The Best Premium Phablets in 2016 – big screen, top shelf smartphones

Samuel J Tan Personal Technology, Smartphones, Technology 1

Screens that flow to the edge with near zero bezel, curved sides or screens that bends, smartphone companies are pushing the limits of what a big screen phone or phablet can be. As demands continue, there is no short of phablets out there. Here are the best Phablets as we head into 2016.

The phablet game is hotting up again as Samsung decides to pick a ‘fight’ with Apple, by introducing the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Samsung Galaxy Note 5 towards the end of 2015.

Table of Contents

Flagship Duos

Soon after, Apple released the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, solidifying the trend of flagship duos, two flagships instead of one from the tech giants. Except, in Samsung’s case, there is the Samsung Galaxy S6, the S6 Edge, the S6 Edge+ and the Note 5, quite a family of flagships. Now in 2016, Samsung again launched the successor, Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

While the Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 are not Samsung’s only Phablets, it is the first with premium metallic bodies. Industry observers deem this to be a direct move to counter Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus and its successor the iPhone 6s Plus given Samsung’s poor 2014 Q2 performance compared to Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi and Lenovo (Source: IDC Wordwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker).

Sony, not wanting to miss out on the ride also announced their flagship duo in the form of Sony Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Premium with option for single or dual SIM support. Claiming to be the world’s first 4K smartphones, the display on the Xperia Z5 Premium is bound to knock a dent on other flagship’s bow. We also could not help but include Sony’s other big smartphone offering, the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, a 6-inch marvel.

Other big time smartphone players, LG and HTC have their own big screen offerings too. LG has their fifth generation LG G5 and the second generation bendable smartphone the LG G Flex 2 while HTC has HTC One E9+ all with 5.5-inch screens.

The Best Phablets in 2016

These days, with more and more manufacturer pushing big screen smartphones, and the term Phablet becoming increasingly common, we like to think that smartphones that fall into this category are ones with display over 5.3-inch. The best premium phablets in 2016 are…

New Comers:

Display

The title for the biggest screen goes to Sony Xperia C5 Ultra although its predecessor Sony Xperia Ultra Z has a bigger 6.4-inch screen (featured in our Best Phablet for 2015). Apart from Samsung phones, all other smartphones feature a 5.5-inch screen. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ have bigger 5.7-inch display. Sony has the highest resolution screen and packs the most pixels per inch. Other 5.5-inch displays too pack similarly big amount of pixel at over 500 ppi but the iPhone 6S Plus and LG G Flex 2 only manages around 400 ppi. The lowest pixel density on a display goes to Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, given its sheer screen size, it only manages 367 ppi at Full HD resolution.

iPhone 6S Plus: 5.5-inch Retina HD display with 3D Touch, LED-backlit 1920 x 1080 pixels, 401 ppi
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display, 16M colours, 2560 x 1440 pixels, 518 ppi
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: 5.5-inch 4K UHD 3840 x 2160 pixels, 806 ppi Triluminos Display™ for mobile with auto upscaling – HIGHEST RESOLUTION, HIGHEST PIXEL DENSITY
LG G5: 5.3 inches Quad HD 1440 x 2560 pixels (554 ppi pixel density), IPS LCD – SMALLEST DISPLAY
LG G4: 5.5-inch Quad HD 2560 X 1440 pixels, 538 ppi IPS Quatum display produces high-contrast, vibrant images that are rich and authentic in color and amazingly true-to-life. – HIGH PIXEL DENSITY
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: 5.5 inches Quad HD Super AMOLED 2560 x 1440 pixels Display with dual edge, 534 ppi
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+: 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED 2560 x 1440 pixels Display with dual edge, 518 ppi
LG G Flex 2: 5.5-inch Curved P-OLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colours, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 403 ppi
HTC One E9+: 5.5-inch Quad HD 2560 x 1440 pixels, 534 ppi. – HIGH PIXEL DENSITY
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 5.7-inch Quad HD 2560 x 1440 pixels, ClearBlack AMOLED display 581 ppi – HIGH PIXEL DENSITY
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra: 6.0-inch Full HD IPS Display 1920 x 1080 pixels, 367 ppi Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2 with Super Vivid Mode.
Google Nexus 6P: 5.7-inch WQHD AMOLED display 2560 x 1440 pixels 518 ppi – HIGH PIXEL DENSITY

