The phablet category really came into its own last year, with phones featuring giant displays launching left, right and centre and this year is no different, with some even better contenders lining up to take the big phone crown.
Samsung introduced the successor to the already brilliant Galaxy Note 3, LG brought the LG G3 and its super-slim bezel to the party and Apple arrived fashionably late to the phablet world with its 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus.
To qualify for this category, nominations had to feature a display over 5.3-inches - but under 7-inches so after much thought, here is the lowdown on the five devices up for Best Phablet 2014.
LG G3
The LG G3 was the first of a new breed of super-high resolution smartphones featuring Quad HD display and it strikes a perfect balance between smartphone and phablet, with a smartphone's good design but the big screen advantages of a phablet.
The camera is impressive, the display is beautiful and although it has a plasticky build with a so-so battery life, the LG G3 is competitively priced at £480 and it packs in the power. The G3 represents LG at the top of its game. It is one excellent device that makes LG's mark known in the smartphone world once again.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 represents not only the most crucial big-screen device from the Korean company for a couple of years but, sub-genres brushed to one side for a moment, perhaps the most crucial smartphone in its line-up too.
READ: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is a rare example of a phone that not only does shed loads, but does it all so well. The screen is fantastic, it's super powerful, the built-in S Pen stylus has some great features and the Note 4 does all of this with a decent battery life. It has its downfalls like any other device, but no other 5.7-inch screen looks better and put simply, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 rules.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Apple surprised many this year when it not only launched its iPhone 6 but also the iPhone 6 Plus, a huge 5.5-inch device that marked the Cupertino company's first step into the phablet world. It comes with a higher screen resolution, bigger battery and optical image stabilisation, along with a beautifully solid design, but it's pretty big and there is no stylus support.
READ: Apple iPhone 6 Plus review
The iPhone 6 Plus is one for the power users and one for those looking for a big screen experience. It is something different that some will say is confused and some won't understand, but for that niche that wants to have it all Apple and all over the big screen, then the iPhone 6 Plus is there for them.
Huawei Ascend Mate 7
The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is no small device, packing a 6-inch display into its body, but Huawei introduced some clever design to keep this handset a useable one and it sits at a competitive price point.
READ: Huawei Ascend Mate 7 review
There's no escaping the Huawei Ascend Mate 7's physical size but it's big meets beautiful with premium design flair, a great fingerprint scanner, ample performance and a battery life that will last for many hours of use. In phablets terms the Mate 7 is a contender for the best on the market, no doubt about it.
Nokia Lumia 1320
Nokia's Lumia 1320 looks to offer the best of both the size and value worlds to those who want a large display and 4G connectivity, but don't want to shell out for the expensive options currently out there and it does a great job.
READ: Nokia Lumia 1320 review
At £305, the Lumia 1320 gives users huge amounts for their money with a big display, decent battery life and great apps like Here Maps and MixRadio. The camera might not be the company's best but the 1320 is all about the balance of features for an affordable price and for the price you pay, this phablet definitely ticks plenty of boxes.
Voting for your favourite
Voting in the 11th annual O2 Pocket-lint Awards is now open so you can let us know which one of these great devices you think should win the Best Phablet 2014 award and give us your verdict on all the other tech across the 13 select categories.
Winners will be announced at the exclusive event in London on 27 November in association with O2 and Hotwire. For now, keep an eye on the O2 Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2014 hub for all the latest on how the voting works, who the elite judges are and the O2 Pocket-lint Gadget Awards shortlist.
VISIT: O2 Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2014 hub
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