Mobile telephones are a near-ubiquitous feature of modern life. To say that mobile technology has fundamentally altered the human experience would not be an overstatement. Psychologists, sociologists, and neuroscientists are only now beginning to understand the long-term impact of mobile phones on human society and the human individual. Modern cell phones are essentially pocket computers. They enable instant communication and access to the internet from nearly everywhere on the planet. They are changing the way we talk, find love, work, and argue. They impact our ability to concentrate, increase our access to information, and generate entirely novel means of expression.
Mobile telephones are immensely popular. Around 78% of the world’s population is estimated to own a smartphone. In 2021, there were around 6.4 billion registered smartphone users. Engineers have played a huge role in the development of the mobile phone. Telecoms engineers, electronics engineers, civil engineers, and aerospace engineers have all contributed – and continue to contribute – toward the performance and ubiquity of this technology.
This article takes a close look at some of the engineering aspects of mobile phone technology and aims to give some context to these areas. It covers not only the areas of technology involved but also the engineers that helped to develop them.
Leave a Reply