If you are presently using a smartphone that is a year or two old, you may have noticed that your view of the cyber world is a bit smaller these days. Over the past several months, a new generation of large-screen devices have emerged that offer larger and much brighter screens. They are also incredibly thin and mobile, despite their much larger size than traditional smartphones.

Tablets have also evolved to offer devices and screens of all sizes that are increasingly more usable and portable than ever before. Notebook computers have also downsized into highly mobile "ultrabooks" that are thin, powerful and boast amazing new screen technologies.

Fueled by these new developments and designs, smartphone and tablet sales are expected to skyrocket over the next several years with Apple and Android devices driving the charge by dominating the current and future installed base and Windows ramping up fast with the most robust compound annual growth rate (69.2%) - although a long way to go in terms of market share (2.9% now and 10.3% expected by 2016), according to market researcher IDC.

Screen size and a larger viewing area have quickly become a leading purchase decision point as users scramble for the latest devices. Unfortunately, with larger screen devices comes an even greater responsibility for care since the screens can be more susceptible to damage and are expensive and difficult to replace. So, it makes sense to give some thought to pre-emptive protection by selecting devices with some degree of screen protection.

In this Special Report, we look at the trend toward larger-screen mobile devices and at some of the ways you can protect and avoid problems with larger screens.

- Tim Scannell, Editorial Director

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