Guide: what to choose a smartphone or tablet?

Specifications

Manufacturers use the same components when creating smartphones and tablets. The market offers models with initial, medium and high technical characteristics, so every user can find a suitable option for themselves. But there are differences.

Smartphones mainly use Qualcomm Snapdragon and MediaTek processors. Recently, Exynos series chips have become popular. The tablets are equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon, MediaTek and Intel processors.

Apple uses its own A-series chips for both types of devices.

As for the number of cores or clock speed, there are no advantages for any type of gadget.

operating system

Tablets and smartphones run Android, Windows or iOS. The difference lies in the prevalence and popularity of these operating systems among users.

Google's Android OS is the most widespread because it is simple, affordable and distributed almost free of charge to manufacturers. The main advantage is the large range of applications available on Google Play. They make your Android device multifunctional.

The Windows OS with the release of Windows 10 has gained great popularity in the tablet segment, because the user receives a full-fledged computer in a compact case. In turn, Windows Phone smartphones did not become popular for a number of reasons.

Interesting! Recently, Chinese companies have been releasing tablets with two pre-installed OS: Android 5.1 and Windows 10.

iOS is installed exclusively on Apple devices, so tablets and smartphones running it are equally popular.

cellular

Modern tablets are equipped with a GSM module for connecting SIM cards. But making voice calls using them is inconvenient. This is due, first of all, to the dimensions of the device, since their screen diagonal starts from 6 inches and above.

Even if you connect a headset, the tablet still weighs much more than the average smartphone. Therefore, for everyday communication via mobile communications, it is better to use a smartphone.

Screen size and overall dimensions

The screen diagonal of the tablet ranges from 7 to 12 inches. With a high-resolution display on the tablet, it is convenient to watch movies, videos, read e-books, digital newspapers and magazines, surf the web, draw in design programs and play mobile games.

Take any modern smartphone and you will see that in nine cases out of ten you will have in your hand a gadget with a screen diagonal of at least 5 inches. Smartphones with a diagonal of 5.5 inches are especially popular among users. The gadgets are called phablets or tablet phones.

On the 5.5-inch screen, you can easily browse websites on the Internet, play games, work with various applications, read books and watch movies, and work with documents.

The screen diagonal is related to the dimensions of the gadget, and therefore ease of handling and transportation. A tablet, be it square or rectangular, can only fit into a bag or backpack. To use it you need a surface or a special folding case. You have to hold it with both hands, which may not always be convenient, for example, in transport or on the street.

A smartphone with a screen diagonal of 5.2 to 5.5 inches can be easily held with one hand. Interface elements are within the reach of the thumb. The smartphone is compact: it can be put into a pocket, case or holster, or attached to a special holder on the forearm during fitness classes.

If the smartphone does fall out of your hands, repairs will cost much less than for a tablet.

Taking photos and videos

Smartphones are better suited for taking photos and videos because manufacturers install better cameras on them. The fact is that a person always has a smartphone at hand, so he can capture any moment of his life. And to make excellent pictures and videos, you need a high-quality camera.

Tablets are not intended for these purposes at all. Due to their size, they are difficult to put in a pocket or quickly take out when necessary. Therefore, the quality of their cameras is minimal. The main thing for a tablet is the front camera, which is used for video communication.

Advantages of smartphones

Of course, it’s hard to imagine modern life without a smartphone. Therefore, in our article we are most likely talking about an additional smartphone - with a large screen, ideal for watching movies. After all, you should definitely have a compact device, since it’s impossible to take a tablet with you everywhere - it’s too big.

If you buy yourself a smartphone, you automatically get the ability to make calls. A tablet, even if it has a slot for a SIM card, can only be configured for an Internet connection. And is it necessary to mention that it is more convenient to talk on a smartphone, even if it has a 5.5-inch display?

For some reason, the cost of producing smartphones is very low. Therefore, now budget smartphones are appearing in full swing, which have good characteristics. They often have an IPS display and a light sensor, which makes their use quite comfortable. But inexpensive tablets are equipped with less advanced characteristics, which is why they regularly experience slowdowns. We can conclude that you will most likely spend more money on buying a good tablet computer than on purchasing a smartphone.

