Tablet and Phablet Use Rises Steadily

InformationWeek: New reports from Millennial Media and ABI Research predict a bright future for tablets and phone/tablet combos, known as “phablets.” Millenial Media says that 15 percent of the top devices on its network in the latest quarter were tablets. “This was an … indicator of how the increased consumer adoption of tablets is changing how digital media is consumed,” the company reported.

A separate report from ABI Research predicts shipments 208 million phablets in 2015. “One of the chief drivers for phablets is the amount of time people use their smartphones for Web browsing, reading articles, and newspapers on the go, or simply navigating their journeys,” said senior analyst Joshua Flood. “The larger screen sizes make a significant difference to the user’s experience when compared to conventional-sized touch screens between 3.5 to 4 inches.” The report added, “New phablet-styled devices provide an attractive two-in-one device proposition and are beginning to see the competition between these larger smartphone form factors and smaller media tablets (less than seven inches).”