Bigger is again better - The phablet revolution

Battle of the screen size.

Mobile devices seem to be getting bigger in every iteration. Manufacturers have been obsessed with making their phones bigger, faster and more battery efficient. The consumers also seem to be accepting this change with open arms and pockets. A lot of the major product announcements lately have showcased phones with displays between 4.5-5 inches. These sizes were considered ridiculous just 5 years ago when phones seemed to get smaller. The advancements in graphic interface, touch screen technology and our growing need to be connected, people have seen the benefits- albeit- need of having more screen real-estate. This combination of processing power and the need to be productive where ever and when ever has fuelled the growth of what we now fondly call "phablets". Gone were the days when our phones were only meant for calling and texting- now our devices can truly be called smart-phones and to me the demand we exert on the devices has lead to its inevitable growth- size wise. Today we will look at two new products that I consider at oposite ends of the "phablet" revolution. 

The Ridiculous.

The most ridiculous of all "phablets" so far is the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 with its 8 inch display. Yes you read that right, 8 inches! I am using a Galaxy Note 2 with a 5.5 inch display and it already looks big. The Galaxy Note 8.0 is pushing the boundaries. Looking at the specs of this monster however is disappointing. It looks like it is a device meant to be used primarily as a tablet- with the phone option handy- its specs has nothing ground breaking to show for. Comparing its specs with the Galaxy Tab 7.7 you will hardly notice any major difference (considering the time Samsung had to improve its Tablet lineup). In terms of display, the Note 8.0 has 189 ppi while the Tab 7.7 has 196 ppi- this variation is mostly due to the increased screen size and is hardly noticeable. Processing power is not really a leapfrog in innovation either with the Note 8.0 packing 1.6 GHz Quadcore chip with 2 GB RAM. Compare this to the Tab 7.7  w/c runs 1.4 GHZ Dualcore chip with 1 GB RAM and Galaxy Note 2 w/c runs 1.6 GHZ Quadcore chip with 2 GB RAM and the Note 8.0 is not really that exciting. In the Software side, the Note 8.0 comes with Jellybean right out of the box and will feature our favourite features like Smart stay, All Share, S Pen and Multi Window. This is where I think the Note 8.0 was not built to start a new niche market but to fill a gap between Samsungs smartphone line up and Tablet line up. The Note 8.0 will be used mainly as a Tablet and it is a slight but overdue improvement to the Galaxy Tab series, but as a Phone (phablet) it has nothing new to offer other than a big ass display.  Some critics have even question why Samsung even bothered to build this device and Android fanboys have been quick to jump in with an answer- "because they can." Yes some have argued that Samsung is building the Note 8.0 because they can, because they want to cement their image as a serious mobile contender not afraid to take risks. Personally I believe this argument is ridiculous. I think Samsung is building this to find another Niche market, the way it found one with the first launch of the Galaxy Note. When the first Galaxy Note came out everyone was laughing at it but now everyone is trying to beat its screen size. I may be laughing at this device now, but maybe in 1-2 years from now I might be holding one to my ear. 

Read the full phone specifications of the Galaxy Not 8.0 here

The Sexy.

The HTC One sports a 4.7 inch display and it is by far the sexiest looking "phablet" I have seen. Its design is a beautiful marriage of sexy and professional. HTC's decision to go for a uni-body design gave the phone a more robust look. The spill-over glass design of its display is subtle but eye-popping. For the device build, HTC also moved to aluminium w/c will surely give it a more professional feel to it compared to Samsungs very plasticky devices (see my Note 2 review here). HTC One's 4.7 inch display is packed with 468 ppi w/c is the best in any phablet or smartphone (yes better than the iPhone). While most manufacturers are going gaga over camera megapixels w/ most phones housing something between 5-8 mp, the HTC One brings in only 4 mp. This might sound like a big compromise but HTC has introduced what they call "Ultra-Pixels". They say the pixels are bigger than the usual and contains more image data (2.0 microns compared to 1.4). This allows the camera to capture more light w/c will improve its performance in low light photography and resulting HDR images will have more depth. Couple that with the amazing 468 ppi display and you will surely have the best camera-screen resolution combination in mobile. 

Another area where HTC is differentiating itself from the pack is its decision to control the Android UI. Most Android users love the openness and flexibility of the user experience that the OS allows. You can change the entire look and feel of your device software with customized themes and widgets. However, according to HTC's own research, most people dont even know the difference between widgets and apps. Most of all most people use the stock theme on their device rarely re-arranging anything. So HTC saw this as an opportunity and decided to offer up a surprisingly familiar User Interface by controlling the User experience. The interface has a Flipboard like design allowing you quick access to your most relevant feeds and apps (kind of like a Wndows 8-Flipboard hybrid). I personally believe this was a bold move on the right direction for HTC. Apple's success has mainly been driven by a very rigid and walled User Interface design. This strategy works as it allows HTC to maximize the hardware potential thru the software. By controlling the software side, HTC makes sure that the phone is only used for functions it knows the hardware is optimized for. One of my main frustration with my Note 2 when I tried to max out its customization is that it started to lag. Its RAM gets depleted really fast and switching between apps became such a pain. I felt like the phone had so many functionalities offered up by the software but the hardware was struggling to keep up the more functions I discovered. I slowly felt like being cool was having a negative toll on the device performance. I know this is my fault, but my point is why offer up so much software clutter when you know the hardware cant handle them all running at the same time at maximum potential? Poweruser option is nice but is never a key to making a killing in the consumer electronics market. I am with HTC in this one and I believe the HTC One will usher in a new breed of sexy phablets- not just big and cumbersome ones. 

Read the full phone specifications of the HTC One here

Will this trend continue?

I believe so because today we live in a world of "screens". Our lives are slowly being centered on 4 screens- smartphone, tablet, tv and desktop/laptop (see Ubuntu's 4 screen strategy graphics to the right). We are also seeing a strong push from telecom service providers to consolidate and to stream content between these screens effortlessly. I wrote this blog's draft on my iPad Mini while commuting to and from work, I then polished it up on my Macbook pro. I also watch the UEFA Champions league games on my Galaxy Note 2 w/ Mobile TV while on the train and then finish the game on my TV. 

I believe the phablet phenomena will play a key role in our life of screens. In fact I believe the phablets will try to take away the duality of tablets and smartphones the same way smartphones got rid of the duality of Phones and PDAs (Palm pilots, etc). So, if you think phablets are ridiculous devices, you better think again and start getting comfortable with them because not only will they be here to stay but they will re-invent your life soon.