The Mobile Phone: An Evolved Species

Shopping centres are overflowing with them, schools are filled with them, workplaces operate on them and they are even found in third world countries; it is undeniable that the mobile phone has evolved greatly to impact the world in a profound way.
According to the Australian Government, at the end of 2006 there were approximately 19.5 million mobile phone subscribers in Australia; almost matching the estimated population figure in the same year (Australian Government).
Before the mobile phone concept came into being, the United States developed a new technology called the ‘radiotelephone service’; this connected users in their cars to the public network (Take, S. 2004). The evolution of the mobile telephone begins with the ‘First Generation’ (1G) mobile – developed in the 1970s; this system allowed users to make calls across the country (Take, S. 2004). When the ‘Second Generation’ (2G) mobile phone was first introduced in the 1980s it was seen as a ‘rich man’s indulgence’, assumed that only the upper-class businessman would possess such an object (Anonymous. 1992). The 2G phone offered better quality and greater capability than the 1G phone (Take, S. 2004).

After proving successful with the general public, improvements were made to the mobile telephone to introduce more features and increase its appeal (Smyth, P. 2000). The 1990s saw the introduction of an integrated mobile phone and personal organiser; this machine incorporating voice and messaging services, global positioning services (GPS) and even Internet browsing (Smyth, P. 2000). During this evolution and progression; it became evident that mobile telephone users were after unique devices with a large array of features, highest speed functions and mobility (Flanagan, W. 2007). This prompted the introduction of new multimedia devices in the year 2000, known as the ‘Third Generation’ (3G) of the mobile phone (Take, S. 2004). These devices were seen as a breakthrough in technology; incorporated personal media players, global roaming, colour and touch screens (Anonymous. 1992), video conferencing, and high-speed internet access into one compact machine (Lush, E. 2007).

The evolution of the ‘mobile’ has caused several mobile telephone manufacturers to become leading names in the communications industry. As it became evident that there was a large market for new technology devices within the general public; manufacturers began to compete to produce the most impressive and high-speed devices (Lipoff, S. 1992). Nokia, Motorola and Ericsson have risen above the other manufacturers to become the leaders in mobile communication technology (Taylor, P. 2002). The continuing competition to produce the most ‘cutting-edge’ mobile devices has shaped the way business is conducted; created many opportunities for small and large businesses and also impacted greatly on users’ personal lives (Coventry. 2001).

The development of the mobile phone has altered the way people communicate on business and personal terms. Modern day communication surpasses the traditional methods and it has allowed for faster contact and increased mobility (Beaton, J & Wajcman, J. 2004). The mobile telephone has enhanced and increased personal communication; as people can now communicate via short text messages, video messages and images sent from mobile phone to mobile phone (Lipoff, S. 1992).
The evolution of the mobile phone from enabling basic voice calls to sending and receiving text/video/image messages, now sees the 'mobile’ as an essential personal device for most users (Lush, E. 2007).
The mobile telephone has allowed for a greater connection to be made between the work life and the personal life. However, the fast-connection and increased mobility of mobile telephones today allows users to organize and coordinate home and work activities (Beaton, J & Wajcman, J. 2004). Most mobile phones have calendar and notebook facilities that allow users to set appointments and reminders for both work and personal matters (Beaton, J & Wajcman, J. 2004).

Users of the mobile telephone from a business perspective have been greatly affected as the new technology allows for faster communication and Internet/company Intranet access and greater data storage capacity (Flanagan, W. 2007). The faster transportation of information and data that new mobile telephone technology has produced, has seen many large companies and smaller businesses grow (Mobile Anonymous. 1992). Highly complex functions such as mobile-tracking, high-speed downloading capabilities and Internet access have enabled quicker, less problematic communication for business persons (Datacomm Research Company. 2006).
It is evident in everyday life that most business people depend of the capability of their mobile phone; during business hours most communication is conducted through a mobile telephone, and after business hours most business people are still making appointments and sending and receiving data in text or image form (Anonymous. 1992).

The evolution of the mobile telephone and the continuous drive from consumers for the most up-to-date communication methods; has ensured that the mobile telephone market will continue to expand as technology improves. The last decade has seen this communication device push the boundaries of creativity and technological features and function.
New mobile telephone technology has seen high speed data transmission, colour videos, 3D images, games and wireless Internet come into being in the form of compact mobile telephones (Take, S. 2004). These devices allow users to ‘personalise’ them with backgrounds, ring-tones, layouts and icons; transforming them from a mobile telephone to a personal organiser (SMS.ac 2004).

After the breakthrough in mobile technology by Nokia, Motorola and Ericsson; the future of the ‘mobile phone’ is beyond imaginable. A personal banking function is a foreseeable development in mobile telephone technology; as mobile operators are aiming at becoming banking institutions in the future (SMS.ac 2004). The evolution of the mobile telephone has seen it grow from a basic and limited machine to a high-speed, functional device that is capable of almost anything in the technology realm (Take, S. 2004).