How Phones Became The Ultimate Entertainment Device
How Phones Became The Ultimate Entertainment Device: In the last 30 years, cell phones have gone from being a novelty item to being one of the most important items a person owns. Our smartphones do more than make calls and send texts – they give us directions, let us browse the internet from anywhere and take photographs to document our daily lives. Most importantly, perhaps, they keep us entertained. Phones are our all-in-one entertainment device for streaming movies and TV, playing games and listening to music and podcasts.
TV and movies
Streaming services have changed the way in which we watch TV and movies, and part of that change involves smartphones. While it is a bit frustrating that you now need to subscribe to a few different streaming services if you want to watch everything on offer, streaming has made life so much easier. The streaming era has already had an impact on the film industry. Traditional production companies are having to compete with streaming giants, such as Netflix, who have launched their own production companies and have been very successful. Being able to watch movies or shows on your smartphone has turned commuting or waiting time into relaxation time.
YouTube and other video sharing sites have also benefited from the rise of the smartphone. Even for those who don’t like watching a full movie on a very small screen, watching a short video is enjoyable.
Games
Mobile gaming has become a massive industry. Video games have been a popular leisure activity for decades. With the exception of handheld consoles such as Game Boy and Switch, however, playing most video games required you to play at home – either on a bulky console system or a computer. Being able to play mobile games on a smartphone has completely liberated gaming. Augmented reality games such as Pokémon GO even made this a central feature, as playing the game required you to walk around! Part of the appeal of mobile games is the variety, with games of all types for every audience and skill level. While console video games remain popular, mobile gaming has taken the largest share of the gaming market, showing how central smartphones have become as entertainment devices.
One segment of this industry that is really beginning to take off is the mobile casino. Mobile casino games can either be played online or downloaded as an app. According to OnlineCasinosOnline.co.za slot games, in particular, are like regular mobile games, with a wide variety of themes and styles, and addictive gameplay. Online casinos combine the simplicity and fun of mobile games with the allure and adrenaline rush of gambling. It is no wonder that they are rising in popularity.
Music
Since the 1960s, personal music devices have become smaller and smaller. Vinyl records were replaced by 8-track tapes, the 8-track was replaced by the cassette, the cassette was replaced by the CD and the CD was replaced by the MP3. For a few years, it seemed like the iPod and other MP3 players were here to stay but smartphones have made those obsolete too. Yes, audiophiles have brought vinyl records back from the tech graveyard but the vast majority of people now listen to music on their phones.
The convenience of being able to carry your music with you on the same device you already rely on for everything else is hard to top. Streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora have all but eliminated the need to download music, making it possible to enjoy an almost endless library of songs without having to sacrifice any storage space.
Podcasts
A new form of entertainment that has grown in popularity alongside that of smartphones is the podcast. Podcasts have such a wide audience because they cover every topic in every style. Music podcasts that discuss albums or genres and feature interviews with musicians and producers provide insight into the songs we love and the industry behind them. One of the most popular genres is true crime podcasts. These range from short discussions of historical cases all the way to season-long, in-depth examinations of unsolved cases. Other popular genres include daily news, health and beauty, pop culture discussions and paranormal stories. Many podcasts are educational while others are pure entertainment. Listening to a podcast on your phone while commuting is a great way to turn a boring part of your daily routine into something enjoyable.
No one expected smartphones to dominate our lives the way that they do. At this point, it is hard to imagine a world without them but it will be interesting to see if any new entertainment devices are developed to compete with them.
