Samsung’s Galaxy Note launched last year to mixed reviews. Many thought it was simply too big and too unwieldy to be called a phone, hence the tech press coined a new term for it, phablet.

The skeptics were wrong, as Samsung claims it managed to ship 10 million Notes so far and it is clear that the phablet was a resounding success. A year later Samsung is about to replace the original Note with an even larger model, possibly with a 5.5-inch screen. The new Note will supposedly be powered by a faster version of the Exynos 4 quad-core, but Samsung was pretty good at keeping the specs under wraps.

Other vendors are also experimenting with larger form factors. There is LG’s Vu, and HTC is also rumoured to be working on a phablet of its own. The trend towards larger screens has even rubbed off on Apple, as the new iPhone will get a somewhat bigger screen for the first time since 2007.

We reviewed the first generation Note and Fudo was rather impressed with its speedy processor and spacious screen. However, the rest of us still have mixed feelings when it comes to huge phones.