THIRD GENERATION PHONES- Smart phones and beyond.

In the early years of the 21st century, countries such as Japan and South Korea began to introduce a third generation of mobile phone (we now understand this technology as 3G) – just as first generation to second generation was a sizeable jump; 3G mobile phones demonstrated a considerable and unprecedented level of technology. 3G phones enabled users to take advantage of a wide range of services that were only previously realised on PCs; this included video calls, and broadband wireless internet. Many mobile phone manufacturers such as Samsung and Nokia turned their attention to adapting the LCD screen into a fully ‘touch-screen’ surface, replacing bulky keypads; Apple’s iPhone perhaps encapsulating this idea the most. These types of handsets became known as ‘Smart Phones’ for their advanced usability – it became less obvious that these ‘Smart Phones’ were primarily phones; the alluring features and applications became the first port of call for new owners. With the ability to access the wireless Internet from just about anywhere, third generation mobile phone technology became extremely beneficial for business and recreational use alike. Emails could be sent away from the office, websites could be accessed, spreadsheets downloaded and figures calculated; yet it is the embracing of social networking sites that truly made the iPhone, Nokia’s E71, and the Blackberry in constant demand. Their lustrous and streamlined interfaces along with the specially designed Myspace and Facebook applications (in the Iphone’s case) created a culture whereby it became second nature for individuals to use third generation mobile technology to communicate on-the-go. Users do still face certain problems as to specific areas that they can wirelessly roam, depending on their contract and network package, however something that shall essentially render this problem obsolete is Fourth-Generation technology, or 4G.

Fourth-Generation mobile phones are yet to be available to the public, however, they are deep in development, and once obtainable they will provide a form of wireless communication that is unparalleled and revolutionary. High speed data and multimedia will be available to users on an unrestricted basis, for example, individuals in the most remote locations will be able to access high speed wireless Internet. The major objective seems to be a superior level of connectivity that will enable wireless roaming in a global sense, without need to change tariffs, networks, or encounter any other problems. Another objective of the fourth generation technology is to allow high-definition video footage to be downloaded or streamed anywhere, and with the evolution of the BBC’s ‘iPlayer’, amongst other similar sites, one can clearly visualise the potential of this technology.