Dive Brief:

• 93% of tablet users employ Wi-Fi rather than cellular connections, including the 20% who have cell capability on their tablet devices, according to a survey by Business Insider.

• That at least in part explains the significant drop in sales of tablets, according to the site.

• Unlike smartphones, tablets are less likely to be purchased with mobile plans. Because of this, they are replaced less often and are not marketed to the full extent by carriers.

Dive Insight:

These findings call into question how we measure shopping on “mobile” devices, because, as it turns out, tablets are more of a replacement for desktops than an alternative to smartphones. While retailers must still pay attention to how their apps and websites perform on tablets, the devices may not be true contributors to the rise of m-commerce or m-payments.