If you had told someone in the 1980s that mobile phones would be one of the most sophisticated, flexible and useful items on the planet in the future, they may not have been convinced. While cell phones allowed people easier and quicker communication, not many could have predicted how much they’d change and how much they’d become integral to our lives.
Mobile phones were simple devices back in the day that enabled you to make a call wherever you were. This in itself was extremely useful and would start to show how necessary they can be. For most people, they could do without out and it was usually professionals who would utilise them so they could stay on top of news and make decisions at a moment’s notice.
Throughout the nineties, cell phones would become more common with the public and at the same time, the devices would become more powerful and gain new uses. Text messaging transformed how we communicate with each other and now its hard to imagine life without it. Needing to call someone to say something minor, committing to a conversation, expecting immediate replies and more became things of the past and text messaging created a simpler and more convenient means of communication.
Extras would be continuously added to phones. Games, alarms, wallpapers, customised ringtones, and wallpapers would become features, with colour screens and cameras becoming the norm. The camera in our phone was the next big revolution, as it now meant everyone had a way of taking pictures wherever they went. This gave rise to picture messaging, news and jokes to be spread and people to share fun moments with ease and immediacy.
With the invention of the iPhone in 2007, mobiles got smart. Smartphones brought with them all the old features vastly improved and allowed for infinite accessibility and use. Apps on smartphones enabled people to add any functionality to their phone. These apps could be for work, giving people easier ways to do their job, or they could add everyday features such as banking, alarms, music players, etc. and all this has changed our lives forever.
Today, people into health and fitness can find countless apps that can check their calories, log miles, create routines and more. Gamers are spoilt for choice as many games are created for their deceives. You can play blackjack with LadyLuck’s casino app, solve puzzles with The Room, build decks and play online with Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, and even play classic instalments of legendary game series such as Final Fantasy. Satnavs and map apps make travel easier than ever with direct guides and images to find where you are. eReaders such as Cool Reader and streaming apps allow for countless entertainment and being able to access the internet at any moment cannot be understated.
It’s hard to imagine our lives without our smartphones, and it would be even harder to imagine how far they’ve come for someone in the past. As technology grows though, our phones will too, and how they help us and become an increasing part of our lives will continue.
