Tablet vs Mobile Usage A look inside the differences between user interactions with tablet and smartphone devices By: Maura Robinson
Overview The following research examines the differences in the usage behavior between smartphone and tablet devices.The intent of the research is to provide insight into how user interactions with smartphones and tablets differ by examining multiple areas of interest including: Location, Tasks, Emotional State, Behavior, and Design Implications. A section on the blurring line between Tablet and PC informs of the evolution of the tablet into extended functionality, mimicking the capabilities of PCs. Information was collected from a range of sources including: EBSCO Database, Forrester Research, Adobe, and several technology writers.
High Level Summary: Location Where are Mobile Devices used vs.Tablets? ● ●
Mobile Devices are used everywhere mostly on the go, in stores, outdoors, during transportation (car,bus, train), and while multitasking Tablets are primarily used in the home 65% of users in one survey noted that they watch TV while using the tablet. Users were also more likely to be homebased (80%), while 14% use tablets on the go and 6.5% use tablets at work.
Tasks What is the difference in tasks conducted on smartphone vs. tablet? ● Mobile Devices are primarily used for communication, and for short, quick, directed tasks such as creating and storing shopping lists, quick Internet searches and tasks that don’t require much more than 15 minutes of time. ● Tablets are used more frequently for passive activities referred to as “lazy browsing” such as watching videos or movies, and reading. It’s also commonly used for checking email and news.
Emotional State What state are users in when using each device? ●
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Mobile Devices are an outofthepocket, onthego device often used to store or retrieve specific information in a short amount of time. Users are often looking for this specific information in a pointed manner, however these users are often multitasking while searching for information. This means less direct attention and more need for stratified, straighttothepoint content. Tablet users assume a "leanback" position that puts them in a different, receptive mental mode. They are more likely to consume content in a relaxed, information gathering, research mode. This causes tablet users to have a different mindset about what problems they're trying to solve.
Behavior What is the usage behavior like between devices? ● ●
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Phones are personal but tablets are shared. Tablets are often used as a family device that gets passed around and used for shared games or reading. Tablets are conducive to cross device use.Consumers who own both smartphones and tablets don’t spend less time using their smartphones, which indicates that tablets complement smartphones, increasing time spent on tech devices and not taking away from it. Usage changes throughout the day. Mornings equal quick checks on the smart phone for appointments or balances. Then users shift to workbased devices like PCs. Later in the day, smartphone use picks up again. Consumers devote a significant amount of time to their tablets, with 26% using them daily between 1 to 4 hours, and 7% reporting more than 5 hours per day of usage.
Blurring of lines between tablet and PC How are these changes reflected in the market in terms of user perception, product classification and hardware and software offerings? ● ● ● ●
Perception of the Market Product Classification: Google handheld Hardware: Helix, Galaxy Tab Software: iOS 9
Design Implications What can designers do to leverage this information in their designs? ●
Work to deliver devicespecific experiences to visitors
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Gestures and interactions Layout and screen size Browsing behavior and mental state
Infographics Interesting statistics about Tablet and Mobile Use
Location Where are Mobile Devices used vs. Tablets? ● Tablets are portable, while smartphones are pocketable. This means that tablets are mostly used in the living room, while smartphones are used within the home and also on the go. Mobile phones are also the most personal devices people use, while tablets are often shared with spouses, partners, or children. (Etter, 2013) ● There are overlaps in terms of use case for smartphones and tablets, as both are used in the home, and both are used to consume some type of content. Smartphones are being used outdoors and on the go more often.(Etter, 2013)
● Where are people typically using smartphones? (Digital Intelligence, 2013)
â—? Where are people typically using tablets? (Digital Intelligence, 2013)
â—? When it comes to tablet usage, as expected, users are more likely to be home-based (80%), while 14% use tablets on the go and 6.5% use tablets at
work. Considering that consumers said 80% of tablet use happens at home, it is likely the reason why tablet users spend more at online retailers than Smartphone users (Forrester, 2014) ● Tablets are largely in-home devices that lends itself well to cross device usage. Of tablet owners, 65% report using their tablet while watching TV at least once per day, while 41% use their tablet and smartphone simultaneously at least once a day. We see tablets as a companion to smartphones, but certainly not a replacement—they’re most often owned by people aged 35+ who can afford the extra technology. (Exacttarget, 2014)
Tasks What is the difference in tasks conducted on smartphone vs. tablet? ● Content and services being accessed by smartphone and tablet users are very different: While visitors largely use tablets for what is called “lazy internet”—consuming media and content, as well as browsing—they tend to prefer smartphones primarily for communication, content snacking, and using mobile apps.(Etter, 2013) ● While consumers engage with a broad spectrum of content and conduct diverse activities on tablets, communication and news are the most common , with 64% reporting using their tablets for email, 51% for news, 45% for videos, and 44% for weather. (Forrester, 2014) ● A tablet can handle advanced programs and detail oriented tasks that require more screen time, such as reading books, capturing meeting notes, watching videos or shopping. A larger smartphone is great for shopping lists, quick Internet searches and tasks that don’t require much more than 15 minutes of time. (CTIA, 2014) ● The breakdown for activities on Tablet vs. Smartphone goes as follows: Email (69%) and searching for info online (70%) are the most popular activities to perform on tablets at least once a day; for smartphones, it’s email (91%) and text messaging (90%). Tablets are used more frequently than smartphones for passive activities like watching videos or movies (40% do this on a tablet, vs.
