The mobile phone has a long history which can be traced back over 100 years, although the original concept for a wireless telephone bears a very small resemblance to the kinds of handsets which are the staples of the modern market. The first cellular base station design for mobile phone use was created in 1945, but it was not until the 60s and 70s that mobile phones were conceived of as consumer devices. 1979 saw the first cellular networks appear in Japan and in the 80s western countries including the USA and the UK got mobile phone network coverage and the first handsets which were compatible with them. Before the mid 1990s, mobile phones were only used by those with enough money to afford the expensive hardware and tariff costs associated with calling. Mobiles used to be clunky too, with large battery packs and basic designs, though this has changed as technology has advanced and miniaturisation of key components has been possible.

Since the start of the new millennium, the mobile phone market has continued to grow and mobile phones themselves have changed significantly year on year. Mobile phones used to offer simple calling services and then SMS texting was added, along with voicemail. But the arrival of 3G networking in 2001 allowed for advanced mobile internet connectivity at high speeds and has since created a boom in mobile internet use and software downloads.

Mobile phones began to absorb multiple other technologies and functions as the years progressed. This included the ability to take digital photographs, shoot high quality video, play back music and video files and access social networking sites to upload and share captured files with friends and family. In the last three years the iPhone has created a new appetite in the mobile market, which has seen consumers focus more on mobile software rather than on the hardware behind it. The creation of the App Store, from which users can browse and download hundreds of thousands of unique programs, has caused every other manufacturer to attempt an imitation with varying degrees of success.

Touchscreen technology has also begun to play a big part in mobile phone culture in the modern age. Its existence has necessitated a change in the operating systems toward finger-friendly interactivity and a subsequent battle between many different operating systems has resulted. Today there are many smartphone platforms all battling for supremacy, including the iPhone OS, Google`s Android, Nokia`s Symbian, Samsung`s Bada and RIM`s BlackBerry OS. Other contenders including Maemo 5 and webOS confuse things even further and it is believed that in the future these various platforms will be whittled down to just four or five based on their popularity and sustainability.

Over the next few years, the biggest advancement to come to the mobile phone market will be 4G networking. This will see 3G replace by even faster mobile internet access, though there are many forms of technology which fall under the 4G banner. The first step which most people will benefit from is called LTE and it will allow download speeds that are several times quicker than current networking standards allow. Experts predict that mobile television, video streaming and gaming will all become more central as a result of high speed connectivity.

Mobile phones are also set to overtake standalone digital cameras & camcorders as the ability to record high definition clips becomes more widely available. The first smartphone sporting built-in projection technology are also likely to make an appearance this year, which will make mobile phones even more powerful multimedia devices than ever before. You will be able to create a large screen on virtually any surface for showcasing your videos for mate or watching a whole film.