Guide Note

Mobile phones, commonly referred to as cell phones, are wireless telephonic devices that can be taken and used anywhere. They can be used to make phone calls or transmit various kinds of data, including sending and receiving text messages and transmitting internet data.

Fast Facts:

1. First developed in 1956 in Sweden by Ericsson
2. Over 255 million estimated cell numbers are in use in the United States alone
3. Top-selling cell: Motorola RAZR V3
4. Top rated cellular network: Verizon
5. Top-selling smartphone: Motorola Q

Can you hear me now?

When first introduced in the 1970s, and well into the early 1990s, cellular phones were only for rich and business elite, as the costs for network access was at a premium. Today, they are a necessary conduit of basic communication between people of all races and economic strata, and in fact the number of cell phone users far outweighs the number of traditional 'land line' users. In the early days of cell phone use, its name was derived from the fact that users needed to stay within certain range of a 'cellular' tower in order to complete a call.

From Big and Fat to RAZR thin

Later, as the industry slowly began to grow, several network providers began to assess 'roaming' charges to users that were attempting to complete and/or receive calls outside their calling area. But as the development of technological advances and growing consumer need emerged, service providers stepped up the number of towers used around the country, and around the world, to help complete calls and deliver services. Those early first generation phones required detailed wiring and parts in order to complete network calls, which explains their 'girth'.

Reach out and SMS someone

Today's phones by comparison, thanks to significant advancement in technology, allow for the phones to connect on virtually any cell tower, thus allowing for phones to be as thin as two inches. Thanks to the rapid development of micro-sized circuitry within them, cell phones often feature various specialized hardware and software that is unrelated to phone calls. These would include built-in cameras, music-playing capabilities, video games, internet accessibility, and personal data organization.