The Top 10 Budget Phablets in 2016 – taking big screens mainstream

Samuel J Tan Personal Technology, Smartphones, Technology 0

We have come to expect more and more from our smartphone; bigger screen, higher resolution, better camera, more memory and storage, slimline body with ultra narrow bezel, rock solid built quality and reliability. Now you can have all that without the premium price tag.

Some of the best Android smartphone makers are taking big screen mainstream with displays measuring 5.5-inch to 6.0-inch. If you are after a big screen smartphone or phablet and not looking to burn a hole in your pocket or sign yourself up to a lengthy contract, now is the best time to get it.

Table of Contents

The Top 10 Best Budget Phablets in 2016

As the smartphone market becomes more and more crowded, competitors and pulling out all the stops to come out with the best to outgun each other at a price that everyone can afford. We take a look at some of the latest phablets in the market, including the Oppo R7s and OnePlus 2 and how these compare with each other.

Vivo X5 Max+ 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, SLIMMEST, LIGHTEST, METALLIC
Oppo R7 Plus 6-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, BIGGEST DISPALY, METALLIC
Xiaomi MiNote 5.7-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, CURVED DISPLAY
Huawei Ascend Mate 7 6-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, BIGGEST DISPLAY, METALLIC
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – ULTRA BUDGET
OnePlus 2 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, BIGGEST MEMORY & STORAGE METAL FRAME
Huawei Ascend G7 4G 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – BUDGET, METALLIC
Oppo R7s 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, BIGGEST MEMORY, METALLIC
Samsung Galaxy J7 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM
Lenovo K3 Note 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, ULTRA BUDGET

For those on a super tight budget, check out the cheap and affordable Lenovo K3 Note and the Xiami Redmi Note 4G but we recommend looking at other leading phablets in the list that brings more to the table that just ultra low price tag. Let’s take a closer look at each of these phablets.

BONUS: Motorola Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus

Vivo X5 Max 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, SLIMMEST, LIGHTEST, METALLIC

Vivo has achieved what every smartphone manufacturers in this segment are fighting to make, ultra thin and super light phablet in a premium package; strong alloy frame and stainless steel body with anti-fingerprint coating. Vivo is also the first to adopt the HiFi 2.0 standard in smartphones using ES9018 DAC, two operational amplifiers ES9601 and another two operational amplifiers OPA1612. Combined with a powerful processor, a great camera pair and Dual SIM capability, the Vivo X5 Max heads the budget phablet pack defying the notion that big display needs a chunky and heavy chassis.

What You Need to Know

5.5-inch Super AMOLED LCD display 1920 x 1080 pixels Resolution (401 ppi) Capacitive Touch – FULL HD
Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-core Processor: Quad-core 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53 & quad-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A53 64-bit processor with Adreno 405 – OCTA-CORE CPU
2GB RAM Memory and 16GB ROM Memory with Micro SD card up to 128GB (uses SIMS slot 2)
13MP Rear SONY EXMOR IMX214 sensor, F2.0, 5MP Front F2.4 cameras
2300mAh Li-Polymer Removable Battery
Dimensions & Weight: 153.9 x 78 x 5.08mm, 146g – SLIMMEST, LIGHTEST
Colour: Silver or Gold
Android OS v4.4.4 (KitKat) with Funtouch OS 2.0

Oppo R7 Plus 6-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, BIGGEST DISPLAY, METALLIC

The body of the R7 Plus was designed with a single piece of aircraft-grade magnesium aluminium alloy and has undergone 48 polishing processes before finally attaining it’s exquisite all-metallic body. Its metallic ratio is as high as 91%. The robust device is matched with a 6 inch 1080p Super AMOLED glass screen with 2.5D arch surface, Snapdragon 615 Octa-core processor and a generous 3GB memory and 32GB storage. As with most phablets in this category it uses Sony’s optics and runs on Android OS v5.1 Lollipop with Oppo’s ColorOS 2.1 customisation.

Like Huawei’s Ascend Mate 7, it has the highest capacity battery at 4100mAh. Paired with VOOC flash charge, the company’s quick charger, it takes only 5 minutes of charging to support up to 2 hours of talk time. The camera features laser auto focus and anti-shake optimization for hypersensitive focusing combined with Pure Image 2.0+, it lets you take Ultra HD 52 megapixel shots to capture even more detail and with Beautify 2.0 for multimode selfies. A finger print sensor located on the back on the phone lets you activate the phone’s homescreen, encryption of software, and use guest mode easily with memory for up to 5 fingerprints.

