Mobile Devices and Technologies Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to mobile operating systems, network standards, device management, and mobile security.

smartphone

A cell phone that can send text messages with photos, videos, and other multimedia content, surf the web, manage email, play games, take photos and videos, and download and use small apps.

tablet

A computing device with a touch screen that is larger than a smartphone and with functions similar to a smartphone.

Android

An operating system for mobile devices that is based on the Linux OS and supported by Google.

iOS

The operating system owned and developed by Apple and used for their various mobile devices.

iPadOS

The Apple operating system used on Apple’s iPad tablet devices.

favorites tray

On Android devices, the area above the Action bar that contains up to seven apps or groups of apps. These apps stay put as you move from home screen to home screen.

app drawer

An app embedded in the Android OS that lists and manages all apps installed on the device.

notifications

Alerts and related information about apps and social media sent to mobile devices and other computers.

Google Play

The official source for Android apps (also called the Android marketplace), at play.google.com.

Google account

A user account identified by a valid email address that is registered on the Google Play website (play.google.com) and used to download content to an Android device.

iPhone

A smartphone developed by Apple.

iPad

A handheld tablet developed by Apple.

dock

(1) For the Android OS, the area at the bottom of the Android screen where up to four apps can be pinned. (2) For macOS, a bar that appears by default at the bottom of the screen and contains program icons and shortcuts to files and folders.

Apple ID

A user account that uses a valid email address and password and is associated with a credit card number; allows you to download iOS and macOS updates and patches, apps, and multimedia content.

cellular data

Voice, text, and other types of data that a telecommunications carrier can send from the carrier’s network to the Internet for distribution.

3G

A third-generation cellular wireless Internet connection standard used with CDMA or GSM mobile phone services that allows for transmitting data and video.

4G

A fourth-generation cellular wireless Internet connection standard typically used with LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology; 4G transmits data and video up to 1 Gbps.

4G LTE

A cellular wireless network standard that replaced CDMA and GSM for voice, text, and data transmissions; requires a SIM card to function.

5G

A fifth-generation cellular wireless Internet connection standard that currently has an average speed of 150-200 Mpbs with peaks up to 10 Gbps.

IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity)

A unique number that identifies a mobile phone or tablet device worldwide. The number can usually be found imprinted on the device or reported in the About menu of the OS.

IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity)

A unique number that identifies a cellular subscription for a device or subscriber, along with its home country and mobile network. Some carriers store the number on a SIM card installed in the device.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

A receiver that uses the system of 24 or more satellites orbiting Earth. The receiver locates four or more of these satellites and uses their locations to calculate its own position in a process called triangulation.

paired

When two Bluetooth devices have established connectivity and are able to communicate.

Near-field communication (NFC)

A wireless technology that establishes a communication link between two NFC devices (e.g., two smartphones or a smartphone and an NFC tag) that are within 4 inches (10 cm) of each other.

RFID (radio-frequency identification)

A wireless technology used on small tags that contain a microchip and antenna; often used to track and identify car keys, clothing, animals, and inventory.

two-factor authentication (2FA)

When two tokens or actions are required to authenticate to a computer or network. Factors can include what a person knows (password), what they possess (a token such as a key fob or smart card), what they do (such as typing a certain way), or who they are (biometric data).

Biometric authentication

The use of biometric data, such as a fingerprint or retinal data, to authenticate to a network, computer, or other computing device. Touch ID on an iPhone or face lock on an Android device can perform biometric authentication.

AirDrop

A feature of iOS whereby iPhones and iPads can transfer files between nearby devices. The devices use Bluetooth to detect nearby devices and Wi-Fi to establish connectivity and transfer files.

Lightning port

An Apple-specific port that uses Lightning technology. Also refer to Lightning.

BYOD (bring your own device)

A corporate policy that allows employees or students to connect their own devices to the corporate network.

mobile device management (MDM)

Software that includes tools for tracking mobile devices and managing the security of data on the devices according to established MDM policies.

MDM policy

Policies that establish compliance standards used by mobile device management (MDM) and may include various forms of security enforcement, such as data encryption requirements and remote wipes.

agent

A small app installed on a client that communicates with a server. For example, MDM on-boarding might install an agent on a mobile device to verify that the device complies with security measures.

on-boarding

The established process used when a mobile device is added to the MDM fleet of devices allowed to connect to a corporate network and its resources. Compare with off-boarding.

off-boarding

The established process used when a mobile device is removed from the MDM fleet of devices allowed to connect to a corporate network and its resources. Compare with on-boarding.

commercial mail apps

An email client application, such as Microsoft Outlook, that is paid for and generally offers more features than a mobile embedded mail app or free open-source mail apps.

Microsoft Exchange

A popular server application used by large corporations for employee email, contacts, and calendars.

ActiveSync

A technology used by Microsoft Exchange servers to comply with MDM policies to sync email, calendars, contacts, and other types of data between the server and a mobile device.

Microsoft 365

Previously called Office 365, a subscription-based productivity suite of apps by Microsoft, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.