How big a mobile device do you want to tote?
With the latest-generation of tablets and smart phones only a few years old, manufacturers are still trying to figure out which size buyers want.
Still, there’s only so many ways a portable computing device can be distinguished from a competitors’, and screen size is one of them. Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S4 (5-in. screen), and the even larger Galaxy Note II (5.5-in.), have shown that there are plenty of buyers who think bigger is better. Two weeks ago Canaccord Genuity financial analyst Michael Walkley said in a note to investors that the Galaxy S4 is eating into iPhone 5 sales. On the other hand, he also said research shows softening demand for high-tier smartphones.
The most logical time for any maker to release a new device will be in late August for the back to school buying period.
Computerworld U.S. quotes an industry analyst as saying a larger iPad connected to a wireless keyboard would follow the lead of some Windows 8 computer manufacturers, who have so-called 2-in-one convertible PCs.