One in three Brits would rather buy a phablet than a smartphone

Over a third of Brits would rather buy a phablet-sized device than a smaller smartphone, a report has found.

Market tracker Accenture found 57 per cent of global consumers plan to buy a smartphone this year, with nearly half (48 per cent) saying they plan to opt for a phablet rather than a conventional smartphone.

When broken down by country, 37 per cent of UK consumers said they were likely to choose a bigger phablet device.

The survey defined phablets as having five- to seven-inch screen sizes, compared to the four- to five-inch displays of conventional smartphones.

“The phablet screen size is hitting a sweet spot for a large percentage of consumers wanting more digitally connected lifestyles,” said David Sovie, managing director of Accenture’s communications, media and technology group.

“To capitalise on this, consumer technology companies should consider adjusting their digital strategies, research and development investments, product roadmaps and supply chains to focus more on phablet business opportunities and less so, in some cases, on the conventional smartphone market.”

Turkish smartphone buyers were found to be the biggest fans of phablet-sized handsets, with 64 per cent of those planning to buy a smartphone saying they would go for the growing form factor.

Those in the Netherlands were the least accepting of phablets – only 30 per cent saying they would choose a bigger screen over a normal-sized smartphone.

The consumer preference for larger screens also spreads to tablet devices, it seems.

The same survey found that 44 per cent of respondents are also planning to buy a tablet PC this year.

Of those planning to purchase a tablet, 72 per cent said they would prefer a full-sized tablet to a ‘mini’ device.