TORONTO – Though many make fun of their nickname, “phablets” – smartphones that are in-between the size of an average smartphone and a tablet – may just be the next big fad in tech.
Deloitte’s annual technology prediction says that by 2014, phablets (with screens between 5.0 and 6.9 inches diagonally) will make up 25 per cent of the smartphones sold globally – a 100 per cent increase year over year.
Though the prediction points to only a small amount of smartphone owners switching to phablets, it creates an interesting conversation about why users are gravitating towards larger devices.
One reason may be the increase in mobile gaming.
Phablets have become somewhat of a tech phenomenon in Asia-Pacific countries, except in Japan. In the second quarter of 2013, consumers in these countries bought over 25 million phablets – outselling tablets and notebook computers, according to IDC.
Duncan Stewart, Deloitte’s Director of Research, said one could speculate that consumers in countries like South Korea – where 68 per cent of the revenue of the most popular app store comes from gaming – may gravitate to phablets because of the device’s gaming experience.
“As you move to more sophisticated computer games, all of a sudden the difference between a 3.5- or 4-inch screen and a five- or six-inch screen is enormous,” said Stewart.
“Frequently these devices also have high specs, they have better screens, faster processors and that all helps make the gaming experience more enjoyable.”
Mobile TV and video viewing may also play a part, but Stewart notes that many smartphone users are still not streaming a lot of video content on their mobile devices.
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Calgary resident Maureen Jordan, who owns a Samsung Galaxy Mega phablet, said she has been waiting for tech-makers to come out with the large-scale smartphone.
Jordan said that while the size of the phone looks out of proportion when holding it up to her ear to have a conversation, the sheer size of the screen was the selling point.
But Deloitte doesn’t see phones getting much bigger; in fact, the firm notes in its research that most of the phablets on the market will have screens measuring 5 to 5.5 inches – only just meeting the definition of phablet.
Deloitte also notes that it’s likely tech-makers will try to capitalize on the surface space of their devices, making the screens bigger and the bezel smaller in order to get a big screen experience without making the device too big.
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However, the size of the part-phone part-tablet devices may be causing phablet owners to be multi-device owners.
According to Deloitte’s 2013 Global Mobile Consumer Survey, more than 50 per cent of phablet owners also owned a smaller smartphone.
“You carry around the device that’s suitable to that day’s activities. Sometimes that’s a really small and portable device, sometimes it’s a larger device where you can play more games or watch more video,” Stewart said.
Jordan, on the other hand, was the opposite. She noted that she owned three other tablet models, including an iPad Mini and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 which both have smaller screen sizes.
Jordan also noted that phablets are great for older generations with vision problems, since the larger size makes text easier to read.
Stewart also noted that phablets are big in countries where languages are more difficult to text and may include complex symbols instead of letters, such as Korean, Mandarin, Hindi, Cantonese and Arabic. Deloitte noted that this may also be a driver of phablet sales in Asia-Pacific countries.
So, what does an increase in phablets mean for consumers? Bigger, more expensive, data plans.
“Some of these phones have very high resolution screens and cameras, and so people are going to be watching more video and higher resolution video,” said Stewart.
“That, over time, will lead to higher bills, bigger data plans, and more congested wireless networks along the line.”
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