Users read more books on smartphones than tablets (by Readmill)

[DrNefario]

It's not better at all, it's just a more practical compromise. I occasionally read on my iPod, because I almost always have it on me, while my tablet and ereaders tend to stay at home. The tablet is better, and the ereaders are better still, but the iPod is what I have on me.

[jersysman]

Hence one of the reasons that the phone screen size has expanded to what it is now. What is better for reading is completely up to the individual, though, and articles that state that something is better over another is not taking this into account. As to which I spend more time on, I would say it is my reader/tablet because I do try to read 2-3 hours a night. I don't have that much down time to read on my phone during the day. I would say that I probably pick up my phone to read more often than on anything else during the day, but it's only for a few minutes at a time.

[Mivo]

I may have missed something, but: More people have phones, so of course more people, in absolute numbers, read on a smartphone. For example, in Q2/2013, Apple sold more than twice as many iPhones as they did iPads.

[Heitor]

The important point of the data is not which device is better for reading, but what people are actually using for it. The data show an instance where what people say and what they do may be quite different. I remember iBooks was at first released for iPad, because presumably Steve Jobs didn't believe people would be reading on a small screen (although Stanza was already available; Stanza historians correct me, please). I highly appreciate the fact I can carry my reading list inside my pocket. And this actual behavior should be considered by the ebooks industry (for example, by app developers and ebook retailers, when creating and marketing their products).

[supermighty]

Originally Posted by forsooth

It started with PDA.

I read my first books on a Palm III before moving to a Sony Clie. Which how I read The Count of Monte Cristo on I'll never know. Now I read on a 5.5" Note 2. Which I love, but I could go for a bigger phone. The Nexus 7 is too big to fit in my pocket.

[Lemurion]

If I'm sitting at home, I rely on my tablet, but when I go out I'm more likely to use my phone just because I have it with me.

[patrickt]

I have two Paperwhites and a Samsung phone. I almost always have a Paperwhite with me but if I don't I can read on my phone. Every Sunday I meet a friend at Sam's Club and buy groceries for her family and while I sitting and waiting for her--she's often late--I read on my phone.

I don't actually know anyone with a tablet who reads.

[JD Gumby]

Originally Posted by faithbw

That's not surprising. People may not always have their tablets with them but they almost surely have their smartphones with them. Given the availability of smartphone and the increasing screen real estate of smartphones, it seems that people see their phones as a viable e-reader.

Actually, I'm finding that even my 320x480 @ 3.5" (~165 ppi) HTC Desire C is quite comfortable to read on, though at only about 1/3rd of the text visible at one time as on my Kobo Mini, the more frequent page turns are just irritating enough that I won't use it to read while I still have my Mini & Arc.

[Tarana]

Which is better and what people actually do are two different things. It's far easier to read on an ereader or tablet, but you take your smartphone with you everywhere. Hospitals in my area actually have spots for you to plug in your smartphone to charge it over by the coffee shops and day patient areas. My hospital just added a plug in for Kindles and Nook ereaders (but not tablets), although if you have your cord, you can plug into the usb slot.

While I try to keep an ereader in my purse at all times, that doesn't always work out. I always have my Itouch with me, and of course, it has books on it. Even with my vision issues, I can read from my Itouch easier than from printed pages because of the option to adjust the text spacing.

[crich70]

It doesn't surprise me at all. My pastor's wife used to borrow his phone all the time to read Kindle books. Then he got her a Paperwhite last year for her birthday. A phone or ereader like the Paperwhite is small and lite weight compared to other things like tablets. And the battery for either probably lasts longer between charges than the tablet's do as well.

[sakura-panda]

I don't read on my tablets; if my tablet is handy, then so is my ebook reader. I *do* read on my phone because I don't carry my ebook reader around with me (I don't actually read much when I'm away from home) and on rare occassions I find myself with a moment to read and my phone is right there.

[ClairePMR]

It's funny - if I had replied to this thread even a few weeks ago, I'd have absolutely advocated the multi-purpose device. I do tend to use my tablet for email, reading, surfing, etc., but I've found that since I upgraded my phone to a Galaxy S4, I'm doing more on the phone when I'm out in the world, and leaving the tablet at home. If I know I'll need to look at larger files for business, etc., I do lean toward the tablet and bring that along for the ride.