Have you ever watched one of those videos where a dad tries to get his kids to use a rotary phone? They’re so funny because we realize that not really that long ago, everyone had house phone lines and a rotary phone. And now, sometimes kids don’t even know what they are, much less how to use one.
Trending Away from Fixed Lines
Since 2000, house phone lines trends have swapped places. They have switched from landlines to cell phones at a reasonably steady rate. This leads experts to believe that soon landline house phone lines will probably become irrelevant, and future generations won’t have any idea what a landline is.
But why is this such a trend? Is it purely a convenience thing? Or does home phone technology just seem outdated?
Cell Phones
One of the main draws of cell phones is that they can go anywhere, be used as mini computers, and send text or voice messages.
These are all quite appealing things, especially in a world that values efficiency and convenience so much, but cell phones also have their downside. Dropped calls and bad signals are a few of those, and for some people, learning to use a cell phone is a huge learning curve that hasn’t been friendly to them.
Traditional Landlines
Home phones are fixed and easy to use but often suffer when it comes to sound quality. Landline phone plans also tend to get expensive for long-distance and international phone calls.
Internet Landline
Nowadays, other options are available, such as internet calling services or internet-powered home landlines. The prices tend to be better for these services, as does the voice quality. In addition, these services typically include all of the expected aspects of a home phone line, like caller ID and voicemail. But they may also have other new benefits like letting you call hands-free using Bluetooth or other wireless technology.
Current Trends
We know that traditional landlines, while existent, are quickly going to be obsolete. But on the other hand, cell phone services and popularity will likely only continue to grow as people want and need instant information or communication abilities at their fingertips, no matter where they are. And internet landlines are also gaining popularity as a more viable home phone line in today’s technological world.
Anything that leads to better, faster, and clearer communication with more people and in a more convenient way will likely be on the rise.