LG Optimus G Pro

Why You’ll Like It Do you like big smartphones? So big that they could almost be called small tablets? The Optimus Pro G is such a device, often referred to as a “phablet.” A 5.5-inch screen makes it a touch smaller than the Galaxy Note 3, but still bordering on ridiculous. It’s a solid, if unspectacular, smartphone. Its primary differentiator is a feature called QuickMemo that lets you screen capture anything on the smartphone at any time and then write on top of it (with your finger, not a stylus). That is a pretty handy feature, especially if you create a lot of media. If you need a large phone that is fairly simple to use and understand, the Optimus G Pro is as good as bet as any. Why You Won’t Well, it’s huge. You’ll look weird talking on it while walking down the street, unless you have a gargantuan head. And the LG Optimus G Pro is uninspired, though functional and solid. Honorable Mentions Galaxy Note 3: Samsung’s latest flagship phablet is a decent upgrade from the Note 2, but still huge and complicated. BlackBerry Z10/Q10: If you still have a fondness for BlackBerry, the new BlackBerry 10 operating system is a distinct upgrade from its aging predecessor. The Q10 is one of the very few flagship smartphones on the market these days that still features a physical QWERTY keyboard. iPhone 5: Because it's still a great smartphone, and it's about to get cheaper when the iPhone 5S is released. Droid Maxx: Probably the last of Motorola’s old product pipeline, the new Droid Maxx has hands down the best battery on the market. Available only at Verizon.