The phone or telephone comes from the Greek words "tele" and "phone" which means "far away" and "voice" respectively. It is a telecommunications device that sends and receives sounds. The sounds transferred are usually voice and speech. Until about two decades ago, phones came to mean a landline. But nowadays, cordless phones and mobile phones are more common than ever. The difference between the two types of variations is that a cordless phone is still a landline that needs a base connected to a base station. A mobile phone needs a cell site to send and receive calls.

Cordless Phones

Cordless phones are basically landlines that need to be connected to a phone line. The cordless term refers to the handset rather than the phone itself. These types of phones need a base unit to transmit the signal to the cordless handset. The headset and the base unit need to be within the same vicinity for clarity of signal.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones utilize cell sites to supply the signals to send and receive calls. Mobile phones have evolved from just being a variation of a phone to becoming a device that has more powerful capabilities such as text messaging, cameras, internet connection, organizers, video recorder, calendar, address books, video conferencing, games, emulators, e-book readers, word processors, spreadsheets and so much more. In fact, there are phones that have some of the capabilities of a computer, in terms of functional capabilities.

Satellite Phones

Satellite phones utilize orbiting satellite to make a connection. These phones are usually used by military personnel during war or rescue workers who travel to remote locations. These phones tend to bulkier, but are one of the most powerful types of phone.