In the mobile market, there is an ongoing debate over what devices are best for consumers and enterprise users. For the most part, those discussions revolve around the different devices companies sell. For example, some folks wonder if the iPad or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is best. And convincing arguments can be made for either device. But there is, perhaps, a more compelling argument to be made for another device -- smartphones. While tablets and smartphones can both deliver mobility, the same operating systems, and applications, they may seem seem equally competitive. But in reality, they’re not. As nice as tablets are -- and they are quite nice -- they aren’t as appealing as smartphones. Handsets are simply the best options for both consumers and enterprise users alike. And if those folks are trying to decide between a tablet and a smartphone, the latter is best. Here’s why.
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1. Ultimate Mobility Tablets and smartphones both offer mobility. However, smartphones deliver even more mobility, making them an ideal option for road warriors and others who spend time away from home.
2. No OS Advantage One of the key reasons many people opt for tablets over lightweight computers is their operating systems. Unlike PCs, tablets come with mobile operating systems that are designed to deliver mobile productivity. However, smartphones offer mobile operating systems too. And in some cases -- especially in the BlackBerry and Android ecosystems -- those operating systems work better on smartphones.
3. More Apps Applications are a key selling point for today’s mobile products. That said, those who want the best selection of applications should opt for a smartphone over a tablet. There are currently over 425,000 applications available in Apple’s App Store, but there are only 100,000 applications optimized for the iPad. If that doesn’t say everything one needs to know about applications and mobile products, what does?
4. Calling The obvious advantage smartphones have over tablets is that they can double as phones. Tablets are great for getting work done and surfing the Web. But when a phone call needs to be made, they’re useless. Smartphones offer all the same functionality, but allow for phone calling. That’s a major selling point that can’t be overlooked.
5. No Worry About Web Connectivity There are some tablets on store shelves that access 3G and 4G networks. But there are also some tablets that can only connect to the Web via Wi-Fi. In the smartphone space, that’s non-existent. The devices offer either 3G or 4G connectivity across the board, which means users who are away from Wi-Fi will never need to worry about connecting to the Web.
6. Easy Messaging When Apple offers up iOS 5, the company will deliver a new feature called iMessage that lets users send text and multimedia messages to other iOS-based devices. Tablets can also be used for instant-messaging applications. But the key feature they’re lacking is SMS. For smartphones, instant messaging and iMessage-like services are also available. However, the addition of SMS gives them the advantage to trump tablets.
7. Pocket-Ability There’s little debating that tablets are mobile. But whenever a person is at the store, having dinner, or walking around town, they typically don’t have any way to carry a tablet with them. In many cases, it’s simply impractical. But with smartphones, that’s not the case. The handsets can be tossed into a pocket and quickly accessed in any of those scenarios. The “pocket-ability” factor is extremely important to keep in mind.
8. Pricing It seems that tablet pricing is coming down. HP recently reduced its TouchPad to $399 and $499 for the 16GB and 32GB models, respectively. Vizio recently launched a $299 tablet. And the Barnes and Noble Nook Color retails for $249. While that’s welcome, the leader in the space, the iPad 2, retails for at least $499. That’s expensive, especially considering customers can get the iPhone 4 for as little as $199, and other, equally compelling devices for even less. For those on a budget, smartphones are the best option.
9. Breadth of Options When customers head to the store to find a new mobile product, they’ll find a slew of smartphones on store shelves. However, the number of tablets available to customers just isn’t as great. For those who only want the iPad, that’s fine. But for everyone else, having many more options available is a good thing. In the smartphone market, options are everywhere.
10. Market Options For now, the vast majority of tablets on store shelves appeal only to consumers. Smartphones, however, cater to both enterprise users and consumers, depending on what the customer is after. That’s important to keep in mind. The sheer number of options among smartphones makes finding the right one for the right customer far easier. That’s simply not the case with tablets -- and that’s a problem.
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