Sunday, November 2, 2014

Small Screen Tablets Might Have To Succumb To The Almighty Phablet

Today, when you think about mobile technology, you more than likely think about tablets and smartphones. Gone are the days that you attribute laptops to the term "mobile technology". Tablets have been at the forefront of mobile devices now, for quite some time it feels. The companies that design these tablets have become smarter and done their best to make sure that they deliver products that we want. Because of that, we now have devices that come with all sorts of new features. Our tablets come in different colors, contain different processors, and can be used for just about anything that we need. Then again, our smartphones can do just about the same thing now. Tablets are getting smaller and thinner, and our smartphones are getting smarter and bigger. The line between the two has almost gotten to the point that it's become blurred.

The Small Screen Issue
When the iPad first came out, it literally changed everything about how we look at and operate mobile technology. Fast forward a bit to the iPad Mini. This is where things got a bit redundant to some users. "It's just a smaller iPad and a bigger iPod Touch." Oddly enough, many people took to this smaller screen as it made the device more "mobile". On top of that, it helped Apple figure out what people wanted in terms of size and mobility along with their functionality. Naturally many of the competitor companies saw this a chance to jump into the small screen tablet market after seeing the success of the mini. Now fast forward again to today, where the iPad Mini 3 just came out and left a lot of people wanting a bit more. There was no updated processor. The only real update was the camera and the screen resolution. Not only has that hurt the small screen tablets, but the larger smartphones are what's really pushing this category out of the market.

What's a Phablet?
The phablets are here, and it looks like they might be taking over the small screen tablets spot. What even is a phablet though? It's essentially a large screened smartphone that ranges around 5 to 6 inches in screen size. It's like a fun-sized tablet, because again, our smartphones basically do everything that our tablets do. Apple's iPhone 6 has completely overshadowed the release of the new iPad Mini 3. The small screen tablets are being overtaken by the new phablets, and the iPhone 6 isn't the one to start it. Look at the Galaxy Note 3 from Samsung. This too was a phablet and they know that were doing something that was eventually going to change the way that we use our devices. You're performing all of the same features and functions of your tablet on your smartphone, and you have a stylus for extra precision. Many people took to using their phones to perform their mobile technology needs, instead of the tablet.

Is There A Shift Happening?
I, for one, personally feel that we are indeed seeing a shift in what the next big thing in mobile technology will be. Small screen tablets are going to fall too short since phablets are becoming more and more relevant. Now that Apple has stepped into this market, everyone else will start to follow suit if they haven't already. Why? Simple really. Since Apple still remains on top of the the consumer electronics market, they're allowed to make the rules of the game essentially. Should someone else step up and overthrow them, then they'd be able to "make the rules so to speak". That being said, Apple kind of stuck their metaphorical foot into their own mouths with the creation of their phablet, as now their Mini sales have started to dwindle. If this isn't a sign of a shift, I don't know what is.

I love Apple. I love Samsung. I generally love mobile technology. The fact that small screen tablets were even an idea in the first place seem so redundant and unnecessary now that phablets have become a thing. I still feel that large screen tablets such as the Google Nexus series and the iPad Air series will remain going strong. The smaller screen tablets will soon see their downfall though. Remember you read it here first. It was a good run small screen tablets, but it's time to step down.

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