Introduction

To make use of wireless services, users need devices. These are generally some sort of mobile phone, although increasingly devices include laptop computers with datacards. The capabilities of these devices are an important factor in determining the manner in which they are used and the amount of data they generate – this was clearly shown when the Apple iPhone was introduced and those using it generated some 50 times more data traffic than the average customer.

The phone is an area of intense competition, and innovation and advances in many aspects of its performance can be expected. In this section we consider a number of the key components of the phone, including the screen, input devices, batteries and storage.

Screens

The screen on a mobile device tends to be a compromise between something small that will allow the device to be portable and something large that will provide a good user experience. Different devices embody different compromises depending on their function and the perceived user preference. (This is less relevant when using a device such as a wirelessly enabled laptop.) Over time, screens have added colour and then become ever more vivid and brighter, with better resolution and more depth of colour. Most screens on mobiles, though, still remain poor for watching video and can be difficult to see in bright daylight.

A key breakthrough in mobile devices would be for the screen not to be constrained by the size of the device.