Mobile device

1 Characteristics
Device mobility can be viewed in the context of several
dimensions:[1]
Physical dimensions and weight
Whether or not the device is mobile or some kind of
host to which it is attached to is mobile
What kind of host devices can be bound to
How devices are attached to a host
When the mobility occurs
Smartphones, handheld mobile devices

Strictly speaking, many so-called mobile devices are not

mobile. It is the host that is mobile, i.e., a mobile human host carries a non-mobile smart phone device. An
example of a true mobile computing device, where the
device itself is mobile, is a robot. Another example is an
autonomous vehicle. There are three basic ways mobile
devices can be physically bound to mobile hosts: accompanied, surface-mounted or embedded into the fabric of
a host, e.g., an embedded controller embedded in a host
device. Accompanied refers to an object being loosely
bound and accompanying a mobile host, e.g., a mobile
phone can be carried in a bag or pocket but can easily
be misplaced.[1] Hence, mobile hosts with embedded devices such as an autonomous vehicle can appear larger
than pocket-sized.

A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a small

computing device, typically, small enough to hold and
operate in the hand and having an operating system capable of running mobile apps. These may provide a diverse range of functions. Typically, the device will have a
display screen with a small numeric or alphanumeric keyboard or a touchscreen providing a virtual keyboard and
buttons (icons) on-screen. Many such devices can connect to the Internet and interconnect with other devices
such as car entertainment systems or headsets via Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth or near eld communication (NFC). Integrated
cameras, digital media players, mobile phone and GPS
capabilities are common. Power is typically provided by
a lithium battery.

As stated earlier, the most common size of mobile computing device is pocket-sized that can be hand-held, but
other sizes for mobile devices exist too. Mark Weiser,
known as the father of ubiquitous computing, computing everywhere, referred to device sizes that are tabsized, pad and board sized,[2] where tabs are dened
as accompanied or wearable centimetre-sized devices,
e.g. smartphones and smart cards, and pads are dened
as hand-held decimetre-sized devices, e.g., laptops and
tablet computers. If one changes the form of the mobile
devices in terms of being non-planar, one can also have
skin devices and tiny dust-sized devices.[1] Dust refers
to miniaturised devices without direct HCI interfaces,
e.g., micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), ranging from nanometres through micrometers to millimetres.
See also Smart dust. Skin: fabrics based upon light emitting and conductive polymers and organic computer devices. These can be formed into more exible non-planar
display surfaces and products such as clothes and curtains,
see OLED display. See also smart device.

Early pocket-sized devices were joined in the late 2000s

by larger but otherwise similar tablet computers. Input
and output is now usually via a touch-screen interface.
Smartphones and personal digital assistants may provide
much of the functionality of a laptop or desktop computer but more conveniently. Enterprise digital assistants
can provide additional business functionality such as integrated data capture via barcode, RFID and smart card
readers By 2010, mobile devices often contained sensors
such as accelerometers, compasses, magnetometers and
gyroscopes allowing detection of orientation and motion.
Mobile devices may provide biometric user authentication such as face recognition or ngerprint recognition.
Manufacturers include Samsung, Sony, HTC, LG,
Motorola Mobility and Apple.
1

Although mobility is often regarded as synonymous with

having wireless connectivity, these terms are dierent.
Not all network access by mobile users, applications and
devices need be via wireless networks and vice versa.
Wireless access devices can be static and mobile users
can move in between wired and wireless hotspots such
as in Internet cafs.[1] Some mobile devices can be used
as mobile Internet devices to access the Internet while
moving but they do not need to do this and many phone
functions or applications are still operational even while
disconnected to the Internet. What makes the mobile device unique compared to other technologies is the inherent exibility in the hardware and also the software. Flexible applications include video chat, Web browsing, payment systems, NFC, audio recording etc.[3] As mobile devices become ubiquitous there, will be a proliferation of
services which include the use of the cloud. Although a
common form of mobile device, a smartphone, has a display, another perhaps even more common form of smart
computing device, the smart card, e.g., used as a bank
card or travel card, does not have a display. This mobile
device often has a CPU and memory but needs to connect, or be inserted into a reader in order to display its
internal data or state.

