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When mobile phones were first introduced in the early 1970s, they were capable of doing
nothing more than placing telephone calls. When the first 1G cellular network was introduced
in 1979, mobile phones hadn’t changed much in features but were beginning to
decrease in size. In 1991, the first 2G network was introduced and began the transition from
simple mobile phones to “smart” phones that could send and receive email, browse the
web, and take pictures, in addition to being able to place phone calls. Nearly 30 years after
their introduction, in 2001, the cellular networks began providing the necessary infrastructure
to support more modern mobile phones with faster data connections and even greater
capabilities.
Since then, mobile phones have become nearly ubiquitous in modern life. The features and
capabilities have continued to improve, expand, and evolve. These advances have come
with increasing network capabilities and speeds, such as 3G, HSDPA, and 4G. Despite all of
these advances, the mobile phone landscape hadn’t really changed much.
In 2007, Apple introduced the first iPhone with overwhelming response. The iPhone helped
redefine the mobile phone landscape and introduced consumers to a much friendlier,
easier-to-use touch-aware device. Quickly following Apple’s success, Google introduced the
first Android-based phones in late 2008. Once again, the mobile phone landscape changed
dramatically. Both the iPhone and Android phones changed the mobile landscape and
solidified the concept that these devices are more than just phones. The incredibly large
assortment of applications available for both allows you to create a phone that fits your
individual lifestyle…almost. The one thing that all of these devices have in common is that,
although it has become easier to do more things with your phone, it still requires you to
“stop and stare.” For example, to see how many unread emails you have in your Inbox,
you must still navigate to the email application, start it, and then you can see how many
unread emails you have waiting. |