Samsung Galaxy Mega follows Note 2, but are phablets a fad?

Mega! Samsung has reportedly turned to 1980s slang to name its next line of mid-sized tablets: successors to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 could be called the Samsung Galaxy Mega range.

If Sammobile is correct, the Samsung Mega lineup will kick off with 5.8- and 6.3-inch devices roughly halfway through the year. If you're not sure about the name, at least it's better than the previously rumoured 'Fonblet'.

The Note was the first device to bridge the gap between phones and tablets, unable to make up its mind if its a large blower or a small slate. The success of the Note and its successor the Note 2 has prompted rival manufacturers to come up with their own inbetweeners, such as the LG Optimus Pro, HTC Buttefly and Huawei Ascend Mate.

Some might refer to these in-between screens as 'phablets', but they'd better not do it anywhere near me.

Despite the larger screen being perfectly suited to surfing the Web and streaming video while you're out and about, it seems big screens don't necessarily equate to more data use. In new figures from industry experts Flurry Analytics, 'phablets' use just two per cent of the data consumed by mobile devices, whereas smart phones between 3.5 and 4.9 inches -- iPhone size to Samsung Galaxy S3 size, basically -- account for more than two thirds of data consumed. 

Admittedly, there are lots more smart phones out there than there are 'phablets' -- it's still a relatively new form of device after all. But Flurry has even gone so far as to call 'phablets' "a fad."

Are in-between screens here to stay or are 'phablets' a fad? Is the Note the best of both worlds, or neither fish now fowl? Make a note of your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.