A product range that many would have laughed off a few years ago is now a reality and against all expectations, the phablet phone (for those not up to date with silly tech jargon, a phablet is a phone larger than 5 inches and smaller than 7 inches) does have quite a large market as seen with the immensely popular Samsung Galaxy Note range.
Citing unnamed sources, the Financial Times reports that Nokia may be working on its own phablet device. Details are scarce though, but the sources suggest that the rumoured device will be Nokia‘s flagship device for 2013.
A possible hindrance to the development of the Nokia phablet is that Windows Phone 8 doesn‘t support screen resolutions above 720p, and at this point phone makers would much rather use 1080p displays and market them as high-end handsets. Processing power may also play a role in the development, as current Windows Phones may only use dual-core chips.
Recently though ZDnet reported that the next version of Windows phone will accommodate 1080p resolutions specifically for the 5-7 inch mobile market. Thus the stage is set for a Nokia/Windows phablet to hit the shelves somewhere this year.
The big challenge for Microsoft and its phone compatriot Nokia, will be to offer software features that are unique to the larger screen size. Samsung anticipated this by building the active digitizer stylus and created various apps to support the unique interface. The Galaxy Note II also has the popular side-by-side view that greatly enhances productivity on the device. The customisability of the Android OS allowed Samsung to develop these unique features and Nokia might have a greater challenge with the Windows OS.
Still, the Nokia phablet has a lot of ammo in its arsenal. The larger device will be perfect for a phablet version of Microsoft‘s Office which will lure a lot of people. The possible integration to Microsoft‘s Xbox gaming platform is another appetising prospect. Needless to say, if the rumour is true and the Microsoft/Nokia duo pull out all the stops, this just might be the next big thing in the surprisingly large phablet niche.
