Conventional wisdom suggests that tablets would consume more data on mobile networks than smartphones, since the larger screen typically means higher resolution or more complex content is sent to the device. But the latest study from network analysis firm Arieso suggests just the opposite is true: top smartphones, including the iPhone 5, Galaxy S III, and HTC One X, are transferring far more mobile data than the iPad or Galaxy Tab 2 10.1.

iPhone 5 users, with a larger 4-inch retina display, Siri, and 3D navigational maps, seem to be gobbling up the most data of any smartphone. Arieso's data is presented in terms relative to iPhone 3G users; on average, iPhone 5 users pull down four times as much data. Galaxy S III users use three times as much, and HTC One X users use almost three times as much. Also of note, Galaxy S III users upload slightly more data than iPhone 5 users on average.

The analysis shows that less mobile data is being used on tablets. iPad users tend to use about 2.5 times as much data compared to iPhone 3G users. On the other hand, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 users are pulling down just slightly less data than Galaxy S III users.

What seems to be the differentiating factor is LTE. The iPads analyzed by Arieso don't have it; the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 offers it as an option. The smartphones using the most data in the study are also LTE-compatible models. When normalizing the data, Arieso said that usage patterns between smartphone users and tablet users are actually the same.

"Once you move away from raw consumption statistics, the most remarkable finding is the way in which people use smartphones and tablets," study author and Arieso CTO, Dr. Michael Flanagan said in a statement. "Regardless of device type and operating system, there is very little variation in the usage 'signature' between smartphone users and between tablet users."

As LTE allows data to be consumed at a faster pace, we aren't surprised by this revelation. Since smartphones fit in a pocket and are typically with the user at all times—unlike most tablets—it makes sense that smartphones would account for more overall volume of data use than tablets. But with smartphone and tablet devices using largely the same apps and capabilities, mobile data usage patterns from user to user should be about the same.