How Does the Early Mobile Phone Compare to those of the 21st Century? Essay

Nowadays, the usage of mobile phones is one of the most common practices that everyone indulges in and this is regardless of the age group or ethnical background to which the person belongs to (Cooper, 2003, n. p. ). Undeniably, mobile phones or cellular phones are tools in our modern world that has changed the way by which humans accomplish their day-to-day tasks. Moreover, further affirmation of the importance of mobile phones in our lives today is evident in the wide variability of the mobile phones that can be found in the market (Cooper, 2003, n. p. ). However, prior to the development of these modern type of mobile phones, these man-made gadgets have undergone rigorous and numerous alterations over the past years (Cooper, 2003, n. p. ). In connection to this, the objective of this essay is to discuss the changes that these products have experienced over the past few decades by utilizing a compare-and-contrast strategy to illustrate the difference between early mobile phones and the wireless phones of the 21st century. The era of mobile phones has started with the introduction of radiotelephones for military purposes which are found in ships, aircraft and military vehicles during the 1940s (Connected Earth, 2010, n. p. ). This was actually the time when telephones were used to pass information from one military camp to another in order to hasten the military operations (Connected Earth, 2010, n. p. ). Potential usage of telephones for commercial uses were introduced in 1947 when a taxi company in Cambridge has availed themselves mobile services in order to improve their service to the passengers and improve the profit input for their companies (Connected Earth, 2010, n. p. ). From then on, the mobile industry has continued to develop in order to become one of the most dynamic industries this world has ever known (Connected Earth, 2010, n. p. ). One of the greatest parameters of the advancements that this industry has encountered is seen on the features of the early mobile phones. It was said that a concept of a mobile phone in the early parts of the 1980s meant that a person was carrying a very big suitcase with a lot of electronic devices and wires inside it and is also characterized by the presence of about three-foot steel antenna that was drilled through the suitcase (as cited by Gow & Smith, 2006, pg. 22). By analysis, it can be said that the early mobile phones provide a perception of a non-easy-to-carry devices and this evident in the features and characteristics of the first and second generation cell phones (Memebridge, 2010, n. p. ). First generation cell phones was represented by the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, considered to be the first portable mobile phone, which had the following characteristics: 28 ounces in weight, dimensions of 13 x 1. 75 x 3. 5, and physical features resembling a brick (Memebridge, 2010, n. p. ). Second generation cell phones, on the other hand, was highlighted by the replacement of analog system frequencies, about 100 to 200 grams, handheld and portable, and were significantly smaller than the first generation mobile phones (Memebridge, 2010, n. p. ). Third generation mobile phones are the type of the present cell phones that we have today (Memebridge, 2010, n. p. ). These mobile phones are characterized by the presence of all of the basic features that were developed from the first and second generation cell phones plus the addition of a number of practical features (Siegel, 2010, n. p. ). Mobile phones of the 21st century do not only serve communication purposes but are also being used to connect to the internet, chat with friends, take pictures and videos, watch your favorite television program, and even use it as a replacement of a computer (Siegel, 2010, n. p. ). These additional features of the modern cell phones have actually revolutionize the lifestyle of man. In addition to these purposes, modern cell phones can be used to save the lives of people who are endanger and this is seen on the events when a person who has encountered an accident uses his or her cell phone to dial emergency services (Siegel, 2010, n. p. ). Consequently, it can be said that cell phones have indeed progressed from being brick-like, heavy, and inconvenient tools to light weight, hand held and multipurpose equipments for communication. In general, it can be said that the greatest comparison of early mobile phones to cell phones of the 21st century lies in the dimensions of the cell phone, physical features, ease of communication rate, and general usability to the person. List of References Connected Earth. (2010). The origins of mobile. Retrieved 06 May 2010, from http://www. connected- earth. com/galleries/frombuttonstobytes/mobilecommunications/theoriginsofmobile/ Cooper, M. (2003). History of cell phone. Retrieved 06 May 2010, from http://inventors. about. com/cs/inventorsalphabet/a/martin_cooper. htm Gow, G. A. & Smith, R. K. (2006). Mobile and Wireless Communication: An Introduction. USA: Mc-Graw Hill Ed. Siegel, A. (2010). Modern cell phones are more than just talk. Ezine articles. Memebridge. (2010). History of cell phones. Retrieved 06 May 2010, from http://www. historyofcellphones. net/