Your buying guide for the best big phones in 2020
Phones used to be small – the first iPhone only had a 3.5in display, which today looks comically tiny. 2019’s iPhone 11 Pro Max has a whopping 6.5in display and it isn’t the only phone with a sizeable screen. In fact, Apple was relatively late to the big phone party.
You may have heard the term ‘phablet’, which is a portmanteau of ‘phone’ and ‘tablet’. If you’re anything like us, you might also prefer to use a large-screened phone all the time instead of having to resort to a tablet for specific situations.
Size matters
Most phones with displays over 5.5in (measured corner to corner) and sporting an aspect ratio of 16:9 are considered phablets, but in recent times phones have got taller and narrower, allowing displays to get bigger without the phones feeling huge. Most of the phones in this chart have these taller aspect ratios.
Such a quality is the reason this roundup includes both the screen sizes and the aspect ratios of these devices; so you have a better idea of whether a phone is generally big or just tall.
Not all phones with large screens are considered ‘big’ – despite its 6.2in display, we wouldn’t consider the regular Galaxy S20 to be a phablet, because its tiny bezels and narrow aspect ratio mean it’s not a huge handset.
Samsung, Huawei, LG and others all offer phones that require two-handed use most of the time as a result of their displays, but to their credit, big phones don’t just offer a better viewing experience, they boast other great benefits, like larger batteries.
Resolution
It’s also important to take into account that the bigger the screen, the more resolution matters – so Quad HD is favourable to Full HD and anything less than 1080p is probably best avoided.
Best big phone 2020
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1. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Screen size: 6.9inAspect ratio: 19.3:9
While it’s not quite Huawei Mate 20 X big, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is still one of the biggest devices on the market – certainly the biggest-screened phone we’ve tested in 2020.
Its display also happens to be among the best there is, with its crisp WQHD+ resolution and adaptive 120Hz refresh rate; not to mention superb colours, viewing angles and overall brightness.
It’s also a great surface to show off the phone’s integrated S Pen stylus, which also boasts the lowest latency yet at just 9ms.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review
2. OnePlus 8 Pro
Screen size: 6.78inAspect ratio: 20:9
The OnePlus 8 Pro pushed the screen size even larger than its predecessor and jumps to 120Hz in the refresh rate department. It’s still AMOLED, with a Quad HD+ resolution and support for HDR10+. There are plenty of other excellent features and specs here, all at a lower price compared to key rivals.
Read our full OnePlus 8 Pro review
3. Oppo Find X2 Pro
Screen size: 6.7inAspect ratio: 19.8:9
Oppo’s latest and greatest doesn’t only possess a big screen but a crisp one too. The Find X2 Pro is one of the only devices to pair a 120Hz refresh rate with a 1440p resolution and AMOLED technology, resulting in super-sharp and responsive visuals that are hard to beat.
HDR10+ support doesn’t go amiss either.
4. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Screen size: 6.5inAspect ratio: 19.5:9
The biggest and brightest 2019 iPhone is fronted by an expansive 6.5in ‘Super Retina XDR’ OLED panel that offers up a treat for the eyes.
Established Apple display tech like True Tone also features, along with wide colour gamut, HDR10 and Dolby Vision compliance.
You also get Apple’s best chip yet – the A13 Bionic – running the show and a killer set of triple rear cameras with noticeably-improved low-light capabilities than any previous generation iPhone.
Read our full Apple iPhone 11 Pro review
5. Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC
Screen size: 6.67inAspect ratio: 20:9
A great affordable entry with an expansive 6.67in display, the Poco X3 is an extremely affordable offering from Xiaomi.
What it offers up – in terms of stellar battery life, good performance and 120Hz high refresh rate-viewing – is made all the more impressive by the low price tag.
Read our full Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC review
6. Oppo Find X2
Screen size: 6.7inAspect ratio: 19.8:9
If the Find X2 Pro is too rich for your blood, the standard Find X2 costs notably less, without skimping on many of the features that make the Pro model such a great device, including an absolutely stellar OLED display that supports QHD+ and 120Hz refresh rate viewing, simultaneously.
Read our full Oppo Find X2 review
7. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Screen size: 6.8inAspect ratio: 19:9
Samsung has never done a plus model of the Note range before but here’s the 6.8in whopper. It’s 0.4in bigger than the Note 9’s display yet the phone itself is only marginally bigger. With the S Pen, Wireless PowerShare and other features, the Note 10 Plus is a phablet-lovers dream.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ review
8. OnePlus 8T
Screen size: 6.55inAspect ratio: 20:9
Bigger numbers in all things except price renders the OnePlus 8T a great buy. It’s cheaper than the OnePlus 8’s original RRP and yet sports a smoother 120Hz refresh rate display and is the first of the company’s phone’s to integrate blisteringly-fast 65W fast charging.
It’s also one of the first phones outside of Google’s own Pixel 5 to boast the latest and greatest Android 11; in this instance, covered by OnePlus’ OxygenOS 11 user experience on top.
Read our full OnePlus 8T review
9. Samsung Galaxy S20+
Screen size: 6.7inAspect ratio: 20:9
The bigger (although not the biggest) of Samsung’s 2020 Galaxy S flagship line is an outstanding device with a beautiful WQHD+ HDR10+ display that supports up to 120Hz visuals, top-tier performance and a capable triple-lens camera.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S20+ review
10. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
Screen size: 6.5inAspect ratio: 20:9
The Galaxy S20 FE is a little larger and doesn’t boast as capable cameras as its namesake but swinging for the 5G model guarantees you Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 865 chip, which as has been well-documented, out-performs the Exynos 990 inside the European version of the vanilla Galaxy S20 phones (not to mention the 4G version of the S20 FE), in terms of both raw performance and power efficiency.
There’s also the fact that the FE can be had in a wide assortment of colours and comes with other perks, like a 120Hz refresh rate OLED – all at a competitive price.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S20 FE review
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