30% on a smartphone) and reading (57% do this on a tablet, while 43% do this on a smartphone). (Exacttarget, 2014)
Emotional State What psychological state are users typically in when using each device? ● People have différent mindsets when using each device. Phones are out-of-the-pocket, on-the-go devices, so users are more likely to be multitasking, on the go, and out of their home during use. This means less direct attention and greater need for stratified, straight-to-the-point content. ● While desktops are primarily "lean-forward" work devices, tablet users assume a "lean-back" position that puts them in a different, receptive mental mode. Tablet users are more likely to consume content in a relaxed, informationgathering, research mode. This causes tablet users to have a different mindset about what problems they're trying to solve. ● "Users go home to their families, relax, play with the kids, and want an easy,shared browsing experience so they pick up their tablets. There's no difference in people but in intent and time spent." (Totty,2014) ● "Smartphones are mostly used on the run, in a car, or at the store where users are looking for quick information. Tablet users spend twice as much time on their devices, which allows them to do more complex actions like set up bill pay or apply for loans." (Totty, 2014)
Behavior What is the usage behavior like between devices? ● Three groups are most likely to own tablets: • Those earning $75-$100K (81% own tablets) • Those earning $100K+ (79% own tablets) • Consumers aged 35-44 (81% own tablets) (Exacttarget, 2014) ● Consumers who own both smartphones and tablets don’t spend less time using their smartphones, which indicates that tablets complement smartphones,
increasing time spent on tech devices and not taking away from it. (Exacttarget, 2014) ● Consumers devote a significant amount of time to their tablets, with 26% using them daily between 1 to 4 hours, and 7% reporting more than 5 hours per day of usage (Forrester, 2014) ● For consumers who own both a smartphone and tablet, the primary device is still the smartphone (77%), but tablets are making strong headway as a primary device, up from 12% in 2012 to 23% in 2013 (Forrester, 2014) ● Tablets are now generating more website traffic than smartphones. There is a strong consumer preference to interact with websites and engage with content on the larger screen size. ● According to a recent Adobe Digital Index analysis of website visit activity, mobile users on average view 70% more pages per visit when browsing with a tablet compared to a smartphone. (Adobe, 2013) ● The share of website visits from tablets grew approximately 10 times faster than the rate of smartphones within two years of market introduction and grew more than 300% in the last year. This rapid growth is driven by both higher tablet shipments and disproportionately higher website visits per tablet. Tablets’ share of website traffic will exceed smartphone traffic by early 2013 and reach 10% of total website traffic in early 2014. (Adobe, 2013) ● Phones are personal but tablets are shared. They're more of a family device that gets passed around and used for shared games or reading. (Totty, 2014) ● Will Furrer, Q2eBanldng's senior vice president, product and marketing, says differences in mobile device use depend on time of day and purpose."Mornings equal quick checks on the smart phone for appointments or balances. Then consumers shift to work-based devices like PCs. Later in the day, smartphone use picks up again. (Totty, 2014)
Blurring of the lines between Tablet and PC How are these changes reflected in the market in terms of user perception, product classification and hardware and software offerings? Insights from the Industry:
● “Anecdotally, we see the blurring in perception between “Computer” and “Tablet”. It’s likely because users don’t distinguish between OS’s, devices, browsers- it’s just an “internet access point” if we’re removing our technical biases.” - Frank Spillers ● Tablets provide engagement levels nearly equivalent to desktop and laptop computers. Tablets are transforming how consumers and brands interact on the web, offering an experience more engaging than smartphones and competitive to personal computers (“PC”). (Forrester, 2014) PC vs. Tablet Usage ● Although consumers consider the tablet website experience to be nearly as engaging as with PCs, they use PCs to visit websites three times as frequently as tablets. However, near-term developments in the tablet market will erode the advantages of PC-browsing, causing consumers to shift more website visits from PCs to tablets. Given explosive growth in visits from tablets, brands should invest now to understand how the consumer shift to tablets is impacting their business and make course corrections to their digital marketing and media strategies to catch up with this tablet transformation. (Adobe, 2013) ● A study by adobe noted that many customers still prefer PC to tablet for certain tasks: Reasons why consumers use PCs more frequently than tablets include the following: ○ Preference for the PC form factor. ○ PCs offer larger (and multiple) screens,full keyboards, access to desktop software and browsers, and faster broadband access—especially at work. ○ Convenient access to PCs. Most tablet owners have easy access to laptops or other PCs at home and/ or work and frequently use them for many purposes in addition to visiting websites
