Technological developments have a way of changing significantly very many aspects of our lives. Such is the experience we have had in the last two centuries with regard to telephone communications. Today, few can appreciate the important role landline phones had, just a few decades ago. It was one of the fastest medium of communicating of course with many challenges. The cell phones hit the scene and today landlines are on their death knelt.

Both these bore many similarities as well as differences. One similarity is that they both are used to make and receive calls. This is a basic reason why we buy phones. While landlines are fixed to a telephone wire, sometimes fibre optic, cell phones transmit signals by radio waves.

Another similarity is that both phones have to be charged. For the cell phone, the charger usually determines how long the phone will take to charge. Normally, those chargers purchased over the counter takes longer. On the other hand, the landline is continuously connected to current, unlike the cell phone which is only connected should a need to charge arise. Another similarity is that both phones are portable. A cell phones is small in size and can be comfortably be carried around, even in your trouser pocket. We do also have cordless home phones that can be carried around the compound and be used anywhere but within a short distance in the home such as the yard.

Again, both phones will always ring to alert you of an incoming call. While the landline has only one ringtone, the cell phone has different functioning tones and the user can select which one best suits his taste. Other cell phones have functionalities where one can record a song or sound that he can use as the ringtone for the cell phone.

Both set of phones have voicemail. This is a function that allows callers to leave a message should they fail to find someone they are calling. This is an advantage because it simply impossible for someone to be around the phone always. With this service, they can retrieve the message later, listen to it and even make a call back should they feel the need to do so.

Both sets of phones also come in handy in emergency situations. You can use them to call the police, even the fire service or someone closer to you. The only difference however, it that with the landline, your exact location can easily be determined and it will be easy to for the authorities to help you out (Nabar, 2011). But for the cell phones, your exact location is not known and can only be estimated, which is a bit of a disadvantage.

Differences

The two phones also bear significant differences such as the services of the landline is only limited for a shorter distance and therefore service is only limited for a short range. Normally you will have problems accessing service beyond your home compound. The cell phones have no constraint as to distance. As long as service network is available, you can enjoy service even if you are thousands of kilometres from home.

Next, for one to enjoy service, he of a landline phone, he will have to have his home wired so as to connect him to service (Meer, 2004). This is not a requirement for a cell phone. What one needs to have is the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card which connects him to the service operator which allows him to access service. Cellphones have also undergone a lot of innovations. Firms like Apple have introduced into the market many improved models of cell phones that go beyond the basic functionality of making and receiving calls. Some of these may include taking photos, recording music and videos, looking up for direction to places especially if you are able to access Google maps, and even browsing the internet. Landlines does not have these advantages.

References

Meer, K. F. (2004). Should we ban cell phones in school? NEA Today, vol.2 no.5 pp. 42.

Nabar S., (2011), Differences Between Cell Phones and Landlines,

http://www.aajkideals.com/blog/difference-between-cell-phones-and-landlines/