CPU

Apple and Samsung use proprietary chips, the A9 chip on the iPhone 6S and Exynos 7420 on Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+. While Sony Xperia Z5 Premium and LG G Flex 2 uses the same Snapdragon 810 processor. LG G4 on the other hand uses a slightly slower Snapdragon 808 being one of the earlier launches in the list. HTC however opted for a low cost but still capable MediaTek chip for the HTC One E9+. For the Xperia C5 Ultra. Sony also opted for a MediaTek chip albeit with a lower clock speed of 1.7GHz.

iPhone 6S Plus: A9 chip with 64-bit architecture with Embedded M9 motion coprocessor
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: Exynos 7420 Octa-Core processor; 2.1GHz Quad Core and 1.5GHz Quad Core – HIGHEST CLOCK SPEED
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (MSM8994) Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57 64-bit Octa-Core processor with Adreno 430 GPU
LG G5: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (Quad 2.1 GHz) – Dual-core 2.15 GHz Kryo & dual-core 1.6 GHz Kryo
LG G4: Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808 Quad-core 1.44 GHz Cortex-A53 & Dual-core 1.82 GHz Cortex-A57 with Adreno 418 GPU
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 (Quad 2.1 GHz) – Dual-core 2.15 GHz Kryo & dual-core 1.6 GHz Kryo
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+: Exynos 7420 Octa-Core processor, Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 with Mali-T760MP8 – HIGHEST CLOCK SPEED
LG G Flex 2: Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 processor, Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57 64-bit Octa-Core processor with Adreno 430 GPU
HTC One E9+: MediaTek helio™ X10, Octa-Core (8 x 2.0 GHz)
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 810 (MSM8994) Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57 64-bit Octa-Core processor with Adreno 430 GPU
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra: Mediatek MT6752 Octa-core 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53 64-bit processor with Mali-T760MP2
Google Nexus 6P: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 810 v2.1, 2.0 GHz octa-core 64-bit with Adreno 430 GPU

Memory and Storage

iPhone 6S Plus: 2GB RAM Memory, Storage Options: 16GB, 64GB or 128GB
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: 4GB RAM Memory, 32GB ROM Storage – BIGGER MEMORY
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: 3GB RAM Memory, 32GB ROM Storage, microSD expansion slot for up to 200 GB microSD™ card support – STORAGE EXPANSION
LG G5: 4GB RAM Memory, 32GB ROM Storage, microSD card slot up to 200GB – STORAGE EXPANSION
LG G4: 3GB RAM Memory, 32GB ROM Storage, microSD card slot: up to 2TB – STORAGE EXPANSION
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: 4GB RAM Memory, 32GB/64GB ROM Storage, microSD card slot up to 200GB – STORAGE EXPANSION
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+: 4GB RAM Memory, 32GB ROM Storage – BIGGER MEMORY
LG G Flex 2: 3GB RAM Memory, 32GB ROM Storage (2GB RAM Memory, 16GB ROM Storage in some market), microSD card slot: up to 2TB – STORAGE EXPANSION
HTC One E9+: 3GB RAM Memory, 32GB ROM Storage, microSD card slot: up to 2TB – STORAGE EXPANSION
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 3GB RAM Memory, 32GB ROM Storage, microSD card slot: up to 200GB – STORAGE EXPANSION
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra: 2GB RAM Memory, 16GB ROM Storage, microSD card slot: up to 200GB – STORAGE EXPANSION
Google Nexus 6P: 3GB RAM Memory, Storage Options: 32GB, 64GB or 128GB

