3 April 2013-Big smartphones with screens larger than five inches are no longer a rarity. In fact, they are fast becoming bestsellers in India and across the globe.
When Dell stared the trend in 2010 with its 5-inch Android smartphone Streak, it came in for criticism for a big and bulky design. In 2011, Samsung tried to create a new category with its Galaxy Note . Slightly sleeker and lighter than the Streak, the Note had a 5.3-inch capacitive display and an S Pen functionality that caught everyone’s attention. Even as the industry tried to figure out what to make of the large-smartphone-small-tablet, Samsung announced that it had sold a million Notes in less than two months.
Samsung followed it up with an equally successful Galaxy Note II which sported a 5.5-inch touch display. Market intelligence firm IHS iSuppli predicts phablet shipments will more than double to 60.4 million units worldwide this year. Amit Gujral, Marketing Head, LG mobiles says the phablet or the super smartphone is here to stay.
{blurb}”More and more data consumption and increase in web browsing makes larger displays desirable. Tablets cannot be carried everywhere and won’t fit into our pockets. We always like to use our phones as mini-computers and we always desire our phones should work more and more as our computers do.”
The biggest reason behind the sudden success of this new category is the changing behavior of smartphone users. Linda F. Kozlowski, Director of Market Development, APAC, Evernote explains, “All devices have different advantages. While smartphones are more portable, giving users immediate, easy access anywhere and anytime, phablets provide a larger viewing area that allow users to consume more content easily. ”
With the more smart functionalities and processing power being added to smartphones, we are no longer solely dependent on the laptops to access emails, browse the web, play games or handle documents. However, the smaller display sizes have always been a spoiler for people who wanted to do more with their phones. While some found it tough to browse the web on smaller screens and needed to zoom in to read the text better, others struggled with the virtual keyboards on 3-inch screens. The 5-inch, or larger, screen eliminates these problems and also adds to the multimedia experience.
“Phablets have brought in one more option for consumers to access the web. Its larger screen size will definitely encourage consumers to spend more time on browsing the web through the device compared to what they would do on a phone,” says Sunil Kamath, VP for South Asia, Opera Software.
Another factor, which is key in the Indian market, is the pricing of these devices. There are already many phablets selling for under Rs 10,000 and provide a good mid-way device for those planning to buy a smaller smartphone and a larger tablet.
“Keeping in mind the utility that the five-inch screen has to offer, we think phablets will get most acceptance in emerging markets like India where the mass do not have the luxury of owning both, a smartphone and a tablet. We also feel the Android platform will have a greater advantage on phablets and will hold a higher value as it will be a more comfortable experience for its users on the go,” says Andre Sommer, Marketing & Advertising Head, eBuddy.
But the phablet and its large screen comes with its own set of disadvantages. These big devices aren’t very good for single-hand operation. Plus, the larger display drains the battery faster. But that isn’t stopping this segment from growing large and maybe even dwarf the other smartphones soon.
INDIA TODAY
