The invention of telephones was a revolutionary step for mankind. Since its existence, it has become easier to send our messages to anywhere in the world, but it is one of the sectors that were slow to adopt the new technologies. It was in the 1960s when analog phones were being shifted to digital ones.
To date, people still get confused between analog and digital signals. Analog phones are those that are based on analog technology which works by taking an audio or video signal and then translates it into electrical pulses. Digital phones are those that take an input of audio or video format and break it into binary codes.
Analog vs Digital Phones
The main difference between Analog and Digital Phones is that analog phones work on Analog technology in which the sound converted are analogous to the electronic pulses, on the other hand, digits phones work on binary technology in which the input signal is converted to a series of binary digits.
Comparison Table Between Analog and Digital Phones
| Parameter of Comparison | Analog Phones | Digital Phones |
| What are they? | Analog phones are the earliest phones that work on analogous technology which converts the input into electrical pulses. | The phones based on binary digits that are 0 and 1 are known as digital phones. |
| Technology used | Analog phones are based on electrical pulses, they take an audio or video input and converts it into analogous electrical pulses | Digital phones are based on binary digits which means that it takes the input of audio or video and then breaks it into binary digits 0 and 1. |
| Transmission of signals | The signal in analog phones is transferred in the form of waves over the copper wires to the other destined end. | At the source end, the input is converted into a series of binary codes and after transmission to the other end, they get restructured in the form of a sound. |
| Sound quality | Analog phones provide better sound quality since they are transmitted over lines. In analog phones but the sound is less clear. | Digital phones provide lesser quality sound since some of the data get sacrificed in transmission. In digital phones, the sound is much clear as compared to analog phones. |
| Space orientation | Analog signals take much more space than digital signals, therefore, less data is transmitted in a large space capacity. | Digital signals take less space as compared to analog signals, hence more information can be transmitted in the same capacity of space. This gives digital phones an advantage over analog phones. |
What are Analog Phones?
Analog phones also known as plain old telephone service are the phones that work on electrical pulses that are analogous to the sound. In these phones, the input data in the form of audio or video is converted to in the form of electrical pulses.
The data transferred from one end is converted into pulses and are received at the other end in the form of waves and are heard to the person at another end in the original form. The electrical pulses are transmitted through copper wires. If the analog phone is wireless, then the user faces the limitations of its range.
Analog phones provide a better sound quality due to the transmission through wires, however, the sound is less clear in these phones. These signals take more space, therefore, less data is transferred over late space capacity.
What are Digital Phones?
Digital phones are phones that work on digital technology. In this technology, the input data of audio or video is first converted into a series of binary digits and then transferred through various channels.
The data input transferred from one end is received at the other end and encrypted and restructured to present it in original form. Digital phones have less sound quality because some of the data is lost during transmission, but the sound is more clear in these phones.
Digital signals take less space, therefore, more information or large data can be transferred easily in a small space capacity.
Main Differences Between Analog Phones and Digital Phones
- Analog phones were the earliest technology developed in phones whereas digital phones were developed with developing technologies.
- Analog phones are the ones that use analog technology in which the input audio or video signal is converted to the electrical pulses that are analogous with the sound being converted, on the other hand, digital phones are those that use a series of binary codes to transmit data.
- Analog signals take the input, convert it into electrical pulses and transmit it to the other end, on the other hand, digital phones take the input, convert it into a series of binary digits and receive it at the other end in the form of the sound.
- The signals of analog phones are transmitted through the copper wires in the form of waves and if the analog phone uses wireless technology then it has a limit of range whereas the signals of digital phones are transmitted through various channels.
- Analog phones provide a better sound quality as compared to digital phones.
- The sound is more clear in digital phones as compared to analog phones.
- Analog phones take much space, therefore, it gets difficult to send large data, on the other hand, digital phones can send large data in smaller space capacity.
Conclusion
Both the phones may have their roles to contribute but since analog phones were the first kind of phones, therefore, they are still important. Some antique collectors collect these phones. Digital phones have various advantages over analog phones. They have more functions as compared to analog phones. In the initial years, only analog phones were used but later with the developing technologies digital phones were being used.
References
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1546223/
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1332581/