Tablets That Make Voice Calls Are On The Rise In Asia

Back in 2010, the first Samsung Galaxy Tab was announced and we’re sure many of us sniggered at users who actually used it to make voice calls. Even today we’re sure some of us think it’s ridiculous to put a giant phone to your ear since it doesn’t look very flattering, but apparently that is a trend that is catching on in Asia.

While many would consider it a tech faux pas to place tablets next to your ear to make phone calls, analysts at the IDC have found that the demand for tablets that can make phone calls are on the rise, with such devices commanding about 15% of the market in 2013, and rising to 25% in Q2 2014.

If you thought that number was high, the IDC found that in markets like India and Indonesia, voice-enabled tablets accounted for around half of total tablets sold. We’re not sure why people are turning to their tablets to make phone calls – perhaps they’d rather just spend money on one device rather than have a phone and a tablet.

Perhaps it could be the larger battery life on the tablet that makes it more appealing, along with the larger screen and so on, but what do you guys think? Could you ever see yourself using a tablet to make voice calls? After all, handsets like the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and the Hisense X1 kind of blur the line between tablets and smartphones, so what’s stopping users from going over the edge?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones, Tablets