Tablet vs. Smartphone, Which Do You Choose? [video]

Posted on 01 February 2012, Last updated on 17 March 2023 by

If you’re like me, having a computer, tablet, and smartphone in your life is too redundant to justify. I prefer a two-device lifestyle. And while my computer-supplement of choice is a smartphone, there are many out there who enjoy the advantages of a tablet and choose it as their go-to mobile device. You wouldn’t believe how much our very own Chippy gets done on his 7″ Samsung Galaxy Tab!

Our friends Nicole Scott and Sascha Pallenberg, of NetbookNews.com and NetbookNews.de respectively, have put together an entertaining usability comparison video featuring two of the hottest devices in the tablet and smartphone categories — the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7:

While Sascha and Nicole’s test uses somewhat unscientific criteria (“tray-ability”?!), their video brings up a great question: if you’re a two-device person, is a smartphone or tablet your second device, and why?

6 Comments For This Post

  1. rob says:

    which one? yes (galaxy note). then again, i went from the hp veer to the note so i feel like my phone/tablet is something bigger than it is.

  2. Sarig says:

    My phone now has a 3.9 inch screen, and it’s as big as I’m willing to go (I can just about reach all of it with my thumb, and can thus use it one-handed).

    But it’s not big enough, I feel, for a lot of tasks I’d use a tablet for – a type of product that I don’t own, if we ignore the convertible laptop I’m using now.

    So I’d be happy to go for a three-device solution if I could afford it;) However, I’d want something other than Android or iOS, which kind of leaves me in the dark until Win8 or GNU/Linux properly arrives for ARM. (MeeGo is brilliant, it just lacks someone willing to take the crazy gamble on it).

  3. Lee says:

    My 2 devices are a tablet and a smart phone so I get the best of both worlds. I have a computer at work and computers at home for doing serious work.

    I also actually save money with this configuration, since I use prepaid on my phone which so far I’ve averaged $18 per year, and my tablet has a data plan of about $35 per month.

    I really only use my smart phone for taking pictures, playing some games, watching 3d videos. And I feel somewhat embarrassed to carry a tablet with me into the bathroom at work so the smart phone is more convenient for stall surfing (its also easier to use with only one hand). :)

  4. Dan says:

    Galaxy Note and Thinkpad X220 tabletpc, two hybrids.
    While Galaxy Note is too wide for comfortable onehanded use, it does have fantastic resolution of 12800×800 rendering webpages as the would look on the desktop, is very comfortable for thumbtyping in either landscape or portrait(which wasnt so good on the S2), displays long todo list or 2 weeks detailed calendar view in Business Calendar. Perfect size for e-books. And its got a real wacom pen. Only thing it lacks is a physical thumbkeyboard and a good drawing note program that syncs to Evernote.

    The Thinkpad is THE laptop with evolutionary rather than “revolutionary”(read marketingfocused) design drawing on the experience from many years of thinkpads. The keyboard is maybe the second best I ever used certainly best laptop keyboard. The removal off the lower keys on the trackpad was a very good decision, making it less cramped.
    The display could been high res but at least its matte with good viewing angels unless most today. The i5 is the best balance betwwen power and battery saving yet. And of course it has the whole thinkpad ecosystem with dockinstations, external battery charges etc.

    Funny thing is the pens from either can be used interchangeably, the eraser top of the thinkpad wacom-pen even works in the Galaxy Note SMemo-app.

  5. Shane says:

    If I didn’t write web and iOS software for a living, my minimum requirements would be a smartphone and a laptop. Tablets and desktops would be optional.

  6. stan says:

    I only use my phone to make calls. I have used it to bgo to specific websites a few times but i was really stuck…

    I have an old slate for mobile internet, productivity, skype etc…(old viliv x70 with win7) might not fit in a pocket but but it replaced my laptop.

    Next year, 5″ screens on phones should be the norm. That being said for comfort and I would probably prefer a 7″ screen or maybe 6″ to surf etc…

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