Cameras

iPhone 6S Plus: 12-megapixel iSight camera with 1.22µ pixels [NEW] Auto Focus with Focus Pixels, Live Photos, Optical Image Stabilization, True Tone Flash, Panorama (up to 63 megapixels), Auto HDR for Photos, Exposure control, Burst mode, Timer mode, f/2.2 aperture, five-element lens, Hybrid IR filter, Backside illumination sensor, Sapphire crystal lens cover, Auto image stabilisation, improved local tone mapping, improved noise reduction, face detection, photo geotagging. Video Capture: 4K video recording (3480 x 2160) at 30fps, 1080p HD video recording at 30fps or 60 fps, 720p HD video recording at 30 fps, Optical Image Stabilisation for Video, True Tone Flash, Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps and 720p at 240 fps. Time-lapse video with stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation (1080p and 720p), Continuous autofocus video, improved noise reduction, take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video, Playback zoom, 3x zoom, Face detection and Video Tagging. 5-megapixel FaceTime HD Camera with support for 720p HD video recording, Retina Flash, f/2.2 aperture, Auto HDR for photos and videos, Backside illumination sensor, Exposure control, Burst mode, Timer mode and Face detection.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: 16MP CMOS main camera with UHD 4K (3820 x 2160) at 30fps video recording resolution, auto focus with flash. Live video streaming right from the phone with Live Broadcast streams on YouTube, Steady View with Video Digital Imaging Stabilisation in addition to Optical Image Stabilisation technology for smooth and clear footage on rear camera. Create Video Collage of up to 4 clips, Video Series with a series of video clips and Slow Motion video capture. Front facing camera with Advanced Selfie technology and range of effective filters. Auto real-time HDR for photos and video to capture images in the right light. 5MP CMOS front facing camera.
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: 23MP Rear Camera, 5520 х 4140 pixels, phase detection autofocus, LED flash. Supports Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama. Video capture 2160p at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps, 720p at 120fps with HDR support. 5.1 MP Front Camera, with 1080p, HDR video capability – HIGHEST RES. REAR FACING CAMERA
LG G5: Dual Rear Cameras 1st – 16MP (f/1.8) Normal / 2nd – 8MP (f/2.4) 135˚ Wide angle laser autofocus, OIS (3-axis), LED flash. Front 8MP Normal Camera. Geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR. Video capture main camera: 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30fps, HDR, stereo sound rec. Video capture front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, 1080p@30fps.
LG G4: 16MP Rear Camera with F1.8 lensIdeal for low light and portraits, this ultra-bright lens produces beautiful bokeh and wonderful, professional-looking photos that pop with clarity and detail, Optical Image Stabilization 2.0 with Laser Auto Focus. Infrared-sensitive color spectrum sensor analyzes and measures all of the visible light within a scene before a shot is snapped, ensuring that an image’s colors appear natural and vivid even in dim conditions. Manual modes; Shutter Speed, Exposure (EV), White Balance (WB), Auto-exposure lock, ISO, Level Gauge, RAW & JPEG, Manual focus available. 8MP Front Selfie Camera with LG’s fun and convenient Gesture Shot and Gesture View features. One of the best front facing cameras.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: 12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm, phase detection autofocus, OIS, LED flash, 1/2.6″ sensor size, 1.4 µm pixel size, geo-tagging, simultaneous 4K video and 9MP image recording, touch focus, face/smile detection, Auto HDR, panorama. Video recording: 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps, HDR, dual-video rec. Front Camera: 5 MP, f/1.7, 22mm, dual video call, Auto HDR.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+: 16MP CMOS main camera with UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) video recording support at 30fps, auto focus, optical image stabliser and flash. Video Digital Imaging Stabilisation meets Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) to ensure clear and steady footage every time. 5MP CMOS front facing camera support dual video call, Auto HDR. Create Video Collage of up to 4 clips, Video Series with a series of video clips and Slow Motion video capture. Front facing camera with Advanced Selfie technology and range of effective filters. Auto real-time HDR for photos and video to capture images in the right light. Advanced Selfie Technology, Filters, Auto real-time HDR and instant camera by double clicking on the home button.
