The 5 Best Big Screen Android Phones

So, you’re looking for a new Android smartphone. One of the big decisions you’re going to have to make is how big you want the display to be. You can go compact at 3.8 inches, you can grab a medium sized one at 4 inches or you may want a smartphone with a big screen.

There are many advantages to having a smartphone with a large screen. Movies are big and vivid which makes a big smartphone a perfect traveling companion especially for those that haven’t invested in a tablet.  Another advantage of having a large screen is the comfort that it brings when reading an e-book or browsing the web.

The great thing is that many Android smartphones on the market are able to employ big screens without sacrificing quality or form factor. The Samsung Infuse 4G for instance has a 4.5 inch Super AMOLED Plus display, one of the best on the market, and it measures a mere 8.9mm thin at its thinnest point. So, if think that a large screen device is in your future, whether it be for reading or for viewing media, here is a look at five devices we think are currently the best of the best.

In regards to the list, the phones that are listed here are phones that are currently on the market here in the United States.

HTC EVO 4G

The age-defying creature known as the HTC EVO 4G is back at it again. Yes, we realize the HTC EVO 3D is coming out next month but that doesn’t take away anything from the fact that the EVO 4G is still one of the best large screen Android devices out there. The EVO is one of the original 4.3 inch smartphones and for almost a year, it has been dazzling owners with its display.

While its TFT (thin-film transistor) LCD quality screen might not be top of the line, it’s still perfect for gaming, movies and reading. Throw in the fact that it has 4G speeds and this should certainly still be a relevant smartphone amongst those looking for a big display.

Specifications: 4.3-inch TFT display (480 x 800), 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8MP rear facing camera with 720p HD video recording and dual LED flash, 1.3MP front facing camera, 512MB of RAM, Bluetooth 2.1 w/ EDR, TV-Out, HDMI, 1500 mAh battery.

Operating System: Android 2.2 Froyo

Carrier: Sprint

4G: Yes, WiMax

Release Date: June 4th, 2010

Price: $100

HTC ThunderBolt

Like the HTC EVO 4G, the ThunderBolt owns a 4.3 inch TFT display. In fact, the HTC EVO and the HTC ThunderBolt are essentially one in the same. Only difference? The HTC ThunderBolt is capable of 4G LTE speeds on Verizon’s network. That of course is the trump card that it can play over many bigger screened devices on the market and one that makes it extremely attractive for those seeking out a top of the line big screen handset. Those speeds should also help make streaming content run like a breeze on the ThunderBolt’s large display.

Specifications: 4.3-inch TFT display (480 x 800), 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8MP rear facing camera with 720p HD video recording and dual LED flash, 1.3MP front facing camera, 768MB of RAM, 8GB of on board storage, Bluetooth 2.1 w/ EDR, DLNA, 1400 mAh battery

Operating System: Android 2.2 Froyo

Carrier: Verizon

4G: Yes, LTE

Release Date: March 17^th, 2011

Price: $130

Motorola Droid X2

The Motorola Droid X2 may be a 3G phone but it packs one of the nicest displays of any smartphone on the market. Big or small. The Droid X2 employs a 4.3 inch display that checks in with qHD resolution. That means it sits at 540 x 960 pixels. While that might not seem like much of a boost from 480 x 800 on those TFT devices, it definitely is.

We tested the Droid X2 against the HTC ThunderBolt outside and the Droid X2 absolutely blew it away as far as readability is concerned. So, if you want your big screen to have high resolution and you want to be able to use it efficiently outdoors, the Droid X2 is definitely a phone to take a look at.

Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that it has a dual-core Tegra 2 processor on board as well.

Specifications: 4.3-inch qHD display (540 x 960), 1GHz Tegra 2 Dual-Core Processor, 8MP rear facing camera with 720p HD video recording and dual LED flash, Bluetooth 2.1 w/ EDR, DLNA, HDMI, 1540 mAh battery.

Operating System: Android 2.2 Froyo

Carrier: Verizon

4G: No

Release Date: May 19th, 2011

Price: $150

Samsung Droid Charge

Besides rocking 4G LTE speeds, the Samsung Droid Charge also employs one of the best displays that money can buy. A 4.3 inch, Super AMOLED Plus screen. If you feel like the 4.5 inch Samsung Infuse 4G is too big, this is the phone to have a look at. What exactly does AMOLED Plus mean? It means that the Droid Charge’s display has has 50% more sub-pixels than a regular Super AMOLED display. Translation: Everything should be better and that’s exactly what we found. From its vibrant colors to its rich blacks to the non-pixelated look of text, the Droid Charge’s display is perfect for web browsing, videos, gaming, and reading.

Specifications: 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Display (480 x 800), 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 8MP rear facing camera with 720p HD video recording and auto focus, 1.3MP front facing camera, Bluetooth 3.0, DLNA, HDMI, 1600 mAh battery.

Operating System: Android 2.2 Froyo

Carrier: Verizon

4G: Yes, LTE

Release Date: May 16th, 2011

Price: $200

Samsung Infuse 4G

The Samsung Infuse 4G currently sits in a league of its own. It’s the only Android device in the United States with a 4.5 inch display and Samsung hasn’t sacrificed in terms of quality with the size. The mammoth screen is of Super AMOLED Plus quality which means that it has crisper edges, is highly visible under bright lights and has brightest colors and better contrast than just about every smartphone display out there.

How good is it? It’s arguably better than both qHD and the iPhone 4’s Retina Display.

When it comes to size, this is as big of a display as you’re going to find right now so this is the device to think about if you feel like a 4.3 inch display isn’t big enough for the things you want to do on your phone.

Specifications: 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display (480 x 800), 1.2GHz Hummingbird processor, 8MP rear facing camera with 720p HD video recording, 1.3MP front facing camera, Bluetooth, DLNA, HDMI, 1750 mAh battery.

Operating System: Android 2.2 Froyo

Carrier: AT&T

4G: Yes, HSUPA

Release Date: June 4th, 2010

Price: $150