小屏幕真的退流行了？手機大廠諾基亞(Nokia)也加入了大屏幕智能手機──也就是所謂的“phablet”──供貨商行列，在日前發(fā)表搭載6寸屏幕的 Lumia 1520 / 1320；同時該公司也推出了第一款平板裝置，是搭載10寸屏幕的Lumia 2520。
諾基亞新推出的平板裝置與大尺寸智能手機，據(jù)說是該公司決定將手機部門出售給微軟(Microsoft)之前，準備用以與競爭對手蘋果(Apple)、三星(Samsung)最后一搏的武器。新款大屏幕手機采用 Windows Phone 操作系統(tǒng)，能容納更多的“動態(tài)磚(live tiles)”；此外諾基亞也期望以其攝影機技術強項與鮮明的亮色調來為新產品創(chuàng)造差異化。
也許有人會說，諾基亞新款大屏幕“phablet”恐怕也無法讓該公司在美國智能手機市場脫穎而出；這可能沒錯，但筆者認為，屏幕尺寸在平板裝置、“phablet”與智能手機等產品之間界線逐漸模糊的同時，仍是一個關鍵因素。
搭載6寸屏幕的 Lumia 1520
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要讓美國的消費者接受擁有大屏幕的智能手機可能還需要一段時間，但在亞洲市場，大尺寸已經蔚為主流。根據(jù)市場研究機構 IDC 在8月底發(fā)布的最新統(tǒng)計數(shù)據(jù)，亞太區(qū)市場(日本除外)配備5~7寸屏幕的智能手機(也就是“phablet”)出貨量，已經超越第二季可攜式PC與平板裝置產品出貨。
本文授權編譯自EE Times，版權所有，謝絕轉載
本文下一頁：是選購“phablet”好、還是平板比較好?
相關閱讀：
• [拆拆看]三星Note 3利潤空間大，成本初估僅237.5美元
• 在沉默中爆發(fā)，Phablet 亞太地區(qū)出貨量超平板
• [圖文報道]諾基亞發(fā)布巨屏手機Lumia 1520以及平板Cf6esmc
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IDC當時指出，供貨商在2013年第二季于亞太區(qū)市場的“phablet”產品出貨量達到2,525萬支， 同時間平板裝置出貨量為1,260萬臺，可攜式PC出貨量則為1,270萬臺：“當季“phablet”產品的出貨量季成長率超過100%，并較2012 年同期暴增620%?！?
Lumia 1520與能作為基座的外蓋
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筆者在18個月前造訪中國時，對于許多中國業(yè)者高層都拿著三星的 Galaxy Note頗感驚訝(雖然他們有的還有另一支正常尺寸手機用來通話)；而從那時候起，“phablet”就在中國與印度市場逐漸風行，而且不只是三星那樣的大品牌，許多區(qū)域小廠也推出類似產品，包括中國當?shù)卦S多白牌手機供貨商也推出價格更低的大尺寸手機。
在諾基亞推出最新產品的同時，蘋果最新一代iPad Air/iPad mini 2也問世，對于到底是選購“phablet”好、還是平板電腦比較好，消費者現(xiàn)在有更多選擇。而如果像是美國這樣的成熟市場，也開始有“phablet”逐漸蠶食平板裝置市場的現(xiàn)象，將會是件大事…你的觀察是？
本文授權編譯自EE Times，版權所有，謝絕轉載
編譯：Judith Cheng
參考英文原文：Nokia Guns for 6-Inch Phablets，by Junko Yoshida
相關閱讀：
• [拆拆看]三星Note 3利潤空間大，成本初估僅237.5美元
• 在沉默中爆發(fā)，Phablet 亞太地區(qū)出貨量超平板
• [圖文報道]諾基亞發(fā)布巨屏手機Lumia 1520以及平板Cf6esmc
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Nokia Guns for 6-Inch Phablets
Junko Yoshida
MADISON, Wis. — Forget puny displays of smartphones. Nokia is going after big screens.
The Finnish company showed off Tuesday (October 22) its first tablet (10-inch screen) and two six-inch screen "phablets" at its annual Nokia World event in Abu Dhabi.
The Lumia 2520 tablet, along with the Lumia 1520 and 1320 phablets, are reportedly among the last products Nokia developed to compete with Apple and Samsung before deciding to sell its handset business to Microsoft, according to Reuters.
Nokia is using the larger screen size of its phablet, based on Windows Phone operating system, for an extra column of live tiles that can be added to the phone. The company is also leveraging its strong camera technology and its signature bright colors to differentiate its new products from the competition.
Nokia's 6-inch HD phablet Lumia 1520 (Source: Nokia)
One could argue the bigger screen size of Nokia's phablets won't be the answer for the Finnish company struggling to make a dent in the US smartphone market.
Perhaps that's true.
Blurring lines
But I contend that the screen size could matter as the line between tablets, phablets, and smartphones start to blur. Nokia's competition includes large-screen smartphones from Samsung and Apple, the latter scheduled to unveil slimmer, faster iPads on Tuesday.
While it may still take more time for US consumers to warm up to the idea of smartphones with a gigantic screen, it has already become all the rage in Asia.
Market researcher International Data Corporation (IDC) reported late August in its Asia/Pacific quarterly mobile phone tracker:
Smartphones with screen sizes of 5 to just under 7 inches, 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.
IDC at that time said that 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 by 100% quarter on quarter, and up 620% for the same quarter in 2012," the market research company said.
When I was visiting China more than 18 months ago, I was shocked to find more executives in China carrying Samsung's Galaxy Note (in addition to their regular smartphone for voice calls).
What has become clear since then is that the phablets are picking up in China and India, and those available in such regions are no longer limited to products from big-name suppliers such as Samsung. Instead, the low-cost local players in China have aggressively moved into the segment to offer big screens for less money.
With the launch of Apple's new iPad expected later today in addition to Nokia's latest tablet/phablets announcement, consumers will have an opportunity to rethink if what they want is a tablet or a phablet.
Any hint of cannibalization of tablets by phablets, if it ever happens in more mature markets such as the US, would be a big deal. It will be closely watched by many in the mobile device market.
Nokia's Lumia 1520 with accessory cover (Source: Nokia)
責編：Quentin