What You Need to Know

6.0-inch AMOLED Full HD display 1920 x 1080 pixels (~367 ppi pixel density) capacitive touchscreen – LARGEST DISPLAY, FULL HD
Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615 Octa-core processor: Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & quad-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A53 64-bit processor with Adreno 405 – OCTA-CORE CPU
3GB RAM Memory and 32GB ROM Memory with microSD, up to 128GB (uses SIM 2 slot) – MORE MEMORY, MORE STORAGE
13MP Sony IMX278 main camera (rear), 8MP OmniVision OV8858 front camera
Non-removable Li-Po 4100 mAh battery fast VOOC flash charge: 5 minutes of charging supports 2 hours of talk time – HIGHEST CAPACITY BATTERY
Dimensions & Weight: 158 x 82 x 7.8 mm (6.22 x 3.23 x 0.31 in), 192 g – SLIM
Colour: Silver or Gold
Android OS v5.1 (Lollipop) with Color OS 2.1

Xiaomi Mi Note 5.7-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, CURVED DISPLAY

MiNote features front and back curved glass panel wrapped around an aluminium frame at only 6.95mm thin, this is the only smartphone in our list with a curved screen. While LG may have curved displays with the LG G4 and LG G Flex 2 they come with premium price tags. At 5.7-inch, the display is still bigger than some of the top brands.

What You Need to Know

5.7-inch Sharp/JDI negative LCD Full HD display 1920 x 1080 resolution, 386 PPI – FULL HD
Snapdragon^™ 801 quad-core 2.5GHz Krait 400 processor with Adreno 330 578MHz GPU
3GB RAM Memory, 16GB/64GB ROM Storage with – MORE MEMORY & STORAGE
13MP Sony Rear camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation), 4MP Front camera 1080p (1/3” sensor size, 2µm pixel size)
Non-removable Li-Ion 3000mAh (2900mAh in some model), 18 hrs audio playback, 10 hrs HD video playback, 34 hrs 3G talk time
155.1 x 77.6 x 6.95 mm, 161 grams – SLIM
Colour: Black or White
Android OS, v4.4.4 (KitKat)

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 6-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, LARGEST DISPLAY, METALLIC

Apart from the Oppo R7 Plus, the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is the only other phablet with a whooping 6-inch display but do not for a second think that this is a big smartphone as it is one of the slimmest phablets around at 7.9mm thin with near invisible bezel at only 2.9mm for high screen-to-body ratio. In its ultra slim metal body, it’s noticeably more compact than other 6” screen smartphones.

It is also the only phablet in our list that uses the Krin 925 SoC chipset with Octa-core processor, which uses intelligent switching to provide the perfect balance between performance and power. A finger print scanner is located at the back of the phone allows for quick unlock. You can also use your fingerprint to secure and encrypt data as well as lock apps.

For optics, 13MP lens, a 4th generation from Sony ensures sharp and detailed shots with great low light performance, while the 5MP front camera is perfect for enhanced video calling. For connectivity, it supports Cat6 4G LTE technology with a download rate of up to 300 Mbps. Lastly, using high-density Li-Polymer battery with the highest capacity in our line-up and Power management modes, you are assured of the longest possible battery life.

What You Need to Know

6-inch Crystal Clear Full HD 1920 x 1070 pixel resolution IPS display (368PPI) – LARGEST DISPLAY, FULL HD
Hisilicon Kirin 925 Octa-Core 1.8GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 processor – OCTA-CORE CPU
2GB RAM memory, 16GB ROM storage
13MP BSI Rear Camera, 5MP Front Camera
4100mAh battery – HIGHEST CAPACITY BATTERY
157 x 81 x 7.9 mm, 185 grams – SLIM
Colour: Silver and Black
Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat), upgradable to v5.1.1 (Lollipop), planned upgrade to v6.0 (Marshmallow)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – ULTRA BUDGET

While the 5.5-inch display is only HD instead of Full HD, the Redmi still spots a great 5MP front and 13MP rear camera, sufficient memory at 2GB, and big capacity battery. Its big on connectivity with Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE and 4G LTE with a maximum download speed of 150Mbps. For strength and durability, it has a polycarbonate unibody. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G is one of two ultra budget phablets from our list.

