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More phablets were shipped in the Asia/Pacific region for the Q2, compared to tablets and PC, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). Phablets which are slightly bigger than smartphones and smaller than tablets have picked up unexpectedly well as users find them meeting both the demand for a phone as well as a touch screen smart device providing excellent browsing and video experiences. The phablets such as Samsung Galaxy Note made huge strides in the smartdevice market to meet more specific needs of end users, including women, who find the phablets easy to carry in their handbags. According to IDC, for Q2 alone, 25.2 million phablets were shipped in the region, compared to 12.6 million tablets and 12.7 million portable PCs. The trends show that as the use of mobile data starts covering new and innovative services, the types of devices will also evolve to cater for more targeted purposes and user segments and the market can expect more sophisticated gadgets in future.
 "Samsung was the first to succeed in phablets with the Galaxy Note launched in APEJ in 2011 Q4, capturing 90% of the phablet market. Fast forward to 2013 Q2, and Samsung's Note series counts for less than 50%," says Melissa Chau, Senior Research Manager with IDC Asia/Pacific's Client Devices team. "Phablets first started as a trend driven by mature markets like South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore – and these markets continue to rise. What's changed now is the added pick up of phablets in emerging markets like China and India, not just the plethora of big-name vendors competing head-to-head with Samsung, but instead the low-cost local players who have swooped in to offer big screens for less money – averaging a retail price of US$220 versus Samsung's US$557."
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