Sony just introduced the largest smartphone to date: the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. Due to its size and other features, the device is also considered as a phablet - the hybrid between a tablet and a smartphone. As Sony continues to put out products with excellent features, it steadily challenges the likes of Apple and Google. Can Sony change the tide and increase the value of phablets over tablets?

The Japanese tech giant did not only challenge other tech makers in the smartphone category but it also took a dip in the tablet industry. As many reports highlighted for the past year, the two devices continue to dominate shipment all over the world. In a smart move to improve company position, Sony made sure it took part on both.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra

The phablet features a 6.4-inch Full HD display. To date, it is considered the slimmest smartphone measuring only 6.5 mm thick. It also features the Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 complete with the Pen input support plus stylus. What is great about the device is that it is incredibly thin. Users will find it easy and great to use for its light weight. Many sources agreed that it is one of the best-designed phones out there.

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra operates on Google Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system and generates its power from 2.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8974 Quad Core processor, Adreno 330 GPU and has 2 GB RAM. The phone comes with a 16 GB of Internal memory. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band (Wi-Fi Hotspot), Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS and GLONASS. Other features include 179 x 92 x 6.5 mm slim design, capacitive touchscreen, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution support and TFT Display. The display technology provides 16 million-colour output.

iPad Mini 2 and Google Nexus 7

Apple and Google were the tablet leaders for some time now. Apple's iPad and iPad Mini 2 dominated sales for quite several years. Some analysts even point out that the absence of the a new iPad slowed shipments for the industry.

Upcoming features for the highly anticipated iPad Mini 2 included aluminium casing, Retina display, 8 MP camera and A6X chip. However, according to reports, Apple will not introduce the second generation of iPad Mini until next year. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra will have to settle competing with its predecessor.

Many analysts consider the first Google Nexus 7 as the best and most successful tablet of its kind. It provided great user experience without the trouble of systems or operational lags. Likewise, the display and overall interface were positively reviewed. Its second installment seemed to be sweeping positive reactions as well.

The second Nexus 7 offers 1,920 x 1,200-pixel resolution, quad-core 1.5 GHz processor, 4G LTE and cellular-capable option. It features a 7-inch display, Bluetooth, 2.4 and 5 GHz WI-Fi compatibility. The right choice depends on how convenient users find the features and their idea of how a portable device should be sized.