I've been waiting for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) to introduce a phablet. Come next year, I may get my wish.
Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White recently predicted that an iPhone approaching five inches in size could "become a reality in 2014," CNET reported. Analysts at Jefferies and DisplaySearch have made similar predictions.
Apple investors should hope they're right. ABI Research pegged phablet sales at 83 million devices last year. Another 150 million could sell before the end of 2013, the firm says.
What's more, statistics show that iOS users like me are notorious data consumers. We tend to use our handsets not so much as phones, but as handheld computers. Larger screens would be a welcome addition for most, I think.
In the meantime, I've been seriously considering the Moto-X handset because of how deftly the phone handles Google's services. Also, I think Google Now is far ahead of Siri when it comes to bringing smartphone services to life.
Of course it's also possible that comedian T.J. Miller's impersonation of a slothful iPhone may be influencing me more than I'd care to admit:
Sources: YouTube, Google.
But I'm also a happy owner of an iPhone 4s and among the 200 million-plus who have upgraded to iOS 7. If only the 4s screen weren't so cramped. If only working on an iPhone felt less like working on a phone and more like working on the world's most awesome handheld computer.
A larger-screen iPhone 6 could change the dynamic. Will it happen? Let us know what you think about the prospects for an Apple phablet in the comments box below.
Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the Motley Fool Rule Breakers stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He owned shares of Apple and Google at the time of publication. Check out Tim's web home and portfolio holdings or connect with him on Google+, Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.
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