Phablets are the New Normal

[omni550]

Phablet = phone + tablet

"Put simply, smartphones are turning into tablets. Being a slate to eye and interact with content is increasingly what phones are used for. Consider the meaning of the word tablet: a ‘flat surface for an inscription’. For inscription, read data, and the phablet phenomenon makes a lot more sense. Our fingers are at the helm of pocket computers, not pocket telephones – doing more and more digital stuff, be it shopping, social networking, browsing, gaming, messaging or streaming. (Meanwhile a quick glance at the PC market underlines that desktop dinosaurs continue to decline as mobile computing ramps up.)"

Phablets Are The New Normal | TechCrunch

 

[RunningBum]

I don't want a bigger phone. My 4" Samsung Rugby barely fits into my pocket and running waist pack. If I go any larger, I'll stop carrying the phone around so much.

My near sighted vision isn't great, so there's a limit to what I can read on a 4" screen. I don't think a 5" or 6" would do much better. So I like my 8.9" Kindle when traveling, and my 17" laptop at home is much, much better.

I don't think there's a single device with today's technology of putting it on a screen that I hold that satisfies all I want to do. I'd rather have 2 or 3 devices that solve it all, rather than a single device that compromises everything.

On a young person's budget and eyes, I'd probably think otherwise.

 

[obgyn65]

+1. I don't want nor need a bigger phone.

I don't want a bigger phone. My 4" Samsung Rugby barely fits into my pocket and running waist pack. If I go any larger, I'll stop carrying the phone around so much.

.

 

[rodi]

I am a huge fan of my android tablet... I'm typing on it now. I recently joined the 21st century with an Android smart phone. I will NOT be giving up my tablet.

For example I'm reading a library e-book... the screen size is way too small on a phone to make that practical. But the phone is great for email reading, calendar, etc... not so great for typing emails more than a few sentences.

FWIW I'm dropping my data plan on my phone as soon as work lets me. I'm too cheap and spend most of my time in places there is wifi.

 

[Katsmeow]

Coincidentally I was just thinking that if DH's iPad Mini had phone service it would be almost perfect.

I like screens in a wide variety of screen sizes for different functions. In some ways the smartphone is the least satisfying.

What we have in our house now (not including TVs):

1. Two 27" monitors used with my desktop. This is my favorite way to use the computer. I like rarely having to scroll anything.

2. 17" notebook. This isn't very portable but is nice to use in the bedroom or elsewhere in the house will doing other stuff (like watching TV).

3. iPad with retina display - This is mine. I use it a lot. It is great for consuming media, reasonable for web surfing and very good for email and reading books. It is actually a decent camera. However, it is a little heavy and unwieldy.

4. Early Generation Kindle - Mine. Haven't turned it on in over a year. Nice for reading books in good light and can be used to borrow books from Amazon.

5. Kindle Fire - DH's. Good for books, limited for anything else.

6. iPad Mini - Gave this to DH for Christmas. I really, really like it. He has quite using the Kindle Fire at all. It is very light, easy to use and you get a reasonable amount of screen real estate for web surfing, books, email. The only thing it lacks is a phone and texting (you can do imessage but I want to be able to do regular texting on it)

7. Android smartphone (we've had iPhones before). Works good as a phone, good for reading, OK for media consumption, not that great for web surfing. You can web surf to some extent but it usually kinda painful. The advantage is you can talk on the phone and text (and yes texting is become more and more common).

8. Regular cell phone - I don't actually have this in the house as I gave it to my mother. But I used it for awhile and it was nice to have something small that just did phone. Texting was painful on it so while it has some advantages not that great.

Truthfully I like the ipad mini better than the regular size ipad...I just want to be able to talk on the phone on it. What I really want is that and it could get phone and do regular texting (that is to and from all numbers) while also having a regular cell phone but they share the same number.

 

[Midpack]

I thought so too, but I'm not so sure anymore. I'd rather have a smartphone that easily fits in my pants pocket that also acts as a wifi hotspot for my iPad sized tablet 10" or so. I've read the iPhone5 can work as a wifi hotspot, and Android and others may as well. Having one device in between may not be the best solution for many people. But the market will sort it out as consumers vote with their wallets...