LG G Flex 2: 13 MP rear camera OIS+ Laser Auto Focus Rear Camera and 4K Ultra HD Camcorder, 4128 x 3096 pixels, laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, dual-LED flash. Simultaneous video and image recording, geo-tagging, face detection, panorama, HDR. Records 2160p video at 30fps, 1080p video at 60fps. 2.1 MP front camera supports Full HD 1080p video recording at 30fps. Handy Gesture Shot & View for taking selfie; Activate the 3-second timer on the front-facing camera with a simple gesture, then just tilt the camera down to instantly review your images.
HTC One E9+: 20MP Main camera, auto-focus , BSI sensor, f/2.2, 27.8mm lens, 4K video recording. 13MP Front camera, HTC Ultra Pixel™, BSI sensor, f/2.0, 26.8mm lens, 1080p video recording – HIGHEST RES. FRONT CAMERA
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Main camera: 20.0 MP main rear camera, 6-lens optics, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Oversampling, Sensor size: 1/2.4 inch, aperture: f/1.9, focal length: 26 mm, Natural flash. Camera features: Backside-illuminated image sensor, PureView, True 16:9 sensor, Fast Focus, High resolution zoom with minimum focus range: 10 cm. Main cameras supports 4K video recording at 30 fps with the following video features: video zoom, optical image stabilisation, continuous autofocus, video light, Lumia Rich Recording with four microphones and records in MP4/H.264 format. Full HD 5MP wide angle front facing camera, aperture: f/2.4. Camera features: Still image capture, Video call, Video recording, video capture resolution 1080p (Full HD, 1920 x 1080).
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra: 13MP main camera with autofocus, Soft LED flash, Sony Exmor RS™ for mobile image sensor, SteadyShot™ – video stabilisation, Superior Auto – automatic scene selection, 25 mm wide-angle lens with an 80 degree field of view, 4x digital zoom, Full HD video recording (1080p), HDR for photos and videos, Image stabiliser, Geotagging – add location info to your photos, Red-eye reduction. 13MP front facing camera with autofocus, Selfie Flash for extensive and uniform light outreach, Sony Exmor RS™ for mobile image sensor, SteadyShot™ – video stabilisation, Superior Auto – automatic scene selection, 22 mm wide-angle lens with an 88 degree field of view, Full HD video recording (1080p), HDR for photos and videos, Image stabiliser, Geotagging – add location info to your photos, Red-eye reduction.Rear facing camera and selfie camera are both 13MP with equal capability. Both capture stunningly crisp shots, Superior Auto and a wide-angle lens, no compromising for selfie shots. Xperia C5 Ultra’s selfie camera boasts a soft LED Selfie Flash that will create perfect shots in any light. Unlike most flashes, Xperia C5 Ultra’s flash is square instead of round, so it lights up more of the frame. Also, it automatically adjusts to the ideal settings for your lighting conditions and illuminates the scene naturally. The front camera is also wider with 22 mm lens, an 88 degree field of view. So you’ll fit in even more of the view, and even more friends in the shot. Low light technology help capture the moment indoors and at night using Exmor RS for mobile sensor and HDR technology. Pictures are clear and sharp no matter where or when you take them – HIGHEST RES. FRONT CAMERA
Google Nexus 6P: Rear: 12.3 MP camera; 1.55 μm pixels; f/2.0 aperture. IR laser-assisted autofocus, 4K (30 fps) video capture, Broad-spectrum CRI-90 dual flash, Slow motion at 240 FPS. Front: 8 MP camera, 1.4 μm pixels, f/2.4 aperture, HD video capture (30 fps). Larger 1.55μm pixels capture more light even in the dimmest conditions to produce stunning details and sharp images.

