Product identity. Phablet not phone? - Sony Xperia Z Ultra

Product identity and consumer understanding.
Grab a coffee, this could be a long post...........
Like most of us I spend a fair amount of time reading various reports, industry reviews and forum posts. There is an awful lot of confusion with regard to mobile devices.
When is a mobile phone a mobile phone and when is a tablet a tablet? Part of the sales problems with the in between range of devices is identity. Unofficially we have named them 'phablets'. This IS important. Far to many professional reviewers write about the size of over 5" screens as being to big and not mobile. I tend to agree with them. Hang on. I tend to agree with them when they review said device as a mobile phone. IF we could officially adopt an industry name and categorisation such as 'phablet' this would reduce customer confusion and also help with sales and customer satisfaction.
When the net book was introduced they initially came out with an 8" screen. Toshiba made them, started a whole new segment in the portable device section. Consumers then purchased them and moaned about the screen being too small! Next model came with a 9" then 10" then before we new it we where in the lap top range so customers reverted back to lap tops and the net book died.
Then came the ultra book with an Intel industry specification. That seems to have worked as the industry has kept to that specification thus there is zero identity crisis when one purchases an ultra book.
The Xperia Ultra et al are not true mobile phones. With this is mind such devices come under an awful lot of fire as reviewers compare such devices with, for example, the Apple 5S. rather absurd when one thinks about it BUT understandable because as yet the term 'phablet' is unofficial. it matters, identity matters to avoid wrong and negative comparison.
IF those who make 'phablets' call them 'phablets' and box them as 'phablets' the consumer can make a much more educated choice of purchase.
The Ultra and those of a similar size should be marketed as a new breed of device, their strengths should be highlighted and that way this constant comparison game wold stop. No one reviews a car with a motor bike! Tow different machines.
I would very much like to see an industry standard with regard to this situation and each device market under that criteria. So much criticism is aimed at the Ultra also Note and Mega etc as being too big as a mobile phone. They ARE! They are not too big if we call them what they are...vis,,,a phablet
A phablet is not a mobile phone nor a tablet so why should we not celebrate the difference and concentrate on our phablets strengths?
Comparing this with vehicle sales, The classification of a 'city car' is a small run about, A city car is not suitable for a family of six nor long journeys that is why car manufacturers came up with the MPU and the large family car.
An MPV would not sell well as a car yet cannot be compared with a mini bus. Bingo a new catagorisation of a vehicle. Same with the SUV and 4X4.
To Joe public this boxing of different vehicles makes sense and no one would compare a city car with an MPV. No crisis of identity. We like to place things in boxes to label things its human nature.
Words and correct identification matter. Sales and consumer opinion matter. To this end we could boost sales also have a greater customer level of satisfaction if we called out Ultra et al what it is and not what it is not. What is the problem with the large companies marketing their phablets as phablets?
Just another ramble.
Ryland
I posted this in another thread bit thought it may well be best in a thread of its own?

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For me though, the definition is this:
A phone: a communication tool that has embedded earpiece into it, plus pocketable.
A tablet: a media tool that doesn't have direct calling capability so no ear piece to it. And plus it is not pocketable (must be put on the bag)
A phablet word actually isn't required nowadays. The only cause it exists was because Samsung made an ad for the note 1 ("a phone? Or a tablet?") so people starts to make an acronym for that. But actually they should be classified still as a phone because of such characteristics i described above.
Plus XZU should be still called phone because it is pocketable. I still put it on my chest pocket with confidence so yes it is a phone ^_^. Yeah it will be compared to an iphone but still, they have the same function so it is comparable.
Plus if you think about it, other than samsung, no tablet so far that promotes an alternative input like stylus, but they are still called as a tablet. So no a phablet acronym isn't necessary.
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hansip87 said:
For me though, the definition is this:
A phone: a communication tool that has embedded earpiece into it, plus pocketable.
A tablet: a media tool that doesn't have direct calling capability so no ear piece to it. And plus it is not pocketable (must be put on the bag)
A phablet word actually isn't required nowadays. The only cause it exists was because Samsung made an ad for the note 1 ("a phone? Or a tablet?") so people starts to make an acronym for that. But actually they should be classified still as a phone because of such characteristics i described above.
Plus XZU should be still called phone because it is pocketable. I still put it on my chest pocket with confidence so yes it is a phone ^_^. Yeah it will be compared to an iphone but still, they have the same function so it is comparable.
Plus if you think about it, other than samsung, no tablet so far that promotes an alternative input like stylus, but they are still called as a tablet. So no a phablet acronym isn't necessary.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree I use my xperia z ultra as a phone, I make calls on it, however I also sold my tablet, because of I have no need for it anymore.
So if it's not a tablet why don't I want one anymore? Something no other phone managed to do, including note 2.
I guess the z ultra is truly an all in one device, a tablet that I enjoy to carry around everywhere with me because it's smaller, because I don't have two carry two devices, and last but not least, I have to because it's my phone.
I really believe that z ultra is ahead of its time having it for a few months now the size has become normal for me, even putting it next to my ear is not weird anymore like when I first got it. I believe in about a year or max two. This will become normal large size smartphones.
The only thing that puts me off the xperia z ultra is the word phablet.
I hate that word! It churns my stomach, makes me think of someone doing a large poo!
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I agree with the OP
My brother has had two phablets, I think both CN built units - one a ZTE. Both have been in the 7 - 8 inch with full calling ability. These are way too big to be called phones and really on the small side for tablet.