The Advancements of the Cell Phone

What is a Cell phone? A cell phone, also known as a mobile phone is an electronic device that is used for mobile telecommunications over a cellular network of specialized based stations known as cell sites Cell phones are defined as sophisticated radios.

How Do They Work? *A cell phone is like a radio because it picks up a signal from a tower. *Each cell phone has a cellular system. *Each cell has a base station that consists of a tower and a building containing the radio equipment, this provides frequency reuse across a city, so that millions of people can use cell phones. *Each cell will cover approximately a ten mile radius. *Towers are strategically placed in different parts of a city so that all areas of region are covered. *A typical large city can have hundreds of towers placed in certain regions to cover most of the areas completely. Many base stations are needed within a city so that cell phones function properly.

History of the cell phone Dr. Martin Cooper, a former general manager for the systems division at Motorola, is the inventor of the first portable handset. He was also the first person to make a call on a portable cell phone in April 1973. In 1984, the first cellular phones; the Motorola Dyna TAC 8000X, were made commercially available. They were as heavy and comparable in size to a car battery. They were more expensive than the average color television. In the 1900’s, cell phone dimensions and the weight of the phones began to shrink. In the 2000’s, advancement were made towards standardizing a single worldwide cellular standard. Eventually, additional multimedia features including internet, data transfer and email have been incorporated into phones.

The Different Types of Cell Phones There are basically three different types of phones; portable, transportable and mobile. The Portable phone is normally a small, hand held phones that can easily be fit in a pocket, purse or briefcase and can be plugged into an automobile cigarette lighter. This attachment saves the life of the phone’s battery power. The transportable phone is a car phone with the handset, antenna and battery packaged together with a rechargeable battery in a carrying case. These phones may be plugged into an automobiles cigarette lighter or can operate off a portable battery pack. The mobile phone is a phone that is installed within your car and used with an antenna on the outside of the car. The car’s battery is what powers these phones. Mobile phones are great for individuals that travel a lot.

Features of the Cell Phone Some of the newest technology in cellular communication include PDA’s, touch screens, slider phones and flip phones. *Personal Digital Assistants or smart phones have multimedia capabilities such as storing MP3 or MP4 music files and even internet access. Some also include a navigation system. *Along with technological advances other features include sending text messages, call registers, RDS radio receiver, alarms, memo and document recording, personal organizer and personal digital assistant functions, ability to watch streaming video or download video for later viewing, video calling, built in cameras and camcorders, with autofocus and flash, ringtones, games, PTT, memory card reader, WIFI connectivity, instant messaging, Internet e-mail and browsing and serving as a wireless modem for a PC. *On a Slider phone, the keyboard either slides down from the bottom of the phone or it will appear once the display screen is pushed up. This phone allows for quick texting or browsing the web. *Flip phones have a hinge so the user can flip the phone open and its main display screen and keypad are out of sight until the cell phone is opened.

Cell Phone Providers Among cell phone providers there are National and Regional carriers, specialty carriers and prepaid carriers. National and regional carriers include Alltel wireless, AT&T, Cellular One, Nextel, Sprint, T Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless.

ADVANTAGES of the cell phone *The biggest advantage to cell phones is that it allows its users the advantage of a wider opportunity to communicate. *A cell phone user can drive from state to state and maintain a conversation with the same person. *It is an efficient and effective way to communicate. *They are small and you can have them with you at all times to do a wide variety of applications... You can use the calculator to do balance your checkbook, send and receive calls, and you can get information from a variety of sources, such as, news, entertainment, stock quotes and games. *Cell phones can provide less downtime because we do not have to use a landline or payphone to call someone, instead we can take chat or conduct business while traveling, walking or waiting for an appointment or meeting to begin. *They are a fast and effective way to transfer information. Some parents use cell phones to keep in contact with their children while others use it for

DISADVANTAGES of the cell phone The extensive growth in the wireless communications industry over the past ten years has been accompanied by growing concerns for the potential hazards of drivers using wireless communication while operating a moving vehicle. *Many accidents have occurred as a result of the distraction created by the use of a cell phone while driving. *Americans spend substantial amounts of time commuting and members of the public place high importance on keeping up with their tasks and activities. *Cell phones give off electromagnetic energy which is a non-ionizing form of radiation, similar to what is produced during a thunder storm. *There are reasons to suspect that cell phones may cause cancer in the ear or brain tumors. As more individuals use cell phones year after year, the greater the risk of developing brain tumors.