The global shipments of phablets are set to more than double this year, according to the latest market study by IHS iSuppli. The "phablet" -- meaning a combination of phone and tablet features into one device -- is essentially a smartphone with a very large display.
Shipments of phablets in 2013 are forecast to reach 60.4 million units -- that's up a notable 136 percent from 25.6 million last year.
"The move to offer larger-display smartphones reflects the efforts of both device and panel makers to differentiate their products," said Vinita Jakhanwal, director of small and medium displays at IHS iSuppli.
With consumers demanding more lifelike viewing experiences, the trend to offer hybrid devices makes perfect sense. Especially considering the increase in digital multimedia content that's now being made available on smartphones.
Expansion in capacity related to low-temperature polysilicon liquid crystal display (LTPS LCD), as well as the resulting reduction in prices for large-size, high-resolution smartphone displays, will enable vigorous double-digit-rate expansion for shipments of 5-inch-and-larger smartphones over the next few years.
In 2016, global phablet shipments are set to reach 146.0 million units.
Chinese phone makers took the lead in new product launches for the 5-inch-and-larger smartphone category at CES this year.
Huawei showcased the world’s largest smartphone, the Ascend Mate, with a 6.1-inch display, 720p high-definition (HD) pixel format at 361 ppi. ZTE launched the Grand S, which at a profile of 6.9 millimeters stakes claim to being the world's thinnest quad-core smartphone.
Lenovo at the show also launched the K900 with a 5.5-inch 1080p, 400-ppi Full HD display. Meanwhile, Sony Mobile from Japan introduced the Xperia Z, another 5-inch smartphone with a 1920 x 1080 pixel format.
At a display resolution of 443 ppi, the 5-inch phones with 1920 x 1080 pixel formats exceed the Retina Display resolution of 326 ppi on Apple’s iPhone 5 and the 267 ppi on the Galaxy Note II from Samsung Electronics.
Acer’s 7-inch Android offering, the Iconia B1-A71 at a 1024 x 768 pixel format, will be priced at $140-$150 in the United States. In addition, the 7-inch 70 Titanium from Archos is competitively priced at $119.
The availability of many choices and attractive price points is likely to boost the 7-inch tablet display market to 81.5 million units in 2013, up 46 percent from 2012, according to the IHS assessment.
Hybrid tablet prototypes combined with Ultrabooks were also seen at CES, with the tablet portion of the device detachable from the computer. An example was Lenovo’s latest ThinkPad Helix model with an 11.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 display.
Other tablet launches included the Latitude 10 Essentials from Dell, with a 10.1-inch display featuring a 1366 x 768 pixel format and in-plane switching (IPS) technology.
Shipments of phablets in 2013 are forecast to reach 60.4 million units -- that's up a notable 136 percent from 25.6 million last year.
"The move to offer larger-display smartphones reflects the efforts of both device and panel makers to differentiate their products," said Vinita Jakhanwal, director of small and medium displays at IHS iSuppli.
With consumers demanding more lifelike viewing experiences, the trend to offer hybrid devices makes perfect sense. Especially considering the increase in digital multimedia content that's now being made available on smartphones.
Expansion in capacity related to low-temperature polysilicon liquid crystal display (LTPS LCD), as well as the resulting reduction in prices for large-size, high-resolution smartphone displays, will enable vigorous double-digit-rate expansion for shipments of 5-inch-and-larger smartphones over the next few years.
In 2016, global phablet shipments are set to reach 146.0 million units.
Chinese phone makers took the lead in new product launches for the 5-inch-and-larger smartphone category at CES this year.
Huawei showcased the world’s largest smartphone, the Ascend Mate, with a 6.1-inch display, 720p high-definition (HD) pixel format at 361 ppi. ZTE launched the Grand S, which at a profile of 6.9 millimeters stakes claim to being the world's thinnest quad-core smartphone.
Lenovo at the show also launched the K900 with a 5.5-inch 1080p, 400-ppi Full HD display. Meanwhile, Sony Mobile from Japan introduced the Xperia Z, another 5-inch smartphone with a 1920 x 1080 pixel format.
At a display resolution of 443 ppi, the 5-inch phones with 1920 x 1080 pixel formats exceed the Retina Display resolution of 326 ppi on Apple’s iPhone 5 and the 267 ppi on the Galaxy Note II from Samsung Electronics.
Acer’s 7-inch Android offering, the Iconia B1-A71 at a 1024 x 768 pixel format, will be priced at $140-$150 in the United States. In addition, the 7-inch 70 Titanium from Archos is competitively priced at $119.
The availability of many choices and attractive price points is likely to boost the 7-inch tablet display market to 81.5 million units in 2013, up 46 percent from 2012, according to the IHS assessment.
Hybrid tablet prototypes combined with Ultrabooks were also seen at CES, with the tablet portion of the device detachable from the computer. An example was Lenovo’s latest ThinkPad Helix model with an 11.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 display.
Other tablet launches included the Latitude 10 Essentials from Dell, with a 10.1-inch display featuring a 1366 x 768 pixel format and in-plane switching (IPS) technology.