Smart Phones Technology - Term Paper Example

Table of Content …………………………………………………………………………………. Journey from Analogue medium to Digital medium: …………………………………………………………………………. The core within: …………………………………………………………………………. Operating system domain of Smart Phones: …………………………………………………………………………. From keypads to stylus to Touch pads: …………………………………………………………………………. Hardware and signaling advancements: …………………………………………………………………………. Applications Hub: …………………………………………………………………………. Storage Features: …………………………………………………………………………. State of the art cameras equipped smart phones: …………………………………………………………………………. Present state of rivalry between the Big players: ………………………………………………………………………… Conclusion and Future Prospects: …………………………………………………………………………. References:…………………………………………………………………………. Abstract: The modern times are characterized by the usage and presence of the portable digital devices. The more the option of portability, the more demand it finds in the market. The one of the most common and largely used digital device is a smart phone in modern times. What started off as a mere wireless device aimed at connecting two individuals at two distinct points has shaped into a smart phone. As the name would apply, smart phones are characterized by their smart functions. These smart functions are further characterized by the fulfillment in terms of the digital subscribers that use mobile phones. Web 2.0 is an essential part of the smart phones and they provide support for all the applications that are operated in the new internet domain and environment. Blogs, Social networking websites and much more, each of these is supported for by these smart phones. Journey from Analogue medium to Digital medium: For the major half of the last century, the mobile phones were only limited to, and were characterized by their usage for communication establishment along the signal communication. In contemporary world, the mobile phone is not a means of mere signal transmission, rather another segment and domain of mobile phones has been introduced in the form of data communication and data transmission. It is this domain of data communication which has enabled operating the mobile phones on the basis of multimedia requirements. The digital data transmission ranges from the simple use of a mere short message service (S.M.S), to Multimedia service (M.M.S) to use of internet over the mobile phones, to use of navigation softwares, applications installation, colorful wallpapers, calculators within, weather forecast softwares, timing and meeting synchronizers and much more. All these make up for the digital domain of the smart phones technology. The modern day smart phones even possess the dictionaries that in turn have reduced the reliance for carrying the heavy pocket and bag sized dictionaries that were needed to be carried. The core within: Smart phones basically consist of an operating system that supports the software and application side, on the hardware front is the processor, RAM, speaker, antenna and other associated components that make up for the modern day mobile phone. In the previous decades, the mobile phones would come up with a mounted antenna on the devices. In present scenario, with the ever rapid advancements the antennas have been covered up in the devices themselves. Operating system domain of Smart Phones: Operating system is an integral part of the modern times smart phones. At present the market offers an array of operating system supports for different mobile phones. The front line providers of operating system include the likes of Android by Samsung, H.T.C, Blackberry, Symbian by Nokia, I.O.S by Apple Inc. some of these operating systems are devices specific while others are open to usage on any kind of device. In the same context, some of these operating systems are open source operating systems, meaning they allow the users and free lance software developers to add or patch the new ingredients, others are strictly close ended, Nokia’s Symbian operating system is an example of the latter. From keypads to stylus to Touch pads: Another added feature of the present day mobile phones include the touch screens. While in the previous decades the mobile phones would consist of bulky keypads and further on, they were advanced into using the stylus pin like device for using the screen. In the modern times, they have been replaced by the touch screens. These have made the mobile phones more appealing, sleek and stylish in their outlook. The smart phones enjoy backup support of the applications stores that are established by the main mobile phone providers. For example, Apple Inc as App store and similarly Google Plus and Live as their application stores. These stores serve as repository of the applications that are introduced into the market and the people download them for free or for a given fixed rate against a given application. All these make up for the smart phone features and facilities. Hardware and signaling advancements: Apart from the software technology and development that has taken place over period of time, the transmission advances are innumerable as well. The overall journey of transformation started from analogue medium of communication operation. It unfolded in the form of 1st generation mobile phone communication transmission