Three of the biggest phones

HTC has just announced the HTC One max, meaning the Taiwanese company has joined the 'phablet' race, with a large-screened device of its own.

So-called 'phablets' - devices that are bigger than a phone, smaller than a tablet - are all the rage at the moment. Some people might think the this is a slightly out-of-control arms race producing slightly ridiculous handsets, but on the other hand they can be the perfect mix of phone and tablet to suit all needs. Whatever your take on the phablet, we have taken a look at the three latest - the HTC One max, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

Which is the biggest?
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is big and the HTC One max is bigger. But it is the Sony Xperia Z Ultra that takes the biggest award.

In terms of physical dimensions, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra comes in at 179 x 92 x 6.5mm and it weighs 212g. The HTC One max is smaller but thicker and heavier than the Z Ultra, measuring 164.5 x 82.5 x 10.29mm and weighing 217g.

The Galaxy Note 3, on the other hand, is slightly smaller than the One max and the Z Ultra, as well as much lighter, measuring 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3mm and weighing 168g.

Which has the best display?
In terms of display resolution, all three devices push out a full HD 1920 x 1080 pixel. However, they differ in size, which affects the pixel density and the resultant sharpness.

The biggest display goes to the Z Ultra with a 6.4-inches compared to the One max's 5.9-inch and the Note 3's 5.7-inch. But when it comes to sharpness, the Note 3 looks to be the winner with a pixel density of 386ppi compared to the max's 373ppi and the Ultra's 344ppi, meaning more pixels packed in tighter on the Note 3, giving a crisper image, although all offer plenty of detail and plenty of space.
The Samsung has an AMOLED display and can look more vibrant than the LCD displays of the other models, which are perhaps the more realistic when it comes to colour reproduction.

What can the cameras do?
The cameras have varying megapixels and features on each device. The Z Ultra has an 8-megapixel fast-capture autofocus rear camera and comes with face detection and image stabiliser features.
The Note 3 comes with a few more pixels than the Z Ultra, sporting a 13-megapixel rear camera, with autofocus and smart stabilisation. The Note's features include Samsung's Drama Shot, Best Photo, Best Face and Eraser.

In the case of the One max, the 4-megapixel UltraPixel rear camera features a smart flash, along with features including HTC Zoe with Sequence Shot, Always Smile and Object Removal.

All three devices are capable of 1080p Full HD video recording from the front camera and the rear camera, with the Note 3 also capable of capturing Ultra HD (4k) footage from its rear snapper.

Which has the best processor, battery and storage?

Both the Note 3 and the Z Ultra run on the same processor, the quad-core 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, while the One max sticks with a quad-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 meaning the Z Ultra and Note 3 will be faster at performing every day tasks. The Note 3 adds 3GB of RAM, whilst the One max and Z Ultra give you 2GB.

In terms of battery, the One max gets the top spot with a 3,300mAh capacity, promising up to 25 hours 3G talk time and 585 hours standby. The Note 3 takes second place with a 3,200mAh capacity, giving you 21 hours talk time and 420 hours standby. Third place goes to the Z Ultra with its 3,000mAh capacity and while it has the lowest talk time at 16 hours, it has an 820-hour standby time so wins hands down there, thanks to Sony's smart stamina mode.

Samsung gets the trophy for internal storage, with the Note 3 available in 32GB and 64GB internal storage options, while the One max is available in 16GB and 32GB models and the Z Ultra in 16GB. All three offer a microSD slot for further expansion up to 64GB though, but you will get the most internal storage with the Note 3 if you pick the 64GB model, essential for all those apps and games.

What extra features do they bring?
One of the main features of the HTC One max follows in the footsteps of Apple's iPhone 5S and introduces a fingerprint scanner. Unlike the iPhone 5S however, this scanner is placed on the back of the device underneath the camera. It enables you to unlock or launch three of your favourite apps directly, by programming a finger to each.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with the Samsung S Pen, which allows you to search your phone using handwriting recognition and gives you some quick shortcuts into the best features. For example, you can scrawl a phone number and name, then the phone will add that to your phone book for you.
The Sony Xperia Ultra is waterproof, meaning if you have a tendency to drop your phone into puddles or spill things on it, this could be your winner. It also claims the world's largest and slimmest full HD smartphone.

Conclusion
All three devices have their own unique features. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra wins in terms of display size, waterproofing and it has plenty of power under its hood.

The HTC One max has a less powerful processor, but it comes with fingerprint technology and the highest battery capacity, giving you the most hours of 3G talk time.

While the Galaxy Note 3 has an equally powerful processor to the Z Ultra, it also packs in the S Pen functionality, and is the most compact and lightest of the three, along with the largest storage capacity.
The Note 3 and One max run on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean while the Z Ultra is currently at Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. However, all three pack the same connectivity features as you would expect, including Wi-Fi, LTE 4G for high-speed data connection, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC for pairing with speakers and the like.

We would probably go for the Samsung Note 3 if we had to choose out of these three, mainly for its slightly smaller size and fantastic display. It's not only very powerful under the hood, but we love the extra storage option, S Pen functionality and ability to record video in Ultra HD. However, they are all impressive devices for their own reasons so it's worth reading a couple of in-depth reviews on all of them before you make your final decision.