Yeah, the next step up in size is the original 1989 Motorola "Brick" phone that the cool kids driving BMWs were rocking in the 80s. Probably talking to their stock brokers on the way to the cocaine bar.
I will say that talking on a phablet does look ridiculous, but for me, I don't talk enough on the phone for that type of vanity to matter. At a more pragmatic level, phablets totally lose pocketability and one-handed operation. I already think the iPhone 5/c/s pushes the limits of comfortably fitting into my pant pocket and using it with one hand.
I do not like the idea of having to carry something even larger, so I still hope that Apple will at least continue to make flagship models in the 4" configuration. Right now, Apple's the only manufacturer that makes an uncompromised 4" smartphone. Everybody else cripples the performance or strips features out of their smaller phones.
The phablet market seems more attuned to those overseas markets where more consumers only want to purchase one mobile device.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwmac
These "Just get an iPad people" are completely clueless. Not only for the reasons you mentioned above but also for the simple fact of pricing. iPhone plans are very competitive and offer plans for everyone from the very light to the unlimited user and all price ranges in between. I have unlimited calling, unlimited texting and unlimited LTE data for $50 a month. I don't know of any unlimited LTE data plans at all on the iPad and $50 a month might get you 5GB at most with no phone calls or texts. I use easily over 8GB or more a month on data and most of that is streaming music while I drive. I love my iPad, but it is a stay at home device. Too bulky for my pocket or car and too expensive for data. A 5.5" iPhone would be perfect for me.
P.S. I also love the way they always post photos of a guy with a phablet. Guess they have never heard of the headphones included with the iPhone, bluetooth headsets, or speakerphone mode. And quite frankly even if you do talk on it directly so what? I see people in public with far more reasons to be embarrassed than holding a large phone to their face.
Well, not for EVERYONE. My wife uses a feature phone by choice (does not like smartphones, does not want one). The AT&T prepaid plan goes for $25 for three months to use 250 minutes. Any remaining balance at the end of three months rolls over, and she hardly ever goes through her bloc of minutes.
When she wants mobile internet, she will also carry an iPad in her (oversized) purse. The iPad has AT&T prepaid data and uses the $25 plan that provides 1 GB with three months to use it. Here too, she has exceeded 1 GB of data usage within three months only once. The math here comes out to $50 for three months of service on two devices.
That's my wife's use case, and she's fine with that ... even if someone out there might consider her "clueless."
Then Apple can release a phablet-style device, make an enormous pile of money, and then exit the market before it collapses.
I don't really think it's a fad, I think it will do very well. Western companies have been assuming that in developing countries you would sell a cheaper device, but in reality since it's their whole and only computer, they want slightly fancier ones. The smaller phones that Westerners use is one unusual case where you can't take a developed world product and just directly sell it in the developing world without modifying it first.
But wait, I thought it was the 5c that was going to take China by storm, or the gold/champagne colored crap... Now it is the 6?... Another year another pie in the sky.
But wait, I thought it was the 5c that was going to take China by storm, or the gold/champagne colored crap... Now it is the 6?... Another year another pie in the sky.
And the dumbing down of apple by iOS continues.
Well some comments have already reached the the bottom of the dumbness scale.
Pssst Apple achieved higher phones sales and revenue in the latest qtr (yoy) in China.
It depends on what you call a Phablet. 5.5" definitely is.
5"? marginal, some would say it is the largest phone size. Some say 4.7" is the barrier for calling a phone. Again one have to consider bezel. Without it i did say 5" is definitely a phone.
Going back to China, it is very likely China will get close to 60 - 80% Phablet penetration. As it could likely be the only computing devices they will ever own. Which is definitely not the same in Japan when computer penetration is very high.
I think Apple could afford to be able to give loyal iPhone users and potential iPhone users a choice of at least two display sizes. What's the big deal for Apple to build another iPhone variance. I doubt they lose anything by doing so and possibly have much to gain (sales-wise). There at least has to be some demand for an iPhone with a larger display. Tim Cook originally gave his reasons why Apple wasn't building larger display iPhones but consumers didn't seem to be greatly bothered by those supposed drawbacks that Tim Cook mentioned. Knowing how Apple seems to be obsessed with details, I believed him. The larger display Android smartphones certainly drove a lot of sales. Why should Apple simply ignore that market as long as it can be profitable for Apple?
Apple doesn't appear to be a very greedy company in the sense of trying to gobble up huge amounts of market share. Apple obviously has its own agenda working on projects whether I fully understand its reasons or not. Tim Cook said be patient but as a shareholder it's hard to wait for over a year and not see much happening. Right now I'm hoping a larger display iPhone will be a sales success and that should stop a few analysts from being so critical about Apple. If there is as much pent-up demand as some people say for a large display iPhone it could really set the company on a tear. Still, a new iPhone isn't going to put a dent into Android's OS's overwhelming market share, especially if Apple is asking $100 more per iPhone.
If Apple were really to introduce a 5" or larger iPhone, then I would think that would be the cheaper, lower-specced model for the Chinese market. They will make the flagship model a smaller one.
If you skip the blather and just look at the data, the 5c is no longer in the top 3 on any carrier and has been supplanted mostly by the Note. I'm not bashing the 5c nor the Note. The 5c is a great phone that is thwarted mostly by its even greater sibbling. The point is that the demand for bigger phones is not just China specific, bigger phones have a real place in the market- whether they happen to be for 'you' or not should be up to you. I'm all for Apple giving its users more choice.
