Back in My Day Mobile Phones Cost £2,500

The Phenomenon of Shrinking Cell Phones

Mobile phones are everywhere. And yet, most of us act like they have always been there. Mobiles have become an indispensable communication tool because they can do so much and are so portable. Cell phone “shrinking” is an interesting by-product of the mobile phone industry.

“Shrinking” has two related definitions that operate on two fronts in the mobile industry: First, as mobile phones get increasingly smaller, manufacturers are increasing speed, adding new applications and improving connectivity. Consumers love it. The second part of the shrinking phenomenon is motivated by phone service cost. The mobile industry is introducing new and more costly prepaid contracts that replace plans based simply on minutes used. Providers have found that consumers are spending as much – if not more – time using mobiles to connect the Internet rather than talking. As new plans are introduced, consumers are taking a long hard look at their service plans to “shrink” costs and get the best pricing for the services they use.

Experts offer some suggestions to consider when looking at the new prepaid plans:

• Review past statements to see where minutes are being used. New plans are based on the number of minutes consumers allocate for calls and data.
• Find a prepaid plan that is less expensive and has the right mix of minutes – even if it means moving to another provider.
• Compare month-to month plans with day-to-day plans. It may make more sense to choose a daily plan.
• Families should consider combining mobile phone lines into one less expensive plan that shares voice and data minutes.
• Look at where extra costs are. Consider staying with the basics and ditching the extras.
• Bundle services into one plan. This often saves money. However, know how long the bundled services price is good for.
• Think about staying with the current provider if a free new phone is part of the deal.
• Read everything connected with a new prepaid service plan carefully before committing to a carrier.

Remember, the best T-mobile cell phone plans accurately reflect how costumers choose to use services and manage their minutes.

Mobile Phones Then; Mobile Phones Today

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Today’s mobile phones look nothing like the original ones. In 1983, the first mobile was large, bulky, had a limited range, short battery time and cost an eye-popping $2,500. People still bought them as a novelty rather than as a working phone, while some found it essential to keep ahead in business.

By 1984, the mobile telephone industry was making mobile phones smaller, more powerful and less expensive. The convenience of the mobile phone hooked users. Motorola introduced the first digital mobile phone in 1992 and Nokia produced the first smartphone in 1993. At the same time mobile phone kept getting smaller and easier to carry. One manufacturer even marketed a mobile phone that was the height of a cigarette.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

The first cell phone camera, released by Sanyo in 1997, was an instant success. By 2006, one-half of the cell phones purchased world-wide were camera cell phones. Digital camera phones have changed the way people take pictures. The quality and sharpness of photos taken with a digital smartphone camera rival traditional camera photo shooting.

What Is Happening Today?

Photo credit: Wikipedia

For starters, mobile phones are replacing landlines. A 2010 survey found that one in four homes has replaced their landline phones with cell phones. This shift also applies to pay phones. The smartphone is shifting the focus of mobile communication from a place to a person. Connectivity has improved from anywhere in the world by voice or through the Internet. Mobile phone users now have the Internet at their fingertips.

 What Happens Next?

The shrinking phone dynamic is important in the mobile phone industry for consumers, manufacturers and service providers because of the chain effect improving the product starts. Mobiles will continue to become more like computers until the two technologies are one. At some point desktop and laptop computers, if they still exist, will be replaced by phones that are every bit as powerful. This is where the core of communications is headed and it is unstoppable.