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What is the Difference Between a Cellular Phone and a Cordless Phone?

Jenn Ratliff
Jenn Ratliff

The cellular phone and cordless phone both share a common ancestry. They both served to allow humankind to get up and move while talking on the phone, and both were developed in the 1970s. From that point, however, the two have evolved perpendicularly, each finding a niche in the domestic market. The main difference is that cordless phones use standard telephone lines to transmit signals, while cell phones use a cellular radio network.

Cellular or mobile phones were invented to be used outside the home, and as such, companies that provide service to them divide their service area into "cells," with each containing its own tower. That way, calls can travel easily through a cell, or from cell to cell if necessary, sometimes traveling great distances to reach their destinations. Cordless phones, provide a smaller range of mobility, and most customers can only get a clear phone call within a range of about 328 to 656 feet (100 to 200 meters) of the base. Since cordless phones are typically used close to home anyway, this limitation is usually not a concern.

A cellular tower.
A cellular tower.

The available features of the cellular phone and cordless phone differ as well. Cell phones, which have become the new virtual assistant for many people, often offer users the ability to send text messages, record video and music, surf the Internet, and check their e-mail, all while traveling in between work and school. Cordless phones, since they are connected to a landline telephone system, don't offer much more than standard phone features, such as caller ID, call forwarding, and speed dialing. As cordless phones attempt to compete with other portable communicators, manufacturers are adding voicemail and other answering services, and some newer model phones also provide paging and intercom services.

Cell phones transmit information through wireless networks.
Cell phones transmit information through wireless networks.

It may seem that technology favors the cell phone over the practical uses of the modern cordless phone, but as different styles of phones compete for consumer attention, manufacturers continue to widen the scope of use. Mobile phones clearly reign supreme in regards to "extras," they are also typically more expensive — both in terms of the phone itself, when not subsidized by the service provider, and the cost of monthly service. They can also be more easily stolen or lost.

Discussion Comments

pastanaga

@MrsPramm - Even that isn't totally accurate, although it might seem that way. The cell phone account is actually tied to a card which is inserted in the phone. If you get an "unlocked" phone, you can insert any kind of card you want and get service from that company.

Often unlocked phones are better used to pay as you go, rather than on a plan, because you get a much better plan with a locked phone.

MrsPramm

To me, the main difference from a consumer's point of view, is that a cell phone is a phone tied directly to a company, while a cordless phone is a phone that can be used at any house. In that case, the account, which is attached to the physical address, is what is tied to the number, not the phone itself.

I guess the other difference is that cell phones are completely portable and can be taken anywhere that will have coverage for them (a good chunk of the world by now) while a cordless phone needs to stay within a certain distance of the docking station. A cell phone docking station is only used as a charger, and not as a tether.

lluviaporos

@bbale - I'm sure there probably is. I think you could even get a program like Excel to do that. All you'd have to do is make it search for particular combinations of numbers in a particular area. The problem is that people don't always have to use standard cell phone numbers for their cell phones. They might be able to request an unusual number.

anon55148

what is basic difference between cellular phones and mobile phones?

bbale

I have a database, one field of information is phone number. At the time we did not separate cell from home number.

Is there any type of software or program that can differentiate between cell phone numbers and residential phone numbers stored together in a database?

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    • A cellular tower.
      By: borissos
      A cellular tower.
    • Cell phones transmit information through wireless networks.
      By: standret
      Cell phones transmit information through wireless networks.
    • Cordless phones can only be used within close proximity to the base unit.
      By: Michael Shake
      Cordless phones can only be used within close proximity to the base unit.
    • Cell phones are typically much smaller in size and easier to stow away.
      By: nick barounis
      Cell phones are typically much smaller in size and easier to stow away.
    • Cell phones have the ability to send text messages, record audio and video, and have internet access.
      By: slasnyi
      Cell phones have the ability to send text messages, record audio and video, and have internet access.