The sales of “phablets,” or large-screen smartphones, manufactured by Korea’s two handset makers ― Samsung and LG ― took up more than 90 percent of the global market, according to a U.S. market research firm.

Strategy Analytics said Sunday that Samsung Electronics secured about 78 percent market share in the third quarter. LG Electronics accounted for about 14 percent market share.

A combination of “phone” and “tablets,” phablets are touch-screen devices that are larger than smartphones but smaller than tablet PCs in size ― usually ranging from five to seven inches ― such as the Samsung Galaxy Note series and LG Optimus Vu series.

Assuming that the world’s phablet business sold about 3.7 million units of phablets in the third quarter, the research firm estimated Samsung sold about 2.89 million units and LG about 520,000 units.

Strategy Analytics pointed out that the global sales of phablet involved about 100,000 phablets in 2010, which leaped to about 3 million in 2011 and about 17 million in 2012. The market research firm predicted that the number would soar to about 95 million units in 2017.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)