Comments
I will say that talking on a phablet does look ridiculous, but for me, I don't talk enough on the phone for that type of vanity to matter. At a more pragmatic level, phablets totally lose pocketability and one-handed operation. I already think the iPhone 5/c/s pushes the limits of comfortably fitting into my pant pocket and using it with one hand.
I do not like the idea of having to carry something even larger, so I still hope that Apple will at least continue to make flagship models in the 4" configuration. Right now, Apple's the only manufacturer that makes an uncompromised 4" smartphone. Everybody else cripples the performance or strips features out of their smaller phones.
The phablet market seems more attuned to those overseas markets where more consumers only want to purchase one mobile device.
These "Just get an iPad people" are completely clueless. Not only for the reasons you mentioned above but also for the simple fact of pricing. iPhone plans are very competitive and offer plans for everyone from the very light to the unlimited user and all price ranges in between. I have unlimited calling, unlimited texting and unlimited LTE data for $50 a month. I don't know of any unlimited LTE data plans at all on the iPad and $50 a month might get you 5GB at most with no phone calls or texts. I use easily over 8GB or more a month on data and most of that is streaming music while I drive. I love my iPad, but it is a stay at home device. Too bulky for my pocket or car and too expensive for data. A 5.5" iPhone would be perfect for me.
P.S. I also love the way they always post photos of a guy with a phablet. Guess they have never heard of the headphones included with the iPhone, bluetooth headsets, or speakerphone mode. And quite frankly even if you do talk on it directly so what? I see people in public with far more reasons to be embarrassed than holding a large phone to their face.
Well, not for EVERYONE. My wife uses a feature phone by choice (does not like smartphones, does not want one). The AT&T prepaid plan goes for $25 for three months to use 250 minutes. Any remaining balance at the end of three months rolls over, and she hardly ever goes through her bloc of minutes.
When she wants mobile internet, she will also carry an iPad in her (oversized) purse. The iPad has AT&T prepaid data and uses the $25 plan that provides 1 GB with three months to use it. Here too, she has exceeded 1 GB of data usage within three months only once. The math here comes out to $50 for three months of service on two devices.
That's my wife's use case, and she's fine with that ... even if someone out there might consider her "clueless."
Then Apple can release a phablet-style device, make an enormous pile of money, and then exit the market before it collapses.
But wait, I thought it was the 5c that was going to take China by storm, or the gold/champagne colored crap... Now it is the 6?... Another year another pie in the sky.
And the dumbing down of apple by iOS continues.
Well some comments have already reached the the bottom of the dumbness scale.
Pssst Apple achieved higher phones sales and revenue in the latest qtr (yoy) in China.
It depends on what you call a Phablet. 5.5" definitely is.
5"? marginal, some would say it is the largest phone size. Some say 4.7" is the barrier for calling a phone. Again one have to consider bezel. Without it i did say 5" is definitely a phone.
Going back to China, it is very likely China will get close to 60 - 80% Phablet penetration. As it could likely be the only computing devices they will ever own. Which is definitely not the same in Japan when computer penetration is very high.
I think Apple could afford to be able to give loyal iPhone users and potential iPhone users a choice of at least two display sizes. What's the big deal for Apple to build another iPhone variance. I doubt they lose anything by doing so and possibly have much to gain (sales-wise). There at least has to be some demand for an iPhone with a larger display. Tim Cook originally gave his reasons why Apple wasn't building larger display iPhones but consumers didn't seem to be greatly bothered by those supposed drawbacks that Tim Cook mentioned. Knowing how Apple seems to be obsessed with details, I believed him. The larger display Android smartphones certainly drove a lot of sales. Why should Apple simply ignore that market as long as it can be profitable for Apple?
Apple doesn't appear to be a very greedy company in the sense of trying to gobble up huge amounts of market share. Apple obviously has its own agenda working on projects whether I fully understand its reasons or not. Tim Cook said be patient but as a shareholder it's hard to wait for over a year and not see much happening. Right now I'm hoping a larger display iPhone will be a sales success and that should stop a few analysts from being so critical about Apple. If there is as much pent-up demand as some people say for a large display iPhone it could really set the company on a tear. Still, a new iPhone isn't going to put a dent into Android's OS's overwhelming market share, especially if Apple is asking $100 more per iPhone.
If Apple were really to introduce a 5" or larger iPhone, then I would think that would be the cheaper, lower-specced model for the Chinese market. They will make the flagship model a smaller one.
Quote:
Source? Still I think Apple will release a ~5" iPhone. Not sold on a Phablet.
Source for what? I'm assuming the statement about the Note 3 outselling the 5c?
That came from AppleInsider:
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/04/03/apples-iphone-5s-remains-best-selling-smartphone-in-us-as-handset-market-softens-shifts
If you skip the blather and just look at the data, the 5c is no longer in the top 3 on any carrier and has been supplanted mostly by the Note. I'm not bashing the 5c nor the Note. The 5c is a great phone that is thwarted mostly by its even greater sibbling. The point is that the demand for bigger phones is not just China specific, bigger phones have a real place in the market- whether they happen to be for 'you' or not should be up to you. I'm all for Apple giving its users more choice.