A smartphone, often simply called a phone, is a mobile device that combines the functionality of a traditional mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multimedia playback and streaming. Smartphones have built-in cameras, GPS navigation, and support for various communication methods, including voice calls, text messaging, and internet-based messaging apps.
A closed platform, walled garden, or closed ecosystem is a software system wherein the carrier or service provider has control over applications, content, and/or media, and restricts convenient access to non-approved applicants or content. This is in contrast to an open platform, wherein consumers generally have unrestricted access to applications and content.
Virgin Mobile is a wireless communications brand used by seven independent brand-licensees worldwide. Virgin Mobile branded wireless communications services are available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Poland and Mexico. Virgin Mobile branded services used to be offered in Australia, France, Singapore, India, Qatar, South Africa and the United States.
Virgin Mobile USA was a no-contract Mobile Virtual Network Operator. It used Sprint's network for coverage. It licensed the Virgin Mobile brand from United Kingdom-based Virgin Group. Virgin Mobile USA was headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and provided service to approximately 6 million customers.
Tethering or phone-as-modem (PAM) is the sharing of a mobile device's Internet connection with other connected computers. Connection of a mobile device with other devices can be done over wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), over Bluetooth or by physical connection using a cable, for example through USB.
Mobile ESPN was a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) run by The Walt Disney Company using Sprint's EVDO wireless network from November 25, 2005, until December 2006. The service was widely considered overpriced and a failure, though in retrospect the actual data and audio-visual backbone and software behind the service would be re-adapted successfully for the smartphone age several years later, untied to a carrier.
Kajeet is a Mobile network operator that delivers internet access to a variety of industries across North America and globally in 24 other countries. Kajeet Inc. provides Iot of connectivity, software, hardware products and services to businesses, schools, hospitals, government agencies, and telecommunications enterprises. Its headquarters are located in McLean, Virginia and operations are located in Phoenix, Arizona, with regional offices in 11 cities in the United States.
Lebara is a telecommunications company providing services using the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business model in the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and Australia. Lebara provides pay-as-you-go and contract-based mobile SIM cards in these countries, and its brand is also used under license in four other countries.
Consumer Cellular, Inc. is an American postpaid mobile virtual network operator founded by John Marick and Greg Pryor in Portland, Oregon in October 1995. The company offers cellphones, no-contract cellphone plans, and accessories with a focus on users over age 50. Including its corporate headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, Consumer Cellular is completely U.S. based, employing more than 3,100 people in Arizona, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Texas.
Lyca Mobile is a British mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) operating in 23 countries. The chairman is Subaskaran Allirajah and the CEO is Richard Schafer. The company sells international pay-as-you-go SIMs. As an MVNO, Lyca Mobile leases radio frequencies from mobile phone network operators and forms partnerships with the operators in each country it serves. Lyca Mobile has also developed distinct business structures such as MVNA aggregator arrangements in various countries.
Mobile virtualization is hardware virtualization on a mobile phone or connected wireless device. It enables multiple operating systems or virtual machines to run simultaneously on a mobile phone or connected wireless device. It uses a hypervisor to create secure separation between the underlying hardware and the software that runs on top of it; this can be considered a form of an embedded hypervisor, or a close analogue. Virtualization technology has been used widely for many years in other fields such as data servers and personal computers.
Republic Wireless was an American mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). Republic sold low cost mobile phone service on partner networks. Republic started as a unique company that provided customers with VOIP numbers which relied on WiFi first with cell as a backup.
The Nokia Lumia 520 is an entry-level Windows Phone 8 smartphone announced by Nokia at the 2013 Mobile World Congress.
ItsOn was an American software company based in Redwood City, California that developed cloud computing software for enhancing the performance of mobile networks. ItsOn's software platform gave mobile network operators the ability to offer granular and flexible, user-customizable services. Users could select and change mobile voice, text, and data services, as well as manage devices, plan sharing and permissions, directly from smart devices at any time.
The Fire Phone is a discontinued 3D-enabled smartphone developed by Amazon and manufactured by Foxconn. It was announced on June 18, 2014, and marked Amazon's first foray into the smartphone market, following the success of the Kindle Fire. It was available for pre-order on the day it was announced. In the United States, it launched as an AT&T exclusive on July 25.
Windows 10 Mobile is a discontinued mobile operating system developed by Microsoft Mobile. First released in 2015, it is the successor to Windows Phone 8.1, but was marketed by Microsoft as being an edition of its PC operating system Windows 10.
The Honor 8 is a smartphone made by Huawei under their Honor sub-brand. It is a successor of the Huawei Honor 7 within the Huawei Honor series.
Visible Service LLC, doing business as Visible by Verizon, and known simply as Visible, is an American all-digital prepaid mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and brand wholly-owned by Verizon. Launched in 2018, the carrier offers services on the Verizon network, with all services delivered via e-commerce and mobile apps using generative artificial intelligence, and no brick and mortar retail presence. Visible competes against T-Mobile's Metro by T-Mobile, AT&T's Cricket Wireless, and EchoStar's Boost Mobile in the major carrier prepaid segment.
