Mobile, as a term, might encompass both smartphones and tablets, but its worth remembering that, in many ways, the two are very different.

According to a Mojiva survey, 62 per cent of UK tablet owners exclusively use the device – rather than their mobile phone – to watch TV and video content, and 49 per cent only read on the device. These are both presumably due to the larger screen size, but 44 per cent of respondents also said they would only make a retail purchase on their tablet.

This difference between devices is highest among older users – respondents aged 45+ years showed the highest affinity to use their tablet, rather than smartphone, for certain activities. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the effect is less pronounced among younger demographics.

In some ways, it seems that the device has more in common with desktop, with 79 per cent saying they were comfortable using tablets for tasks they used to do on their PC, including those requiring sensitive financial information.

Tablets are still mobile in the most literal sense of the word, however, with 29 per cent saying they take their tablet with them at least half of the time when they leave home.

The iPad is, unsurprisingly, the most popular tablet model in the UK, with a 41 per cent market share – or 49 per cent if you include the iPad Mini. Samsung Galaxy (22 per cent) is the second biggest, followed by Amazons Kindle Fire (seven per cent). But this could be shaken up in the coming months and years, according to Nick Marsh, Mojivas VP sales and publishing EMEA. 

“One thing thats been interesting recently in the UK tablet market is that youve seen the likes of Tesco and Argos going head-to-head with Apple and especially Amazon,” he told Mobile Marketing. “The Hudl comes preloaded with Tescos shopping apps and Blinkbox, its streaming service. The device is an extension of the retail brand, like the Kindle Fire is for Amazon, which takes them right into the heart of the consumers home.”