A report from Austin, Texas based Malauzai Software – based on data derived from users of its mobile banking applications – indicates clear differences in how members user iPads and how they use smartphones.

That is not unexpected, given the substantial difference in form factors – size mainly – but the Malauzai data puts concrete shape on what the differences are.

One huge surprise: iPad login attempts fail 27% of the time, compared to 15% on smartphones. Said Malauzai in its report, “We speculate that this is because many tablet end-users are less comfortable with their on-device keyboards, which can make an end-user stretch to hit keys, especially when they are trying to hold the devices in their hands.”

That is a puzzling result precisely because the iPad screen is so much larger than a smartphone screen.

Expected, however, is the other top-line result in the report: when iPad users log in, they stay online longer.

Wrote Malauzai: “iPad end-users use mobile banking 50% longer than their smartphone counterparts, with average session duration of 1 minute and 45 seconds. Both smartphone and iPad users login approximately three times per week.”

iPad users also are much more likely to consult their transaction histories. Wrote Malauzai: “Transaction details are used by 73% of end-users after login for iPad vs. 37% for all smartphones. We speculate that this is caused by the transactional data being more readily available to iPad end-users with more of a prominent display and larger text. It simply may be easier to look at this data on the iPad which is driving the usage so high.”

The bottom line: Tablets are functionally different devices from smartphones and, accordingly, how they are used will be different. Many mobility experts say that may trigger a need on the part of credit unions to treat tablets differently — perhaps according them more permissions.