Stefan Constantinescu:

The long rumored Samsung Galaxy Mega product family has just been made official. As expected, there are two devices in the Mega portfolio, the Mega 5.8 and the Mega 6.3. Starting with the larger model, it has a 6.3 inch 720p TFT display, a dual core 1.7 GHz processor, 1.5 GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera, and a massive 3,200 mAh battery. In terms of dimensions, SamMobile nailed them: 88 mm × 167.6 mm × 8.0 mm. The whole thing weighs 199 grams.

Yes, this is going to look ridiculous, but we said that about the Note as well. Turns out there is a significant market, particularly in Asia. Two points:

• These phablets (embrace the name, people) provide a really great experience with many of the new OTT messaging apps, such as LINE. In Asia, LINE et al are the primary means of communication (not voice).
• In countries without a carrier subsidization model, buying both a phone and tablet is much more cost prohibitive; it makes financial sense to buy just one device that serves both functions:

  Carrier-subsidized country (such as the US): High-end phone = $199, Tablet = $299

  Non-subsidized country (including much of Asia): High-end = $599, Tablet = $299, Phablet = $599

In the long run, phablets are a much greater threat to iPads than are Android tablets.