It was mainly businessmen and women who used the mobile phone, and it quickly became noted as a ‘status symbol’. By the mid 90’s there were cheaper handsets and cheaper calling rates and it seemed that everyone had a mobile phone. The giant plastic bricks of the 80s had evolved into smooth little objects that fitted nicely into pockets and bags. Owning a mobile phone became the norm for everyone, young and old.

Mobile phones have developed and with this came the emergence of the short messaging service, which is also known as text messages. The text message has become extremely popular for a quick and efficient way of communication.

Mobiles now have more and more functions, built in cameras, radios, games and now video messaging and video clips. Mobile phones are becoming more and more advanced and efficient for users on the go.



Mobile Functions

Mobile phones have become the everyday norm for teenagers and pensioners alike. The functions and technologies, which are available, have increased the usage of mobile phones over the years. Most major technology companies use ethnographic methods to understand better how people actually use the technologies or functions that are found on mobile phones and to grasp how future technologies or functions might be adopted.

Alarms, reminders and calendars that are found on mobiles help us to arrange and remind us of important dates. Built in cameras and video clips help us to capture those special moments and allow us to share these with others by sending via text message or Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a wireless connection that allows devices such as computers, phones and other devices talk to each other over short distances.

Text messaging or Short message service (SMS) is a service available on most digital mobile phones that permits the sending of short messages (also known as SMS’s, text messages, messages, or more colloquially texts or even txts) between mobile phones, other handheld devices and, even, fixed-line phones. This has become the most efficient and cost effective way of communicating and become increasingly popular.

There are also numerous games that may be played on mobile phones, to keep users entertained, along with radio devices and now mobile TV is being introduced. These functions are providing entertainment for people ‘on the go’.

Mobile phones are no longer the unattractive brick shape but small and compact fashionable accessories. The functions that are included are aimed to help with the hectic schedule of our day-to-day lives; this is why mobile phone usage has increased dramatically over the past years.



Responsible behaviour

The majority of people have mobile phones; however some people frown upon mobiles, this is mainly due to peoples ‘mobile manners’. There are certain things to remember whilst using a mobile which are seen as ‘etiquette rules’ to ensure that they are not seen as intrusive or a nuisance.

• Remember to switch your mobile during meetings, whilst at the cinema or lectures etc.

• Do not use your mobile whilst driving it may distract you attention away from the road causing an accident. Pull over to a safe location and then use your mobile phone.

• When you receive a call and you are in the company of friends, keep the call short.

• Don’t be too loud whilst speaking to somebody on the telephone; your call should remain private.

• Avoid talking where you are going to distract others.

• Try to keep the ring tone on your cell phone as low as possible

• Threatening or malicious calls can be an offence. Calls can be traced by the telephone company and then passed onto the police.

• When crossing a road, don’t look at your phone or continue texting, look at the road and when you have finished crossing then continue.

• The police can also be contacted regarding bullying calls or bullying text messages.

Mobile phone glossary
 

Brick	A large-sized early handheld mobile phone, such as the Motorola International 3200, nearly the size of a VHS video cassette, with the keypad and microphone on the narrow side.
Candybar	A housing shape that has no hinges and resembles an oblong candybar.
Cell phone	Term used currently in the United States (and in other countries as well during the 1980s) to refer to most mobile phones. It technically applies specifically to mobile phones which use a cellular network. In developing mobile phone technology, American electrical engineers saw the main technical problem as achieving a smooth handoff from one radio antenna to the next. After they gave the name "cell" to the zone covered by each antenna, it was a natural choice for them to apply the term "cellular" to both the technology and the phones that ran on it.
Clamshell	A phone that opens up to reveal the keypad, microphone, and earpiece; these are typically more compact than other designs. Often called "flip phones".
Handset	The term handset is used by cell-phone manufacturers to refer to a cell phone. The term is used by insiders of the industry, like directors and managers of corporations or like stockholders or stock-market analysts.
Handy	Pronounced "Hendi", is a pseudo-anglicism, derived from the term Handy Talkie for a handheld military radio (also known as walkie-talkie), that is used in Austria and Germany for a mobile phone (rare alternative spelling: Händi). In German, the word "Handy" is derived from "handgehaltenes (or hand-held) Telefon." Similarly another pseudo-English term Hand phone is used in East and South Asian countries like South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore.
Mobile phone	A term covering cellular phones, satellite phones and any phones giving wide ranging mobility, used in most English-speaking countries except the United States.
Mobile	Short form of the above, a term in everyday usage in some English speaking countries such as the UK.
Satellite phone	A mobile phone which communicates with a satellite rather than a land-based network.
Wireless phone	This is a term which is generally used to refer to a mobile phone although it could legitimately cover almost any phone which does not use a wire.
3G phone	A mobile phone which uses a 3G network, with greater bandwidth allowing faster data downloads and face to face video calling.