The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released the results of a study looking at consumers’ relationships with Tablets, smartphones and PCs.

The study which was delivered by research agency Sparkler, in partnership with panel provider On Device Research, sought to understand the ways in which users consume content across the three devices. Over 600 respondents were recruited according to their ownership of different devices – 413 who owned both smartphones and desktop/laptops, and 256 who owned Tablets, smartphones and desktop/laptops.

The research mapped out respondents’ daily usage patterns. Mobile takes the hot spot on the morning commute; dipping mid-afternoon, allowing the desktop/laptop to take over, with Tablet usage surging in the evening, with more than 50 per cent of Tablet interactions taking place in the late evening, between 7pm and midnight. Tablet usage accelerated at the weekend, with 25 per cent of respondents choosing to use their device during their downtime, and 49 per cent agreeing that the Tablet is the device that best allows them to be entertained.

The research also highlighted that the majority of people with Tablets are dual screening, with 51 per cent of all Tablet usage occurring in front of the TV. In fact, Tablet owners are 50 per cent more likely to use their tablet to dual screen than their mobile (35 per cent) or their PC (33 per cent).

The IAB says the research also proves that no device is written off. Out of the Tablet and non-Tablet users, nearly two thirds would replace their broken or lost laptop with another and not opt to replace it with a Tablet or mobile.

It also reveals how touchscreens have changed the way consumers use their device. 27 per cent of respondents said they click on ads more on their Tablet than they did before, while 65 per cent are now using their device to browse online stores. For both smartphones and Tablets, social networking took the top slot as the number one preferred activity.

“This study has proven how Tablets are a device that have found a place amongst the suite of devices today’s consumers own,” says IAB senior mobile manger, Alex Kozloff. “It proves that Tablets are neither phone nor PC, but have carved out a unique position as a downtime device and the go-to for entertainment during weekends and evenings. This research indicates a bright future for tablets in the UK.”