What would you call a device that sports 6.8-inch display? A smartphone? A phablet? A debate may rage on but Hisense has decided to call its X1 device, which sports a whopping 6.8-inch display, a smartphone.
The device, shown off at the just concluded CES 2014, runs on Android and we fail to understand why Hisense chose to call X1 a smartphone and not a phablet, especially since the display sizes of most phablets, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, are less than 6.8-inch. In fact, by giving X1 6.8-inch of real estate, Hisense is pushing the device in the territory of mini tablets, because Apple's iPad mini Retina display is 7.9 inch. We seriously think X1 should have been classified as a phablet, if not a mini tablet, because when we held it up in our hand, it felt really big and heavy in our palm and left us wondering whether a device with 6.8-inch display should really be called a smartphone.
Anyways, be it smartphone or phablet, Hisense X1 does boast of some impressive specifications. The device will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad core processor, 13-megapixel camera and a full 1080p 6.8-inch display. With such a huge screen, battery life will no doubt be an issue, and that's why the manufacturer chose to outfit the device with a huge 3,900mAh battery. The best thing about X1 probably is the fact that it will come running on Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, though expect it to look a bit different because of Hisense skin overlay.
The Hisense X1 is a giant smartphone, no doubt, that even dwarfs even the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. It seems Hisense is trying to target both the smartphone and phablet consumers by calling a phablet a smartphone, but its plan may backfire because even for a phablet, it would look extremely awkward to hold it at the ear when receiving or making calls. But, then again, with th advancement in bluetooth devices and earphones, hardly anyone holds a phone to his ear.
Hisense X1 is definitely worth a look. The company is aiming to launch it in late Q2 in the United States. The price hasn't been disclosed yet, but we wouldn't be surprised if it's priced aggresively and a subsidized model be made available with the wireless carriers.