Battery Life

iPhone 6S Plus: Talktime up to 24 hours on 3G, Internet use up to 12 hours on 3G, up to 12 hours on LTE, up to 12 hours on WiFi. HD video playback up to 14 hours, Audio playback up to 80 hours, Standby time up to 16 days. Battery capacity: 2915mAh.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: Talktime up to 22 hours on 3G, Internet use up to 11 hours (LTE) up to 10 hours (3G), Video playback up to 15 hours, Audio playback up to 64 hours. Battery capacity: 3000mAh with Fast Charge (2 hours) and wireless charging (with optional charger) – FAST CHARGE, WIRELESS CHARGING
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: Up to 2 days’ battery life with Quick Charge 2.0 (60% in 30 mins), 3430 mAh – FAST CHARGE
LG G5: Removable Li-Ion 2800 mAh battery, fast battery charging: 83% in 30 min (Quick Charge 3.0). Standby Up to 400 h (3G), Talk time up to 20 h (2G). – FAST CHARGE, REMOVABLE
LG G4: Standby up to 360 h (2G) , Talk time up to 440 h (3G),Up to 19 h (2G) / Up to 20 h (3G) 3000 mAh Removable Battery, Wireless Charging only with optional cover – REMOVABLE BATTERY
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Non-removable Li-Ion 3600 mAh battery. Fast battery charging: 60% in 30 min (Quick Charge 2.0). Wireless charging (Qi/PMA) – market dependent. Talk time Up to 27 h (3G), Music playback Up to 74 h. – FAST CHARGE, WIRELESS CHARGING
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+: Talktime up to 20 hours on 3G, Internet use up to 11 hours (LTE) up to 10 hours (3G) up to 12 hours (WiFi) Video playback up to 15 hours, Audio playback up to 66 hours. Battery capacity: 3000mAh with Fast Charge (1.5 hours) and wireless charging (with optional charger). Charge from zero to full in 90 minutes – FAST CHARGE, WIRELESS CHARGING
LG G Flex 2: Talk time: Up to 18 hours for 2G, Up to 20 hours 3G, Standby time: Up to 520 hours for 2G, 450 hours for 3G, 3000 mAh Battery with Fast Charge (50% in 40 minutes) –FAST CHARGE
HTC One E9+: Talk time: Up to 23 hours for 2G, 13 hours for 3G. Standby time: Up to 598 hours for 2G, 626 hours for 3G. 2800 mAh Battery.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Talk time: Up to 25 hours for 2G, Up to 19 hours for 3G, Standby Time with dual SIM: 12 days, WiFi network browsing time: 11 hours, music playback time: 75 hours, video playback time: 11 hours. 3340 mAh battery with Quick Charge and Qi Wireless Charging built-in. – FAST CHARGE, WIRELESS CHARGING
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra: Talk time: up to 14 hours 24 min. Standby time: up to 769 hours. Music listening time: up to 60 hours 8 min. Video viewing time: up to 7 hours 47 min. 2930 mAh Battery.
Google Nexus 6P: 3450 mAh battery with quick charge via USB Type-C port with up to 8 hours of use after 10 minutes of charging – FAST CHARGE

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Titanium Silver aspect

Sensors & Connectivity

Only Samsung and Sony phablets support Dual SIM. The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge has a single or dual SIM variant.

iPhone 6S Plus: Touch ID fingerprint sensor, Barometer, Three-axis gyro, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor. Assisted GPS and GLONASS, Digital Compass. WiFi 802.11 abgnac with MIMO, Bluetooth v4.2, NFC – DUAL BAND
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, HR Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, GPS, Glonass, Beidou, NFC, Bluetooth v4.2, WiFi 802.11 abgnac dual band 2.4GHz + 5GHz, VHT80 MIMO. Dual SIM. PC Sync using Smart Switch (PC version) – DUAL BAND, DUAL SIM
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, A-GPS, GLONASS/ Beidou,Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, apt-X, Dual SIM (Single SIM, Nano SIM), High-Res audio. microUSB v2.0 (MHL 3 TV-out), USB Host. – DUAL BAND, DUAL SIM
LG G5: Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, color spectrum, Wi-Fi(802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) dual band, WiFi direct, DLNA, Hotspot, Bluetooth 4.2 BLE, A2DP, LE, apt-X, NFC, USB 2.0 (3.0 Compatible) Type Cv3.0 reversible connector, USB On-The-Go, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Stereo FM radio with RDS – DUAL BAND, DUAL SIM
LG G4: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, color spectrum, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.1 LE (APT-x), A-GPS, Glonass, Stereo FM radio with RDS – DUAL BAND
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2. Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot. Bluetooth v4.2, A2DP, LE, apt-X. A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, NFC, Micro USB v2.0, USB Host. – DUAL BAND, DUAL SIM
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+: Fingerprint sensor (PayPal Certified, Samsung Pay – MasterCard and Visa), Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, HR Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, GPS, Glonass, Beidou, NFC, Bluetooth v4.2, WiFi 802.11 abgnac dual band 2.4GHz + 5GHz, VHT80 MIMO. Dual SIM. PC Sync using Smart Switch (PC version) – DUAL BAND, DUAL SIM
LG G Flex 2: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot, Bluetoothv4.1, A2DP, LE, apt-X, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC, Infrared port, Stereo FM radio with RDS. microUSB v2.0 (SlimPort), USB Host – DUAL BAND
HTC One E9+: NFC, Bluetooth^® 4.1, Wi-Fi^®: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz), DLNA^®, 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port, 3G, 4G LTE. Dual nano-SIM – DUAL BAND, DUAL SIM
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL:
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra: aGPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth® 4.1, 3.5 mm audio jack (CTIA), DLNA Certified®, Miracast, TV SideView, Native USB tethering, Synchronisation via Exchange ActiveSync®, Facebook™, Google™ and SyncML™. USB High speed 2.0 and Micro USB support, Wi-Fi® 802.11 a/b/g/n and WiFi Hotspot functionality, NFC mobile payment, FM radio with RDS.
Google Nexus 6P: Fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Hall sensor, Android Sensor Hub, Gyroscope, USB Type-C, Nano SIM slot, audio jack, Nexus imprint finger print scanner on the back plate for unlocking and check outs. WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2×2 MIMO, Dual-band (2.4GHz, 5.0GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS/GLONASS, Digital Compass.