USES

Enterprise digital assistants

Calculators
Handheld game consoles
Portable media players
Ultra-mobile PCs
Digital media player
Digital still cameras (DSC)
Digital video cameras (DVC) or digital camcorders
Mobile phones
Smartphone
Feature phones
Pagers
Personal navigation devices (PND)
Smart cards
Project Ara

3 Uses
2

Types

Smartphones, handheld mobile devices

Handheld devices have become ruggedized for use

in mobile eld management. Uses include digitizing
notes, sending and receiving invoices, asset management,
recording signatures, managing parts, and scanning barcodes. In 2009, developments in mobile collaboration
systems enabled the use of handheld devices that combine video, audio and on-screen drawing capabilities to
enable multi-party conferencing in real-time, independent of location.[4] Handheld computers are available in
a variety of form factors, including smartphones on the
low end, handheld PDAs, Ultra-Mobile PCs and Tablet
PCs (Palm OS, WebOS).[5] Users can watch television
through Internet by IPTV on some mobile devices. Mobile television receivers have existed since the 1960s, and
in the 21st century mobile phone providers began making
television available on cellular phones.[6]

In the 2010s, mobile devices can create, sync, and share

everything we want despite of distance or specications
Mobile devices have been designed for many applications.
of mobile devices. In the medical eld, mobile devices
They include:
are quickly becoming essential tools for accessing clinical information such as drugs, treatment, even medi Mobile computers
cal calculation.[7] Due to the popularity of Candy Crush
and other mobile device games, online casinos are also
Mobile Internet devices
oering casino games on mobile devices. The casino
tablet computers
games are available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone
and Windows. Available games are roulette, blackjack
Wearable computers
and several dierent types of slots. Most casinos have
Calculator watches
a play for free option.[8] In the military, mobile devices
Smartwatches
have created new opportunities for the armed forces to
Head-mounted displays
deliver training and educational materials to soldiers, re Personal digital assistants
gardless of where they are stationed.[9]

See also
Converged device
HTML5 in mobile devices
List of emerging technologies
Mobile interaction
Near eld communication (NFC)
Portable communications device
Smart device

References

[1] Poslad, Stefan (2009). Ubiquitous Computing Smart Devices, Smart Environments and Smart Interaction. Wiley.
ISBN 978-0-470-03560-3..
[2] Weiser, Mark (1991). The Computer for the TwentyFirst Century. Scientic American. 265 (3): 94104.
doi:10.1038/scienticamerican0991-94.
[3] Beddall-Hill, Nicola; Jabbar, Abdul & Al Shehri, Saleh
(2011). Social Mobile Devices as Tools for Qualitative
Research in Education: iPhones and iPads in Ethnography, Interviewing, and Design-Based Research. Journal
of the Research Center for Educational Technology. 7 (1):
6790. ISSN 1948-075X.
[4] Robbins, Renee (May 28, 2009). Mobile video system
visually connects global plant oor engineers. Control
Engineering.
[5] Mellow, P. (2005).The media generation: Maximise
learning by getting mobile. In Ascilite, 470-476
[6] Lotz, Amanda D. (2007). The Television Will Be Revolutionized. New York, NY: New York University Press.
p. 65-66
[7] Boru & Storie, Jill & Dale (January 2014). Mobile
devices in medicine: a survey of how medical students,
residents, and faculty use smartphones and other mobile
devices to nd information*". J Med Lib Assoc.
[8] Terry Anderson (29 October 2014). Mobile Devices for
Online Casino.
[9] Casey, Mike (June 26, 2014). Army seeks to increase
use of mobile devices. ftleavenworthLamp.com.

Sources
Mobile Devices. Library Technology Reports. 44
(5): 1015. 2008.
Hanson, C. W. (2011). Chapter 2: Mobile Devices
in 2011. Library Technology Reports. 47 (2): 11
23.

