Mobile Technology
Mobile technology is the technology used in cellular communication. Mobile code division multiple access (CDMA) technology has evolved quickly during the last few years. Ever since the beginning of this millennium, a standard mobile device has progressed from just a simple two-way pager to a mobile phone, GPS navigation device, a fixed web browser and instant messaging client, and a handheld game console. Numerous experts argue that the future of computer technology is in mobile computing with wireless networking. Mobile computing by way of tablet computers is becoming more popular. Tablets are now available on 3G as well as 4G networks.
4G Networking
One of the most significant features of 4G mobile networks is the dominance of high-speed packet transmissions or traffic burst within channels. The same codes used for 2G/3G networks are applied to 4G mobile or wireless networks. Recent studies have indicated that traditional multilayer network architecture based on the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model may not be suitable for 4G mobile network, whereby transactions of short packets will be the vital part of traffic within the channels. As the packets from different mobiles carry totally differing channel physiognomies, the receiver should execute all required algorithms, such as channel estimation, interactions with all upper layers and so on, within a limited time period.
5G Networks
Five years from now (that being in 2020), humanity will be surrounded with faster, more powerful wireless networks. Presently, the networks that drive our smartphones and Internet based connected devices are mainly based on 3G and 4G technologies. However, higher-performance fifth-generation technology, referred to as 5G, is coming, and it promises to take us to greater heights.
5G is considered key in regards to “The Internet of Things” (IoT), the name given to the idea of encompassing just about anything and everything into the Internet. Billions of sensors will be built into cars, appliances, health monitors, security systems, door locks and wearables. Gartner, an Analyst firm predicts that the amount of networked devices will rise up from approximately 5 billion in 2015 to 25 billion by 2020.
According to Femi Adeyemi, lead mobile architect at Fujitsu. We shall have tags that will let us know of our children’s whereabouts and when they get back home and cars will be autonomously managed along the highways.
Additionally, 5G networks will be roughly 20 times faster than 4G networks. That speed opens up fascinating new capabilities. Self-driving cars can make time-critical decisions. Video chats will create the illusion of feeling like being all in the same room. And cities will be able to monitor traffic congestion, parking demands and pollution levels — and in response feed that data to your smart vehicle in real time or any smart device used for monitoring purposes.
In terms of data speed, according to the International Telecommunication Union(ITU), they decided that 5G compliant network will have to offer data speeds of up to 20Gbps(Gigabits per second) of which is 20 times faster than the 1 Gbps specifications for 4G networks. With 5G networks, it will open up access to higher 4K video content resolution as well as holographic technology via mobile networks. The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games will give a demonstration of 5G technology in action.
Operating Systems
Various types of mobile operating systems (OS) are available for smartphones which included Android, IOS, Blackberry OS, WebOS, Symbian, Bada and Windows mobile. Among the most popular are the Android and Apple iPhone. The Android mobile operating system (OS) is developed by Google and is the first fully open source mobile OS, meaning that it is free for any cell phone mobile network.
Since 2008 customizable operating systems allow the user to download applications or apps such as games, GPS, Utilities, as well as other tools. Any user can create and publish their own apps e.g. to Apple’s App store. The Palm Pre that uses WebOS which has functionality over the internet and can support Internet-centric programming languages such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), HTML as well as JavaScript. The Research in Motion (RIM) Blackberry is a smartphone that has a multimedia player and third-party software installation.
Future of Smartphones
The next generation of smartphones are going to be context-aware, which will take the advantage of the growing availability of embedded physical sensors as well as data exchange capabilities. One of the key features applying to this is that the smartphones will begin keeping track of personal data, but adapt to anticipate the information needed based on individual intentions. There will be all-new applications released with the new phones, and one of them will be the X-Ray device that reveals information about any location at which the phone is pointed. One thing that companies are doing is development of software that will take advantage of more accurate location-sensing data. How it has been described is that they want to make the phone a virtual mouse that is able to click the real world. For example, if you point the phone’s camera while having the live feed open, it will show text with the building and save the location of the building for future use.
Along with the future of smartphones will come the future of another device that will be known as the “Ominitouch.” This device will allow applications to be viewed and used on the arm, hand, desk, wall, or any other everyday surface. The device will use a touch sensor interface that will allow the user to access the user to access all the functions through the use of finger touch. It was developed at Carnegie Mellon University. This device uses a projector and camera that is worn on the person’s shoulder, with no controls other than the person’s fingers.
Conclusion
Over the past decade, smartphones have taken the world by storm and recently, tablets have also made their entry into the arena as well. These mobile devices now have a significant impact on our daily lives and are in fact redefining the way we access information as well as communicate with others. This is due to not only the hardware but the specialized software as well that these devices run on, and most outstandingly, their operating systems. Just like a PC can run different operating systems (like Windows, Linux, BSD etc.) or different versions of similar operating system (such as Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7/8 and now Windows 10), most smartphones and tablets can now also run different versions of operating systems they were made for, and in special cases, they might even be able to run operating systems they weren’t made for. The future for mobile technology is surely looking bright.
Eric Mwebe
