Field Notes · 12 May 2026
When tablet traffic confuses a mobile versus desktop split
Tablet share can tilt conversion charts. Here is how we treat it in ForestBase Toolkit comparisons.
Many analytics defaults fold tablets into “mobile,” while some finance teams still think in “phone versus computer.” Neither choice is wrong, but mixing them silently wrecks a conversion comparison.
Our default for GB retail
Unless a client asks otherwise, we report three bars: phone, tablet, and computer. The headline story may still be phone versus computer, but the tablet slice sits beside them so nobody mistakes a tablet-heavy affiliate for a phone win.
What to check before you celebrate
- Campaign landing pages that skew heavily to one device
- In-app browsers that report oddly
- Store associates using tablets on the shop floor (common in furniture and electronics)
If tablet volume is tiny, we note it and keep the main board simple. If tablet is material, it earns its own column — clarity beats a tidy two-device myth.