Mobile phone

A mobile phone (also known as a hand phone, cell phone, or cellular telephone) is a small portable radio telephone.

The mobile phone can be used to communicate over long distances without wires. It works by radio wave connection to a nearby base station (also called a "mobile tower"), which links the phone to the main telecommunications network. When moving, if the mobile phone gets too far away from the cell it is connected to, that cell sends a message to another cell to tell the new cell to take over the call. This is called a "hand off," and the call continues with the new cell. The hand-off is done so smoothly that the user will usually not know that the call was transferred to another cell.

As mobile phones became more popular, they began to cost less money, and more people could afford them. Mobile service providers started offering monthly plans for as low as US$30 or US$40. Cell phones have become so cheap to own that they have mostly replaced pay phones and phone booths except for urban areas with many people.

In the 21st century, a new type of mobile phone, called smartphones, have become popular. Since the 2010s, smartphones have become more widely used  than traditional feature phones.

 History 
Mobile phones in the 1950s through 1970s were large and heavy, and most were built into cars. In the late 20th century technology improved so people could carry their phones with ease.

Although Dr. Martin Cooper from Motorola made the first call using a mobile phone in 1973 (using a handset weighing  2 kilograms), it did not use the type of cellular mobile phone network that we use today.

The first cellular mobile phone networks were created in 1979 in Japan. Now almost all urban areas, and many country areas, are covered by mobile phone networks.

 Technology 
A cell phone combines technologies, mainly telephone, radio, and computer. Most also have a digital camera inside.

Cell phones work as two-way radios. They send electromagnetic microwaves from base station to base station. The waves are sent through antennas. This is called wireless communication.

Early cell telephones used analog networks. They became rare late in the 20th century. Modern phones use digital networks.

The first digital networks are also known as second generation, or 2G, technologies. The most used digital network is GSM (Global System for Mobile communication). It is used mainly in Europe and Asia, while CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access) networks are mainly used in North America. The difference is in communication protocol. Other countries like Japan have different 2G protocols. A few 2G and 3G networks are still used. 4G are more common, and many places have 5G.

The radio waves that the mobile phone networks use are split into different frequencies. The frequency is measured in Hz. Lower frequencies can send the signal farther. Higher frequencies provide better connections and the voice communications are generally clearer. Four main frequency bands are used around the world: 850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz. Europe uses 900 and 1800 MHz and North America uses 850 and 1900 MHz.

Today there are mobile phones that work on two, three or four frequency bands. The most advanced phones  work on all frequencies. They are called 'world' phones and can be used everywhere.

 Shapes 

There are different kinds of phones.  A flip phone flips open.  A bar phone is shaped like a candy bar, and the keys and screen are on one face.  A slate phone is a phone that has almost no buttons, and uses a touchscreen. Most smartphones are slates.  A slider phone slides on rails.  It can slide out number keys or a mini keyboard, and some do both.  A swivel spins on an axle.

 How mobile phones work 

When a mobile phone is switched on, its radio receiver finds a nearby mobile phone network base station, and its transmitter sends a request for service. Computers in the base station check if the phone is allowed to use the network. The base station covers an area called a cell. A phone can move between different cells, but will only communicate with one cell at a time. This is why mobile communications are sometimes called cellular communications.

Once connected to a station, the mobile phone can make calls.  Because the network knows that the phone is connected to that particular cell, it can also route calls to the mobile phone.  Sometimes the radio connection to the cell is lost, for example when you go underground.  The phone cannot make or receive calls until the connection is made again.

 Networks and payment 

The network is the company that provides the phone service. In most areas there will be more than one mobile network. Customers choose networks based on how well the different networks work in their area, or by price.

There are two main ways to pay for mobile phone calls:            

 Contract
 If you pay by contract you will pay the network money every month so that you can make calls. Usually you can talk for a lot of time for the monthly fee, but if you do not use the phone a lot you still pay the same money.
 Pay as you use
 If you pay as you use, you will pay for a fixed amount of call time credit which you then use up when phoning people. Once the credit is used up you must buy some more to use the phone. This can be cheaper if you do not use the phone a lot.

Mobile phones use different technical standards. GSM phones use a separate microchip, called a Subscriber Identity Module  or SIM card, to work. The SIM has information like the phone number and payment account and this is needed to make or receive calls. The SIM may be supplied by the same company as the phone, or a different one. In unlocked phones you can change the network by using a SIM from another network, but some companies do not want this to happen and they lock the phone so that you have to use their SIM.  

Locked phones only makes phone calls when the phone is activated.  When someone buys a contract, the network gives them a code, that if they enter it into the phone, the phone will then make calls.  It is usually impossible to switch to a different network's code on this type of phone.  The majority of these CDMA phones are used in the United States and nearby countries.

 Smartphones 
Main page: Smartphone

A majority of new mobile phones from the 21st century are smartphones. These phones are basically  small computers. Besides calling, they can be used for email, browsing the internet, showing local maps, playing music and games, and many other functions that computers can perform. 

Most smartphones run a common mobile operating system. This allows developers to make mobile apps that work on many different phones without needing to change the code. Examples of smartphones include Apple's iPhone (which uses iOS software) and Samsung's Galaxy series, one of many phones that use the Android platform made by Google.

 Mobile case 
Cases are designed to attach to, support, or otherwise hold a smartphone.  They are popular accessories.  Some have a keyboard (computer) built in.  Case measures are based on the display inches (e.g. 5 inch display).  There are different types:

 Pouches and sleeves
 Holsters
 Shells
 Skins
 Bumpers
 Flip cases and wallets
 Leather case
 Screen protectors and body films

Holsters are commonly used alone for devices.  They have rubberized padding, and/or are made of plastic and without exposed rigid corners.  Heavy duty cases are designed to protect from drops and scratches.

 Related pages 
 4G
 5G

 References