A cell phone, mobile phone, cell or just phone; sometimes shortened to just cell, phone or hand phone and sometimes called by other names (sometimes code-named) like pocket-top, walkie-talkies or other monikers – is a small, light-weight portable phone which can only make and receive telephone calls over a wireless radio frequency connection while the user is traveling within a single telephone service zone. The zones are often referred to as micro-breaks. Cell phones also include features like data transmission, voice mail, and possibly game communications through the use of infrared, Bluetooth, GSM, CDMA, TDMA or other technologies.

When mobile phones first came onto the market nearly three decades ago, the typical mobile phone was very basic indeed, consisting of only a large display screen connected to a series of buttons and a single speaker. Now mobile phones have evolved greatly, becoming very feature-rich with options such as cameras, GPS/RFID, WiFi, instant messaging, video, web browsing, and internet applications. One of the first mobiles to include video capabilities was the Motorola DROID, which offered the very first true integrated camera into a mobile device. The first truly high-end mobile phones to come onto the market were the Blackberry Storm, which added a full QWERTY keyboard and the ability to surf the internet in a very fluid fashion. In addition to offering messaging and data transmission options, mobile phones today also include the functionality to play MP3 music players and to access and utilize the applications of the phone’s user interface.

Although the trend towards smartphones and ‘phablet’ smartphones – multi-touch devices which can act like computers – has picked up speed in recent years, some new models of smartphones and mobile phones offer a touch screen feature called “scrolling.” The effect is very similar to what you would see on a PC. The smooth operation of the device is achieved through the use of a slide control or a pinch screen that scrolls up and down the screen. This function is most commonly found on mobile phones which, for example, offer the option to make calls. Mobile devices which provide an extended screen real-time navigation are the BlackBerry Storm and the iPhone 4.