Mediaboss Marketing

It's happened - the word 'phablet' has entered the mainstream.

Once used only by industry insiders - and those trying to deceive a partner into letting them buy another gadget - "phablet" is a portmanteau which describes a touchscreen device which is sort-of-too-big to be a phone, but sort-of-too-small to be a tablet.

And no, 'large phone' or 'small tablet' won't do, apparently.

The word has been haphazardly applied to devices in the tech press for the last year or two, particularly in relation to the Galaxy Note and Note II, which have five-inch-plus screens, stylus pens and no obvious pre-existing niche.

But what was once a minority word picked up momentum at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where very large phones became a new industry staple - as noted by a round-up piece by Techcrunch.

And now 'phablet' has been formally introduced into the English lexicon.

Why the sudden watershed?

Because the BBC has used it in a headline on their Technology homepage.

The Beeb used the word on Tuesday, in relation to the newly-announced LG Optimus G Pro, a five-inch, 1080p handset. "LG Phablet Unveiled" screamed the headline - and the world shrugged in sad understanding.

Still, while it appears we're going to have to get used to reading about phablets, there are hints of lingering resistance. After the BBC used the term, reactive was swift and declarative:

Go here to see the original:
What Are 'Phablets' - And Who Should You Blame For Inventing The Word?