Big phones (above 5.5 inches)
Finally there’s the big phone, also known as the “phablet”, a term that is thankfully used less these days, but which indicates that the phone is close to being both a phone and a tablet.
Whatever it is, it’s one less device you’ll need to carry around, because with a big phone, you don’t necessarily need a tablet.
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
Screen size: 5.5 inches
Price: starting from $1229
Out of the two phones released by Apple in the second half of 2015, the iPhone 6S Plus is the one we’d probably buy, not just because it’s a solid phone, but because it even packs in more technology.
Essentially, the iPhone 6S Plus is exactly what you think it is: a larger iPhone, delivering access to Apple’s apps, a high quality mobile experience, and a pair of those white in-earpods.
But Apple has made this more than just an iPhone 6S, with a camera supporting optical image stabilisation for sharper photos, a bigger and clearer screen, and a battery life that will take you through one day and over to the next.
If you need an iPhone bigger than the 4 inch model, the 5.5 inch iPhone 6S Plus is the one you should go for.
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
Screen size: 5.5 inches
Price: $1149
The last of the three Xperia phones Sony released at the end of last year is also the best, bringing the same technology under a world-first, with the smallest 4K Ultra HD screen.
Sure, most people still don’t have 4K TVs, but why let that stop you from seeing what 4K is like in a smartphone?
As a point, most of the time Sony’s Xperia Z5 Platinum runs at Full HD, providing 4K imagery and video only when the source is set to an equal resolution, but that doesn’t matter because the phone still looks excellent.
Beyond how it looks, the Z5 Premium is a solid performer, boasting a full day of life without any issues, a decent camera, high-resolution audio support, and water-resistance.
Definitely worth a look.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Screen size: 5.5 inches
Price: $1249
One of the priciest phones out there, Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge is also one of the best, delivering the same best in class performance as its S7 sibling, but with a screen that curves on each side.
Without doubt, this is the phone that sets Samsung apart from its competitors, and from anyone that says the company might be imitating or copying off other players, because the screen is sexy, the curve is lovely, and the whole thing has this top-notch elegant design that feels wonderful to touch, even if it is a bit slippery.
You’ll also find a full day of battery life, upgradeable storage, an always-on screen if you so choose, a great camera, and support for virtual reality headset.
This is our favourite phone of 2016 so far.
Motorola Moto X Play
Screen size: 5.5 inches
Price: No outright pricing: available on Vodafone;
Designed to be used, the X Play is one of those phones that isn’t afraid of a full day’s work. In fact, it can handle that day of work and then some.
One of two flagships released by Motorola last year, the X Play won’t win awards for its camera performance nor will it impress anyone with its meaty thickness, but it could grab you because its battery just keeps going.
Worth it if you need the battery life, but if cameras aren’t a big deal.
Oppo R7s
Screen size: 5.5 inches
Price: $529
As close to a “bargain” as a phablet gets, Oppo’s R7s is a surprisingly well made product delivering a metal body, 5.5 inch Full HD AMOLED screen, and an eight-core chip with the option for either two SIMs or a microSD and a single microSIM.
The package is strangely alluring, and outside of the lack of a fingerprint sensor, it’s a smashingly great phone, bringing solid performance and a big screen to a mid-range price point.
We wish it didn’t try to be so much like an iPhone and just stuck with standard Android, but if you want an iPhone 6S without paying the same high price, this is the phone to check out.
Microsoft Lumia 950XL
Screen size: 5.7 inches
Price: $1129
One of the few Lumia phones we haven’t had the opportunity to review, Microsoft’s 950XL basically takes everything about the smaller standard Lumia 950 and supersizes it, meaning a bigger screen and a bigger battery life.
It still won’t change the lack of an ecosystem for the phone, but if you love Windows and want it on a phone — possibly to match the Surface in your life — the bigger 950XL is the one to consider.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Screen size: 5.7 inches
Price: $1099
Before the S7 and S7 Edge rocked up this year, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 was the best phone Samsung had made, and even though it has two better siblings, we still think the Galaxy Note 5 is a great option.
Granted, the hardware is a little different and there’s no upgradeable storage, but you still get an excellent screen with a great note-taking pen, an excellent set of cameras, and some of the fastest 4G speeds in Australia.
Couple that with a lovely curved back (curved on one side, anyway) and you have what works as a great phone. We hope this year’s variant brings back upgradeable storage.
Google Nexus 6P (made by Huawei)
Screen size: 5.7 inches
Price: starting from $899
One of the few phones from last year we never finished the review of, this one suffered from errors during the review process that made it prone to crashes, so we never got to finish the job.
We’ve since heard that Huawei and Google have both spent time finessing the product to result in phone that is essentially the iPhone 6S Plus of the Android world, and while that does mean good things, it also means the storage is fixed to the device with no way of upgrading it.
We weren’t fans of that on the S6 or Note 5 models, and we’re sure not fans of it from Google’s point of view, but if you want a phone the way Google says Android should be done, we’d probably pick the Nexus 6P over its 5X sibling.
What we’d pick
Our favourite of this category is easily the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, as it just brings so much to the table, but the Apple iPhone 6S Plus is not far behind tying with the Sony’s Xperia Z5 Platinum.
All three of these are great options, and you’d be hard pressed to be dissatisfied with either of them.
