| A mobile phone or cell phone is an electronic | | | | operating via MTS that do not have a cellular |
| telecommunications piece of equipment. The | | | | network, while the related term cell(ular) phone |
| majority of current cell phones connect to the | | | | does not. In actual fact, the two terms are used |
| network using a wireless radio wave transmission | | | | almost interchangeably, with the favored term |
| technology, although satellite phones are | | | | varying by location. |
| exceptions. These cell phones communicate by | | | | Technology on which cell phone works |
| means of a cellular network of base stations, | | | | Cell phones and the network they function under |
| which are known as cell sites, which is in turn | | | | vary a lot from provider to provider, and even |
| linked to the conventional telephone network and | | | | from nation to nation. On the other hand, all of |
| were first introduced in the early to mid 1980s, | | | | them communicate through electromagnetic radio |
| the so called 1G generation. | | | | waves with a cell site or base station, the |
| Earlier cell phones operating without a cellular | | | | antennas of which are by and large mounted on a |
| network, the so-called 0G generation, such as | | | | tower, pole, or building. The cell phones have a |
| Mobile Telephone Service, date back to 1946. In | | | | low power transceiver so as to transmit voice |
| anticipation of the mid to late 1980s, most cell | | | | and data to the nearby cell sites, usually 5 to 8 |
| phones were sufficiently big that they were time | | | | miles away. |
| and again permanently installed in vehicles as car | | | | When the cellular phone or data device is turned |
| phones. In the midst of the advance of | | | | on, it registers with the mobile telephone |
| miniaturization, at this time the vast majority of | | | | exchange, or switch, with its only one of its kind |
| cell phones are handheld. | | | | identifiers, and will then be alerted by the mobile |
| Features of a cell phone | | | | switch as soon as there is an incoming telephone |
| In addition to the usual voice function of a | | | | call. The handset continuously listens for the |
| telephone, a cell phone can hold up many additional | | | | strongest signal being received from the |
| services such as SMS for text messaging, packet | | | | neighboring base stations. As the user moves in |
| switching for access to the Internet, and MMS for | | | | the region of the network, the mobile device will |
| transferring and receiving photos and video. A | | | | hand off to new cell sites. |
| number of the world's largest cell phone | | | | Cell sites have comparatively low power (habitually |
| manufacturers consist of | | | | only one or two Watts) radio transmitters, which |
| - Alcatel | | | | broadcast their being there and relay |
| - Audiovox | | | | communications involving the mobile handsets and |
| - Fujitsu | | | | the switch. The switch in turn connects the call to |
| - Kyocera | | | | a different subscriber of the same wireless |
| - LG | | | | service provider or to the public telephone |
| - Motorola | | | | network, which includes the networks of other |
| - NEC | | | | wireless carriers. The conversation between the |
| - Nokia, | | | | handset and the cell site is a stream of digital data |
| - Panasonic (Matsushita Electric)and a lot more..... | | | | that includes digitized audio (except for the first |
| There are in addition specialist communications | | | | generation analog networks). |
| systems related to, but separate from cell | | | | The technology or the know-how that achieves |
| phones, such as Professional Mobile Radio. Mobile | | | | this depends on the system that the cell phone |
| phones are also distinct from cordless telephones, | | | | operator has adopted. A number of technologies |
| which in general operate only within a limited range | | | | include AMPS for analog, and TDMA, CDMA, GSM, |
| of a specific base station. Technically, the term | | | | GPRS, EV-DO, and UMTS for digital |
| cell phone includes such devices as satellite phones | | | | communications. |
| and pre-cellular mobile phones such as those | | | | |