 

[Katsmeow]

I thought so too, but I'm not so sure anymore. I'd rather have a smartphone that easily fits in my pants pocket that also acts as a wifi hotspot for my iPad sized tablet 10" or so. I've read the iPhone5 can work as a wifi hotspot, and Android and others may as well. Having one device in between may not be the best solution for many people. But the market will sort it out as consumers vote with their wallets...

We switched to the Verizon plan a few months ago where you pay for shared data. So our phones can all act as wifi hotspots. We hadn't used it much but just used it twice in the last couple of weeks.

DS went to visit his grandmother who has no internet. He took his iPhone and used it to act as a hotspot for his notebook computer.

Just last night I went to a hockey game and took DH's Macbook Air. I used my Android phone as a hotspot and it all worked fine. It was interesting that I noticed when looking for available networks that there were many other people in the stands who had their phones set up as a hotspot...

 

[Gatordoc50]

I don't want a bigger phone. My 4" Samsung Rugby barely fits into my pocket and running waist pack. If I go any larger, I'll stop carrying the phone around so much.

My near sighted vision isn't great, so there's a limit to what I can read on a 4" screen. I don't think a 5" or 6" would do much better. So I like my 8.9" Kindle when traveling, and my 17" laptop at home is much, much better.

I don't think there's a single device with today's technology of putting it on a screen that I hold that satisfies all I want to do. I'd rather have 2 or 3 devices that solve it all, rather than a single device that compromises everything.

On a young person's budget and eyes, I'd probably think otherwise.

I am waiting for a phone that is friendly to older eyes. Maybe a phone that unfolds if necessary to increase screen size.

 

[ERhoosier]

+1 on small smartphone. I need one small enough to fit in my bicycle's seatbag for my long rides. May get a tablet someday, but if I need to carry something that won't easily clip on my belt I just take my small laptop in a shoulder bag.

 

[donheff]

IPhone 5 and an iPad for mobile computing in the house. Desktop for more intensive computing. I suspect I will keep a desktop for many years. I like a large screen and keyboard. The phone and tablet are fine for airplane travel. But I am tossing an old laptop in the car for our upcoming 5 week trip to Florida. I just like having the keypad and standard firefox browser. I run into problems with Safari on the iPad with some sites. For example, I can't effectively browse my library's download catalog on Safari. And editing text is style a PITA on the tablet. Of course, problems like that will probably disappear in a few years.

 

[bUU]

We still have a grandfathered unlimited plan, which doesn't allow tethering, so I'm not inclined to give it up (because once it's gone, it's gone for good!) to support tethering.

 

[Bikerdude]

Truthfully I like the ipad mini better than the regular size ipad...I just want to be able to talk on the phone on it. What I really want is that and it could get phone and do regular texting (that is to and from all numbers) while also having a regular cell phone but they share the same number.

You can use Pinger for texting and Skype for phone calls on the Mini. Pinger is free but Skype phone service minutes will cost you. I use both on my Ipod touch.

 

[martyp]

For me the issue is what size device am I willing to carry around. For the vast majority of the time I am just willing to carry my iPhone in my back pocket. I seldom talk on the phone but I use it as a web device and camera. Last year I replaced my desktop PC with a 13 MacBook Air and my reasoning was that I was no more willing to carry around a tablet than I was a lightweight laptop. This has been working fine for me. Eventually I think I will get a tablet but so far it hasn't been a priority for me.

 

[explanade]

I thought so too, but I'm not so sure anymore. I'd rather have a smartphone that easily fits in my pants pocket that also acts as a wifi hotspot for my iPad sized tablet 10" or so. I've read the iPhone5 can work as a wifi hotspot, and Android and others may as well. Having one device in between may not be the best solution for many people. But the market will sort it out as consumers vote with their wallets...

Other iPhones will work as hotspots (again you pay extra for using this feature) but the iPhone 5 gives you LTE speeds.

I visited NY a couple of weeks ago. Though the hotel had wifi, it was very slow and they tried to upsell you on a faster service.


So I turned on personal hotspot on iPhone 5 to connect my iPad and MacBook Pro. Best reception was to put the phone near the window and I got about 3 to 4 bars, which still got me much faster speeds than the "pro" service the hotel was trying to get its guests to pay for.

Just like nobody pays the hotel for phone calls any more, people are going to stop paying hotels for Internet access.

 

[Midpack]

Similar thread about a month ago FWIW... http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/phablet-ideal-size-64042.html

 

[sanfanciscotreat]

Katsmeow, post #5. What is the monthly cost for all of this service?