Some like it small, some it like big, and others get one in different sizes to fit every purse, outfit, or task. We’re talking smartphones and tablets. Finding the perfect-sized device can be frustrating. Too small and you can’t read small text on websites or emails. Too big and answering calls become cumbersome. Oh, what to do? This is a niggly problem the tech industry has been dealing with for years.

 

The Evolution of the Cell Phone

Ever since phones evolved into mobile handheld devices called cell phones, we’ve been struggling to find an ideal size. The Motorola Microtac 9800X of the 1990s, complete with antenna and flip mouthpiece cover, was as big as a brick, but we walked around with them feeling totally cool that we owned a cell phone.

 

As time went by, the goal of every cell phone manufacturer was to go smaller. But at some point, they realized that too small doesn’t work well either. And so the fine balancing act of designing cell phones that are slim enough to easily slide into pockets but with larger screens for better viewing became the holy grail.

 

The Birth of the Phablet

The-Phablet-Evolution
It wasn’t long before an answer to this dilemma arrived: the phablet. A marriage of a Phone and a tABLET. They’re larger than a smartphone but smaller than a tablet with screen sizes between 5 and 7 inches. Anything bigger and you’ve got a tablet.

Earlier versions of phablets were seen as far back as 1993 with the EO Personal Communicator. Later, HTC caused a stir in 2007 with its Advantage range. But it’s Samsung that is often credited with the official birth of the phablet when it introduced the Samsung Galaxy Note in 2011. The Note, which measured 5.3 inches and included the S Pen, turned out a roaring success. It wasn’t long before other cell phone manufacturers launched their own larger-sized phones, and soon the term “phablet” was coined.

 

The Benefits of a Phablet

A phablet is a great compromise between a phone and tablet and comes with some great benefits:

Optimal Visual Experience
Most phablets have color-rich and crystal-clear displays enhancing your viewing of photos, videos, and web browsing.

 

Better Useability
A bigger screen makes reading easier on the eyes and typing on a bigger keyboard results in fewer typos. Most phablets come with a stylus pen for precision navigating around apps, programs, and the web, plus you can use it for scribbling quick notes or annotations.

 

Multitasking Capability
For chronic multitaskers, you’ll love the multi-window functionality of a phablet.

 

Larger Capacity

Phablets come with some decent specs like the LG V20, which features 64 GB of memory, a 16-megapixel camera, and a battery that promises 19 hours of talk time. Combine that with T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network and you’ve got fast internet on a phone you can spend hours browsing on.

 

Smartphone, Phablet, or Tablet: Which One’s for You?

Deciding which type of device to get hinges on preference, your needs, and lifestyle. If you hate carrying a big, bulky tablet around and only use your device for calls and texts, stick with a smartphone.

Business people will find the phablet useful to create quick presentations and documents. Plus, they’re easier to cart along on business trips than a tablet or laptop. Similarly, people in creative fields can design or sketch on a phablet.

 

Travel writers and bloggers may find all three useful in different settings, and digital geeks will definitely desire all three. A smartphone for basic needs, a phablet for browsing the web and watching videos, and a tablet for playing games.

The final consideration is the budget. If you can’t afford to buy both a phone and tablet, then a phablet makes perfect sense. And if you’re concerned about holding a giant phone to your ear when taking calls, just use a Bluetooth headset.

The phablet isn’t for everyone. But as they’ve been around for a few years now, it’s clear there is a market for them, and they’re likely to be around for years to come.

 

By Ryan Tyson

Ryan is an outreach specialist for CopyPressWriters.com, he love to write blogs about gadgets and mobile technologies

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