It’s not talked about very much, but there is a mostly-friendly war going on between tablet and smartphone lovers. Each are fully convinced their particular mobile device is the superior one when it comes to everyday life. While many of us use both devices with regularity and find enjoyment out of both, there are always fanboys  (and girls) when it comes to these minor tech skirmishes.

In terms of ecommerce, though, both factions are correct that their particular device of choice is ideal. The numbers continue to show mobile devices are more important to online customers than ever before, and mobile commerce is becoming a very real thing. And both tablets and smartphones are great for ecommerce – for different reasons.

But which is better for shoppers as a whole? Is there a clear advantage to using one or the other, or is it simply a matter of nitpicking?

Tablets

There are two things tablets have in general over smartphones right off the bat: size and power. While smartphone makers are continuously cramming as much as they an inside of the tiny devices, tablets continue to have a leg up in speed and accessibility.

Smartphones are getting bigger, too, often at the expense of users’ pocket space; however, tablets will always be bigger, as that’s often the point – tablets are multimedia machines, meant to be used for games, apps, and tasks like creating spreadsheets on a plane.

What does this mean for ecommerce? Obviously the bigger display comes into play right away. You spent all those long hours getting the perfect snapshot of your products, and you want consumers to see them at their full capacity. The big tablet screen allows them to do that as well as see more items at once.

Add in the increased “firepower” of most tablets and you have a big screen that is quickly filled with your store’s items. Customers don’t have to wait around for their phone to catch up – they can order and keep ordering.

Smartphones

While tablets are meant to be more portable than your average computer, there’s no beating even the dumbest smartphone when it comes to getting around. Even the smallest tablet requires some extra thought to carrying it around, including buying a separate case for it. Smartphones just fit right into your pocket.

Plus, potentially as a result of this accessibility, smartphones are used for so much during our regular day that it can be become almost an afterthought as customers click “Buy Now.” For example, they may be answering a phone call or texting their Aunt Gertrude when the subject of True Blood comes up.

Barely without thinking, the user pulls up a link to your store and buys the latest season of the show. It’s all about convenience – not to mention smartphones have become such a vital part of our lives all our information is stored on them. A few clicks and you’ve grabbed what you want.

So which is better? The argument could easily go either way, and it’s often up to the individual user. Which do you typically use to shop online? Will a new invention come along and knock both the tablet and the smartphone out of the running forever?