Types of Modern Communications Devices

Getting in contact with people has never been easier with the long list of ways in which we can stay connected right at our finger tips.

These devices can be used from just about anywhere at any time to get in touch with your audience.

Here are the most common devices used for modern communication:

Smartphones

The world saw the first handheld mobile phone back in 1973 but it wasn’t until the early 1980’s that they were more widely available. Motorola developed the first handheld device which weighed over a kilogram and was roughly the size of a brick. It also only offered 30 minutes talk time and took 10 hours to re-charge.  

Today, there are almost 2.5 billion smartphone users. These devices have a range of ways in which you can communicate such as text, voice call, video call and email. They also enable you to gain access to the internet, as well as various other tools such as cameras, video recorders and a multitude of apps.

Smartphone growth is still on the up with millions of devices being sold every year. With so many people with these handsets at their fingertips, it is no surprise that mobile search has now surpassed desktop.

Tablets

The first tablets began to appear in the 1980’s but it wasn’t really until the first iPad was released in 2010 that tablets really became mainstream. The iPad sold over 100 million units between 2010 and 2012 but Apple’s market share dropped the following year due to the arrival of Android tablets.

Tablets have a similar functionality to a smartphone but on a larger scale.

Laptops

A laptop is a portable computer that comes in a wide range of different sizes. These days, they pretty much have the same functionality as desktop computers but with the added bonus of being able to carry them around with you.

Laptops enables you to use various communication tools (as long as you have internet access) such as social media, email and video chat (if it has a webcam).

Virtual Assistants

Personal virtual assistant usage is growing at a rapid rate with Google having reported that their Google Home Assistant has quadrupled in active usage year-on-year since its release in 2016.

Virtual assistants such as Google Assistant, Siri and Alexa are now multifunctional and can send text messages and emails as well as make phone calls through either your smartphone or smart speaker such as Amazon Echo or Google Home.