There was a time when the only thing which men boasted “Mine is smaller than yours” was their mobile phones. But that is so 2010. As the mobile platform grew bigger to accommodate all the cool new multimedia features that 3G and 4G make it possible for us to have in our pockets, tablets became all the rage. The smartphone industry responded to the competition by making its mobiles bigger. Today, looking at macho men talking into palm-size phones in their SUVs it is clear that size, after all, matters.
These hybrids between phones and tablets are called (what else?) phablets and phone hardware companies are trying to woo customers with features not found in mobiles for customers who find tablets too unwieldy.
The most affordable Phablet we have seen so far in Kathmandu is the newly arrived Acer Liquid S1 Duo and we took one for a spin this week to see if we could ever get used to having a clunky phone the size of a Cadbury chocolate bar (and weighing nearly 200gm) in our pockets. We didn’t. So, if you are one of those small-is-beautiful types this one’s not for you. But if you usually store your phone in your shoulder bag and not your pocket, you travel a lot and don’t want to hold an iPad in your hands through a five hour flight, or you need larger fonts because of advancing years then this one’s for you.
So let’s look at the bright side. First, the price. At Rs 45,000 (excluding VAT) the S1 is a steal compared to its competitors in the market. It is the only one in its size class that has a double SIM, becoming really essential in Nepal because our two telecom companies are still not on speaking terms. The 5.7” screen is about the same as the competition, although the 1280 x 720 pixel definition is not as fine as the others. The Samsung and HTC are friskier and niftier, but for its price the Acer’s speed is adequate.
But what really blew Yantrick’s mind was the Swype keyboard which allows users to slide the finger across the keyboard and not key in letters. Swype is available in other phones as well, but on a Phablet it increases the speed and accuracy of texting. Typing as we know it may become extinct.
The S1 Duo comes with standard apps (weather, wifi hotspot, FM radio, LiveScreen, a double camera that can click with a “cheese” voice command etc). There is an apps shortcut page that can be customised and minimised so you can work on something else while it is open.
Yantrick’s Verdict: Phablets are a work in progress. If you don’t care about good looks, want an interim technology to get used to the size and weight of outsized phones that are smaller than tablets, and don’t want to splurge, the Acer S1Duo is for you.
And it’s a great way to practice your Swype.