1. Are SmartPhones or Tablet Devices
more usable by older people ?
Peng Wang and Dave Parry
School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Auckland University of Technology
dparry@aut.ac.nz

2. Agenda
• Why do devices matter ?
• Usability evaluation
• User Preferences
• Discussion

3. Mobile devices
• Multi-touch interface – e.g. zoom etc.
• Soft keyboard
• IoS and Android

4. What is already known ?
• Older people may prefer touch-screens to traditional
keyboards
• Excessive sensitivity and lack of feedback can be an issue for
older users.
• Larger buttons and clear targets are helpful
• Interface interaction must be clear.
• Very large numbers of health apps are now available and
may of these are specifically targeted towards older people

5. Participents
• Six females, four males
• Aged between between 65 and79 years old (average age:
71.9 years)
• Members of SeniorNet Mt. Eden
• 60% owned a multitouch device

6. Methods
• Devices
• iPad (the “large device” with a 9.7-inch, 147.8x197.1 mm
multitouch screen with 768x1024 pixel resolution, weighing 680 g)
running iOS 7
• Sony the “small device” with a 3.5-inch, 49.3x74.0 mm multi-touch
screen with 640x960 resolution, weighing 101g )running Android
• Setting
• SeniorNet Mt Eden
• Recording devices
• Adjustable camera rig (Mr Tappy), a HD Webcam, and a laptop
• Software being tested myfitnesspal

7. Results – Pre activity Questionnaire
Do you own a multi touch device?
Yes No
Participants 60% (6) 40% (4)
Do you feel comfortable using multi-touch devices?
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Participants 20% (2) 40% (4) 40% (4) 0% (0) 0% (0)
What types of multi-touch devices do you prefer?
Tablet (iPad, Surface, etc.) Smart phone (iPhone, HTC, etc.)
Participants 100%(10) 0% (0)

8. Outline
• Initial questionnaire
• Conduct activity with Smartphone
• Conduct activity with Tablet
• Post questionnaire
• During the activities, participants were asked to “think
aloud” about what they were doing and any issues they
were experiencing.

9. Tasks
1. Log in to the system
2. Change demographic details
3. Scan a bar code for nutrition information
4. Sync the result with the database

10. Errors
13
98
47
14
62
225
75
46
0
50
100
150
200
250
Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Task 4
Tablet
Smart ‐phone

11. Comments - SmartPhone
• Data Entry Problems: “The keyboard is too small” “where is the
keyboard to enter numbers” “it is quite difficult to enter the letters
and numbers with the tiny keyboard” “This should be more
accurate with scrolling input”.
• Complexity and Poor Visual Design: e.g. “How am I supposed to
know what the signal means” “The icons are too small to read”.
• Navigation: “I am looking for the icon for this task” “I did not
realize that the sync icon is hidden”
• Inconsistency of Information: e.g. “I didn’t realize that the scan
barcode button is under the dairy option. It used to be under the
food option on the iPad”
• Tactile User Feedback: e.g. “I think I pressed the setting option but
did not see that” “The password is on the screen, when I touched
the screen, noting happened“.

12. Comments - Tablet
• Data Entry Problems: some common verbalisations were “the
bigger letters are not only better for eyes, also for understanding.
If the letter is bigger, I can read them in a better a way, quickly,
easily” “I like multiple choices input rather than direct input and
scrolling input methods” “I am looking for the numbers on the
keyboard”.
• Complexity and Poor Visual Design: e.g. “Do I have to go to the
Face book to login.” “I am looking for something like barcodes”
• Navigation: “where is the back button on this” “I am looking for
the icon for the task 2, but I couldn’t find it” “Food item doesn’t
give me the key to scan the barcode” “I am completely lost here”
“I didn’t realize that there is a rear facing camera on the tablet”.
• Support Information: “there should be a help message which
shows how to scan the barcode”.

13. Results – Post Activity Questionnaire
Level of
Agreement
Strongly
agree
Agree
Neither
agree nor
disagree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Devices T S T S T S T S T S
Useful 80% 10% 20% 10% 0% 20% 0% 40% 0% 20%
Accomplishing
tasks 30% 10% 40% 20% 10% 0% 10% 60% 10% 10%
Ease of use 60% 10% 20% 10% 20% 20% 0% 40% 0% 20%

14. Discussion
• Tablet and smartphone devices have become increasingly
important for health and wellness apps
• Older people are a major market for these applications.
• Despite limitations this paper emphasises the fact that
tablet-based, larger form factor devices are easier for older
people to use.
• Future work may include investigation of other usability
preferences for older people.

15. Acknowledgements
• We would like to thank the members of SeniorNET Mt Eden
for their help and cooperation with this study. This work
formed part of a master’s thesis available via
http://hdl.handle.net/10292/7655

16. Questions ?