The Difference Between an iPhone and iPad App

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The iPad has made an impressive entry in Asia with Apple enthusiasts in long queues outside major authorised retail stores in Singapore and Hong Kong since 23 July 2010. Despite its less than spectacular debut as compared to Apple's iPhone 3G/3GS, I must admit that the visible demand for a device which is sold without any subsidy from mobile operators (vis-à-vis the iPhone) is overwhelming. There seems to be no lost love for any Apple products despite the widely publicised "Antenna-gate"  issue in the just released iPhone 4.

As iPad users in Asia join the more than 3 million owners since its first launch in the United States on 3 April 2010, it is inevitable that application developers will accelerate their app development efforts for the tablet-like device. While apps for the iPhone are a recognised success in the mobile industry, the same principles that guide the design of iPhone apps should not be applied when designing apps for the iPad.

Here are three tips on how best to maximise the iPad's features to enhance the app experience for the user:

The Promise of M-Commerce

A Client That Needs Less Cloud

The 9.7 inch screen gives mobile application developers more real estate to develop more dynamic user interfaces and streaming rich media overlaying the application content. While the Internet cloud played a complementary role in delivering an "always on" experience to iPhone app users, the same may not be true for iPad apps as device owners compete for a higher percentage of mobile bandwidth shared by the iPhone, and USB mobile Internet tongles by laptop and netbook owners.  Clearly, there will be a bandwidth crunch in the coming months as the number of iPad users escalate. Moreover, not every iPad is 3G enabled, and app developers have to consider users with Wi-Fi only devices who are likely to be using the iPad as a client, rather than a networked, device. This is the fundamental difference from the iPhone user who requires a network to make voice calls and access the Internet cloud to access mobile sites and apps. Hence, iPad application developers should consider installing as much rich content as possible on the client (i.e., iPad) and use the Internet cloud sparingly.

The iPad Is Not Really a Mobile Device

The iPad is not really a mobile device. The size and need to use two hands to view the screen makes it more passive than mobile. This will suggest that the mobility advantage is less evident on the iPad vis-à-vis the iPhone where the ease of using the latter makes it a truly mobile device. As such, application developers have to accept that iPad users will use the device in circumstances that are significantly different from the iPhone. For instance, the ergonomics of the iPad is likely to see users enjoying the device in places where there are tables and chairs like a coffee shop or at home when lying on a couch or on the bed.  Therefore, the search for dynamic information on-the-go may not be applicable for iPad users who are likely to enjoy interacting with the apps, instead of making immediate decisions like most iPhone users today.

Conclusion

The iPad's popularity is not expected to wane. Application developers are likely to see a healthy demand for their services from corporations to reach users who are comfortable to make decisions on digital devices. Moving forward, developers will be challenged to ensure that the user experience of iPad apps reflects the circumstances, which the device is used, and not to mirror the rationale used for iPhone app development.