Large-screen smartphones were ridiculed during their first few years of existence, often reserved for true technology enthusiasts. If you wanted a mobile device with a large display, you bought a tablet... which is exactly what millions of people did.
The narrative around phablets has slowly changed as of late, however. Manufacturers are convincing people that it's acceptable to look silly talking into a giant phone because they're invaluable when it comes to web use and more importantly, media consumption.
And with Apple now in the phablet market, all bets are off.
Media consumption is key, however, because that's what tablets are best at. With capable large-screen phones now in the hands of millions, many are spending less and less time with their once-beloved tablets.
Apple has all but abandoned the iPad mini. iPad sales in general are expected to turn in a yearly decline for the first time ever. And after seeing the latest data from Pocket, there's really no way around it: phablets are cannibalizing tablet sales.
By looking at user data from its save-for-later reading and video app, Pocket has noticed a major shift in tablet usage. As you can see in the graphic above, iPhone 6 Plus users are now only reaching for their iPads 20 percent of the time versus nearly half of the time for iPhone 5s users.
Pocket also found that a bigger screen also means people are watching more video and leaving their second device at home.
If you have a large-screen smartphone and a tablet, we'd love to hear your input. Do you find that you reach for your tablet less since purchasing a big phone like the iPhone 6 Plus, Note 4, LG G3 or Nexus 6 (assuming of course that you got the phone after the tablet)?