Size and Weight

iPhone 6S Plus: 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm, 192 grams – HEAVIEST
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6 mm, 171 grams
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: 154.4 x 76.0 x 7.8 mm, 181 grams
LG G5: 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm (5.88 x 2.91 x 0.30 in), 159 grams
LG G4: 148.9 x 76.1 x 6.3 – 9.8 mm, 155 grams
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm (5.94 x 2.86 x 0.30 in), 157 grams
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+: 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9 mm, 153 grams – SLIMMEST
LG G Flex 2: 149.1 x 75.3 x 7.1-9.4 mm, 152 grams
HTC One E9+: 156.5 x 76.5 x 7.54 mm, 149 grams – LIGHTEST
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 151.9 x 78.4 x 8.1 mm, 165 grams
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra: 164.2 x 79.6 x 8.2 mm, 187 grams – BIGGEST
Google Nexus 6P: 159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3mm, 178 grams

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Black Oynx aspect

Operating System

iPhone 6S Plus: iOS 9
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: Google Android 5.1
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: Google Android™ 5.1 (Lollipop)
LG G5: Google Android™ 6.01 Marshmallow with LG Optimus UX 5.0 UI
LG G4: Google Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Google Android OS v6.0 Marshmallow with TouchWiz UI
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+: Google Android 5.1.1
LG G Flex 2: Google Android 5.0.1 upgrade to Android 5.1.1
HTC One E9+: Android with HTC Sense
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Windows 10
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra: Google Android 5.0 (Lollipop) upgrade to Android 5.1.1
Google Nexus 6P: Google Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Colour Options

iPhone 6S Plus: Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold [NEW COLOUR]
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: White Pearl, Gold Platinum
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: Chrome, Gold, Black
LG G5: Silver, Titan, Gold, Pink
LG G4: Removable back cover with genuine leather, plastic and metallic effect available as optional. Leather: Black, Brown or Red. Plastic: Grey, White, Gold [LEATHER OPTION]
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Black, White, Gold, Silver
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+: Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Silver Titan, White Pearl
LG G Flex 2: Platinum Silver, Flamenco Red
HTC One E9+: Meteor Gray, Classic Rose Gold, Gold Sepia
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL:
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra: White, Black, Soft Mint
Google Nexus 6P: Aluminium, Graphite, Frost (aeronautical grade aluminium)

Final Thoughts

Here are some of the notable features special to each phone. iPhone being the only smartphone on the list with iOS9. Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has its signature S Pen stylus while the Galaxy S6 Edge+ has dual edge screen, display that roll over the edge for near zero bezel. Sony has an ultra high resolution 4K display and as with most of Sony’s high-end smartphones, has a waterproof and dust tight (IP65 and IP68) body. LG Flex 2 has the only Curved Full HD P-OLED screen. HTC’s phablet, the One E9+ brings to the table superb HTC BoomSound™ with Dolby Audio™ and finally, the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra has a whooping 6-inch display.

