Further evidencing a months-old report on the rise of phablets, the 5.5-inch version of the iPhone 6 is most popular in the region of the world where larger phones are expected to do the most harm to the tablet market.
While the 4.7-inch version of Apple's latest smartphone is by far the most popular of the two 6-series iPhones, the 5.5-inch variant, the Plus, is seeing its greatest success in Asian countries. News of the iPhone 6's global adoption was released in a report by mobile marketing firm AppLovin.
In general, the 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 enjoys an adoption rate of approximately 80 percent around the world and the larger phablet variant accounts for the other 20 percent, according to AppLovin's report. But that split doesn't lean as heavily in the favor of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in South Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines.
"In a region where phablet sales equal that of laptops and tablets combined, 6 Plus usage is consistently over 35 percent higher than iPhone 6 usage in the APAC (Asia-Pacific) countries," stated AppLovin report.
The phones are split 29/71 in South Korea, 65/35 in China, 36/64 in Japan, 36/64 in Vietnam and 37/63 in the Philippines, with the smaller smartphone beating out the phablet in each country. The U.S. follows the average split of 20/80.
"No one expected iPhone 6 Plus to match or surpass the heights of iPhone 6, but usage was more robust than expected -- especially in areas where phablets are already popular," states the report. "It's clear that with the 6 Plus, Apple has more than just a niche player on its hands."
In a July report examining the PC and mobile market, research firm Garner projected phablets would continue to grab traction in the market. Sales of high-end tablets were expected to slow as consumers looked for more economical products with seven- to 10-inch screens, as well as smartphones that offered the best of both worlds.
"Lower demand from users for tablets with smaller screens, some in favor of larger screens, in mature markets, and the shift toward phablets in South-East Asia are slowing global tablet penetration," stated Gartner.
Along with confirming that Asian countries are still in love with phablets, AppLovin also found that adoption of iOS 8 has been slower than that of iO7. However, the firm expects adoption of iOS 8 to pick up as users have no choice but to accept the OS on newer devices.
