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Want a big-screen smartphone but not sure which one? We’ve got you covered.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Nokia’s 6-inch Lumia 1520 lands in Australia on 11 December, exclusive to Harvey Norman. It’s joining the HTC One Max and the Galaxy Note 3 to name just two of the other slab-screened phones on the market.
But which is best? Well that depends on your needs, but here are the wrap-ups from our reviews of the three handsets plus a comparison table of the various specs to help you decide.
Nokia Lumia 1520
Nokia came to compete in the extra-large smartphone space, and that it does, bringing top-notch specs and attractive hardware to an increasingly crowded field. However, monster megapixel camera aside, the 1520 lacks the other phones’ flashier window dressing: the Max’s fingerprint scanner and the Note 3’s stylus.
HTC One Max
When we first learned of HTC’s plans for the One Max, we were eager to give the big phone a spin. The HTC One Max’s metal chassis, however, when blown up to its huge proportions, is way too large, heavy and unwieldy. We never thought we’d sing the praises of a plastic smartphone, but the Samsung Galaxy Note 3’s thinner and lighter footprint is simply more manageable to use.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Even if you’re not using the S Pen features to their fullest extent, you’re still getting a powerful, well-designed phone — albeit at a slightly higher price than we’d like. If you’re a Note user, then getting the Note 3 is a no-brainer — it’s the best of the series and well worth the upgrade. But even if you’re just in the market for a big-screen Android phone, the Galaxy Note 3 is hard to walk past. This is a powerful and feature-rich smartphone that doesn’t fail to impress.
| Nokia Lumia 1520 | HTC One Max | Samsung Galaxy Note 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 162.8×85.4×8.7mm; 209g | 164.5×82.5×10.29mm; 217g | 151.2×79.2×8.3mm; 168g |
| Display | 6.0 1080p HD; 367ppi |
5.9 1080p HD; 373ppi |
5.7 1080p HD; 386ppi |
| Operating system | Windows Phone 8 | Android 4.3 | Android 4.3 |
| Processor | 2.2GHz quad-core; Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 |
1.7GHz quad-core; Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 |
2.3GHz quad-core; Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 |
| Rear camera and recording | 20 megapixel; 1080p HD video |
4 UltraPixel; 1080p HD video |
13 megapixel; 1080p HD video |
| Front-facing camera | 1.2 megapixel; 720p HD video | 2.1 megapixel; 1080p HD video | 2 megapixel; 720p HD video |
| Memory | 32GB; 64GB microSD | 32GB; 64GB microSD | 32GB; 64GB microSD |
| RAM | 2GB | 2GB | 3GB |
| Battery | 3400mAh embedded | 3300mAh embedded | 3200mAh removable |
| LTE/4G | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Special features | Wireless charging (Qi standard). | Fingerprint sensor | S Pen stylus |
| Price | AU$899 | AU$816 | AU$999 |
