How is a tablet different from a smartphone - what to choose?

The age of high technology is developing very rapidly. Now there is an incredible variety of electronic gadgets on the market, and often the boundaries of functionality between certain devices are becoming less and less noticeable. In this review we will try to figure out what is better – a tablet or a smartphone. Moreover, we will not compare the best smartphones with the worst or best tablets and vice versa. Our task is to determine: for what purposes is it preferable to use a tablet, and for what purposes is it preferable to use a smartphone?

Specifications

The components of the gadgets are the same. There are models on the market with both basic, medium and powerful hardware. Thanks to this, you can choose something worthwhile. But there are differences regarding the processes. The following are used for smartphones:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon;
• MediaTek;
• Exynos.

Tablets use:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon;
• MediaTek;
• Intel.

Apple uses its own processors.

If the question is the clock frequency and number of cores, there are no differences as such.

Safety

Being with a cheap dialer most of the time, you don’t worry that it will be pulled out of your pocket in transport, you’re not afraid of leaving the device unattended in a cafe or forgetting it after a meeting.
With an old Nokia, you will never become the subject of attention of suspicious individuals in the subway or underground passage. Coming home at night is much more comfortable with a simple handset than with the latest iPhone. You can always answer a call or SMS, regardless of the situation or environment. Even turning on the “find iPhone” function will not give peace of mind in certain situations.

As a bonus, you will get rid of ridicule in the spirit of “he collected money on an iPhone, but takes the subway.”

operating system

The OS is selected based on the person’s preferences. Android can be supplied to both types of gadgets, and there is no difference in the functionality of both types of devices. But when compared with Windows, there are differences.

The fact is that Windows 8 and 10 were developed for the tablet. And therefore, according to people’s reviews, it is better to work on them, since the size of the smartphone screen is not enough to carry out operations comfortably.

What is better to buy - a tablet or a smartphone?

Photo: www.blogcdn.com

If you are an ultra-modern person who simultaneously loves mobility, compactness, productivity, speed, and multimedia, and at the same time wants to always stay in trend, then having both a smartphone and a tablet would be the ideal option. Then you just decide for yourself, or rather, these electronic gadgets themselves will tell you when and which device is easier, more convenient and more correct to use.

Happy shopping!

Power

Another criterion by which a gadget is chosen. Tablets that cost 15 thousand have a 4-core processor with a power above 2 GHz, and a RAM capacity of up to 3 GB. A smartphone for the same money has the same power.

If we compare the hardware, the differences between the gadgets will be as follows:

1. The tablet has an excellent processor, so this option is suitable for gamers. It runs games with good graphics.
2. The internal memory of a tablet is usually larger than that of a smartphone.
3. Large memory cards are used, for example 64 or 128 gigabytes.

Rear View Camera

Car enthusiasts know that sometimes it is not easy to park in the back of a car, or to leave the garage in this way. Usually built-in parking sensors come to the rescue, but they are expensive, and not every car has it as standard. But at the same time, if there is a tablet computer at hand, which the user always carries with him, a completely logical solution to the situation could be to use it as a screen; all that remains is to purchase the necessary devices.

Connecting the rear view camera to the tablet is done by connecting all the elements. After this, all that remains is to download the FPViewer application. The application does not require any settings, just download and run it. The video will start broadcasting on the screen.

Battery

Since a tablet is larger than a smartphone, it requires a large battery. Thanks to this, it turns out to gain in part capacity. Therefore, it works twice as long as a smartphone on a single charge.

But in most cases, the differences in operating time are insignificant, because the larger the screen diagonal, the faster the battery drains. Therefore, by starting different batteries you can achieve identical operating times.

The smartphone has the advantage of having a removable battery. If the latter breaks, it can be replaced (just buy a new one and put it in place of the old one). The tablet has a built-in battery, and if it breaks, you will have to go to a service center and pay for the services of a technician.

Service maintenance

Initial financial investment

Paradoxically, the average cost of a tablet is still lower than the same average smartphone. Most likely, this is due to the fact that people strive for compactness, and a mobile phone is needed at hand much more often than a tablet, especially since a “tablet” can be replaced with an existing personal computer, laptop or netbook.

