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Phablets Set to India’s Gadget S
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he new term that is buzzing the entire tech industry is Phablet – this is of course a combination of a tablet and a phone. They say, ‘’phablets are the next smartphone’’. What is a phablet? Just mix up with the words Phone and Tablet; you will get the result as phablet. Phablet is a device which has the screen size ranging from 5 to 7 inches. Some call it a hybrid cessation of both generation 4
Mobility March 2013
Samsung Galaxy Note doesn’t need any introduction. Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 just took the entire industry with pleasant surprise with 5.3 inches screen size and stylus also branded as S-Pen. Beneath comes a dual-core 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor that breathes the life into this ingenious device. It comes with Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread version. Camera quality is just awesome and you High-price Android phablets Samsung Galaxy Note N7000: can capture best moments of your devices, which will take over the entire world to ransom in next few years. In simple words, Size of Phone < Size of phablet < Size of Tablet. However, choosing the best phablet out of the many choices, is not an easy task. So we are presenting a list of best phablets available in India.
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ello to Phablet
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life with 8 MP camera. If you are like me, who keeps on doing chit-chat with friends, then Galaxy Note N7000, is perfect for you as it provides the talk time of around 26 hours. Samsung has thrown whatever it could with the first version of Galaxy Note, and their handwork speaks for itself. Samsung also equipped with some of applications of its own to lure more customers. Galaxy Note N700 is priced around Rs.29,990. Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was released to upgrade the line of already popular Note series phablet. Galaxy www.mobilityindia.com
Note 2 has got the screen size of 5.5 inches and Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9 processor. It also comes with upgraded 2GB of RAM. No change has been noticed in the camera and like Note I, this one also comes with 8 MP camera. A small change has been made in front facing camera though. It has a 1.9MP front facing camera which is capable of taking HD videos as well. The huge difference can be noticed with the S-Pen design and applications designed to cooperate delicately with the new Note 2. Smart gesture, air view, multi
windows operation, S note are a few more additions to the previous system. Besides that, handwriting recognition system is smart enough to detect even worst handwriting. Samsung has ramped up its position with such smart software integration. It is destined to repeat the success of Galaxy Note I, and initial response from the user and sales figure hints at the same. You should be ready to shed anything in vicinity of Rs.37,999 to buy Note 2. LG Optimus Vu: With the screen size of 5 inch and a bunch of amazing features, this Mobility March 2013
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Cover Story “Just like any new invention, the phablets seem to create a good amount of attraction to the existing tablet users. From hand-sized computing devices to pocket-sized tele-computing devices, technology never stopped in spreading its wings. It is expected to come out in its full form by the later part of this year.” Sandeep Arya, Managing Director, Amtrak one, from the house of LG, is shining at the very first place. Powerful 1.5 GHz quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich version speak about the reason of being this phablet at the top. With good display quality and lightweight, it surely tops on the wish list of many. 8 MP camera is quite enough to attract the photography freaks to try their hands on it. 50GB free cloud service, that you get with LG Optimus Vu, is an extra plus point. It’s klutzy 4:3 aspect ratio makes it squarish and looks somewhat ugly. Even, the cosmetics are nothing to boast about for LG. The plasticky body ensures that you will not fall in love at first sight. However, keeping all criticism aside, the LG Optimus Vu is definitely the powerful device that comes with a nice price tag. It is selling like a hot cake in Korea, which has forced them to release its successor in Optimus Vu 2. Having known Indian crowds well, one can say that LG may not be able to repeat the same success by the likes of Galaxy Note, but that doesn’t make it less enticing. It is just that Indian crowd like to cling to their favorite
