Tablets Versus Smartphones. At this
moment in time, there are a couple of billion Smartphone users around
the globe. This number is expected to increase by a tenth as we reach
early 2017. Smartphones have completely revolutionized the
technological sector. With more local and affordable options readily
available, it has become very easy to own one of these devices. These days,
in the western world, you can buy a Smartphone that's been imported
from China for the same price as a basic model with no enhanced features. And that's a fact.
Just take a look on Amazon. Do a search for Smartphone and sort by
cheapest first and you will be surprised with the results.
Its older cousin, the tablet, seems to
lag behind in the race for the best. Experts observe that the tablet
market has peaked and will decline from here on out (They say this
with no good reason, I might add). But who really knows for sure what
will happen. Let's wish for less cluttered days and hope that “dumb
phones” take over. The cheap ones mind you, not those fake ones that are considered fashion accessories,
like the
Punkt MP01.
If you have mixed feelings about
whether you should buy a tablet or a Smartphone, you're not alone.
However, a lot of people would say the latter would be the way to go.
These two devices make an interesting comparison because in some ways
they are very similar. You can also buy a combination of the two. A
smaller, or sometimes larger “Tablet” that can also be used to
make phone calls and send texts etc. All you do is insert your SIM
card, tweak a few settings and functions, and away you go. They are
called
Phablets. Anyway, here are some reasons why most people will
say “Get the phone”.
A 6-inch screen is ideal for reading
Almost all of the world's most popular
e-readers sport a 6-inch screen. The average Smartphone screen size
also ranges from 5.2 to 5.5 inches, thus rendering the large screen
size of the tablet useless for better visualization. However, bigger
screened tablets do offer better visibility and improved usability
for certain tasks, it has to be said.
Smartphones have a better battery life
A Samsung Galaxy phone will last much longer than its Galaxy Tab counterpart will. The same comparison holds true for all phones and tablets. It makes perfect sense that the larger size of the tablet will obviously consume more power than a Smartphone, so why compromise on less battery life for the same functions?
The best Apps are only available for Smartphones
The huge difference between the number of "Clever phones" and tablet users drives the market in a particular direction. This means that all the best apps and games show up on phones first and tablets later. Sometimes, they do not show up at all.
Smartphones have a more consistent web experience
Websites usually have two versions, one for a Smartphone and the other for your laptop or desktop PC. Tablets are caught in the mix somewhere between the mobile version and desktop version, neither here nor there. You either have to zoom in or shrink the page to read properly, making it highly inconvenient.
Smartphones have a better camera
In a world where everyone feels the constant urge to document every moment of their lives (I think this is terrible in some ways), the camera is sometimes the biggest selling point for a device. While the average flagship Smartphone boasts over 13 megapixels, the average tablet does not go beyond 8 megapixels.
Tablets Vs. Laptops and Desktops PCs
While tablets are compact and easy to carry, laptops and desktop computers come packed with enhanced computing power, storage capacity, and programs. Even the most basic laptop comes with 250 GB of space. This is quite a lot of space when compared to the average 8-128 GB of storage space a tablet can offer. Furthermore, nothing beats a laptop when it comes to control, precision, and word processing. Well, maybe a desktop computer. You can always use a detachable keyboard with a tablet, but you will never get the substantial feel of a full-sized keyboard.
So what should you buy?
The distinction between devices such as Smartphones, tablets, and laptops is blurring. You can always find a better version of every feature available on a tablet, in a
phone or a laptop. It is pretty obvious to me, but the choice is up to you. My choice may surprise you, because this article is written in a way that appears to praise the Smartphone more than anything else. However, if you have read other posts on this blog you will know how I feel about technologically advanced phones. Those types of phones have one major, deal-breaking flaw.
Comparisons: Tracking down the truth
Whichever way you go, never forget the amount of tracking software and hardware that is now built into each device. When you take the tracking / surveillance ability's into account it makes you look at a Smartphone in a whole new way. None of the other devices are immune, but phones, particularly the “Smart” ones, are the worst.
