Smartphone convergence and diffusion

Smartphone ensemble

The smartphone. The moniker doesn't cover the half of it. Sure, it's a phone and it's very smart but what about all the many other things it can do?

The smartphone is a record breaker in many ways.  It's a shining example of rapid technology diffusion. The smartphone has gained widespread acceptance at a phenomenal rate, far outstripping that of original telephone or the television.

It's arguably the leader in the area of technology convergence.  My list is by no means exhaustive but I got to thinking about what my smartphone actually does.

Nokia 1280 cell phone

At the most basic level it's a mobile phone, usually capable of connecting to at least one mobile network in the local territory and via roaming agreements overseas.  But that's just a cellphone, not a smartphone.

Your modern smartphone runs Android, iOS, Windows Phone, or several other less well known operating systems (O/S).  The O/S gives the phone the opportunity to become a full blown computer and more besides.

Typically even a low end model gives you all this:

• It's able to make audio (voice) calls, send SMS (text and multimedia) messages
• It's GPS enabled, allowing it to replace a dedicated GPS navigation device.  GPS also provides smart capability for many phone apps, allowing the output to be best targeted for the user's current location.
• It sends and receives emails from multiple accounts
• It's an electronic calendar, appointment planner and diary
• It's a multi time-zone clock, alarm clock, countdown timer, alarm
• It can transmit and receive data via Bluetooth
• It connects to home, public and office wi-fi networks
• It's a fully functional web browser
• Through myriad custom applications your smartphone can access virtually any web resource using an interface tailored for a small display and touch screen input
• It's a digital still and video camera.
• It's an audio player
• It's a video player, capable of playing the shortest clips to full length movies, sometimes in high definition
• It's a games console.
• It's probably the only device you own that can provide all this functionality in one tidy package.

These modern wonders are now so ubiquitous that the novelty is gone and we simply accept that this stunning array of technology will happily fit in our pockets.  People aren't generally taught how to operate this device - the intuitive nature of (most) functions means that a savvy user soon works it out.

The speed of global acceptance (diffusion) is unprecedented, as is the short time that so many technologies have come together to create a new multi-function device (convergence).

Try to avoid blind acceptance and express a bit of wonder at this pint-sized workhorse of the modern age.