That people use smartphones and tablets for different tasks at different times is not so surprising, though a new study shows some of the distinct differences in what each device is used for.

Research firm Flurry Analytics on Friday released data from a study of iPhone and iPad users across 35 different usage categories, as well as how those devices are used during a normal day.

One of the main findings is that the iPhone was the far more popular device for single people, new moms, and "value shoppers." That's opposed to the iPad, which skewed more toward pet owners, small-business owners, moms, and "casual simulation gamers." Flurry came up with these personas based on app usage, and an individual could fall into more than one category.

Flurry says it's currently tracking activity on around 397 million iOS devices. Developers use Flurry to track activity within their applications on iOS and Android, and Flurry combs some of that data to spot trends. This research was based on a random sample of 44,295 users taken during May.

(Credit: Flurry)

Other findings note that iPad users spent 42 percent more time in apps than iPhone users during the entire month. That number was skewed by certain activities, which make more sense on mobile devices where navigation, health and fitness apps, and photo and video apps made up the top three activities on the iPhone.

The study also found that the iPad got heavier use in the evenings, from 6 to 11 p.m., and actually overshadowed iPhone use during most of that time. On the flip side, more users would begin to break out the iPhone between 2 to 4 a.m., which the company attributes to "hip urban lifestylers finding their way home from a late night."