Battery replacement

Replacing the battery in a smartphone is a trivial matter even for a child. Buy a new battery, open the cover with your fingernail, take out the old one and put in a new one. Moreover, the cost of a new battery will not hit your pocket too much. Replacing the battery in a tablet computer is another matter. If you don’t have enough experience, then you can’t do without a specialist. In addition, the cost of a new tablet battery will cost a pretty penny.

Display repair

If the screen breaks, it is unpleasant, if not catastrophic, for both gadgets. Theoretically, the likelihood of breaking a tablet screen is higher, due to its thinness and impressive size. It will have to be replaced by a specialist, and the price, of course, is higher for repairing a tablet display. Keep in mind that most inexpensive tablets are initially “disposable” and cannot be repaired (they cannot be disassembled).

Photo and video shooting

Camera performance is the main parameter that is an advantage of a smartphone. A modern smartphone has high-quality multi-lens optics, a photosensitive matrix and good software. Even cheap options often have autofocus and flash; the pictures become better quality than those taken with a camera.

The camera on the tablet is not as good. It is rather intended for video communication. It is unlikely that you will be able to find any settings in the tablet camera settings. And autofocus is missing in almost all versions of tablets.

If you compare photos taken with a tablet and a smartphone, the latter have much higher quality.

Display comparison

In terms of size, tablet screens have an advantage over smartphones, but in terms of quality they are much worse. In bright ambient light, you may notice that tablet displays glare.

Most often, tablets have IPS matrices that do not have flicker. Unlike AMOLED displays, they are more likely to lose brightness when looking away and have low contrast.

The top-line Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e and S6 models have a screen with a relatively natural black color, the cost of which reaches 30,000 rubles. With smartphones it’s a different story - finding a model cheaper than 20,000 rubles with an AMOLED matrix is ​​not difficult.

Games

Some people buy gadgets specifically for gaming. Such people can be advised to use a device with a powerful processor and a large amount of RAM.

Good image display is important. Therefore, the device must have good resolution. Usually in such cases, medium and expensive tablets are chosen. The smartphone is also suitable for gaming. But it is inconvenient due to the size of the screen; small details are not visible on it.

Note! If you are a fan of simple games, such as arcade games, logic games or runners, you can safely choose a smartphone. The characteristics are enough to play similar games.

conclusions

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So: a tablet is better than a smartphone for :

• viewing videos, photographs, computer graphics;
• reading e-books;
• working with large documents;
• spending time playing games;
• comfortable surfing the Internet;
• working with maps, traffic routes;
• and other software applications.

A tablet is an alternative to a laptop or netbook, outperforming them in weight and size. It is perfect as a lightweight and compact device for displaying presentations in unfurnished rooms, and for enjoying multimedia viewing during long trips and flights.

A smartphone is:

• first, mobile phone, SMS and mms messenger;
• a decent photo and video camera at hand;
• and only then a tool for multimedia and surfing the Internet.

But the advantage of a smartphone over a tablet in compactness and ease of carrying is beyond doubt.

Choosing electronic equipment: the main rules that always work

Choosing a laptop is a serious matter.
Buying any device requires knowledge of certain nuances. Users put forward a number of their own requirements and try to find a gadget that fully meets their expectations.

Experts remind: to choose a netbook, smartphone, tablet or laptop (which is better, everyone decides for themselves), 2 categories are enough:

1. Budget. They clearly understand their capabilities and think about how much they can pay for the device. Any, even the most popular and advertised device can become unusable within 3-5 months. If your budget is limited to 10 thousand rubles, you will have to make do with the simplest tablet with a minimum set of operating functions.
2. Attractive appearance. Characteristics are important, but it is the “indestructible” frames and durable glass that ultimately turn out to be more important than a “multi-pixel” camera and a huge built-in memory. And if the owner allows an inexpensive smartphone to lag, then an expensive gadget requires speed and full preservation of options even in the most difficult situations. So cheap devices are much less annoying with glitches than expensive iPhones.