iPhone 6S Plus: Simply being Apple is itself a notable feature especially if you are an Apple Fan. However, given that Apple has resolved the bend gate issue with a reinforced frame and slightly, only very slightly thicker chassis, and with the introduction of yet another iOS upgrade to iOS9, this is bound to be a hit.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: Premium combination of extra tough 7000 series aluminium and Gorilla Glass 4 offer an ultra refined look. Slimmer design with sleek metal and glass curves and dual-edge rear that fits snuggly in the palm. The iconic S Pen stylus is now even more accurate and closer to an actual pen with improved functionality. The device also has better battery life and fast charging (full charge in 120 mins). Audio playback with professional looking video footage and live broadcasting options available streaming on YouTube.
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: Highest resolution 4K display and Waterproof and dust tight (IP65 and IP68) body. With the usual high quality and finish, Sony Xperia Z5 Premium one tough phone to beat.It has an upper-hand being first to the market with a 4K display when others have Full HD and Quad HD displays only, but unless you have a super hero’s magnifying vision, you would not be able to tell the difference between. Do not confuse this with 4K video capturing capability which is available on all smartphones in the list. The Sony Xperia Z5 also has the highest resolution rear facing camera at 23MP.
LG G5: Finally an all metal design, metal and glass smoothly float together uninterrupted, without an antenna slit. The sleek design of iconic simplicity comes in a variety of rich colors. Unparalleled comfort and fit, that you must hold to believe. Removable battery that slips out or slots in like loading a weapon with no fiddly back plate to remove. The modular design also meant other the phone can be used with optional accessories with unlimited possibilities. Always on screen so no need to hit the button to check the time, date, or notifications. Display is on even in sleep to shows important notification in low power mode with little to no impact on battery life. When in use, it is powerful enough with 800 nit or 60% more brightness for a different kind of “Sun” screen. When the sun shines bright, so does the screen. The enhanced IPS Quantum display is brighter, more vivid, and clearer even in outdoor day light. The main camera setup is one of a kind with 2 cameras, one normal and one super wide angle at 135°. Capture a sprawling skyline, a packed stadium concert, or the entire beach. The feature allows users to zoom out (instead of in) up to 0.5 times. So pinch in to zoom out to see a wider view or pinch out to zoom in up to 8 times. The cameras software lets you take two photos at the same time, a standard and wide angle photo then make the picture pop and stand out against 4 photo-frame background effects: Fisheye, B&W, Vignette and Lens blur.
LG G4: Snap quick and clear pictures with the G4’s laser detection auto-focus, and OIS 2.0, an improved optical image stabilizer that reduces camera shake.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge:
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+: Dual edge for near zero bezel with apps that take advantage of edge. Assign five favourite contacts and five favourite apps to the edge. Access them anytime by simply swiping inwards from the edge Handle.
LG G Flex 2: Multiple award winning phone with curved body and display that flexes. Self healing back plate that stands against scuffs and scratches. Glance View – a simple downward swipe from the top of the screen when the display is off shows the time, date, weather and notifications.
HTC One E9+: HTC BoomSound™ with Dolby Audio™ for superb audio reproduction. HTC Sense™ Home gives you tools and info based on where you are, for personalised solutions. A behaviour-detecting homescreen widget senses your location and provides apps based on where you are, as well as use preferences.The HTC One E9+ dual sim features more customisable options and behaviour-learning software that gives you the apps you want, when you want them.With the built-in HTC Themes app, you can change the look and feel of your phone using your favourite personal photo. Control everything from the shape and size of your icons, ring tone and even wallpaper of your phone.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL:
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra: Uses the same camera setup for both front and back. Xperia C5 Ultra’s large 6” display is the only screen you need, and the sleek and slim design is the style you want to be seen with. The super-thin bezel makes the display practically borderless and stops the phone feeling bulky. Together with a curved back and premium almuminium frame, Xperia C5 Ultra feels as good as it looks. Colour options include black, white and cool mint.
Google Nexus 6P: It’s Huawei this time and they have done a great job with the Nexus 6P. The smaller Nexus 5X however is build in collaboration with LG. The 6P is both elegent in design and solidly built using aeronautical grade aluminium and screen protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The main camera and flash are built into a band on the top of the back plate that floats slightly making it more seamless than how some chose to execute their super slim smartphone. No jutting out lense here.

1 Comment

Cwazy Paving
November 11, 2015 @ 11:21 am
I personally want a phone with 6″ screen or bigger with high screen to body ratio. Have Note3 and want bigger, big as practically can fit in pocket.