Phones, Tablets and Phablets
– Phunny Phenomenon!
 PHABLETS! It’s not exactly a new world as of
today; trademarkia.com says that LG applied to
trademark the phablet name in 2011. But what is
a phablet?
There was a time when the telephone was the
world’s greatest communication wonder; so
many other items came in between, and then we
had something called a ‘tablet’ in recent years of
communication technologies. In fact, today the
word tablet strikes as a mobile device first before
most youngsters remember that it also applies
to medicine as in drugs or pills for our health
use.
What is a Phone?
We used to call them telephones when we were
kids.
For definition, WikiPedia says a telephone, or
phone, is a telecommunications device that
permits two or more users to conduct a
conversation when they are not in the same
vicinity of each other to be heard directly.
And did you know that the word telephone was
derived from two Greek words that meant “far”
and “voice”- like saying a voice in the distance?
= Tele & Phone. But seriously, without even
defining, you know what a phone is, duh!
Its technology was first patented in 1876 by
Alexander Graham Bell and has continually been
further developed by many others till date and
onwards.
Phones started off as stationary devices but now
they are as mobile and as handy as they can
possibly get with countless smart capabilities.
What is a Tablet?
It’s a prescription drug your doctor gives when
you’re ill. :-D
Many youngsters see tablets in close relation to
their phones. But in actual fact, tablets are
mobile computers- as they were originally
conceptualized.
A tablet computer aka ‘tablet’ is your mobile
computing device with a display, battery and all
its circuits in a single item of hardware.
Tablets are multifunctional having a touch-
screen, cameras, microphones, wireless
connectivity and sensors in-built to enable vast
functionality and they also offer possibility of
being extended with peripherals like a stylus
(pen device), a keyboard and other features like
USB and other ports.
Tablets are typically larger than phones
measuring 7 inches (18 cm) or larger.
ENTER THE PHABLET!
(This bit’s title was inspired by Bruce Lee’s
“Enter The Dragon”.)
So, the Phablet phenomenon… what is it?
Think PHone and tABLET… by this you would
guess that a phablet is a phone-tablet hybrid-
like a half-smartphone and half-tablet or a smart
phone with a really large screen. Yeah!
The screen sizes of phablets these days are
becoming large enough to be mistaken for
tablets- then it becomes confusing; what exactly
is the difference?
The idea is- phablets are what come in between
the phone and the tablet.
And to be able to tell what the ranges are….
- Phones are of varied screen sizes- on the
small side mostly of no more than 4.5 inches.
- Phablets have screen sizes that are at least 5
inches and max at about 8 inches.
- A tablet measures from 8.9 inches to 10
inches.
Note: the screen sizes of digital devices are
measured diagonally.
The size and handiness of a tablet clearly comes
in between; larger than the smart phone but
thinner and smaller than the tablet.
The functions you get on your phablet
incorporate both those of your phone and your
tablet.
A smart phone makes your phone calls, runs
sms and chat services, browses the internet and
provides entertainment amongst others.
Your tablet provides convenience that enables
you to do your more demanding tasks like
emailing, documents and file management,
presentations and so on.
The phablet enables you enjoy all features of
your phone on a larger screen while giving you
the effectiveness of your tablet on a handier
device.
Though phablets are a recent development that
even came off as being weird to many, they are
proving that they are here to stay as new models
are being designed by various brands in a bid to
meet the increasing sales numbers every year.
-By Olatunji Makanjuola