by Larry Magid
Samsung just introduced a pair of new smartphones called “Mega.” The largest one measures 6.3 inches (diagonally) which is only 0.7 inches smaller than Samsung’s 7-inch Galaxy tablet. The new phones, called the Galaxy Mega, will run Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean).
For comparison, the iPhone 5 has a 4-inch screen while Samsung’s popular Galaxy S3 has a 4.8-inch screen.
A “phablet” (cross between a phone and a tablet) is small enough to fit in most pockets, but it could be a tight squeeze. It’s also small enough for most people to use comfortably in their hand, but there may be those for whom it’s a bit too big. But it certainly goes against the old trend of “smaller is better,” recognizing that the human factor — having a phone that’s big enough to interact with and see – now trumps making it as small as possible.
TabTimes editor David Needle pointed out that while it’s close to the size of some tablets, “it’s close to the smallest tablets on the market.” He thinks it might make sense as a tablet replacement “if the tablet is a supplement to a computer you’re already using like a notebook, for simple things this might do that trick.” But he said that “if it’s more like a laptop replacement, it’s probably not very practical.”
Click below to listen to Larry’s 1-minute CBS News/CNET Tech Talk segment with TabTimes editor, David Needle
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