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Part One : Cell Phone Overview & History

The cell phone (also called cellular phone or wireless phone or a mobile phone) is a portable electronic device used for mobile voice or data communication over a cell network.

The cell phone has a short history. In 1915, American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) discussed developing a wireless phone yet, but the first commercial mobile phone service was released until 1978 by NTT of Japan. Cells for mobile phone base stations were invented in 1947 by Bell Labs engineers at AT&T and further developed by Bell Labs during the 1960s. Radiophones have a long and varied history. Through the Second World War the radio telephony links the military units and civil services. The hand-held cellular radio devices have been available since 1973.

Due to their low establishment costs and rapid deployment, cell phone networks spreads very rapidly throughout the world. By November 2007,there is as many as 3.3 billion cell phone users, which makes the cell phone the most widely spread technology and the most common gadget in the history of the world.

In addition to the standard voice function of a telephone, current mobile phones may developed many additional services, and accessories. There are many other functions such as SMS for text messaging, email, packet switching for access to the Internet, gaming, bluetooth, infrared, camera with video recorder and MMS for sending and receiving photos and video. The first-generation systems started in 1979 with Japan, are all analog and include AMPS and NMT. The Second-generation systems, started in 1991 in Finland, are all digital and include GSM, CDMA and TDMA. The Third-generation (3G) networks, which are still being deployed, began in Japan in 2001. They are all digital, and offer high-speed data access in addition to voice services.

There are several categories of mobile phones, from basic phones to feature phones such as musicphones and cameraphones, to smartphones.

Cell phones often have features beyond sending voice calls and Internet browsing, including music (MP3) playback, memo recording, personal organizer functions, e-mail, instant messaging, built-in cameras and camcorders, ringtones, games, radio, Push-to-Talk (PTT), infrared and Bluetooth connectivity, call registers, ability to download and watch videos, video calling and serve as a wireless modem, and soon will also serve as a console of sorts to online games and other high quality games. The total value of mobile data services exceeds the value of paid services on the Internet, and was worth 31 billion dollars in 2006. By 2007 over 798 million people used the cell phone to browse the internet or get emails.