What You Need to Know

5.5-inch HD IPS display 1280×720 pixel 720p resolution display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8928, Quad-core Cortex-A7 1.6GHz processor with Adreno 305
2GB RAM Memory and 8GB Flash Storage supports external storage up to 64GB
13MP rear camera f/2.2, 28 mm wide-angle lens, 5MP front camera
3100mAh Lithium-ion Polymer Battery (14 hrs of internet browsing / 38 hrs of talk time/
60 hrs of music playback / 775 hrs on standby)
154 x 78.7 x 9.45 mm, 185 grams
Colour: White
Android 4.4 optimized with MIUI V5

OnePlus 2 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, BIGGEST MEMORY & STORAGE, METAL FRAME

Spots the latest USB Type-C connector for charging and data transfer, a take on Apple’s Lightning port with reversible and fumble free prone connection. The camera department also had a massive upgrade with the rear facing main camera now has an automatic, touch-free laser focus in under 0.2 seconds and optical image stabilisation.

Other premium features that sets it apart from the phablets here include fingerprint scanner, customisable navigation key, Bluetooth 4.1, Dual Band WiFi, 4G LTE connectivity and new generation Snapdragon 810 Octa-core processor processor. The outer frame is crafted from a resilient alloy of aluminum and magnesium, fronted with Gorilla Glass and accented with stainless steel while the back features swappable StyleSwap covers.

A higher version OnePlus 3 based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 6GB RAM memory and 64GB UFS2.0 fast storage is now available together with One Plus 2 putting it on the lead as OnePlus’s flagship and making OnePlus 2 the affordable alternative from the company.

What You Need to Know

5.5-inch LTPS IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution 1080p display (401PPI) – FULL HD
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 810 Octa-core processor: Quad-core 1.56 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 1.82 GHz Cortex-A57 with Adreno 430 – OCTA-CORE CPU
3GB RAM Memory with 16GB ROM Storage or 4GB RAM Memory with 64GB ROM Storage – BIGGEST MEMORY & STORAGE
13MP main camera, 4128 x 3096 pixels, optical image stabilization, laser autofocus, dual-LED flash. 5MP front camera with 1080p@30fps video recording capability.
3,300 mAh battery stay charged through even the busiest of days
151.8 x 74.9 x 9.85 mm (5.98 x 2.95 x 0.39 in), 175 grams
Colour: Sandstone Black with swappable StyleSwap covers in premium materials.
Android OS v5.1 (Lollipop) with Oxygen 2.1.2 UI

Huawei Ascend G7 4G 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – METALLIC

Another HD display at 5.5-inch, instead of Full HD, the budget Huawei Ascend G7 comes with 4G LTE connectivity, rear-facing 13MP camera and front-facing 5MP camera, high capacity 3000mAh battery squeezed into a super slim 7.6 mm all-metal back body with a premium feel in the hand and unique flowing curves.

What You Need to Know

5.5-inch Crystal Clear 1280 x 720 pixel HD resolution IPS Display
1.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8916 64-bit Quad Core Processor Cortex-A53
2GB RAM memory, 16GB ROM storage with microSD slot with support up to 32GB
13MP AF BSI F2.0, with Flash Rear Camera, 5MP Front Camera
3000mAh battery
153.5 x 77.3 x 7.6 mm, 165 grams – SLIM
Colour: Black or White
Android™ OS v4.4 with Huawei Emotion UI 3.0

Oppo R7s 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, BIGGEST MEMORY, METALLIC

A newer model compared to Oppo R7 Plus featured above, the Oppo R7s comes with a smaller but still big by most measures at 5.5-inch, bigger memory at 4GB RAM and an amazing full metal unibody chasis with 2.5D arc edge screen.

The R7s also features VOOC flash charge technology with up to 75% battery charge level in 30 minutes using VOOC mini flash charger. Made from a premium metal alloy treated with state-of-the-art
surface coating technology, the device is both robust and sleek with ultra narrow 2.2mm screen bezel.