Brand, brand, advertising are good, but iPads and Samsungs break down no less often than cheap Zooms, BBs and other less popular devices. For example, in Korea and other eastern countries, Zopo is a sales leader and has long overtaken the world's advertised brands.

And some more tips on how to choose devices for work and leisure:

• The details of gadgets are the same everywhere, so there is no point in overpaying for the brand.
• A good processor will not cost less than $1,000 in the Russian Federation, so the cheapest option to purchase a high-quality but budget device is to assemble it yourself, but only craftsmen can do this.
• The battery is what is important, everything else is not so necessary. All keyboards are not particularly comfortable, the memory can and should be increased, but the battery’s charge retention time is needed to ensure operation in conditions where additional charging is not available.
• Screen resolution is the second nuance, but on average 14-16 inches is enough.

The size of the monitor depends on the wishes and capabilities of the user. If you have money, buy a powerful ultrabook with a 14-inch screen; if you have a limited budget, choose a 15-inch laptop monitor with a powerful battery.

Battery capacity is an important factor for laptops when traveling, standing in traffic jams for hours, etc. So, the conclusion for everyone who wants to buy a laptop for work:

1. Determine the budget. It is taken into account that the device may break down within six months.
2. They take a model that suits them in appearance. Sometimes a powerful frame turns out to be more important than the “filling”; it allows you to work on a laptop much longer than on the most expensive device, but with a fragile case.
3. Do not buy devices secondhand. Don't trust promotions and offers about a "perfectly refurbished" laptop or one that has only been "used for 1-2 months."

Even the most experienced specialist will not always be able to determine how good the “stuffing” of a laptop is. An ordinary user runs the risk of buying a “dummy” with replaced elements, without a pre-installed OS and other nuances. Savings on purchases will result in extra costs for restoring and purchasing a licensed OS, updating drivers, etc.

Another point is the need to purchase. If the user of a high-quality smartphone does not change his life at all after purchasing a laptop, he does not need an additional gadget. A couple of sites, including major social networks, are easy to find on a mobile phone, but a laptop is a device for work and better play.

Bottom line: It’s better to buy an inexpensive and beautiful laptop from an unknown company than a well-advertised branded gadget. But only on the condition that the answer to the question “Why is it needed” looks like a list of several thoughtful and reasonable points.

FAQ

What to choose: a smartphone or a tablet?

For an active person, a tablet may be uncomfortable to carry, but a compact smartphone will provide all the necessary needs.

Advantages

In recent years, the smartphone market has been developing rapidly. Manufacturers are equipping new gadgets with increasingly powerful processors and increasing the size of displays. However, be that as it may, the smartphone remains, first of all, a means for quick communication, sending SMS, receiving incoming and making outgoing calls. Although in fairness it should be said that these days gadgets have reached such a level that they can easily claim the title of real multimedia centers.

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When trying to figure out which is better—a tablet or a smartphone—keep in mind that a lot depends on the specific device. Thus, smartphones with a display diagonal of 5 inches or more allow you to easily surf the Internet, watch videos, use applications, run games and even work with text documents! Despite all this, they remain quite compact and can easily fit into a clothing pocket or a miniature handbag.

The operating systems used make it possible to install a large number of programs, but not all are adapted to modern processors.

It is also noteworthy that when shooting from smartphones there is almost always a chance of getting high-quality photo and video material.

Flaws

As for the disadvantages of buying a tablet, there are not so many of them. One of them is the inability to use a computer as a phone. However, at the same time, there are many universal models that combine the advantages of each type of device. In addition, tablets often have a more fragile screen, and the cost of service for owners will be slightly higher. However, when buying a reliable device from a well-known manufacturer, you don’t have to worry about this: the gadget will serve you faithfully for many years.

How to choose a tablet with a SIM card: main criteria

In principle, the criteria for choosing a gadget with a SIM card are almost the same as for a regular tablet.

