Are phablets a fad?

The 'Is it a phone or is it a tablet' device, also known as phablet, has been getting a lot of attention lately. But so far, the device makes up only a tiny portion of the global mobile market, according to a new study.

Flurry, a mobile analytics company, found that of the 200 most popular device models used worldwide in February, only two per cent had screens between 5 inches and 6.9 inches falling under the category of phablets, such as Samsung's Galaxy Note. The vast majority of mobile users - 69 per cent - opted for models with 3.5-inch to 4.9-inch screens, such as Apple's iPhone, the company said.

The study says while 16 per cent of the device models in the market are small phones, they account for only 7 per cent of active devices once users per device are taken into account and 4 per cent of overall app sessions. The opposite is true for tablets, which account for 7 per cent of the top 200 device models yet 15 per cent of all active users and 13 per cent of all app sessions. Full-size tablets are ideal for using applications and therefore see a higher percent of sessions. They also have more users per device model. The study says developers need to remain focused on devices most used by consumers.

Virtual product placement
Viewers of soap opera Pavitra Rishta might think that husband and wife Manav and Archana are fans of Tilda, a brand of packaged rice. There it is, after all prominent on the kitchen shelf. Anyone watching the show being filmed, though, won't necessarily come to the same conclusion, because on the sets there's no Tilda. Instead, the package of rice is digitally added to scenes in the drama from broadcaster Zee TV.

Zee's owner Subhash Chandra likes the idea so much that he's investing 3 million pounds ($4.6 million) in MirriAd, the London company that sells the digital product placement technology. Earlier backers will kick in another 600,000 pounds. Zee aims to use digital product placement across India and elsewhere in Asia.

MirriAd says its technology helps advertisers reach more eyeballs since TV viewing drops off by an average 25 per cent during breaks and audiences find banner ads and pop-up messages annoying.

The startup has built an impressive client list: for pet owners concerned with doggie dental care, Pedigree DentaStix were featured in a "dogumentary" on Sky1. MirriAd placed PGTips tea brand on contestants' mugs in Channel 4·s "Deal or No Deal."