brand more often (probably, this is the reason why Nokia has still survived in the Indian market). Indians are known as the most loyal customers, and if LG manages to win their heart, there will be no looking for them in next few years. It is currently available online at around Rs.29,499. Low-price phablets Micromax Canvas A100 is also a budget phablet. With 5-inch screen size, Canvas A100 shines at the top of the budget line of Android phablets. The 1GHz scorpion processor and 512 MB RAM processing muscle empowers it. The pre-loaded Ice Cream Sandwich ensures the next best operating system in the world, which can be upgraded to the latest version. It is a dual SIM android phablet. A 5MP camera is, although not the best offers different image capturing and video experience. The secondary camera is measly 0.3MP, but you couldn’t ask anything more for 10,000 INR budget range. The internal memory of 2GB can be
“We are big believers in the Phablet segment. We believe that this will be the dominating segment in the tablet industry. The key reason for this is that internet access is the killer app for tablets. Since WiFi based broadband connectivity is very sparsely available, the key to growth of tablets is mobile connectivity.” Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO, Datawind
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expanded up to 32GB through a MicroSD card. Micromax has also successfully launched its successor A110 Canvas 2 with 1GHz dual core processor and 8MP main camera. iBall Andi 5C: Although relatively new in the smartphone segment, iBall has had success in releasing some niche specific smartphone and featured phone in India. Their new offering Andi 5C is equally enticing. Equipped with Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich, the device carries 1GHz A9 Cortex processor and 512MB of RAM. Similar to Micromax Canvas A100, it is a dual SIM phablet. The IPS display is known to offer better quality images, but the resolution of 480 x 800 kills all the fun. The device also relatively bulky with 216gms of weight and battery of 2,300mAh. A 5.0MP auto focus camera delivers decent result, but nothing exceptional here. iBall has done an exceptional job in making the device while keeping the low price tag in mind. Andi 5C is available for `12,499 in Indian market. Spice Stellar Horizon: With the 5 inches screen in Spice Stellar Horizon bid its place in the phablets list. It comes with 1 GHz dual core MT6577 Onboard processor, 512 MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage which could be expanded to 32GB. The dual SIM phone looks good and feels solid in the hand, but don’t expect it to compete with high quality devices. The MediaTek dual core processor was a big setback for many of us, as previously it was supposed to run on the Snapdragon S4 processor. There is also no point of comparing both processor muscle power, as Spice is designed to satisfy lower food chain. Quite similar to Canvas A100, it carries 5MP shooter and 0.3MP front facing camera to serve video calling functionality. It is available in the vicinity of `11,999. Recently, Karbonn announced Karbonn A24 phablet with 4.5 inch screen and 1.2GHz dual core processor. However, we have skipped including it from the list, since the list is designed keeping 5-inch display in the mind. Even, Zync has launched dual-SIM Cloud Z5 phablet in India at Rs.9,490, but we doubt that it will available in all local stores. It has 4GB inbuilt memory, 1GHz processor and 512MB RAM. It also offers decent 8MP camera. As being put by Sandeep Arya, Managing Director, Amtrak. “Just like any new invention, the phablets seem to create a good amount of attraction to the existing tablet users. From hand-sized computing devices to pocketsized tele-computing devices, technology never stopped in spreading its wings. At present, the phablet market is at an evolving www.mobilityindia.com
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Huawei goes Bullish on Phablets At a time when convergence is ruling the roost, a new category of convergence friendly devices is emerging, it is phablets. Global device manufacturer Huawei is positioning itself as a phablet provider with an array of devices targeted for the end consumer segment. Mobility spoke with Victor Shanxin, President, Huawei Device India on its present focus and future plans. Q) Phablets is one big segment which has emerged quite well in the market. What is your take on this segment and how is it likely to move ahead? With several number of players entering the smartphone market, we have seen lot of happening and the latest being Phablets. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s era a phone is just not limited to talking. It has gone beyond and has increased to other factors like increasing internet usage, consumption of more visual content on mobile devices, and the need for large form factor. Phablets, device possessing features of both smartphones and tablets as they have voice calling capabilities, faster processor, larger battery, more storage, and high resolution displays of a smartphone along with larger screen sizes of a tablet varying between 5-7 inches, is becoming a preferred choice for the customers. Being a multipurpose device, which can be used as a camera, audio and video recorder and allowing access to the internet not only to browse social media but also to perform business related computation will surely stay in the market.
