• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, June 1, 2011

The Nielsen Company's most recent research on mobile connected devices sheds new light on how (and where) consumers are using their tablets, eReaders and smartphones.

According to the Nielsen recent survey of nearly 12,000 mobile connected device owners, 70% of tablet owners and 68% of smartphone owners said they use their devices while watching television, compared to only 35% of eReader owners.

Further, when asked where they use the devices, 61% of eReader owners use their device in bed, compared to 57% of tablet owners and 51% of smartphone owners.

US Connected Devices: Situational Usage
	% Using
Where/When Used	Tablet	eReader	Smartphone
Watching TV	70%	35%	68%
Lying in bed	57	61	51
With friends/family	44	17	58
Waiting for something	42	32	59
In the bathroom	25	17	28
Attending meeting/class	24	10	23
Shopping/errands	21	9	59
Commuting	20	11	47
Other	35	39	50
Source: Q1 Mobile Connected Device Report, Nielsen, May 2011

But just how much time are tablet, eReader, and smartphone owners spending using their device while watching TV or lying in bed, asks the study.

Tablet owners said 30% of their time spent with their device was while watching TV compared to 21% lying in bed. Smartphone owners say that 20% of the time they are using their smartphones is while watching TV, compared to 11% lying in bed.

However, while eReader owners indicated only 15% of their eReader time was spent watching TV, but they spent a whopping 37% of that device usage time in bed.

US Connected Devices: Time Distribution of Usage by Location
	% of Time Using at Location
Location	Tablet	eReader	Smartphone
Watching TV	30%	15%	20%
Lying in bed	21	37	11
With friends/family	10	5	12
Waiting for something	9	9	12
In the bathroom	4	3	3
Attending meeting/class	5	2	3
Shopping/errands	4	1	10
Commuting	4	4	10
Other	13	23	19
Source: Q1 Mobile Connected Device Report, Nielsen, May 2011

For additional information from the Nielsen Company, please visit here.