Big screen, reliable performance, low price: Not too long ago, finding all three of these characteristics in one phone was especially rare. As part of a determined effort to establish a brand identity in the U.S., ZTE fulfills all three needs and then some with the Zmax phablet on T-Mobile. No, it's not the prettiest or most advanced device, but for $252 (or 24 monthly payments of $10.50), those shortcomings are easily forgiven. The non-spec-obsessed will find the 5.7-inch handset perfectly suitable for their big-screen cravings, while stellar battery life keeps up with the increased usage demands that go hand in hand with a larger device. It's no match for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, but that phone costs more than double what ZTE asks. For the go-big-or-go-home set, the Zmax is a good value-driven phablet on T-Mobile, especially if you prefer the stock-Android look.

Design, Features, and Call Quality

The Zmax is a hulking device at 6.4 by 3.3 by 0.35 inches (HWD) and 5.5 ounces, considerably taller and wider than the Galaxy Note 3 (5.95 by 3.12 by 0.33 inches). It'll stretch the bounds of average hands, but it's not an ergonomic nightmare—I'm inclined to think absolute thinness isn't a virtue for devices this size, and the relative girth coupled with the tapered edges help the device sit more naturally in my hand. The Volume and Buttons are placed along the sloped edges, though, which made them somewhat awkward to press. The unibody plastic construction feels rigid and well built, but the overall design is rather generic.