The Cellular Phone

The Cellular Phone

Arguably one of the most important inventions of the modern period, the cellular phone, which started off with a 10% adoption rate in 1994 when it first came out, to a whopping 96% in 2019, the adoption rate for the cellular phone has risen rapidly with a relative change of about 860%. In the late 1990’s, countries in North America and Western Europe were the first areas to begin rapid adoption of mobile phones, with many countries in Western Europe reaching almost 100% penetration by 2003. More recently over the last 10 years, mobile phone adoption in countries in South America, North Africa, and the Middle East grew as the technology became available in these more developing markets. By 2013, many countries across the world surpassed 100% market penetration, with many individuals now owning more than one mobile phone.

However, it is not just the adoption rate. The number of mobile cellular subscriptions is constantly increasing every year. In 2001, there was just one billion mobile phone subscribers. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) estimated global mobile phone subscriptions reached almost 7 billion in 2014, 73% of those (4.4 billion!) are in developing countries that account for just 20% of the world’s total GDP, and the growth in penetration over the past two decades reflects how integrated these devices have become in our lives. In 2016, there were more than seven billion users worldwide. In 2012, new Times Mobility Poll reported that 84% people “couldn't go a single day without their mobile devices. Around 206 published survey reports suggest that 50% of teens and 27% of parents feel that they are addicted to mobiles. These statistics not only show you how many people are using it, but also that the number is constantly on the rise.

For mobile phones, the Network Effect was spurred by advances in telecommunication, software development and hardware development, leading to a massive 80% of households in the USA owning a smartphone. Smart phones have gone from 5 percent to 40 percent in about four years, despite a recession. In the comparison shown, the only technology that moved as quickly to the U.S. mainstream was television between 1950 and 1953. The cell phones of today are also replacing our other gadgets, such as cameras and video cameras. With close to 2000 models of phones released yearly >90% of phones released in 2018 having 4G support, we can only infer the impact and usefulness of mobile phones today.

In 1982, there were 4.6 billion people in the world, and not a single mobile-phone subscriber. Today, there are seven billion people in the world—and six billion mobile cellular-phone subscriptions.

Having spoken about the adoption rate and the number of users, let us now move on to how cellular phones have spread over the ages. Between 2007 and 2010 (spurred on by the release of the first iPhone) smartphones registered a gargantuan surge from 5% to 40% penetration. Smartphone growth is accelerating, too — in the US, more than two thirds of mobile phones sold are now of the smart variety. It is likely that smartphones will reach 75% penetration in the US in the next few years, making it the fastest-spreading technology in human history. According to IDC, smart phones accounted for 36 percent of global mobile-phone shipments in the first quarter of 2012, up from 25 percent a year earlier. This number, has only gone on to increase, thus proving the point made earlier.

Coming to another very crucial point, the importance of this invention, The smartphone is by far the most important consumer invention of the 21st Century so far, according to a new survey. Research found 55% of people agreed it was the most significant consumer invention of the century. A panel of eight judges from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania also listed the Mobile Phone in their top 20 innovations in the last 30 years. What’s more, is that 98% of Generation Z own a smartphone with The age group 18-29 having 100% of cell phone ownership in the USA.

Moving to the use and the impact of Smart phones, with Two-thirds of the world now connected via mobile devices, Mobile owners worldwide increasing to 7.33 billion by 2023, not to mention 72% of internet users accessing the web solely via smartphones by 2025, one can only draw inferences, as to what the use of the smartphone is.

Communication, Entertainment, Daily Utilities, Organization.

Emergencies (access to emergency services, Car accidents are called in by more than one person on most occasions and help can be dispatched to the scene faster than ever before), notifying people about earthquakes and other national disasters, navigation, GPS technology, as well as finding lost ones, tracking down criminals, recording and shooting videos, and most importantly, business communication.

Mobile phones can impact economic development in a number of ways. They have the potential to reduce the costs of communication by lowering search costs and making information more accessible to the general population of developing countries. This, in turn, will lead to more efficient market operation by reducing the amount of waste caused by spoilage, and by facilitating communication between producers, sellers, and buyers. In addition, mobile phones can increase the economic welfare of both consumers and producers.

Finally, cell phone use can stimulate the economy by creating more demand for mobile-based services, which in turn increases employment. Mobile phones also offer the potential for mobile phone-based services and products. In addition, mobile phones have been used to monitor elections and provide voter education. Mobile phones, with their text messaging capabilities, may increase literacy as well Therefore, we can conclude that not only is the mobile phone one of the most significant and impactful inventions, but it is also an invention that the whole world relies on, and uses thoroughly, and invention, that if used well, will certainly benefit mankind.