest price.
The term “phablet” is a portmanteau of the English words “phone” and “tablet.” By smartphone standards, phablets have a larger-than-average screen. That average has grown enormously in recent years as mobile phones have been equipped with increasingly larger screens.
Phablet History
There is no strict, definitive definition of a phablet. Therefore, you could describe some early PDAs with calling functionality and a reasonably large screen as phablets. Think of the HTC Advantage from 2007. Still, there is one brand that has made the phablet incredibly popular.
It was Samsung that released the first Galaxy Note in 2011. With a 5.3-inch screen—which was immense at the time—it went down in history as the first successful phablet. Anyone reading reviews from that time is in for a good laugh. Conclusions like “too big,” “impractical,” and “doomed to fail” were everywhere. Fortunately, we know better now. Screens got a little bigger every year, so we’ve grown accustomed to them—helped by the convenience they brought.
As a result, the phablet from five years ago is now considered a compact phone. So “big” is a relative term here. Currently, we define a phablet as a phone with a screen at least 6.2 inches in size.
Stylus
In addition to finger input, a large screen is also well-suited for input using a pen. This is also known as a stylus. It’s handy for those who like to take handwritten notes or want to be able to draw. Not every phablet supports this method of input. Samsung’s Galaxy Note models do, thanks to the so-called S Pen. This pen has a distinct tip that is recognized by the device and is pressure-sensitive. There are also capacitive pens on the market that work with any smartphone. They function just like a finger, making them less precise and barely pressure-sensitive. So if you enjoy drawing on your phone, the Galaxy Note is a must-have.
