Best phablets: the top supersized smartphones ~ .

Our hands might not be getting any bigger these days, but our phones certainly are. Even flagships like the LG G4 and OnePlus 2 are creeping up to 5.5 inches.

While other phones are breaking the 6-inch mark as some phablets are starting to resemble small tablets, arguably filling the roles of both a smartphone and a slate.

If you think that one device is better than two, or just have really big hands, then there's a growing selection of phones to suit... and these are the best.

Best phablet speed test

Here at techradar, we have put a few of the best phablets money can buy through our rigorous speed test to find out which is the fastest and which is the strongest.

We tried to pick a selection of our favourite phablets money can buy right now including the iPhone 6S Plus, Nexus 6P, Microsoft Lumia 950 XL, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium.

8. Moto X Style

Customisable and affordable

The Moto X Style is one of three pretty high-end handsets Motorola has released this year, slotting in between the Moto X Force and the Moto X Play in terms of specs and price, but with a 5.7-inch screen it's the largest of the three.

It runs nearly pure Android too, so for fans of unadulterated versions of Google's OS it's a strong alternative to the Nexus 6P.

As the name suggests the Style is pretty stylish and hugely customisable, with a metal frame and a wood, leather or plastic back. It's not quite as much of a looker as the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ or iPhone 6S Plus, but it's not far off.

The battery life could be better and it's a bit of a handful, but with solid performance, a decent camera and a reasonable price tag it's well worth considering.

7. OnePlus 2

A flagship phablet at a mid-range price

The Moto X Style undercuts some rivals but the OnePlus 2 is a true bargain, as it starts at just £239/$329.

That's a mid-range price, yet the OnePlus 2 is a high-end phone, with a 5.5-inch 1080 x 1920 screen, an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, up to 4GB of RAM, a fingerprint scanner, a 13MP camera and a fairly strong design, especially if you shell out for one of the alternative covers.

There's no NFC or microSD card slot and the OnePlus 2 isn't the best phone or the best phablet you'll find, but for £239 it doesn't have to be. It's less than half the price of the iPhone 6S Plus yet can go blow for blow with it in almost every way.

Like the LG G4 it's just barely a phablet, so if you want a true tablet replacement the OnePlus 2 won't cut it, but if you just want a big phone that's also a big bargain it doesn't get much better than this.

6. Sony Xperia Z5 Premium

The world's first 4K screen in a phone - with some amazing bits bolted on too

This is Sony's latest phablet, and it's a pretty darn nifty one at that. Its main feature is the 4K screen it's packing on the front - and it's not as mental as you'd think.

It's a brilliant display - there's nothing more pin-sharp on the market at 806ppi density. We're not convinced you'll be able to SEE those extra pixels, and they're not turned on all the time, but it's there.

The Xperia Z5 is already a good phone, and that's been supersized here - with the same brilliant camera, waterproof chassis and good Hi-Res audio.

Battery life could be better, but it's no worse than a lot on this list - if you want to try something different, the Z5 Premium could well be it.

5. Nexus 6P

Pure Android in a premium shell

With an all-metal build, a fingerprint scanner, front-facing stereo speakers and high end specs the Nexus 6P is far and away the most premium device yet in the Nexus range.

The screen is big at 5.7 inches, though actually slightly smaller than the 5.96-inch monster on the Nexus 6. It's a great display though, with a QHD resolution and vibrant if not quite true-to-life colours.

The Nexus 6P also runs Android Marshmallow. It's one of the first devices to do so and it's the stock version, which is superior to most manufacturer skins. Being a Nexus device it's also promised quick updates to new versions of the OS, so it should stay fresh for longer.

It doesn't quite feel as full-featured as some rival, as there's no wireless charging for example, but it's also a little cheaper and for the most part it feels every bit a flagship.

4. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+

The curviest phablet around

In many ways the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is just an oversized Galaxy S6 Edge, but considering that's one of our favourite phones of 2015 that's no bad thing.

Its 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED screen gives you plenty of room to manoeuvre and the curved edges might be lacking in function but nail the form factor.

The S6 Edge+ is tremendously powerful too, with an octa-core Exynos 7420 processor and 4GB of RAM. It's even got a brilliant camera, so there's little this phone doesn't excel at.

The battery life could be better and it lacks the stylus found on Samsung's other phablet flagship- the Galaxy Note 5, but if you want a big, stylish, powerful phone, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ more than fits the bill.

3. iPhone 6S Plus

The biggest phone Apple's ever made, made better

Apple's second phablet is a modest upgrade on its first one, but given the iPhone 6 Plus was one of the best phablets of 2014 that still makes this a great handset.

The iPhone 6S Plus takes all the good things about its predecessor, like the stylish metal build, TouchID fingerprint scanner and bright, vibrant screen and adds to them.

We get a new 12MP camera capable of taking great shots, we get a boost in power and we get whole new features like 3D Touch, which has the potential to really change the way we operate our phones.

The 6S Plus isn't a cheap handset, especially in larger storage sizes (up to 128GB), but it does a good job of justifying every penny you'll spend, with slick performance and that overwhelming sense of premium quality that we've come to expect from Apple.

2. LG G4

A top camera and an impressive screen aren't all this phone has

With a screen size of 5.5 inches the LG G4 is just about a phablet. It's also one of the very best phones money can buy right now.

Its screen might not be the biggest we've seen, but with a 1440 x 2560 resolution it's certainly one of the sharpest, as well as being vibrant and colourful.

The LG G4 also sports a powerful 16MP camera, with strong low-light performance and complete control over the snapper's settings if you're not the type to just point and shoot.

Rounding things out you get solid performance and a surprisingly low price, making the LG G4 hard to resist if you want a phone that's big, but not too big.

1. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

The Edge screen finally reaches the top spot

Fantastic screen

Superb camera

High price

Only 32GB storage

Samsung now has two entries in the best phablet list, with the Galaxy S7 Edge reaching the top spot. The new curved handset is a beautiful 5.5-inch phone that includes even more functionality on those side screens than we've seen on past iterations.

It's one of the more expensive handsets on this list, but it's worth the extra money for such a gorgeous looking phone.

Plus the design is even more impressive when you realise this is the first waterproof Galaxy Edge product. If you want a top of the range phone that looks a little different to every other square slab out there on the market, the Galaxy S7 Edge is probably the choice for you.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016