Can I Use a Tablet as a Phone

Tin I use a tablet as a replacement for my smartphone?

Image credit: TechRadar

There are two pieces of tech that are arguably vital for a connected existence in the modernistic globe; smartphones are part of our daily routine, every bit a tool to communicate with the wider globe (likewise equally serving as a portable entertainment device), while for many, a laptop or computer is crucial for work.

Tablets are meant to fit both these tasks – they're portable like smartphones and share the same operating systems, but they're large enough to comfortably run word processors and spreadsheets like a estimator.

Just can you actually use a tablet as a replacement for a smartphone? To find out I locked my smartphone abroad, and spent a few days using my iPad (2017) as my only form of portable tech.

Image 1 of 2

I traded in my glorious Huawei P30... Image credit: TechRadar

I traded in my glorious Huawei P30... Prototype credit: TechRadar

Prototype 2 of 2

...for an older iPad (2017)

...for an older iPad (2017)

When I'k commuting, I always use my phone to stream music or podcasts on Spotify, simply since my tablet had to go in my bag rather than my pocket, my headphone cable couldn't achieve information technology. And then, I walked to piece of work in silence, sans tunes, and sans casts.

I say silent, but my music would normally allow me to ignore the horrible sounds of London's Euston Route, then I swapping my smartphone for a tablet made me more than in-tune with my surroundings – which wasn't a adept matter.

Taking the London Underground was a whole unlike story however – while previously I'd squinted at ebooks or Netflix shows on my phone, with a tablet I had a portable movie theatre on my lap, and I made certain to make the most of it.

I always loaded up the tablet with the best Netflix shows I could detect (which were e'er longer than my commute, annoyingly), and since people often bring laptops onto the tube I felt no shame having my moderate-sized handheld.

A size above. Image credit: TechRadar

A size above. Image credit: TechRadar

Work hard

Ditching my laptop in order to piece of work on an iPad felt like a real trial by fire, equally information technology's a very different beast to a laptop.

Typing on the iPad'due south on-screen keyboard took a while to go used to, equally when I touch-typed on it similar I would a laptop keyboard, I'd often lose messages in words or accidentally swipe downwardly on keys, selecting symbols instead of messages.

You definitely can't apply tablet keyboards in the same way every bit physical ones, although my tablet typing stride definitely got closer to my usual keyboard-enabled speed afterwards a while.

The iPad was a blessing when it came to working in different places though – it'due south always a task having to assemble and kicking up a mesomorphic laptop when working on the become, but with the iPad I could whip it out and have it running in a matter of seconds.

I also really enjoyed the lack of distraction brought about my ditching the smartphone – the absence of a gadget to fiddle with and browse on meant I was more focused on piece of work and less likely to lose big chunks of time to doing zilch.

Playing it call

The biggest consequence with using a tablet as a phone, is that a tablet isn't exactly a portable texting and calling device  and while that's certainly true, who actually needs to text and telephone call present?

All my communication is done through WhatsApp, emails, Slack, video calls and actual human face-to-face up interaction, and I'd estimate that I only make or receive one call a week.

That's not a lot, and later my tablet-sectional time I didn't have a single missed call or text, which shows how unimportant these telephone features have become to me (of grade I had WhatsApp calls and letters, merely I rarely if always dip into my telephone contract).

Who texts now anyway? Image credit: TechRadar

Who texts at present anyway? Paradigm credit: TechRadar

Using a tablet did reduce my communication in one major way, as the inability to whip out my phone and curl through apps meant I spent a lot less fourth dimension on social media – simply I'd say that's really a good affair, and I spent more time on non-phone activities and existent-life conversations.

Play hard

I'thousand a big mobile gamer, and have been known to disappear into a quick game from time to time of something light similar a puzzle game or sometimes heavier fare, similar PUBG Mobile.

Having an iPad didn't change that, but it was like playing a HD remaster of a babyhood classic – the bigger screen made games play quicker, wait amend, and experience more immersive.

For the few days my tablet was my but piece of portable tech, I probably played more games than I usually would on my phone, because the experience was more like playing on a console with a big Television set screen.

The iPad was superior for all kinds of media besides – as I've already said information technology was similar having a portable theatre for watching content at all times of twenty-four hour period, so much so that sometimes I'd stay in bed to watch Netflix instead of making my way to the living room Boob tube (I take a very active lifestyle, I know).

Doesn't exactly blend in, but a great speaker anyway. Image credit: TechRadar

Doesn't exactly blend in, just a great speaker anyway. Paradigm credit: TechRadar

Similarly audio quality was great – I love using my smartphone every bit a speaker when I'm cooking, cleaning or showering, and the audio quality on my iPad was better that on most phones I've used.

What did I miss?

I quickly got used to not having a telephone, but there were a few things I did miss about my smartphone.

I've recently got into smartphone photography, but the iPad (2017)'s 8MP camera, and its massive footprint, didn't exactly lend itself to taking photos.

One of these is better than the other, try and guess which. Image credit: TechRadar

I of these is improve than the other, try and guess which. Image credit: TechRadar

Flicking through social media, games and work apps while in bed wasn't very like shooting fish in a barrel with a tablet that weighed double that of a phone, and I dropped it on my head multiple times while trying to accept a leisurely browse.

Some apps that work great on phones aren't optimized for tablets either, and they looked pretty horrible with tiny windows on a massive screen.

Overall though, I rapidly forgot what information technology was similar to use such a small and dainty device like a smartphone as my regular handset, as my tablet all but consumed my life, and its lack of portability meant I spent way less time looking at screens and style more time staring into the distance instead.

I'd really recommend putting down your phone one time in a while to see if a tablet is expert for you lot – of course that'due south a large inquire, what with the price of tablets, just if yous're looking for an upgrade from your old telephone, mayhap a tablet is the way to become.

  • This is our selection of the all-time tablets you tin can buy
Tom Bedford

Deputy Editor, Phones

Tom's office in the TechRadar team is to specialize in phones and tablets, merely he also takes on other tech similar electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness trackers and more. He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, and outside of TechRadar works in film.

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Source: https://www.techradar.com/news/can-i-use-a-tablet-as-a-replacement-for-my-smartphone

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