Rise of the Phablets: Study Points to Strong Consumer Desire for Phone/Tablet Hybrids

A new study from ABI research validates what RingDNA customers have been telling us from the start: they like the luxury of being able to make calls on a mobile device with superior screen real estate. The study predicts a vast increase in so-called “phablets” (phone-tablet hybrids) – 239 million by 2016. The study defines phablets as having a screen size of between 4.6 and 5.5 inches, larger than most smartphone screens, though smaller than even 7″ tablets such as the Kindle Fire. Whether or not this screen size will resonate with consumers remains to be seen. However, we think the study shows that the industry is responding to an increasing interest in larger screen sizes for voice communications.

Take the iPad mini, for example. While not technically a phablet by ABI’s narrow definition, the iPad mini, which shipped earlier this month, is already proving to be a petite powerhouse. Following its whirlwind debut, demand for the iPad mini is already exceeding sales expectations. We’ve been testing these “one-hand” tablets with Revenue.io, and we’re happy to report that, as expected, Revenue.io and Mini are a match made in heaven.  The tablet is a perfect device for viewing the actionable CRM and social media data that Revenue.io delivers before, during and after business calls. And of course, Revenue.io completes the package by transforming the mini into a phone (or, if you will, a large “phablet”).

By offering portable telephony with a screen large enough to allow agents to benefit from contextual data streams and real-time metrics dashboards, an iPad mini equipped with Revenue.io could easily be the “Swiss army knife” of devices for mobile workers.

Projected Phablet Sales