While Dell was the first to launch the Dell Streak to bridge the gap between a tablet and a smartphone, it was Samsung that successfully put the idea to work with the Galaxy Note. Now, HTC plans to enter the 5-inch ‘phablet’ space with a flagship model equipped with a 5-inch display, featuring a resolution of 1794x1080 pixels, reports DigiTimes. Further, this flagship 5-incher from HTC is likely to hit markets by September or October this year.
This unnamed device by HTC is already set for some competition as Samsung plans to launch a sequel to its successful Galaxy Note at an event on August 29, about two weeks before the possible debut of Apple's new iPhone. The two arch rivals are bracing for a full-blown battle with the expected rollouts of the two key models launching as they lock horns in a high-stakes patent trial in the United States. South Korean media reports speculate the new Galaxy Note may feature an unbreakable, 5.5-inch display - slightly larger than the current one - as well as a faster processor and a much better camera. Samsung, once a laggard in the smartphone market, overtook Apple last year to become the world's largest smartphone maker.
The South Korean firm is looking to defend its supremacy by refreshing its line-up ahead of the launch of the fifth version of Apple's iPhone, widely expected to be released in October this year. LG has also tested waters in this screen size by flaunting the 5-inch display clad Optimus Vu. In May this year, the company had announced a 5-inch, full HD LCD panel for smartphones – the highest resolution mobile panel to date, giving a clear indication that the 720p display on current top-end smartphones won't reign supreme for long. This new, 5-inch Full HD LCD panel appeared to be a step forward from the existing mobile display technology, based on AH-IPS (Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching) technology. The display featured a 440ppi and a resolution of 1920x1080 pi8xels, providing for the first time, Full HDTV quality on a smartphone. It ropes in a new generation of In-Plane Swtiching for better colour accuracy, which in turn, allows it to reproduce the original colour without any distortion. In addition to this, it provides greater light transmission, which translates to lower power consumption, while delivering exceptional picture quality, thereby making it ideal for use in outdoor settings. It also provides for better viewing angles with more stability.
If you look at the existing display technologies, the iPhone 4S has an IPS panel with a 326 ppi (pixels per inch) resolution. The HTC One X has a resolution of 312 ppi with a super IPS screen and a 720p display. The Galaxy S III comes with 306 ppi, while the popular Galaxy Note has 285 ppi.