Q) What kind of trends is likely to take this segment forward? Phablets are becoming the preferred choice for customers as they offer life-like viewing experience to access rich content. It is becoming a multi-purpose electronic gadget, which can be used as a camera, audio and video recorder. The latest trend to watch out for Phablets is its great future prospects because of user interface Q) How many phablet models do you have at present? What are improvements websites and apps and also larger screen which allow your plans in this direction? more interactions between apps as well as more gestures for navigating Last year during Diwali, we launched the ultra-portable and sleek the phone resulting in less eye strain and better videos display. Huawei MediaPad 7 Lite. Weighing just 370g, the tablet comes in a metal unibody shell powered by Google Android 4.0 and a Cortex A8 Q) What would be the size of this market of phablets in India and 1.2GHz processor. Its super-clear 7-inch 1024 x 600 IPS multi-touch how is it moving ahead? 1080p high-definition display is complemented by its 3G cellular voice According to a report by firm ABI Research, almost 83 million function. As MediaPad 7 Lite allows an easier way to stay in touch phablets were shipped in 2012, an increase of 4,504 per cent from with its 3G and WiFi cellular, SMS and MMS capabilities we can call 2011. ABI Research projects that more than 150 million phablets will it as a phablet. be shipped in 2013.The report also says, the bulk of phablets will be Further to our plans in this direction, we launched Ascend Mate at shipped in the 4.6 to 5-inch screen category. It is anticipated that four CES 2013. This smart phone comes with a large 6.1 inch HD Magic out of every five phablets shipped will be in the mentioned segment. It touch screen placed on a smooth and light body. It offers the optimal is forecasted that the phablet shipments will grow gradually from 2014 experience for gaming, reading text heavy web pages, and also viewing onwards, and only around 25 per cent of smartphones shipments in photos and videos. Its compact design with highest screen-to-body 2018 will be of the phablet genre. ABI analyst has also pointed out ratio is also a huge step ahead. The best point is that this phone has that phablets are more likely to eat into the tablet market size. is its processor and battery life, it has a 4050 mAh battery and 1.5 GHz quadcore processor. With QPC and ADRX smart power-saving Q) What would be your market share in this segment and what are technology, the smart phone provides up to two days of ordinary usage your plans? on a single charge and it has fast battery charging capability, The Globally, Huawei want to be top 3 device brand for the next 4 years. Ascend Mate runs on Android 4.1and also has a nice 8MP camera In the phablet category, we already launched mediapad 7 inch tablet, that can also record HD video. Ascend D2 and Ascend mate.
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Cover Story stage. It is expected to come out in its full form by the later part of this year. At present, we have only tablets in our product portfolio. We will be launching our range of tablets in the coming month. In the next quarter, we plan to launch our dedicated series of tablets for specific audiences, which will be packed with suitable applications and features for the dedicated use – such as, Education, Travel, Health, etc. Surely, in the coming quarter, we will be bringing out something in the phablet market, keeping in view the consumers’ demands and requirements. This is too early a stage to speak anything about it,” he added. According to Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO, Datawind, “We are big believers in the Phablet segment. We believe that this will be the dominating segment in the tablet industry. The key reason for this is that internet access is the killer app for tablets. Since WiFi based broadband connectivity is very sparsely available, the key to growth of tablets is mobile connectivity. We currently have two models in this segment: UbiSlate 7C+ (MRP Rs. 4,999) UbiSlate 7CZ (MRP Rs. 5,999) Both are 7” screen models with multitouch capacitive screens, WiFi & GPRS/Edge modules. The UbiSlate 7C+ has a single front VGA camera, while the UbiSlate 7CZ has front and rear dual cameras (VGA and 2MP). Both units can be used with a mic/headphone cable or by holding to your face without a