Worldwide Phablet Shipments To Reach Over 120 Million By 2018

Juniper Research released a recent report, Global Phablet Shipments to reach over 120 Million by 2018. The findings by Juniper Research highlight phablets, smartphones with displays 5.6 inches and above as forecasted to flourish in Far East & China. According to the company, the Phablet, once perceived to have limited potential, will ship over 120 million units by 2018, rising from an estimated 20 million in 2013.

IBTimes

Phablets were identified as being most receptive markets in East Asian territories such as South Korea - with gamers who desire a larger surface to play on, and China - where content streamers will benefit from a higher quality screen. The new report states the Phablet market could become a growth area for established smartphone vendors, allowing them to build flagship phablet models targeting tech heavy demographics.

The report indicates potential for greater Android market entry for Phablets. Entry to the market by new vendors, including Nokia, Alcatel and Intex for phablets is poised to grow due to ends of the price spectrum with established global brands predicted to focus on higher price points allowing local players to gain a foothold in the lower end.

Nokia’s product launches are impressive. The company recently announced it will be entering the phablet category with two new devices. Phablets are basically classified as smart devices with diagonal screen sizes between 5 and 7 inches. The company also announced its first tablet called the Lumia 2520. Three new devices were also launched which were Asha 500, 502 and 503 versions. Asha’s release date is still not known.

Phablets are mobile devices designed to combine or straddle the functions of a smartphone and tablet. Wikipedia describes Phablets as characterized by the use of large screens, typically with a diagonal size between 5 to 6.9 inches (130 to 180 mm), which complement screen-intensive activity such as mobile web browsing and multimedia viewing. Phablets may also include software optimized for an integral self-storing stylus to facilitate sketching, note-taking and annotation. International Data Corporation (IDC) reported that its research indicated that phablet size smartphones "overtook shipments of both laptops and tablets in Asia in the second quarter of 2013.

The new report notes that the OS market for Phablets will be dominated by two major players, Android and Windows. The Windows ecosystem will be driven by Nokia’s Lumia range, which is anticipated to find success in the more affluent demographics of developing nations. Meanwhile, the Android ecosystem will be driven by the latest in Samsung’s Note series in developed markets as well as local vendors such as Intex.

Phablets . . . a Phabulous Future?  report is available to download from the Juniper website.