1.1. Mobile devices

A mobile device is any small computer that can be carried easily using one or two hands without an additional support. Notice that laptops are not included in this definition as they require a surface to be used.

Most mobile devices support some form of wireless communication (see Section 1.2 for a discussion of different types of connectivity). However, the need for connectivity is not a requirement in our definition. Indeed, some mobile devices preload data over a wired connection and are later used without requiring connectivity.

This definition is very broad to adapt to a very diverse reality of devices that evolves very quickly.

Originally, the notion of mobile device only considered smartphones. Nowadays, we also include in this category other types of devices such as tablets, smartwatches, wearables, smart glasses, or smart bracelets (fitness bands).

With the advent of new wireless networks such as 5G, new types of devices have emerged. Two examples of such devices are portable medical monitoring systems and industrial control and monitoring devices.