If you are a gaming enthusiast, then only an expensive “tablet” will suit you. Cheap models are simply not capable of providing modern games with adequate frame rates. But smartphones cope much better with launching them - even relatively inexpensive devices. Moreover, if the device includes a gyroscope, then it can also be inserted into a VR helmet! There is no way you can place a tablet in it.

Now in stores you can easily choose a smartphone with a protected case. What can I say, even the super popular Samsung Galaxy S8 is not afraid of water! In this regard, you can easily buy a device for traveling. You can take it with you outdoors. You will be confident that falling onto rocks or into water will not have harmful consequences. As for “tablets,” they rarely get a shock-resistant and waterproof case. Of course, such models still exist. But their cost is inadequate, and their characteristics are outdated.

By the way, when traveling, your smartphone will also delight you with its navigation module. You'll open the Maps app and immediately see your location. Tablets often also have a GPS chip. But think about it: will you want to take such a bulky device out of your backpack every time?

Repair

The cost of tablets is on average lower than smartphones. But repairing these devices is more expensive.

Battery

To replace the battery in your smartphone, just remove the back cover and install a new one. In the case of a tablet, everything is more complicated: they use a built-in battery, so it is impossible to replace it without disassembling the device. If the user does not have the skills to disassemble digital equipment, he will have to contact a service center. This will incur additional costs.

Some manufacturers offer smartphones with a built-in battery, but so far there are very few such models. These are mainly flagship devices.

Interesting! In the case of Apple products, it will not be possible to do without contacting a service center. The battery in their smartphones and tablets is built into the case and replacing it yourself is problematic.

Screen

Breaking a tablet display is theoretically easier due to its size. The screen itself is also more expensive due to its size. In addition, smartphones are often equipped with glass that is resistant to mechanical damage, reducing the risk of damage.

What is the difference between tablets and smartphones

Smartphones and tablet personal computers have a number of differences, as well as similarities. First of all, it should be noted that a smartphone is a device that acts as a mobile phone and can also perform all the basic functions of a computer.

There are also flagships - smartphones with very good characteristics, which in their performance are not inferior to some powerful computers.

The smartphone has a pre-installed operating system. As a rule, OS versions for smartphones are updated regularly. This allows users to gain a wide range of new capabilities to work with powerful software.

At the same time, a smartphone can only be used as a cell phone if you do not need to work with PC functions. The device can be easily configured to receive and transmit calls and SMS messages.

Tablet personal computers also have their own pre-installed operating systems.

As a rule, they differ little from those installed on smartphones. We can say that tablets are closer to PCs and laptops, because you can connect a basic input/output device (mouse, keyboard, printer) to such a device and get an almost full-fledged computer.

Also, most modern tablet models contain the function of mobile phones, some even support two SIM cards at once. However, talking with an interlocutor via a tablet is not always convenient on the street, but video calls are more convenient to use on a tablet - you will get a better view of the interlocutor.

It is impossible to say with certainty what is best to use, because it depends on the personal requirements of each person for the device.

To understand which gadget is best for you, decide how you will use it most of the time: as a compact pocket device or as a computer.

Let's look at the main functions of smart gadgets and on which devices these functions will be more convenient to use.

Which device is better to buy for the Internet? In this case, it is impossible to give a definite answer, since it depends on many factors. First of all, decide where and how often you need to use your Internet connection?

For home Internet, it is more advisable to buy a tablet, because this will allow you to view web pages on a large display, watch movies and videos in the best quality.

At home, you can always connect your device to your router and get good connection speed. A larger screen can display more data on the page. The tablet is also perfect for reading magazines and news online.

If you constantly need to use the Internet outside the home, it is better to choose a compact device that is always convenient to put in your pocket and take with you for the whole day - a smartphone.

In addition to its compactness, the gadget is more convenient to use, because Wi-Fi coverage is not available everywhere and if the tablet does not support a SIM card, connecting to the Internet will become impossible.

Almost all smartphones on the market today can support multiple SIM cards from mobile operators. This means that you can choose the most favorable tariff for connecting to the global network.

Smartphones support 3G and 4G connection technologies - this will allow you to get a high-speed connection wherever you are.

comparison table

A comparison table will tell you the advantages and disadvantages of gadgets in different areas.