| Today, virtually everyone owns at least one | | | | movements that replicate real word activities. |
| mobile phone. Some own even more, with a | | | | Not only are these technological improvements |
| different phone for work and for family. As the | | | | attractive to the buyer, they are necessary to |
| popularity of phones have increased and more | | | | get people to keep buying mobile phones even |
| and more are being purchased, phone companies | | | | when the one they have works perfectly fine. |
| have looked to increase their market share by | | | | This is known as "perceived obsolescence" and |
| developing new technologies. Some of these | | | | generally means the same thing as fashion. Many |
| technologies include capacitive touch screen | | | | young children and fashion-conscious adults feel a |
| capabilities, which detect the way in which sensors | | | | twinge of embarrassment when exposing that |
| on the phone are being pushed, and FTIR multi | | | | the phone they own is a model over three years |
| touch, which can accurately read varying amounts | | | | old, and does not have all the latest features of |
| of pressure over a large space. These | | | | something like the iPhone. The developers of the |
| technological advancements get many people | | | | latest technology of course encourage these |
| excited with what the future holds for mobile | | | | feelings of embarrassment, as this means their |
| phone technology, and could change the way we | | | | customer base will increase in size. |
| communicate in the future. | | | | Perceived obsolescence has an unintended positive |
| It is been surprising to see over the last decade | | | | side effect. Third world countries depend on what |
| that mobile phones have been subject to changes | | | | the first world throws away, in order to get |
| in style and fashion, just as clothes have. While | | | | these products at a cheaper rate. This means |
| ten or so years ago any mobile phone was seen | | | | they are able to have perfectly good clothes that |
| as a sign of status, the large "brick" look that | | | | went out of style in the West a couple of years |
| these early phones had quickly became | | | | ago. If you ever travel to Africa, you will also see |
| passé, and cheaper and smaller phones | | | | the phones of a couple of years ago being sold, |
| began to be developed. Today, color screens are | | | | as the Western customers have gone on to the |
| a virtual requirement, and screens that take up | | | | next big thing and are uninterested in buying the |
| the entire mobile phone are now used by those | | | | old styles. This means that in Ethiopia, where |
| wanted to keep up with the latest trends. | | | | people make in a month what a Western person |
| What actual real world benefits does this latest | | | | makes in a day, these same people are able to |
| trend provide? Since there is no keypad to these | | | | own quite functional phones, with mp3 playing |
| new phones, touch screen technology is being | | | | abilities and camera capabilities. |
| employed. This does not just involve users | | | | The use of mobiles around the world has |
| pressing buttons that appear onscreen. The user | | | | drastically changed due to people's |
| can actually have seemingly physical contact with | | | | self-consciousness over fashion. It is better to |
| the software they are working with. Pages can | | | | purchase phones based on the technological |
| be flipped through, websites can be scrolled down | | | | advances they provide, rather than worrying |
| and programs can be opened in finger | | | | about the style of the phone you buy. |