If you are bored with same monotonous android phones and iPhone, then you have got an option to build a new Arduino mobile phone. The add-on feature of the Arduino that is the GSM Shield can actually make it very easy to build a mobile phone. Further, it is also data equipped with a Telefonica SIM which is included in the package.
For a powerful embedded processor, Arduino is comparatively easy to use. As it contains many I/O, it can also be used to instrument all sort of custom programmable hardware devices. Now, with new add-on feature, it is easy to add GSM Shield. The shield comes at a reasonable price and is about the size of a credit card, which can be connected directly to the mobile phone system.
The working of the card is dependent on the usual range of Arduino boards – Uno, Mega, and Leonardo. It is not only easy to the interface but one can smoothly write codes for it too. To connect it to any GPRS/GSM network, an M10 Quectell radio modem at quad band is used. Further, it supports TCP/IP and HTTP over GPRS and the software that drive the card is encompassed with the latest Arduino IDE.
One can add their own SIM in the card to work but Telefonica also supplies one with the package and has got some interesting features. It is only limited to sending data and SMS messages, but it comes with a roaming plan and therefore can be used anywhere in the world. So, if want to use an Arduino based mobile phone, all you need is a SIM with a voice and/or data plan along with a loudspeaker and microphone.
Since the board is neither small nor thin as an iPhone, it cannot be used as a regular phone but can be used as really customizable phone via the Arduino. The interface is simple and hence can be used with other devices like Ubuntu Touch, raspberry pi which runs Linux quite easily. But then, one cannot download apps from any means as Arduino doesn’t run an operating system and also, the processor is too small to accept any sort of port like Firefox mobile or Android.
To build this phone, one doesn’t need to follow the complete procedure as GSM Shield acts as an ideal way to get any device onto the Internet of Things.
For complete information, one can visit the following website.
Filed Under: Reviews