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Phablets – are they really worth it?

When it comes to communications technology people nowadays have more options than previous generations could ever dream about, which is fantastic for those interested in gadgets, but also means that this particular marketplace is a distinctly crowded one. It is into this arena that the ‘phablet’ – essentially a device which falls between a smartphone and a tablet in terms of size and functions – enters and opinion already seems to be divided as to whether it is really needed.

Indeed early devices given the name phablet – dating back to around 2008 – such as the Dell Streak 5 were major flops to the point that this particular model is no longer being produced, so does that mean that the phablet itself is a bust? Well not exactly, as a number of tech observers have noted that the quality of phablets has improved immensely in the four years since then, as have the marketing strategies of the companies producing them, which can be seen in the sales success of devices like the Galaxy Note. Early phablets like the Streak 5 were bedevilled with low battery life and bugs in the Android OS. Android has improved enormously since then, making the experience of using devices like the Galaxy Note a lot less frustrating.

In fact, the best phablets combine the portable size of a smartphone with a screen size closer to that of a tablet. It is not hard to see how that would be attractive to many potential users, for example gamers, because modern games such as those offered at online casinos feature the kind of sophisticated graphics, video and animation that will benefit from a bigger screen and a better image resolution. Therefore, it can be said that phablets are worth it when they are able to deliver on this promise of the best elements of a smartphone and a tablet, without the disadvantages of each.