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The concept of the cell phone has been around since as early as the 1920’s. However, the real trend did not begin until the 1980’s.
In the early days, cell phones were little more than a novelty for the man who had everything.
They were enormous in size, fitting into a large briefcase that housed the battery pack and aerial. These first models cost around $4,000 and were a cumbersome and inconvenient form of “mobility”.
However, the potential of the cell phone was recognised by several companies, who spent the next few years developing the technology into one that was more user-friendly.
It was in the mid-1990’s that the trend caught fire and ignited the whole world in a cell phone frenzy.
The Nokia 5110 was the height of fashion at this time – measuring over 13cm tall and weighing 170g, it is considered a “brick” by today’s standards!
No longer just for high-rolling businessmen, the cell phone became hugely popular with the average consumer, particularly in the 18-30 age bracket. The cell phone represented a new way to stay in touch with friends - to stay connected in a dynamic, technologically minded society.
The cell phone has now become a true household item – even a necessity for some. Due to the popularity of this gadget, key companies have spent millions of dollars developing new technologies and features to be used within them.
Perhaps the most famous and successful feature was the invention of the camera phone. First conceptualised by Sharp, it proved to be a run-away hit with consumers. In the beginning the cameras were a poor-quality VGA resolution – they now boast up to an 8 mega-pixel resolution, and no doubt will only get better from there.
Since the introduction of the camera phone, cell phone manufacturers have constantly competed to include new and exciting features in their new models.
Features such as GPS receivers, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi capabilities, WAP Internet hook-up and inbuilt MP3 players have all achieved wild success on the cell phone market.
With the technology ever changing, there is an air of excitement about every new “showcase” phone that is brought onto the market.
In recent years, there have been two cell phones that have created an extreme amount of buzz across the world – the Nokia N95 and the Apple iPhone.
The Nokia N95 was released in 2007 with a range of exciting new features – it was the first cell phone with a 5 mega-pixel camera, a GPS receiver and a dual-slide function. Despite its originally high retail cost, the N95 was an instant success and remains Nokia’s most popular phone to date.
A phone released by cult-company Apple was always destined for greatness – yet still, the level of hype surrounding the iPhone was unprecedented. Die-hard fans camped out for days in front of Apple stores prior to it’s release, and the unit was in such high demand that it sold out several times after the release date.
Featuring the trademark Apple operating system, the iPhone contains a built-in iPod, Internet and email capabilities, and an excellent-quality screen resolution for viewing photos and videos.
A cell phone is more than just a communication device in the current market – they are a kind of personal assistant. Carrying a device that is your phone, music source, camera, modem, and GPS receiver has changed the way we live in the modern world.
The humble cell phone has managed to irrevocably change the face of technology.
About the author:
Moji Ashrafi is the Director of Platinum Communications (www.platinumonline.net) and has spent 10 years in the telecommunications industry. |
