The phablet, a term used for tablet sized devices that are called phones, are finally hitting big in the market. Companies that previously would never touch a screen size larger than four inches are now coming in strong into the mini-mini-tablet market. Apple is boasting their new iPhone 6 Plus, yet Samsung started it all off with the Galaxy Note – around five years ago. Seniority often helps superiority, but other contenders, specifically Apple and Google, are ready to heat up the battlefield for the, literally, BIGGEST bang for your buck.The Note series from Samsung is always willing to impress consumers, and the fourth generation of their smart phone does not let down. A distinguishing feature of the Note 4 is the S-pen, a stylus that allows for mouse-like functions, and quick ‘action-memos’ and the ability to multitask. At 5.7” and around 550 pixels, the Note 4 packs a punch with display. Other unique features from Samsung, like Adaptive Charging, Heartbeat Sensor, and a fingerprint scanner make the Note 4 a definite contender for top dog.

Apple finally did it. For years the company stuck with small improvements to the body, camera, and software of their product, but with the sixth iteration of the iPhone came with two models- Big, and bigger. The iPhone 6 Plus sports a 5.5 inch ‘Retina HD’ screen, with a pixel density of around 400, it displays iOS 8 beautifully, though the screen is not as powerful as it’s other competitors. The phones build is a little odd to hold, however. Although the screen size is smaller than that of the Note 4, it feels and seems bigger. It’s a device that should definitely be held with two hands. This product definitely does impress. The camera is something to talk about. The iPhone 6 Plus focuses faster, works better in low light, and generally produces the best photos an eight megapixel device can do. The device starts at $299 on a two year contract, with pricing adjusted for the amount of memory desired. Over all, Apple did a swell job on entering the phablet market, and many are hoping to see them excel further into the race with different iterations in the future.

With many supersized smart phones entering the market, it seemed only fitting for Google to join in as well. Hence the recent reveal of the Nexus 6, a flagship device with a whopping 5.9 inch display. Although screen size is significantly larger than the 6 plus, the dimensions are relatively the same. It does have a semi-bloated feel, but the look and feel boasts premium quality, almost erasing the size from your mind.  A 13 megapixel camera is included, and it’s powerful. Pictures are captured fast, with the shutter almost instantaneous, and they look great on its AMOLED screen. The improvements are really on the inside, though. Nexus 6 is the first phone to have Android’s newest software, and it definitely is impressive. Because of its recent reveal, we don’t have a lot of information on the Nexus 6, but it should arrive sometime in November, with pricing yet to be revealed. So far the first impressions have reviewers blown away, impressed by the beautiful interface, the intuitive features, and the strong battery life.

With all of the variety in phablets right now, the real winners are the consumers. The phone companies are giving us a multitude of options, and they’re definitely impressive. It’s a strong time in the phone market, and a Golden Age for Phablets.