Smartphones with screen sizes of 5- to just under 7-inch, colloquially known as phablets, overtook shipments of each of the portable PC and tablet device categories in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) in the second quarter of 2013, according to IDC.
According to IDC's figures, device vendors shipped 25.2 million phablets in the second quarter of 2013, compared with 12.6 million tablets, and 12.7 million portable PCs. Phablets made a significant jump, up 100% on quarter, and up 620% for the same quarter in 2012.
"Samsung was the first to succeed in phablets with the Galaxy Note launched in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) in the fourth quarter of 2011, capturing 90% of the phablet market. Fast forward to the second quarter of 2013, and Samsung's Note series counts for less than 50%," said Melissa Chau, senior research manager with IDC Asia Pacific's Client Devices team.
"Phablets first started as a trend driven by mature markets like South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore, and these markets continue to rise. What's changed now is the added pick up of phablets in emerging markets like China and India, not just the plethora of big-name vendors competing head-to-head with Samsung, but instead the low-cost local players who have swooped in to offer big screens for less money, averaging a retail price of US$220 versus Samsung's US$557."
By comparison, the growth of tablets took a hit in the second quarter, in part due to high inventory carry over from the first quarter, the seasonal lull in Apple's iPad refresh cycle, combined with some cannibalization of tablets by phablets. Particularly in emerging markets, where consumers may not have the budget to pick up one of each, the phablet is winning out to capture both the telephony and better browsing and multimedia experience.
The outlook for all three of these categories are positive for rest of this year. IDC expects interest in portable PCs to pick up as more hybrid and touch-enabled models launch, while tablets will pick up on the launch of Apple's refreshed models and continued growth in the 7- to 9-inch category.
Phablets have proven to be more than just a short blip of a fad and will drive the region. Over the long term however, this does not mean that one size fits all. As tablets get more productive, and new categories such as smart watches evolve, IDC expects continued diversity among smart connected devices.
