Samsung Galaxy Note 7 alternatives: Best super-sized smartphones that won’t explode

Could things get any worse for Samsung, at least its smartphone division?

Right now, you’d have to say no. Not only did it have to issue a mass recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones globally, due to some handsets catching fire or even exploding, even replacement devices are reportedly doing the same.

And Note 7 owners have once again been told to stop using their devices entirely until the latest issue is identified. Surely that’s the death knell for this particular handset? Even Samsung couldn’t blame users for considering an alternative device after this second round of highly damaging reports.

That’s why we present some of our choices of phones with larger screen sizes that you could try instead.

• Samsung tells all Note 7 owners to ‘power down’ and stop using device
• Samsung suspends Note 7 production until battery issue is resolved… again
• Uh-oh! A replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 caught fire on a plane

Pocket-lint

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Samsung’s woes couldn’t have come at a better time for Apple, which launched its new iPhone line as the Note 7 recall started. And in the iPhone 7 Plus (reviewed here) it has a ready-made alternative, as long as you don’t need the stylus and don’t mind switching from Android to iOS.

You have to take a drop in screen size to 5.5-inches (the Note 7 has a 5.7-inch display) but you do get an excellent phone that we highly recommend. It looks especially good in the new jet black colour scheme.

Its biggest selling point over former iPhone models is a new dual camera, which comprises a lens with a wider angle than before and a standard one that Apple designates “telephoto” thanks to a 2x zoom. They combine to create depth data to make photos look more like they were taken on a DSLR.

Pocket-lint

Google Pixel XL

Like the iPhone 7 Plus, the Google Pixel XL has a 5.5-inch screen, but one that is Quad HD like the Galaxy Note 7. But because it is fractionally smaller, that means it actually has a higher pixel density (of 534ppi) so should look even sharper than the Samsung alternative.

You’re not getting the gorgeous curved edge design of the Note 7 but you are getting the first smartphone (along with its smaller sibling, the standard Pixel) run from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. This means it is one of the very first phones to be compatible with Daydream, Google’s new virtual reality system.

Pre-orders for the Pixel XL are open now with a shipping date of 20 October. You can read much more about the phone in our Google Pixel XL preview.

• Google Pixel XL vs Apple iPhone 7 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Note 7: What’s the difference?

Pocket-lint

Huawei P9 Plus

Sporting another 5.5-inch screen, albeit with a 1080p display rather than Quad HD, the Huawei P9 Plus (reviewed here) is a large handset that represents great value for money as it’s more than £200 cheaper than many rivals, including the Pixel XL and iPhone 7 Plus.

It utilises Huawei’s own octa-core Kirin 955 processor and 4GB of RAM to ensure all functions of the phone work smoothly and speedily. And that power does not come at the cost of battery life, which we found to be excellent in our tests: two days on a single charge in normal use.

The phone also has a dual camera much like the iPhone 7 Plus, but uses its second rear sensor to produce black and white images. The end results are far better than if you shoot in colour and convert after.

Pocket-lint

Motorola Moto G4

The Motorola Moto G4 is an even more affordable alternative. Like many of them it has a 5.5-inch screen – this time with a Full HD, 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution – but is priced from just £169. You could buy around four of these for the price of one Galaxy Note 7.

Naturally, to meet that price there are other corners cut. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617, and it has 2GB of RAM, but we found them both to run fine with any task we set them in our Motorola Mote G4 review.

The 3,000mAh battery is capable of an entire day’s use, mainly thanks to the lower spec elsewhere being less demanding. And we’re particularly fond of the fact that the phone presents a fairly standard Android experience, without much bloatware or manufacturer twiddling.

• Best smartphones 2016: The best phones available to buy today

Pocket-lint

OnePlus 3

The 5.5-inch OnePlus 3 is an excellent phone with a highly attractive price – just £329. We even awarded it five stars in our OnePlus 3 review.

It’s a very attractive handset, constructed from a single piece of aluminium, and its Full HD AMOLED display has a dual-polarising layer that makes it easier to see in direct sunlight. But the phone’s biggest reason for recommendation is its performance. It is driven by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and a mammoth 6GB of RAM. OnePlus has also optimised some of its features, including the camera, to make great use of it.

Previously, you could only order the OnePlus 3 online and wait for delivery, but now O2 also carries the handset on deals starting at £28 a month.

Pocket-lint

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

You might wonder why, considering the brand’s issues, we’re recommending another Samsung phone in this round-up. There are a few reasons.

To start with, there are no reports of the Galaxy S7 edge suffering any of the overheating issues of the Note 7, and it’s been around a lot longer so we would have by now. Secondly, it is being offered as a replacement in some regions when you swap in your Note 7. Lastly, it is, quite simply, one of the best phones we’ve ever tested, as you can read in our Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review.

If you take the stylus and a slightly bigger screen out of the equation, the Galaxy S7 edge offers everything the Note 7 provides. It’s a tad cheaper now too.

The 5.5-inch screen is Quad HD (2560 x 1440) and has the same curved edges of the Note. It is also, quite simply, beautiful in the hand and battery life is excellent thanks to clever power management.

If you want to retain that Samsung experience but not content to wait until Samsung can guarantee your next Note 7 is safe, this is the phone to get.