You should pay attention to:

1. The screen diagonal is selected according to your needs and your vision. Now it makes almost no sense to buy a model with a diagonal of 7 inches, since there are already smartphones with a diagonal of 6. But a 10-inch tablet is perfect for watching movies, playing games, working and other functions. If you are more accustomed to counting in centimeters, then one inch is 2.54 cm.
2. Resolution and aspect ratio – if you are going to use the device only for watching movies, then you can, in principle, buy a model with a 16:9 screen aspect ratio. But it’s better to take a 3:4 screen, as it is more versatile. Resolution affects the clarity of the picture, so under no circumstances take a 10-inch tablet with a resolution of 640x320, the image quality on it will be simply disgusting. The minimum for 7 inches is 1024x600. It’s better not to save on your eyes, and take a model with FullHD resolution, that is, 1920x1280.
3. The case material is plastic, which feels more comfortable in the hand, but is easier to damage. Metal is stronger, but heavier and weakens wireless reception. Also, the plastic heats up more during operation of the gadget, which can be a plus in cold winters, but, in general, is a minus.
4. The battery is the most important feature for those who spend a lot of time with the tablet away from an outlet. The larger the battery capacity, the longer the device will work, but there are a number of caveats. Firstly, the use of a 3G module, GPS and a number of applications “eats up” the charge very quickly. Secondly, the battery discharges faster in the cold. Fortunately, many models support so-called economical and super-economical modes, allow you to disable the most energy-consuming functions and generally take care in every possible way to conserve charge. If the battery capacity is still sorely lacking, then you should get a Power Bank. By the way, over time, the battery loses its ability to hold a charge, so if you want to be able to replace it with a fresh one, choose a model with a removable battery.

Judging by the reviews about choosing a tablet, these are the criteria most users pay attention to when purchasing. But there are a number of other parameters that are of great importance

Working with application software

What is better to buy to work with specialized programs? Smartphones and tablet PCs are widely used by users for work.

With these gadgets you have the opportunity to:

• Promptly conduct business correspondence using postal services;
• Manage business and take notes;
• Work with office programs to create documents;
• Create presentations and tabular reports;
• Work with cloud storage and gain access to general editing of the same document and other features.

If you often work with documents, it is better to use a tablet for this purpose. Firstly, it is able to fit more information on the screen. Secondly, the text is easier to read, and working with reporting becomes simpler.

A tablet PC can easily be converted into a small laptop. To do this, you can connect a special keyboard and a manipulator to it.

A smartphone is not entirely suitable for working with office software, although there is a lot of software for displaying and working with documents on phones.

Working with business correspondence and conducting other matters from a device that has a small screen is a rather complex process.

The screen is the determining factor when purchasing

The first thing that catches your eye is the diagonal of the screen. A tablet is physically larger than a smartphone. Therefore, the first device has wider scope for work and entertainment:

• with a seven-inch diagonal (and higher) it is more convenient to view web pages, scale them, group them, “collect” them into a feed;
• on the big screen you get more pleasure from watching movies, cartoons and other videos;
• edit photos, presentations, messages easier;
• The larger on-screen keyboard is easier to use.

Although it is still better to work fully on other devices. What is the difference between a tablet and a laptop, for example.

Smartphone manufacturers are trying to increase the size of screens. The latest models come in five inches. But this is less than 7, 8 or 9 inches. But the smartphone fits easily into your pocket and looks more natural on your face during a mobile conversation.

Screen size is not the main difference between a smartphone and a tablet. The difference is also in resolution:

• Android-based smart phones support a maximum of 800x480 pixels;
• the same Asus Transformer Pad Infinity has a resolution of 2560x1600 (and for tablets this is not the limit).

What gives high resolution?

Firstly, the picture is more pleasant - the eyes get less tired when looking at the screen for a long time.

Secondly, more information fits on the tablet screen. You can use it more rationally by creating shortcuts, widgets, and bookmarks.

Thirdly, fine details are displayed more clearly at high resolution. This indicator is important when playing the same strategic games.

Some consumers joke: “Big screen means big problems.” With regard to tablets, this statement is partly true:

• they are heavier than smartphones;
• they are inconvenient to use as a cell phone;
• the screen gets dirty quickly and is easily damaged;
• You will have to pay a considerable amount to repair the front part of the device.