What You Need to Know

5.5-inch Super AMOLED display, Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, 401 PPI – FULL HD
Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615 Octa-core processor: Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & quad-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A53 with Adreno 405 – OCTA-CORE CPU
4GB RAM Memory with 32GB ROM Storage and MicroSD slot for expandable memory up to 128GB (using SIM slot 2) – BIGGEST MEMORY
13MP rear camera f/2.2, 8MP front camera f/2.4 – HIGHEST RES. SELFIE CAMERA
151.8 x 75.4 x 7 mm (5.98 x 2.97 x 0.28 in), 155 grams – SLIM
3070 mAh Li-Po Battery (unremovable)
Colour: Gold
Android OS v5.1 (Lollipop) with ColorOS 2.1

Samsung Galaxy J7 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM

For a big company like Samsung with its Galaxy S6, Galaxy Edge and Galaxy Note 5 the company still wants a piece of the action in the budget segment. Enters Samsung Galaxy J7. Not to be fooled by the price tag, the Galaxy J7 spots a bright and crips 5.5-inch AMOLED display and depending on the market powered by either Samsung’s own Exynos 7580 Octa-core 1.5 GHz processor or Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor. The only disadvantage it has over the other phablets here is the slightly smaller memory. Still, it is a very capable phablet from the tech giant for those after reliability and quality.

5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD display 1280 x 720 pixels (267PPI)
Exynos 7580 Octa-core 1.5 GHz processor or Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor: Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 & quad-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A53 with Adreno 405 of Mali-T720MP2 – OCTA-CORE CPU
1.5GB RAM Memory with 16GB ROM Storage and MicroSD that support up to 128GB
13MP main camera and 5MP front camera
Li-Ion 3000 mAh non-removable battery
152.2 x 78.7 x 7.5 mm (5.99 x 3.10 x 0.30 in), 171 grams – SLIM
Android OS, v5.1 (Lollipop)

Lenovo K3 Note 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – ULTRA BUDGET, DUAL SIM

A budget phablet from Lenovo, the K3 Note has a 5.5-inch display wrapped in bright, lightweight and strong polycarbonate unibody. To keep cost down, it runs on MediaTek processor. Still it has a respectable Full HD LCD display, high resolution camera pair and a choice of colours.

What You Need to Know

5.5-inch Full HD LCD display with IPS technology 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution (401PPI) – FULL HD
Mediatek MT6752 Octa-core 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53 processor with Mali-T760MP2
2GB RAM Memory with 16GB ROM Storage and MicroSD up to 32GB
13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
3000mAh Li-Ion battery
152.6 x 76.2 x 8 mm (6.01 x 3.00 x 0.31 in), 150 grams
Colour: Onyx Black, Pearl White, Laser Yellow
Android OS, v5.0 (Lollipop) with Lenovo Vibe 2.0

Motorola Moto G4 5.5-inch Android Smartphone – DUAL SIM, DUAL STANDBY

Moto G series has been a favourite in the budget segment. Now in its 4th generation, it is not letting fans down with new generation mid range processor the Qualcomm Snapdragon 617. We have seen the same processor other smartphones from ASUS and HTC (HTC One A9). The octa-core processor is capable of running multiple apps without slowing down. Even the higher model, Moto G4 Plus uses the same processor with speed up to 1.5GHz coupled with 550MHz Adreno 405 GPU powerful graphics and 3D engine. The 5.5-inch display is sharp and lifelike. The 2GB RAM memory and 16 or 32GB ROM storage is common for phones in this price range. You can expand the storage easily up to 128GB with the microSD card slot. One thing to note about all Moto G is that it runs a plain version of Android free from any customisation or unnecessary software that may slow down the phone. Finally, it comes with a 13MP main shooter with Professional Mode for more manual control and 5MP wide angle front shooter for better selfie.

What You Need to Know

5.5-inch 1080p Full HD display 1920 x 1080 pixels capacitive touchscreen (401ppi)
Qualcomm^® Snapdragon™ 617 octa-core processor up to 1.5 GHz with 550 MHz Adreno 405 GPU – OCTA-CORE CPU
2GB RAM Memory and 16/32GB ROM Memory with microSD, up to 128GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
13MP f/2.0 main camera (rear) with dual LED Flash, 5MP f/2.2 Wide Angle Lens from camera with display flash
Non-removable 3000 mAh battery fast charge with TurboPower charger sold separately: 15 minutes of charging supports 6 hours
Dimensions & Weight: Height: 153 mm. Width: 76.6 mm. Depth: 7.9 mm to 9.8 mm, 155 grams – SLIM
Colour: Black or White personalise with Moto Maker with variety of back plate colour, metal effect accent and engraving.
Android OS v6.0.1 (Marshmallow)