Introduction to Mobile Devices © EIT, Author Gay Robertson, 2017

What is a Mobile Device? A mobile device is considered to be any handheld computer device Laptops were once considered the most mobile device available, being the only device that could practically be picked up, carried in hand or under arm and taken elsewhere to be used Today the term Mobile Device typically describes smartphones and tablets - these devices are in fact computers (although different from typical desktops) These devices receive input from users, can process and access data and information, and display that information back to the user (through the use of the devices screen)

History of the Smartphone Smartphones originally came about in the 1990s, although they were nothing like what we class as a smart phone today These devices were very expensive and generally only seen in large enterprises One of the first notable devices that were classed as a “Smartphone” was the IBM Simon released in 1993 There were a few notable phones in the late 90s with basic web, email and phone capabilities including blackberry and PDA Devices

In 2007 The iPhone, announced by Steve Jobs at Apple, was considered a revolution- a phone, which acted as a phone, internet/email capabilities, and a iPod all in one device Meanwhile unlike previous “smartphones and PDAs” with numerous buttons and settings which was considered difficult to use and only for enterprises, the iPhone used an interactive touchscreen for all functions and features This smartphone was considered to be the smartphone for consumers

Android was originally developed in 2003 for digital cameras but quickly realised the system was not suited for the task and the developers soon focused the system to be used for smartphones to rival blackberry and other companies Android was brought by Google in 2005 and they continued to develop the android system In 2007 Google announced Android, an open source mobile operating system which many manufacturers used as the system for their devices such as Samsung, HTC, Motorola and others From here the majority of smartphones all shared a similar template of design - that being an all in one device, most commonly using a touch screen for users to interact with the device

Although there have been a number of Windows PDA type phones and tablets over time, the first notable smartphone developed by Microsoft came out in 2010 and like its competitors has realised a number of various new devices and models since then

Apple phones & tablets The iPhone was developed by apple and released in 2007, since then the company have frequently released new models and versions of the iPhone iPhones use the operating system call iOS which was developed by apple and is closed source This means that developers that make programs can only sell them through apple’s own store and users can only download apps (programs) through the Apple store

The iPad tablet was first announced by Steve Jobs in 2010, and since then there have been a number of upgraded and improved models since the release of the original. Much like the iPhone, the iPad also uses the iOS operating system The iPad can be used for web-browsing via Wi-Fi or mobile networks, productivity tasks like email and creating quick documents, enjoying music, videos, games and other media But unlike the iPhone the large screen allows for ease of use for productivity and reading

Android phones & tablets Android phones and tablets are made by many manufactures such as Samsung, HTC and Motorola Android is an open source operating system which means anyone can upload and sell apps and anything can be installed on the system Android tablets run similar to android phones but allow for ease of use through bigger screens etc Much like other smartphone and tablets, users are able to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi or cellular data, enjoy music, games and other media, or do productive tasks on the go

Microsoft phones and tablets In 2012 Microsoft launched its Surface tablet range, considered to be a hybrid of a laptop and tablet The surface pro runs a full windows operating system rather then a mobile operating system. This means that although the device is a tablet, it can install and run full computer programs and run like a computer instead of only running apps from a app store like most mobile operating systems It can be used for web-browsing via Wi-Fi or mobile networks, productivity tasks like email and creating quick documents, enjoying music, videos, games and other media. But unlike the iPhone the large screen allows for ease of use for productivity and reading

Videos to watch: How do cell phones work - Duration 2m 26sPage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhOKTHDHtho&feature=youtu.be

Videos to watch: Inside a Smartphone - Duration 6m 19sPage We use our phones every day...but we’d never seen the stuff inside them. So we got Dan from the Android Developers team to help us break apart a Nexus 5 and break down what’s inside it – so we could break it all down in video form for you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoR3wyiVzbY&feature=youtu.be

Videos to watch: Introduction to Tablets - Duration 3m 28sPage An introduction to the wonderful world of Tablet computing including how a Tablet is different to a notebook or PC and what you can do with them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Aob3ATFG0&feature=youtu.be

Okay, let’s go use the workbook