7 External links

8 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

Mobile device Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_device?oldid=755487589 Contributors: Zundark, Frecklefoot, Patrick,

Michael Hardy, Pnm, Kku, CesarB, Ahoerstemeier, Mac, Jengod, Ed g2s, JorgeGG, Riddley, Nurg, Jondel, Ancheta Wis, Sdsher,
CesarFelipe, Goh wz, Hydrox, Jonnny, Aranel, Diego Moya, MarkGallagher, Wikipee, Dmccabe, Versageek, Dismas, Oleg Alexandrov, Angr, Woohookitty, RHaworth, Lucas.Yamanishi, Isnow, Toussaint, BD2412, Haikupoet, Chenxlee, Hulagutten, Vegaswikian,
FlaBot, Ahunt, Sherool, Fourdee, Bgwhite, RussBot, Muchness, Yrithinnd, DarkFireTaker, Moe Epsilon, Voidxor, Pb30, Josh3580,
Poulpy, Snackwell, SmackBot, Srnelson, Ohnoitsjamie, Thumperward, Deli nk, Fdavis99, Dmulter, Ne0Freedom, Andrewrabbott, Kuru,
Bernard192, Goodnightmush, Ex nihil, Geologyguy, Hu12, OnBeyondZebrax, Dreftymac, Leevanjackson, Andradef, Cydebot, Gogo
Dodo, Firstauthor, Dipics, Kozuch, Thijs!bot, Epbr123, Just Chilling, Julie Deanna, Kariteh, JAnDbot, DuncanHill, NE2, Gil mnogueira,
Wabler, Y2kcrazyjoker4, Magioladitis, Bongwarrior, VoABot II, JNW, Tedickey, Aniac, Kiwimandy, Gomm, Koby1991, Gasheadsteve,
Matt Lewis, Missylou2who, Jim.henderson, CommonsDelinker, Tgeairn, J.delanoy, Balsa10, Beet, Jamesofur, Bonadea, Idioma-bot,
VolkovBot, Classical geographer, WOSlinker, OlavN, Mwilso24, Marrowmonkey, Flor!an, Mikemoral, Slavvy, Flyer22 Reborn, Nopetro,
Lafuzion, Pinkadelica, ImageRemovalBot, ClueBot, Ssggmm, Mild Bill Hiccup, Farras Octara, Niceguyedc, Melizg, Ykhwong, Shiro jdn,
Sebado, Cp1337, AntonioR449, Stevenrasnick, Kcomstock, InternetMeme, XLinkBot, Kurmobile, Bvwags, Salam32, Gabenuel, Mifter,
Chabonor, Felix Folio Secundus, Addbot, Tascsoftwareirl, Canspam, Beren, Jarble, Legobot, Luckas-bot, Sprachpeger, Fraggle81, The
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ishida, BG19bot, Paperclip777, GFMobile, Purple Post-its, Polly1889, Nateclev, Catonaboots, Terry4forex, TJK4114, TBrandley, BattyBot, Rickym-NJITWILL, Qxukhgiels, Sakeuon, Jaceto, Codename Lisa, Mogism, Jackintosh11, Nozomimous, SFK2, Me, Myself, and I
are Here, Restlessinhuds, Dave Braunschweig, Atticusalien, Farisalaf, George Parastatidis, Awesome boss 69 69, Jackgoody1999, Bikersur, Quenhitran, Ndobu, Djseibuhr, Wikiguy3000, Savvyitinfo, Lucyloo10, Prymshbmg, Gzsk, Hlim12, Narky Blert, Saadullah Bhatti,
Abhisneha, Hassansk, Cosmowolf, Zortwort, MacGyver88, Pgary93, Dentler8283, Naingmyohtet, Srednuas Lenoroc, Android guy 12345,
Prap2015, 1Wiki8Q5G7FviTHBac3dx8HhdNYwDVstR, Chenthil Vel, Fuortu, CipherNine, Fmadd, Vk khandal and Anonymous: 183

8.2

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8.3

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