Phablets

The term 'phablet' consists of an amalgamation of the English words 'phone' and 'tablet', or phone and tablet. Phablets have a larger-than-average screen by phone standards. That average has grown tremendously in recent years as mobile 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 screen as phablets already. Think of the HTC Advantage from 2007. Yet there is one brand that has made the phablet unprecedentedly popular.

It was Samsung, which 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. Anyone reading reviews from that time can have a good time. Conclusions like "too big", "impractical" and "doomed to fail" are not out of the blue. Fortunately, we now know better. Screens got a little bigger every year so we got used to it, helped by the convenience it brought.

Consequence though is that phablet of 5 years ago is today a compact phones. So 'big' is a stretch here. Currently, we apply to phablet a phone with a display of at least 6.2 inches in size.

Stylus

Besides input via a finger, a large screen also lends itself well 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 with its Galaxy Note models does, thanks to the so-called S Pen. This pen has a distinct tip that is recognised and pressure-sensitive. There are also capacitive pens on the market that work on any smartphone. They work just like a finger, making them less precise and barely pressure-sensitive. Those who like to draw on their mobiles can therefore not ignore the Galaxy Note.