Mobile Device

A Mobile Device is a general term for any type of handheld computer. These devices are designed to be extremely portable, and they can often fit in your hand. Some mobile devices—like tablets, e-readers, and smartphones—are powerful enough to do many of the same things you can do with a desktop or laptop computer.

As market conventions emerged for mobile devices, a primary class of devices became known as personal digital assistants (PDAs). Many of these share common features, such as touch screen interfaces with color displays, linking to email and desktop software programs, and access to wireless platforms. Later, as wireless networks evolved, makers started to offer another class of mobile devices called smartphones, which combined the utility of a cell phone and a PDA into one device. Now, most cellphone providers offer a range of smartphones which access the Internet over a 3G or 4G wireless network.

Mobile Devices and Their Uses

• Smartphones: With the rise of Android and iOS, smartphones are the most popular mobile device right now, and for a good reason. These devices are handheld, can fit in a pocket, have a million and one uses, and help keep us connected at all times thanks to a constant network connection from a wireless carrier. There are many different device choices, so it should be easy to find a one that meets all of you needs.
• Tablets: Similarly to smartphones, tablets share many of the same benefits but in a larger form factor. A tablet really shines when performing tasks that would be more suitable for a larger display with more battery life. Some examples include work presentations, heavy gaming, or even live streaming of shows in high definition on Netflix.
• Laptop Computers: These devices have always been popular because they give us the functionality of a desktop computer that we can take anywhere. We can use the same operating system with the same programs, which means there is no device learning curve. Having a full-sized keyboard, the same input/output ports and the ability to connect an external display are some added benefits as well.
• Smartwatches: These devices are relatively new and play in somewhat of a niche market at this point in time. The main benefits a smartwatch can provide us with are the ability to get notifications and necessary information on our wrist without having to pick up another device. With some of the new standalone models, we can even take and receive phone calls just like our smartphones can.
• E-readers: We have had these devices around for many years, and they share some commonalities with a tablet, but their primary purpose is for reading. The Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook have made the e-reader a popular choice for people who enjoy reading books in a digital format. These devices changed the whole concept of reading and helped to bring books into a new era.
• Handheld Gaming Consoles: These devices go way back to Nintendo Gameboy and have forever changed how we think about mobile gaming. Some of the most well know mobile gaming devices we have today include Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo TDS. Gaming is now one of the most popular forms of entertainment, and their will always be a need for such devices.

Characteristics of Mobile Devices Mobile devices have similar characteristics. Among them are:

• Wi-Fi or cellular access to the internet
• A battery that powers the device for several hours
• A physical or onscreen keyboard for entering information
• Size and weight that allows it to be carried in one hand and manipulated with the other hand
• Touch-screen interface in almost all cases
• A virtual assistant, like Siri, Cortana or Google Assistant
• The ability to download data from the internet, including apps and books
• Wireless operation