what is mobile

A mobile phone is a wireless handheld device that allows users to make and receive calls and to send text messages, among other features. The earliest generation of mobile phones could only make and receive calls. Today’s mobile phones, however, are packed with many additional features, such as web browsers, games, cameras, video players and even navigational systems.

A mobile phone may also be known as a cellular phone or simply a cell phone.

       
Techopedia explains Mobile Phone

When the first mobile phones were introduced, their only function was to make and receive calls, and they were so bulky it was impossible to carry them in a pocket.

Later, mobile phones belonging to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network became capable of sending and receiving text messages. As these devices evolved, they became smaller and more features were added, such as multimedia messaging service (MMS), which allowed users to send and receive images. Most of these MMS-capable devices were also equipped with cameras, which allowed users to capture photos, add captions, and send them to friends and relatives who also had MMS-capable phones.

A mobile phone with advanced features similar to a computer is called a smartphone, while a regular mobile phone is known as a feature phone.

A mobile phone typically operates on a cellular network, which is composed of cell sites scattered throughout cities, countrysides and even mountainous regions. If a user happens to be located in an area where there is no signal from any cell site belonging to the cellular network provider he or she is subscribed to, calls cannot be placed or received in that location.