In order for us to relate well with this subject, it is important to acknowledge both the historical journey and the significance of cell phones in our generation. It is indeed one of the greatest innovations made and one that this current generation cannot fathom doing without.
Cell phone industry is indeed one of the most developed sector in the modern world considering the fact that, cell phones are currently in use in almost all parts of the world (King, 2002). Today, the device has found significant use in the business sector among other sectors of life.
Cell phone is a device that has continued to be a source of fascination for many, as great technological strides in changes, modifications and improvement continue to be made on it and what we have currently can only be termed as a phenomenon. Historical and technological progress of the cell phone dates back to the Second World War, when Reginald Fessenden invented the radio telephony to aid communication within the military camp.
According to Li (2010), new ideas for organizing and improving upcoming technology are what matters most for any innovation. During the 1940s, improvements were made to this invention which saw the creation of hand held communication devices.
Up till the early 1970’s, the invented cell phones could only be installed and used in vehicles but after that period, portable cell phones that were not limited to be used only in the vehicles were invented though they had a fair share of limitations. For instance, they were big, bulky and could not support multiple conversations. They consumed a lot of power and could not support nor allow automatic voice and data features, as is the case with modern devices and only the wealthy could afford to buy them.
The history of cell phones is usually categorized into first, second, third, fourth and so on generations, in tracking and marking technological improvement s and changes in the industry.
As with any other invention, the cell phone industry has seen the rise of diverse range of products in the market which is becoming extremely competitive with each company coming up with impressive advertising campaigns to woo consumers (Boland, 2007).
These products, which are produced by different companies range from cell phones, iPhones, iPads, Blackberry, phone batteries, memory cards, Bluetooth, antennas, phone holders, faceplates, repair parts, phone straps, LCD’s, data cables, snap-on covers, leather cases, travel and car chargers, hands frees, holsters, silicone skins, stylus, car kits and such.
There is also the rising concern of fakes and substandard cell phone products in the market. To address this, the Telecom Regulatory Authority in partnership with UAE Telecoms intends to cut off services to duplicate and fake handsets from 1st January, 2012.
According to Klemens (2010), the cell phone industry is rapidly growing and thus, creating massive demand for this product. This has resulted to a lot of pressure for the product manufacturers and dealers, as they work hard to re-invent and modify their products with the objective of impressing their consumers and outdoing each other in the market.
Since the cell phone industry is not a monopoly market, many players have joined in the production, distribution and selling. However, this requires massive investments and thus once one is in it, it is not easy to switch to other investments for the risks are higher and because on the other hand, the demand for this product provides stability.
References
Boland, P. (2007). The emerging role of cell phone technology in ambulatory care. The Journal of ambulatory care management, 30 (2), 126.
King, J.L. and West, J. (2002). Ma Bell’s orphan: US cellular telephony, 1947-1996. Telecommunications Policy, 26 (3-4), 189-203.
Klemens, G. (2010). The cell phone: the history and technology of the gadget that changed the world. New York: McFarland & Company.
Li, Y.B. (2009). How the cell phone became the most important interactive communication medium in today’s China. Technology in Society, 31 (1), 53-55.