Thoughts on a Smartphone Versus a Tablet

When we wrote last week about the new Samsung GS3we expressed our view that the smartphone platform is core to the future and although the tablet is ‘sexy’ looks great it is somewhat a half way house still looking for a home. We expected a kickback and received many in various forums.

Pew have now released research which claims that the smartphones are changing how people interact , search and engage with real time information on the move. There claims are about discovering places, arranging meetings, resolving debates, finding up to the minute sports scores, getting traffic updates and accessing live transport information. In other words smart phones are about connecting to the information world in real time and on demand. Smartphones have the added advantage of SMS and making calls. So are tablets transient like the iPod, or ‘must have’ media and games players and where will the divide fall and convergence happen. Do we really expect everyone to carry a smartphone and a tablet everywhere when there is a huge overlap in functionality and basically its coming down to size? Does Size really matter or is it an urban myth? How many tablets are 3G connected and fully switched on and how many are just WiFI connected?

We can all applaud the penetration Apple has made with their iPad and the lack of any real contender today, but is this more down to the Apple ‘gloss’ and spin than the real need. Others manufacturers have tried and failed to gain a foothold in the tablet marketplace and yet the same basic offers dominate the smartphone market and currently outstrip Apple’s iPhone. Does this make sense or has the Emperor merely got new clothes.

The Pew report doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know, but its still surprising how iPad users defend their device needs whilst phone users have little call to defend theirs.

Since Posting this piece i have been made aware of this interesting piece which is worth reading Technology Review,'Are Smart Phones Spreading Faster than Any Technology in Human History'