The word phablet gets thrown around a lot, but it doesn’t have a concrete definition that makes it easy to classify devices. Would you call the 5.0 inch Galaxy S4 a phablet? No, but the analysts at IDC consider it to be a big screen device, which is something I think we can all agree on. So the next question we should ask ourselves: How many of these big (5.0 inches to 7.0 inches) screened devices shipping during the third quarter of this year? The answer might shock you: Over 42 million. That’s 21% of the 211.6 million smartphones sold during said quarter.

What’s even more impressive is just how big that number is compared to the same quarter a year ago, when “phablets” made up just 3% of the market. In other words, in the span of just 12 months, we’ve gone from big phones being a niche to making up a fifth of the market.

But what if you don’t like big phones? I’m sorry to say this, but there aren’t a lot of options for you. And trust me, I used to carry a 3.5 inch iPhone 4 until January of this year. Once I switched to the 5.5 inch Galaxy Note II, I instantly made a promise to myself that I’d never go back to such a diminutive display. So why don’t you give big phones a try and see how you get on with them. Worst comes to worst you can sell the device.