Especially when you think about how many people just can't go anywhere without their mobile phone accompanying them. Most feel lost without them. Convenience and being “connected” with what's going on within your social circle and beyond seems to be two of the things people can't do without. It's now more of an addiction than anything else.
Equally, while giving the user what they want, and without them being aware, wherever they go, whatever they do, even if they are physically alone, they are not entirely alone if you catch my drift. Everything is being monitored behind the scenes. And it's not getting
any better. Anything you write on the phone, calls taken and received, messages, pictures received and taken have code built-in which tells certain agencies or individuals where it was taken and when it was taken. The Smartphones camera and / or microphone can also be activated without the owner being aware.
Could this be a reason why the battery in a Smartphone can't be removed, so that it can secretly use a small fraction of its reserves to power up the camera or microphone even when the user has turned the device off. I'm not sure, but it's a possibility. Now don't get me wrong, Tablets are no better in this regard, but at least you don't have it on your person every minute of the day.
I seen a picture the other day of Facebook co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg. He was sitting at his laptop, and the one thing that instantly stood out to me was the fact that he had sellotape over the camera / webcam at the front of the laptop. He knows what's up. Should there be a warning on all these devices informing the customer of what he or she should be aware of? Just like we now have with food in the UK, where on the packaging it must state how much fat, salt, sugar etc is present in the food. Well, if they did that with tablets and phones, instantly making the potential buyer aware, I bet sales would decrease dramatically.
That doesn't mean all people are totally oblivious to the fact that these devices do spy on them, but putting that warning at the forefront of someones mind before they purchase, bringing them instantly up to date with what will be monitored, and how their privacy is totally abused, will definitely make them think twice. I know it has done this to me when it comes to the new food warnings. Foods that I thought were healthy were anything but healthy. After reading the fat and sugar content and thinking – What the hell! On countless occasions, I have ended up not buying it all together.
No one knows for sure how much of this spying is actually going on, but this technology is being used and abused world wide. So, while you might not be on the FBI's most wanted list and don't really have much worth hiding, for anyone who still holds on to the belief that they have a degree of privacy, but they own a Smartphone and carry it around with them daily, really needs to get with the times. It has many sneaky, but clever capabilities.
And while there are ways to become “more” private when using a phone or any other device, you are never totally anonymous. Personal data is big business. Companies pay big money for this type of information. Buying habits, Internet habits, sexual preference, social circles, medical history, martial status, income, debts, I think you get the idea. So, if some stranger knocks on your door one day and starts telling you things about yourself that you thought were impossible for a stranger to know.. You now know how they know.
Basically, in a nutshell, a Smartphone has become an unbelievably powerful spying device. An excellent tool for surveillance. This technology is not coming in the year 2020 or at some other year in the future, it is here right now as you read this comparison, and has been here for many years already. Got a Smartphone? Well, you are already in possession of a device that has all that sinister technology built-in. After reading this, take a good look at your Smartphone, and think of all the times, of what you perceived to be private moments that you've had over the years. From “private” phone conversations to intimate pictures you have taken with your phone.
And remember that potentially, the pictures may have been looked at by other people (no, not just on Facebook or anywhere you may have shared them), and your phone calls listened to. In fact, all of the data on your phone has most probably been extracted (copied / downloaded) at some point without you knowing.
Smartphones are not as innocent as people seem to think. This isn't about having something to hide, or being paranoid, it's about being aware and up to date with the current capabilities these devices have and not letting go of your rights to actually have some notion of a private life. People have the right to some privacy. With everything being monitored 24/7 its basically Orwellian surveillance overload. It really is out of hand.
So it begs the question and finishes the comparison. Tracked all the time = Smartphone. Tracked some of the time = Tablet + Laptop. Monitored when at home = Home computer. The choice is all yours.
