Cell Phones

Cell phones are all over the place. Everywhere you go, you see and hear people taking calls and engaged in conversations with people in other places. What''s more, now cell phones let you do more than just talk. Now you can text message people, check e-mail, play games, listen to music and search the Internet with your cell phone.

The History of the Cell Phone

In 1947, engineers at AT&T Bell Labs began experimenting with mobile phones using cells. (Cells are areas in which coverage is available for phone service.) The goal was to be able to move between cells while still carrying on a phone conversation.

Development on cell networks carried through into the 1960s, as engineers began discussing using two-way radios as mobile phones. As the technology grew in 1970, Amos Joel of Bell Labs invented the call handoff feature. This feature allowed phones to switch signals in the middle of a call as the caller left one cell and moved into another. Thus, the first true cell phone was born.

In the early days, mobile phones were large, bulky devices that were most often installed in vehicles. It wasn''t until the mid-1990s that technology allowed smaller, more convenient phones to be manufactured. Through the ''90s and up until today, cell phones have gotten progressively smaller and more advanced.

Cell Phones: From Talking to Entertaining

The modern mobile phone is much more than just a standard telephone. Many new cell phones have built-in cameras that both record video and take photographs. Many also include software that allows you to download your favorite music to your mobile phone.

Some phones, such as BlackBerry phones and Palm devices, are also personal digital assistants (PDAs) that can synch with a computer to:

• browse the Internet
• share files and calendars
• receive e-mails
• run limited versions of popular software suites.

Many cell phones also offer two-way text-messaging abilities that allow people to send short messages from phone to phone. With text-messaging technology, you can also send:

• music files, including MP3 files
• pictures
• videos.

The newest cell phones also offer:

• free music downloads with extended service plans
• GPS and mapping software to help you get directions while driving
• options to play and download games
• streaming television and movies.

Cell Phone Plans & Accessories

There is a wide range of cell phones on the market today. The most simple of cell phones cost from $40 to $100 and are sometimes offered free with ongoing cellular plans. Cell phones rich with additional features, such as cameras and streaming technology, can cost as much as $600, regardless of cellular plan.

Cellular service must be purchased through an existing provider. Simple plans with limited monthly minutes can be found for as little at $20 per month. Plans with unlimited time and more advanced services can cost up to $150 per month. For an average plan, you can expect to pay between $40 and $50.

Prepaid phones are also available in many markets. These phones allow users to purchase a phone and a set amount of talk time. Once the time runs out, the user has the option of purchasing additional time or getting rid of the phone.

Many accessories are offered for mobile phones. The most popular devices are hands-free headsets, phone cases and car chargers.