technologies. It offered only voice signals capacity over the wireless medium. AMPS acronym for Advanced Mobile Phone Systems was the official name and system in which it operated. The Second Generation technologies of mobile phones started with the introduction of the digital devices and digital interface. This came about in the form of G.S.M (Global Systems for Mobile Communications). The second generation provided support for digital medium. From this point on, the technological advancements in the field of mobile phones never looked back and digital expansion continued throughout. The G.S.M provided support for Short Messaging services, digital operations such as the multimedia content handling, along with these features, the digital domain provided an advanced feature system in the form of improved network support and functioning and further improved voice quality. In parallel with all these, the coding schemes were also enhanced. The Second Generation technology provided support for non interference medium since it was operating on the principle of digital signals transmission that include the usage of the coder and decoder at the respective ends of sender and receiver respectively. The present day standing of these mobile phones has reached the third and fourth generation technological advances and developmental progress. In this process the features of video calling option, advanced security systems, more friendly applications and softwares that support these technologies are incorporated into the systems which make them more flexible. Applications Hub: The present day smart phones come equipped with applications such as Skype, Whats-app, Viber, Face book in built application software and many more applications that have reduced the need for carrying a 14 to 15 inch laptop. The modern day smart phones are truly smart for they take care of the portability factor and provide functions that would otherwise be blended in multiple digital devices. Storage features: The space capacities that are provided by these smart phones matches up with the conventional laptop memory storage capacity, for example every third or fourth smart phone would provide 2 to 4 G.B memory space facility. The adjustment of the memory card within is another additional feature that removes and eliminates the need for keeping a portable and extra hard drive which is the case in the form of laptops and other digital devices. The Ram technology is equally updated and provides sufficient backup and fast remote transfer of data while the mobile phone is being used for heavy applications. State of the art cameras equipped smart phones: The presence of state of the art cameras in these smart phones is another additional feature that speaks of the overall advancements and usefulness of these digital devices. They have virtually eliminated the need for a separate camera. The ordinary smart phones come up with 3 to 4 Mega pixel support cameras. The advanced and other latest mobile phones provide support for as high as 10 to 12 Mega pixel of camera. The resolutions are near those of the digital television screen as well. Present state of rivalry between the Big players: There is a healthy rivalry between the smart phones producers. For example Apple Inc, Samsung, H.T.C, Nokia and Blackberry are few of the top names in the industry that have been aiming to surpass one another and providing user friendly and user attractive features. For example Apple Inc. and Samsung are in a standoff and are trying to provide the best features and thereby outsmarting one another. Samsung apart from the middle range and other models and products, Samsung has introduced the linage of S- Series which at present stands at Samsung S5 that was recently introduced. This comes in direct competition and response to Apple Inc.’s I Phone series which was rejuvenated in the form of Apple 3. The present standing of Apple Inc’s mobile phones stand at Apple 5S, it provides nearly the same and improved functions as that of Samsung S5 (Jose, 2014). Conclusion and future prospects: With the already advanced developments and features that have been added, the smart phone industry is bound to see many more advancements. One of the similar feature that is promised and is in making is that of the Google Glass Project. it is termed as a game changer which the proponents of technology believe who set the tone and direction of the communication and smart phones along new lines of technology. That technology will be in markets in about three to five years time and they would remove the reliance on the rectangular shaped devices that we presently hold in our hands. Further advanced G.P.S system support, virtualization that will allow for more practical actions and more easy means to connecting the people, all these are promised by the Smart phones in times ahead. The sizes of these mobile phones are also bound to further shrink in times ahead. More advanced applications and stronger support for the operating systems is another area that will see development and progress. References: JOSE, S. (2014, April 29). Samsung v. Apple: Silicon Valley court fight nears end. Retrieved from Ctvnews: http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/samsung-v-apple-silicon-valley-court-fight-nears-end-1.1797036 Read More