When people use the term ‘ancillary device’ it refers to any device which is not a main part of the piece of equipment in question, but which is connected to it in order for it to perform a particular function. Thus when it comes to ancillary devices for mobile phones, this term can refer to anything from earphones that enable you to listen to music on the mobile phone to a USB for copying information contained on the phone and removing it for use elsewhere.
There can also be ancillary devices for mobile phones which perform more essential functions for the users – such as simply enabling them to use the phone for its primary function of taking and receiving phone calls.
An example of this would be if the person using the mobile phone was suffering from either permanent or temporary hearing impairment – a condition which obviously makes the using of mobile phones a much more challenging prospect than it would normally be. There are ancillary devices for mobile phones which are specifically designed to enable them to take and receive calls on their mobiles, despite the issues relating to their hearing impairment, including induction couplers and VCO attachments.
Another ancillary device that can potentially be added to a mobile phone, in order that someone suffering from a hearing impairment problem can be enabled to use the mobile device effectively is an amplifying device which, as the name suggests, attaches to the phone and increases the volume of the ring tone and the voices of incoming callers.
Given that hearing impairment is a fairly common condition it is surprising how few people consider the effects that this can have on the everyday usage of an item – such as a mobile phone – that most of us consider central to our daily lives. Fortunately ancillary mobile phone devices such as those mentioned above ensure that it need not be an insurmountable barrier for those suffering from such a condition.
