Samsung adds more size to its phablets

Samsung Electronics decided to improve Phablets, a cross between a phone and a tablet, have been on a roll since late 2011 as tech interested consumers, particularly in Asia, devote more time browsing data-heavy Web pages and downloading media content. Even Samsungs flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone, released in April this year, has a 5-inch screen that puts it squarely in the phablet category for some analysts.

Once mocked for its inadequate size, the tech giant is seeking to impress its followers with even bigger screens and even possibly with a curved one. Today, Samsung kicked off global sales of its latest Galaxy Note 3 smartphone in Seoul. The phablet, which has a 5.7-inch screen and costs $990 in South Korea without a carrier contract, will be available in 140 nations by October.

Canalys the Singapore-based research firm is estimating overall global shipments of 993 million smartphones this year and expects smartphones with 5.1-6 inch screens to make up 6% of the market in 2013.

“Were certainly seeing a shift for large-screen phones, but the vast majority of volumes are sub-5-inch – over 90 percent,” said Rachel Lashford, an analyst at Canalys. “We would need to see devices at lower price points and from a much wider range of vendors, including Apple, to go beyond these forecasts.”

Samsung says the so called phablets are largely popular in markets such as China, South Korea, Europe and Southeast Asia. To increase the value and appeal of its phablet devices, the company has introduced accessories such as the Galaxy Gear smartwatch. The device allows users to make calls, displays messages, records videos and snaps photos, all while the users phone stays in the pocket or handbag. Samsung is now planning to introduce a smartphone with a curved display next month, potentially another variant of the Note 3.

The Note line has since grown in stature every year since its first-generation 5.3-inch screen. The Note 3s screen is nearly two-thirds bigger than Apples 3.5-inch iPhone, and manufacturers are increasingly adopting immense screens dangerously close to tablet territory.

However, Samsung shares slumped 0.7% in Asian trade session.