Phones are growing, with more and more manufacturers adding a big-screened device to its list of "smartphones". They've attracted the universally derided name of "phablets" something that seems fitting for these too-big-for-smartphone-too-small-for-tablet devices. 

The trade-off is simple, you get a huge display so there's plenty of space for browsing, for watching videos and playing games and you get a battery life that will usually see you through the day with ease: something a mere smartphone doesn't always offer.

The downside, however, is that when you heft that huge phone to make a call, people will turn, look, and snigger.

So just how stupid do you look making calls on a phablet? We've scoured our review pages to help you decide whether it's a sacrifice you're willing to make.

With some 7-inch devices supporting calls, like the Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue or the Asus Fonepad, you could find your face dominated by glass.

Take a step down and Sony's Xperia Z Ultra makes for a great small tablet, but as a phone, it's a bit of a handful - and a faceful.

READ: Sony Xperia Z Ultra review

Then you have the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Mega, with a massive 6.3-inch display. Samsung manages to make this more compact than the Xperia Z Ultra, however, so it might be entering the realms of normality. Check out our video review of the Galaxy Mega to see it meet face.

The HTC One max (top) is perhaps just a touch too big, but the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, with it's 5.7-inch display, lets you see a little more of the face behind the slab of tech.

READ: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 review

Haven't we come a long way with these things? Binatone's The Brick gives us a glance back to the 80s and the dawn of the mobile telephone. At least in this case, you can leave the phablet in your bag and use The Brick via Bluetooth to make those essential calls in style.

What do you think? Are phones just too big now? Let us know in the comments below.