A mobile device (also known as a handheld device, handheld computer or simply handheld) is a small, hand-held computing device, typically having a display screen with touch input and/or a miniature keyboard and weighting less than 2 pounds (0.91 kg). Apple, HTC, LG, Motorola, Research in Motion (RIM), and Samsung are just a few examples of the many manufacturers that produce these types of devices.
A hand held computing device typically has an operating system (OS) platform, where application programming interfaces (API’s) also known as Apps that are available for different uses can operate on. Most hand held devices can also be equipped with WI-FI, Bluetooth and GPS capabilities that can allow connections to the Internet and other Bluetooth capable devices such as an automobile or a microphone headset. A camera or media player feature for video or music files can also be typically found on these devices along with a stable battery power source such as a lithium battery.
Early pocket sized ones were joined in the late 2000s by larger but otherwise similar tablet computers. As in a personal digital assistant (PDA), the input and output are often combined into a touch-screen interface.
Smartphones and PDAs are popular amongst those who wish to use some of the powers of a conventional computer in environments where carrying one would not be practical. Enterprise digital assistants can further extend the available functionality for the business user by offering integrated data capture devices like barcode, RFID and smart card readers.