cable. The UbiSlate 7CZ also has Bluetooth connectivity. Our focus will be to introduce models in different sizes (5”, 7”, 9” and 10”) and continue driving pricing down. Trends in Phablets Explaining the trends in Phablet segment, Sandeep Arya says that with the spread of Phablets, it can be predicted that mobile computing will become easier. “The size of this device is smaller, making it able to readily replace the large-sized tablets. From handsized computing devices to pocket-sized tele-computing device, Phablet segment would see great trends in the market,” he explains. As being put by Suneet Tuli, affordability is going to be a key requirement for growth in this segment both for the hardware and cost of internet access. A key trend that is going to drive this segment is the quality of the internet experience. At DataWind we’ve developed a breakthrough web delivery platform on which we’ve received 18 U.S. patents covering over 1,000 claims -- resulting in a superior web experience even on standard GPRS networks,” he adds on. Indian Tablet Scenario The overall India Tablet market recorded 8
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sales of 0.55 million units in 2Q 2012 (Quarter ended June 30, 2012). This was reported in the India Quarterly Media Tablet Market Review for 2Q 2012 released today by CyberMedia Research, the premier IT, Telecoms, Semiconductor & Electronics, Government, Entrepreneurship, Energy, Healthcare and User research firm. In the overall India tablets market, Micromax leads with 18.4% share, followed by Samsung at second position with 13.3% and Apple at third position with 12.3%, in terms of sales (unit shipments) during the 2Q 2012. Table 1. India Quarterly Media Tablets Market Review for 2Q 2012* Vendor % Share Micomax 18.4 Samsung 13.3 Apple 12.3 *Source: CyberMedia Research (CMR) India Quarterly Media Tablets Market Review, 2Q 2012, September 2012 Though the India Tablets market is still at a nascent stage but at the same time
positioning their devices at India’s youth.” Some of the key trends in terms of specifications of media tablets in India noted in 2Q 2012 are in the table below. Table 2. India Quarterly Media Tablets Market Review for 2Q 2012*: Trending Feature Trending % Share Connectivity Wi-Fi 69.6 Display 7’’ 79.7 OS Android 87.5 Processor speed 1Ghz 45.9 RAM 512 MB 59.7 Call Feature No 83.5 *Source: CyberMedia Research (CMR) India Quarterly Media Tablets Market Review, 2Q 2012, September 2012. “A s A n d ro i d d ev i c e s b e c o m e increasingly popular with users across the world, competition is increasing in the India Tablets market with more and more vendors launching devices based on the Android OS. The share of devices based on other operating systems like Windows, iOS and QNX are expected to rise in future
”During 2Q 2012, 47.4% of tablet sales were from new entrants in the market with a strong focus on addressing application areas in the Education and Entertainment segments. This trend demonstrates clearly that vendors are positioning their devices at India’s youth.” Fa i s a l Kawo os a , Le a d Analyst, CMR Telecoms Practice has become competitive due to entry of new vendors with entry level offerings. Close to 90 vendors launched their tablets till 2Q 2012.The ASV of the tablets in 2Q 2012 has dropped to little above INR 13,000 from INR 26,000 in 1Q 2012, as a majority of vendors in early 2012 launched their products in the INR 5,000-10,000 price range. Trends: According to Faisal Kawoosa, Lead Analyst, CMR Telecoms Practice,”During 2Q 2012, 47.4% of tablet sales were from new entrants in the market with a strong focus on addressing application areas in the Education and Entertainment segments. This trend demonstrates clearly that vendors are
in view of the recent announcement of the Microsoft Windows Surface Tablet, the global launch of the Apple iPad 3 and reduction in BlackBerry Playbook prices”, Faisal further added. “ G o i n g fo r wa rd we s e e ve n d o r s launching segments specific segments such as Healthcare, Retail and e-Governance. In terms of tablet use cases, the popular categories are Internet browsing, Email, Entertainment, Gaming, Social Networking, Information (Cricket, Flights etc). Clearly, the Indian user is also taking to the Tablet as a content consumption device”, added Tarun Pathak, Analyst, CMR Telecoms Practice. www.mobilityindia.com
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