When I first heard the word ‘phablet’ I laughed. Quite loudly. Very long, too. I don’t know exactly what came to mind when I heard the word, but I imagined a lot of sequins.
When I first heard the word ‘phablet’ I laughed. Quite loudly. Very long, too. I don’t know exactly what came to mind when I heard the word, but I imagined a lot of sequins.
The awkward and self-conscious moniker – a compromise between the words ‘phone’ and ‘tablet’ – explains it all.
And I better get used to saying it, too – these super-sized Android cell phones seem to be taking the world by storm.
“Why would anyone want a phablet?” you may ask.
Well, it seems that as cell phones are being used more and more to access the web, read and even work on (I’ve sent an email or two with my ridiculously small Samsung), consumers are demanding a screen big enough to fit it all.
The tablet seemed to be the answer to their prayers for a year or two, until someone tried talking on it.
It looks as though you’re trying to contact outer space, and sending an SMS from a tablet is a delicate balancing act.
“In my opinion, the real strength of phablets is the simplicity of use: touch screen, multimedia interaction, hand-held devices,” says Dr Lorenzo Dalvit who teaches a variety of courses in new media and mobile media at Rhodes University and is the MTN Chair of Media and Mobile Communication.
“Their congeniality for relatively old as well as relatively young users is well known. They are quite simply made to conquer… those people who would be discouraged by using a desktop or laptop,” he explains.
So, a phablet is supposed to provide the ideal balance between functionality and convenience, productivity and mobility.
And judging by the figures, it is delivering on this promise. A study done by Information Handling Services (IHS) Inc. last month revealed that 25.6 million phablets were sold in 2012, and this number is set to rise to 60.4m in this year.
An analyst for Barclays Bank, Ben Reitzes, predicts that 230m will be sold in 2015.
Whether you prefer to call it a big smartphone or a small tablet, the fact remains that it changes a lot about how we look at and interact with phones, tablets, and PCs.
Although I still find them a tiny bit ridiculous-looking, they are incredibly popular. More and more people are recognising the benefits of a more portable PC.
The phablet offers more mobility and is easier to use, allowing it to wriggle their way into ever smaller spaces like your handbag.
“As everything else which can easily fit in a standard lady’s purse, they should be watched carefully with a mix of curiosity and respect,” says Dalvit. “Joking aside, they definitely have portability potentials which tablets do not have.”
Leading tech analysts feel that phablets are most likely to be adopted in emerging markets where people cannot afford both a smartphone and a tablet.
“It seems reasonable to me that [phablets]would flourish in South Africa,” Dalvit says, “Intuitiveness, portability, multimediality [and]falling prices seem to respond to traditional barriers… such as low literacy, lack of physical access, language issues and low income”.
“I would see a lot of potential for mobile devices such as these in domains such as education,” he says.
St Andrew’s Prep School in Grahamstown recently reported their Grade 4 pupils were using tablets in class.
“School work has become a whole new ball game as iPads and interactive boards replace blackboards, books, chalk and paper,” their Facebook page exclaimed.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2, one of the most popular phablets on the market, retails at R7 400 and can be taken out on a contract for between R389-R429 per month from MTN, depending on the data package selected.
Although this is a bit steep, competition is driving prices down and innovation through the roof at amazing speeds.
In almost no time more people will be able to afford better and better technology, and will soon have a two-in-one combo of both a phone and laptop in their pockets.
