Don't Have a Phablet Yet? You Will Soon!
In the past few years mobile technology has made a major leap from small to bigger, with larger screens, more applications and functions, and more processing power. At the same time, you see more and more people carrying and using tablets (the iPad, Samsung Tab and others) for meetings, coffee shop browsing and more. Tablets and smartphones have become the practical and logical choice for business and entertainment alike. Well, what if you could combine the tablet and the smartphone in one beautifully crafted piece of technology? In comes the Phablet.
What is the Phablet?
For those of you who think they do not know what a Phablet is, think again. In simple terms, a Phablet is a mobile device that combines the features of a smart phone and tablet, i.e. larger screen and more processing power, as mentioned above.
Phablets have been around for a while now and they are only gaining more and more popularity. For example, the Galaxy Note 2 is a Phablet, even the HTC Advantage from 2007 is a Phablet.
Phablet facts
The terms Phablet first came into use in 2008. IHS reports that Phablet sales are expected to rise from 25 million devices sold in 2012 to 60.4 million devices sold in 2013 and 146 million devices sold in 2016. The Phablet craze is here to stay. In a 2013 article, Endgaget highlights the following reason for the popularity of Phablets:
- Dropping screen prices
- Increasing screen power efficiency
- Increasing battery life
- Evolving importance of multimedia viewing as critical factors
A Thought or Two on Phablets
“The primary purpose of smartphones have changed. Early on, they were phones first, and data devices second. The various advents of modern apps, browsing and media shifted the focus enough that voice is almost incidental today.” Jon Fingus, 2013 Distro Issue 79, Endgaget.
People use their phones for reading, communicating, working and fun – all on the go. Smartphones have made business easier with emails and documents accessed from anywhere and so much more. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media networks have become fixed features in many people’s phones. Blogging, web browsing and other actions have become features of everyday life whether waiting at a doctor’s clinic, or for pre-sleep tech time in bed. Is it any wonder mobile phone companies are producing Phablets to make all the above easier and more enjoyable? After all, how often do you pick up your phone to make calls as opposed to use applications, email or browse the internet? Not so often, eh?
Some Phablets Out There
Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100 Phablet
HTC Droid DNA Phablet
LG Optimus Vu II Phablet
Lenovo k860 Phablet
Intex Aqua Style PhabletSources:
- "The Rise of the Ever-Expanding Smartphone Screen". Engadget, Distro Issue 79, p. 50, Jon Fingus.
- "Is the Market Ready for a Phablet?", Forbes, 7 February 2012, retrieved 2012-08-15
- "Shipments of 'phablets,' or large smartphones, to double in 2013". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
