Trend to bigger device displays recorded

There’s an ongoing trend to bigger screen sizes on desktop monitors, televisions, smartphones, GPS devices and even portable media players, U.S. research says.

A study by NPD DisplaySearch shows the diagonal measurement of displays on almost all electronic devices is increasing, with the exception of “mobile PCs,” a category including laptops, netbooks, Ultrabooks, and tablets, Slash Gear reported Tuesday.

The increase is especially prevalent in smartphones, which will see a whopping 38 percent increase in screen size by 2013 as compared to 2010, NPD DisplaySearch said.

Much of that is represented by so-called phablets, smartphones with 5-inch screens almost approaching tablet computer in display real estate.

Flat-screen television will also see an ongoing increase in screen size as price reductions make larger units more affordable, the study found.

Smaller form-factor laptops and Ultrabooks generally top out at 15 inches, a figure unlikely to change for some time, while tablets with screens larger than 10 inches are often seen as too large or bulky.

Copyright 2012 by United Press International