○ Availability of mobile apps for tablets. Tablets allow consumers to choose engaging brand experiences via websites or mobile apps. When consumers use mobile apps, they reduce traffic to websites. ○ Relatively few tablet-optimized websites. The majority of brand websites are not yet optimized for smartphones, let alone tablets. ● As Tablet hardware and software improve, the functionality of tablets rapidly begins to match the functionality of computers. ● Consumers consider tablets and PCs to be nearly interchangeable for media consumption and for repeated interactions with financial service providers. However, they are less likely to accomplish the purpose of these visits using smartphones. This suggests that consumers consider tablets to be similar to PCs for visits that are repeated, routine, involve passive consumption of content, and so on. (Adobe, 2013) The Future of the Tablet: ● As the tablet market matures, the advantages of PC browsing will erode, causing consumers to use tablets to visit brand websites more frequently. To engage customers who use tablets, brands should adopt tablet-specific strategies instead of offering experiences identical to those of smartphones or PCs. (Adobe, 2013) ● Tablets are already upending the traditional PC market. Forrester Research recently predicted “a new form of PC, called frames, that will rise as a result of tablets and other technology innovations and [that] tablets will cannibalize laptops but not the new forms of desktop PCs.1 Similarly, a Wall Street Journal column advised delaying laptop purchases prior to the impending release of new software, hardware, and processors designed to enable touch/tablet interfaces. (Adobe, 2013) Hardware: ● The Galaxy Note and Galaxy Tab families were created to address changing consumer needs for more robust capabilities on the tablet. Samsung Mobile created the phablet trend with the introduction of the Galaxy Note and extended this trend with the introduction of the Galaxy Note II. The Galaxy Note family offers a big enough screen to work productively and comes with the S Pen to further enhance productivity. The Galaxy Tab family offers a bigger
screen for both entertainment and productivity while maintaining its portability but doesn’t have the S Pen or calling features. ● Example of a University switching from PC to Tablet: In a 2012 pilot, Seton Hall University equipped one-third of freshmen and juniors with Samsung Series 7 tablets running Win8. The school handled the OS unfamiliarity by mandating a brief training session, after which students "took to Windows 8 immediately," says Seton Hall CIO Stephen Landry, with three-quarters preferring it to prior Windows versions. This year, Seton Hall plans to give each first- and third-year student a Lenovo ThinkPad Helix, a tablet that docks into a keyboard to double as a laptop. During previous trials, students said they couldn't be productive with Android tablets. But with the Helixes, the students will have "all the tools they want and need," Landry says. ● Detachable laptop-tablets such as Helix represent a "sweet spot," says Seton Hall associate CIO Paul Fisher, adding that Microsoft Office will be important until Internet connections are ubiquitous. "Google Apps doesn't meet student needs," Fisher says. "If an athlete is on the bus, and has a paper to turn in when he gets back, he needs to be productive. Product Classification: ● Press Release from Google on the Blur Between PC & Tablet: “It is increasingly challenging to define what exactly a "mobile" platform is from period to period -- and what it will be going forward. For example, initially, most industry observers would have included tablets (in addition to handsets) in their definition of “mobile”. This was consistent with our internal view, as evidenced by the fact that the mobile revenue run-rates we released in the third quarters of 2011 and 2012 included both handset and tablet revenue. However, as tablets gained momentum in the market, it became clear to us that their usage had much more in common with desktops than with handsets . Accordingly, our campaign management tool , Enhanced Campaigns, launched in 2013, now requires a single bid for desktop and tablet ad campaigns. In a short period of time, the meaning of “mobile” at Google has shifted dramatically to “handset” from “tablet + handset”. We expect the definition of “mobile” to continue to evolve as more and more “smart” devices gain traction in the market.” - Google ● Google classifies tablets along with laptops rather than with phones because of how they are used. The fact that tablets run the same operating systems and
