Best phablet for under 450 dollars?

[Naer]

What is it?

 

[cronos]

Xperia Z Ultra LTE directly from Sony store (or Google Play Store for GPE version) for $449.

Highlights
6.4" Full HD TRILUMINOS Display with X-Reality for mobile
Ultra slim, waterproof and dust-resistant 1
Multi-task, write and sketch with stylus or pencil
Simple connectivity with NFC
LTE speed for lightning fast connection
2.2Ghz quad-core Snapdragon™ 800 processor
8MP camera with Exmor RS® for mobile

In my opinion, nothing else is even close.

 

[Naer]

How about if i bump it to 500 dollars

 

[paperwastage]

How about if i bump it to 500 dollars

new or used or slightly used (eg via swappa)?

note 2/3, oppo find 7/7a, if you find the Z Ultra too big ($450 for ZU is a pretty sweet deal though)

not all are carrier subsidized/branded, which may be good or bad (eg t-mobile, you might want t-mobile-branded for wifi calling. on verizon, may have to stick with developer-editions for unlocked bootloader AND can't use non-verizon approved phones)

 

[cronos]

How about if i bump it to 500 dollars

The reality is the Z Ultra is basically the best phablet at any price point today. The fact that we could get it brand new for $450 in the flavor of our choosing is absolutely amazing.

Strictly considering brand new retail price, Note 3 is probably about ~$200 more and almost an inch of screen smaller, same with Oppo Find 7, which is also more expensive at $500 (out of stock on its website).

One other in contention would probably be the Asus Fonepad Note 6, but it's pretty hard to find in the US, and there are also LG G Pro 2 or G Flex, and while these are easy to find I seriously doubt you can find them for less than $500 even pre-owned.

 

[dawheat]

IMO a used Note 3 in good condition is still the best phablet around - great screen, SOC, and battery life. Ideally get a T-mobile version so you get the unlocked bootloader.

The G3 with a 5.5" would have been considered a phablet in the past though it blurs the line now. Unfortunately it's brand new and going to be $650-ish.

I really wanted to like the Z Ultra last year but Sony went too far and made a tablet instead of a phablet. IMO a phablet still lets you pocket the phone and do some one-handed stuff. The Z Ultra basically can't do either - but if you're always going to carry it in a bag or cargo type pants, it might be doable.

HTC One Maxx might be an option as well, though I've never seen any around.

 

[cronos]

HTC One Maxx is not very good (and I say this even though I'm in a serious loving relationship with my HTC One).

Obviously the Z Ultra is gigantic, but Sony clearly didn't regard it as a tablet or it would release it as such. Similar with the Samsung Galaxy Mega which has a 6.3" screen. A lot of people will think that these are too big to pocket and do stuff one-handed, that doesn't make them a tablet.

 

[s44]

Swappa T-Mo Note 3