The “Phablet”, or phone- tablet, was once a humorous description for the latest of the large screen handheld devices. With the iPad Mini, and similar Android devices, taking the connectivity world by storm, many thought these middle-of-the-road devices, smartphones with larger than “normal” screens, would be little more than a passing fad.

However, there’s no denying these larger phones are catching on with mainstream consumers. In less than three years, phablets have become the fastest growing handheld segment. Almost 200 million shipments have been placed this year alone. Many consumers see the value in screens measuring between 5.5 and 7 inches with voice capabilities.

Research firm IDC expects phablet shipments to grow at an increasing annual rate over the next four years. Part of this year’s growth would be significantly boosted by the introduction of a 5.5-inch Apple iPhone 6, widely expected to launch next week. By 2018, IDC predicts that 24.4 percent of all connected devices that year would be larger screen devices.

Is there an upper size limit to what people will comfortably carry around? Everyone’s different, of course, so that answer will vary based on our own individual needs and choices. The ability to multitask and even run multiple apps at the same time is easier to do on devices with larger screens.And many consumers have warmed to the larger screens for video playback and for web content.

While the once derivative and funny name remains, phablets are now here to stay. The mix of large screens and portability will continue as consumers find the very best of both for their particular and unique needs.