Apple finally entered the large-screen smartphone category with the new iPhone 6 lineup, although the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus could eat into iPad Mini sales.

According to the Trefis Team on Forbes, Apple iPad sales slowed down in 2014 and will further be affected in 2015 by the iPhone 6 Plus phablet, especially those of the iPad Mini. The Trefis Team is made up of MIT engineers and Wall Street analysts.

"While the Mini is still likely to prove popular with customers who seek an affordable, easy to use tablet with a comfortable viewing experience (130% more area than the iPhone 6 Plus), the one-device-fits-all proposition of the iPhone 6 Plus is likely to hurt sales," writes the Trefis Team. "We believe that an iPhone 6 Plus customer will be less inclined to purchase an iPad Mini, given that the iPhone 6 Plus provides a good balance in terms of functionality, screen size and portability."

A large part of this is due to the fact that the base 16GB iPhone 6 Plus runs $299 with a two-year contract, a price that is the exact same as an iPad Mini 2 and $100 cheaper than an iPad Mini 3. Granted, this option does require a contract or else the iPhone 6 Plus costs $749, a price difference that definitely warrants looking at against a tablet that can be hundreds of dollars cheaper.

The Trefis Team does go on to state, however, they do not have actual data on iPhone 6 Plus sales on hand, but that the "trend towards shrinking tablet sales and expanding phablet sales is evident."

Still, the team also says that this shift in sales shouldn't affect Apple's bottom line. In fact, the iPhone 6 Plus should have an overall positive effect on Apple's future, especially thanks to its higher profit margin.

"The thicker margins on the new iPhone 6 Plus models should more than make up for potentially lost sales of the iPad Mini. In addition to the healthy margins, the iPhone 6 Plus is likely to have a positive impact on Apple's overall product strategy," the Trefis Team said. "The 6 Plus could drive some customers to purchase Apple's larger screen iPads such as the iPad Air and iPad Air 2 instead of the Mini, which could positively impact iPad ASPs and margins."

Would you replace having an iPad Mini with an iPhone 6 Plus? Let us know in the comments section below.