Stop saying “fragmentation” as though it is bad. Respect user choice. These devices are different, because people’s needs are different, and this is reflected in the way the devices are used. Large tablets, like the 10” iPads, are used almost as computer replacements, about 2/3rd of the time in a stand and ¼ of the time with physical keyboards.
As devices get larger, they are used less and less held in the hand. And the smaller the device is, the more it is used on the move, walking around the house or office instead of finding time to stop and use that tablet on the table, or sit and type on a computer at your desk.
Figure 4—Devices are not used in any one way, but analyzing the whole range of mobile devices, from handsets to large tablets reveals trends about their usage. You can start any design by assuming these usage patterns based on device class.
The larger devices get, the further away from the eye they are used. Small handsets are held quite close to the eye, larger ones and phablets further away, and tablets at approximately desktop distance. Due to angular resolution, we have to adjust type sizes based not on screen size, but on this distance from the user’s eyeball.
Minimum text sizes vary from 4 point for small handsets, to 10 points for devices set on tables or in stands. Yes, these are minimum sizes, and you should use at least 30% larger type or icons for almost all actual uses like body copy. Go even larger for more readability, for active environments, and for older populations.
Support all input types, especially if you are building responsive websites, or expect to make an app for tablet and handset. Account for distance by adjusting the sizes of readable items like type, icons, text fields, checkboxes and buttons.
SPREAD THE ABOVE OUT, EXPAND A LOT
Device Use
Farther away, on the move, etc. Cover rates and explain, and hints to why.
Possibly touch on the Google multi-device stuff a bit.
Segue into key reason we care being readability
MORE USE DATA
The MOVR report from Scientia has all kinds of awesome stuff like how tablets are used more in landscape as they get larger! https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7924016838300977154 Not just my observations, but real data!
Get all the interesting bits, and merge with mine to make categories of stuff you need to know like this.
Readability, Legibility & Angular Resolution
Define each, but in turn as I go through them in some detail.
Pick up key bits of the Bad Astronomy column. Not all, just enough.
Add some new math, partly to qualify the sizes. I suspect readable includes the ability of the strokes to be seen, and close ones (say, Ms) to be differentiated from each other. We can use math to do this.
== Old Guidelines and New Old because desktop still applies for small devices used at arm's reach, like most tablets.
New for the handheld sizes.
Lots more, with examples, for how this works out. Measure some actual app examples, and OS examples. Classic iOS should be fun to show off actual sizes in the wild for those who sneer at 4 or 6 pt.
Try to find some weird edge cases, like video player captions being huge as phones are often propped up also? If true.
References
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