A little while back, there were simple mobiles. A little later, they became advanced and there was a trend of smartphones majorly iPhones and Blackberry. Soon, the Apple launched its first iPad and it led to the rise of tablets. Although both these devices have a similar form factor and an almost similar touch-oriented interface, these devices are worlds apart in terms of user experience and user interface.
Though tablets seem to be a larger version of smartphones and there are many functions that they overlap, they are notably different in terms of their own audience. Further, there are differences in terms of activities they are used; the places that they are used at and the things people use them for.
Smartphones are mobile while tablets are home device:
Despite the fact that both these devices are portable, only smartphones are really considered mobile. A tablet is mostly seen as a home device, which is generally kept at a fixed position be it home or office. A report by Salesforce proves this fact by revealing that around 54% of users associate term “mobile” with smartphones. A mobile device refers to something that is mostly used on the go for shorter but more frequent intervals. The session length on mobile devices is half of that of a tablet, as while using tablets in home and offices, people tend to spend more time.
Users are different for tablets and smartphones:
Another major difference between tablets and smartphones is that of their users. Millennial who are aged between 18 and 34 are more interested in smartphones while the older generation prefers using tablets. This fact is proved by a report by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute. This difference is due to the fact that tablets are mostly considered as an entertainment device that gives you access to games, social networking or movies and videos. However, smartphones are more seen as communication devices.
It’s not only the type of users but also the number of users for smartphones and tablets are also different. A research proves that more than 60% of the US population owns a smartphone but that is not the case with tablets. Further, the number of smartphones users is continuously increasing owing to increased smartphone manufacturing in India and other countries with better features and innovative technology.
Another important aspect of smartphone and tablet users is that smartphones users keep their device as personal as they store a lot of personal and valuable information in it. On the other hand, tablets can be shared among the family members, and the office colleagues as well.
Differences in features, physical dimensions and other properties:
When it comes to physical dimensions, tablets and smartphones are nowhere comparable. Tablets are much bigger in size than smartphones. Generally, tablets are in between 7-inch to 10-inch size while the most of the smartphone manufacturing companies make smartphones in the range of 4-5.5 inches. Besides physical dimensions, they differ in terms of Internet connectivity. While smartphones have 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi options, tablets carry only Wi-Fi option. As a result, the use of tablets while on the go highly depends on the Wi-Fi availability.
Another major difference comes in the type of applications that can be used on these two devices. Some applications use becomes restricted due to the screen size difference in these two devices.
“When” and “What for” difference:
According to the Salesforce report, tablets are mostly used in the afternoon, evening hours or during weekends while smartphones are mainly used during office hours.
Secondly, the use of smartphones and tablets differ greatly. Smartphones are mainly communication devices while tablets never play the role of smartphones in terms of calling or sending messages. A phone is not only a device to make calls but it plays the role of a watch, works as a reminder, as a calendar, gives news updates, acts as an easy and continuous source of entertainment and works as a device to handle general official tasks.
Tablets are mainly entertainment devices, which are used for watching movies and videos, online shopping or playing games. Tablets can offer rich multimedia experience and thus allow users to have more computational capabilities.
On tablets one can spend long hours, however, smartphones are mainly glance-and-put-away devices.
On conclusion, we can say that tablet is a luxury while smartphones is a necessity. People can do without tablets but the current era demands to have a smartphone for sure. They both are completely different devices in terms of use and usage.
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