Samsung vs. Apple Tablets

The latest wave of Samsung tablet spots for TV are trying to apply to tablets the Apple embarrassment approach the company used in its Galaxy campaigns in recent years. An iPad using worker is shamed by his device’s inability to multitask. Boss scowls over the live chat on the tablet, co-worker magnanimously tries to cover for the poor Apple dweeb while sharing his Samsung.

Well, good luck with that, Samsung. According to Kantar WorldPanel ComTech, the iPad still crushes the competition when it comes to overall usage. In fact, 32% of iPad users say they are using the device throughout the day, with 42% on the iPad at least once a day. Only 24% of Samsung tablet users are firing it up much of the day, although 41% are on it daily. Kindle Fires actually seem to spend much of the day chilling, with only 18% of their owners using them broadly. When you drill into the specific use cases, iPad owners are seen accessing the full range of capabilities, from email to apps to browsing frequently. For Samsung devices, listening to music seems to be the biggest draw for frequent users. The Kindle Fire still can’t shake its ebook roots, with book reading leading the way among its owners.

Samsung’s problem is the ongoing Android problem for tablets. I keep trying to press myself toward greater reliance on my Nexus 7, if only to experience that ecosystem more fully. But the range of options constrains my efforts. The fact remains that despite growth in tablet-specific builds for the Android app store, many of the experiences apart from games look and feel like oversized smartphone designs. The Android tablet experience feels good enough without being compelling.