apps as smartphones creates some sort of relation between the devices, but isn't enough (at least in Google's view) for the two classes to both be considered "mobile devices". And, that idea makes sense. Phones are used in short bursts, and are the first device you'll reach for if you're away from home. Tablets are most often used in longer stretches as media consumption devices or for some old school web surfing. Tablets are most often used on the couch, in bed, or during your morning constitutional. Software: ● Software Updates: iOS 9 moves the iPad into the PC direction, borrowing cues, such as a sliding pane for showing a second app, from Windows 8 tablet PCs that will better satisfy the tasks of users on tablet. Features from iOS 9 that move tablets closers to PC functionality include: ● Ability to run apps side by side ● iCloud drive works more like a drive ● Sharing to notes, reminders and ibooks ● iOS on screen keyboard
Design Implications What can designers do to leverage this information in their designs? ● Most marketers are still lumping smartphones and tablets into the same mobile bucke- We believe this is the wrong approach. The solution: Companies should work to deliver device-specific experiences to visitors.(Etter, 2013) Example: ● Lufthansa is an example of this: ● Lufthansa’s tablet experience promotes colorful photos for an immersive browsing
experience, while the mobile experience promotes services for on-the-go smartphone visitors. ● Lufthansa is making the most of each device. The tablet experience offers a more immersive and rich-media experience. It’s about the discovery and exploration phase of the customer lifecycle, with videos and content from city guides about destination. ● On the other hand, Lufthansa’s mobile experience is far more focused on delivering a homescreen with task-oriented service options that will help the visitor on the go. While other website features are only a swipe away, allowing smartphone users to access service options immediately is a smart move. (Etter, 2013) Importance of Optimization ● Designing for the tablet experience, as well as responsive design that optimizes experiences for every device, are key tactics to maximize engagement and increase consumer satisfaction. Designers need to plan and prioritize optimization efforts for tablet experiences that are unique and different from smartphones, given the larger screen size. - Adobe ● Brands should not treat tablet visitors in the same way as visitors using PCs or smartphones. Rather, they should create separate, distinct strategies for engaging consumers through the tablet form factor. The relative importance of tablets will differ by industry and by customer visit objectives.- Adobe ● As tablets become a preferred method of accessing content, brands must cater to the user experience required by this device, whether by a separate mobile optimized site or a responsive site that alters its presentation and interface based on what device is accessing it. -(Exacttarget, 2014) Gestures and Interactions: ● Considerations for Gestures and Interactions: Inputting on phones involves thumbs or a single hand, while tablets have big, tactile screens
● Even though you want to present a consistent look across all devices, you have to provide the 'right experience' for tablet users by taking into account that they swipe, pinch, and zoom in a more exaggerated manner than smartphone users. You can't just take what you now have online and stick it on a tablet. Layout and IA: ● Tablets present richer images and bigger layouts, which means users are more willing and likely to explore content ● Presentation is critical as the tablet experience clearly is different from the smartphone experience. "A tablet app needs to be more informative than a smartphone app—there's more real estate.” ● Tablets are evolving differently than other mobile devices. "Taking advantage of users' receptiveness, we're seeing value-added features like calendars, calculators, task lists, and ways of imparting financial literacy or retirement planning knowledge. Tablet users are more curious in those areas than desktop, laptop, or smartphone users." -Adobe ● A new vocabulary has sprung up around tablets, with concepts like "thumb-touch zones," "gesture fonts," and "clean design." "What's happening right now is a touch-and-tablet revolution," Furrer says. "New rules apply. You have 20% less real estate with the smaller touch screen. But 80% must be focused on the primary objective of the page. There's no wasted space. Designers are forced to be intentional with every decision. And it must be optimized for high resolution devices. If it’s designed for the lower-resolution PC monitors, it will never translate over to the touch devices."
Infographics Interesting statistics about Tablet and Mobile Use
Other Sources Further reading on the topic http://www.phonearena.com/news/Googledoesntconsidertabletstobemobiledeviceshowdo youdefinemobile_id56705 http://www.neowin.net/news/wherewilltheconvergenceofmobileanddesktoptakewindows http://www.infoworld.com/article/2607739/macosx/appleisseriousaboutremovingthedistinct ionbetweendesktopandmobile.html http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp.bentley.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=b658efd2cdcc463e92aca 7232144e915%40sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=124&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d% 3d#AN=100804359&db=bth
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