If there was one thing that was obvious from the recently concluded CES 2013 at Las Vegas, it was the fact that large-screen Smartphones have jumped into the consumer electronics arena in full force. While Samsung did the honors of introducing the ‘phablet’ to the world in a big way with the Galaxy Note, other competitors were quick to follow suit with products of their own. The market was awash with these smartphones particularly in the last quarter of 2012. Initial doubts that clouded buyers’ minds regarding the comfort factor of these phones were quickly turned into passing thoughts with the amazing performance that they offered. Ancestoral phones in these category were a bit heavy on the pocket but this scenario too was changed with affordable phones being launched left, right and center.

CES 2013 stood testimony to the roaring success of these phone/tablet hybrids with the sheer number and variety of large-screen smartphones unveiled there. According to leading market research firm IHS iSuppli, the shipment of these Smartphones will more than double from last year’s 25 million to a whopping 60 million in 2013. Judging from the present trend, the projection of the same gives the following prediction for the next 4 years : 

Although phablet manufacturers may have taken a leaf out of Samsung’s book in terms of the form factor, they are running several extra miles to improvise upon the features that the Korean giant has to offer. After the initial hullabaloo over the size wore out, all the probes were trained on screen sharpness, processor capability, software platform etc. Until recently, Cupertino pioneer Apple had the final say when it came to displays. Retina Display at 326 ppi was the benchmark but recent times have seen it’s dethronement with Huawei’s Ascend Mate coming in at a neat 443 ppi on a humongous 6.1″ screen.

Commercially speaking, the saleability of phablets is growing in leaps and bounds with many indigenous makers churning out handsets that come with four digit price tags. Software and app development for these phablets is going on at full swing with new software and firmware updates being sent out frequently. Today, the situation is such that users buy smartphones not only for the hardware but also for the premium software they come bundled with. With all these features tipping the scale towards enhanced sales, the phablet segment will certainly be one to keep a watch on this year.

Nikhila

Nikhila is a gadget lover and passionate writer. She likes to keep up with social media and Internet culture in particular while staying updated about all latest gizmos. Nikhila is a mechanical engineer-turning-into-technical-writer. Bibliophile, Grammar Nazi, dog lover, foodie, casual artist.

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