Phablets

The term "phablet" is an amalgamation of the English words "phone" and "tablet," or phone and tablet. Phablets have larger-than-average screens by phone standards. That average has grown tremendously in recent years as cell phones get bigger and bigger screens.

Phablet history

There is no hard definitive of phablet. You could therefore describe some early PDAs with call functionality and reasonably large screens as phablets already. Think of the HTC Advantage from 2007. Still, there is one brand that has made the phablet unprecedentedly popular.

It was Samsung that released the first Galaxy Note in 2011. With a then immense 5.3-inch display, it entered the history books as the first successful phablet. Those who read reviews from that time can have a good time. Conclusions such as "too big," "impractical" and "doomed to fail" are commonplace. Fortunately, we now know better. Screens got a little bigger every year so we got used to it, helped by the convenience it brought.

As a result, phablets from 5 years ago are today compact phones. So "big" is a stretch here. Currently, we use for Phablet a phone with a display of at least 6.2 inches in size.

Stylus

A large screen lends itself well not only to input with a finger, but also to input with a pen. This is also known as a stylus. Useful for those who like to take written notes or want to be able to draw. Not every phablet supports this type of input. Samsung does with the Galaxy Note models thanks to the so-called S Pen. This pen has a distinct tip that is recognized and pressure-sensitive. There are also capacitive pens on the market that work on any smartphone. They work just like a finger, therefore are less precise and are barely pressure-sensitive. Therefore, those who like to draw on their mobile cannot avoid the Galaxy Note.