Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 (and 5.8)

Just a few days after presenting the Galaxy S4, Samsung revealed two phablets that are reminiscent of its flagship smartphone when it comes to appearance, but are intended for less demanding users when it comes to hardware. I am, of course, referring to the 6.3-inch and 5.8-inch Galaxy Mega models, which have different display resolutions, processors and dimensions. I tested them both with Samsung's European representatives, and the bigger 6.3-inch model made a better impression.

This bigger and more powerful Galaxy Mega does not really offer many differences compared to Samsung's 7-inch Galaxy Tabs (the difference in size is almost insignificant) and many will surely see it more as a tablet than a cheaper (and bigger) alternative for the phablet godfather, Samsung's Galaxy Note II. The Galaxy Mega 6.3 has no S Pen, but it still has the option of making phone calls. However, what is most impressive about it is its elegance and small mass: it is only 8 mm thick and weighs 199 grams, which is an outstanding accomplishment for a device of such size. Thus, despite its size, holding Galaxy Mega 6.3 in hand for a long time is not a problem, even for hours, while the luxury provided by the HD SC-LCD screen will please any purchaser as it offers a pleasant 233 ppi pixel density.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 and 5.8Still, compared to Super AMOLED screens, which Samsung includes in its most powerful smartphones and phablets, the difference in display sustainability, sharpness, brightness, and color saturation is evident. The screen provides quite a lot of comfort while working with it, but those who have tried better models will feel a bit let down. With the speed of a dual-core Snapdragon 400 with Krait cores running a 1.7 GHz clock and Android OS 4..2.2 (Jelly Bean), 1.5 GB of RAM, and a battery of 3200 mAh, the device offers exceptionally good performance and no real objections can be made.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 is, on the other hand, a much weaker device. It has a smaller screen size, but it's thicker (9 mm) and just slightly heavier (182 grams). It has a dual-core processor running a 1.5 GHz clock, 1.5 GB of RAM as well, but its screen has 'just' 540 x 960 pixels of resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 190 ppi. In practice, these differences, especially those regarding the display, are evident at first glance, making this a phablet for less demanding users.