History Main / ReinventingTheTelephone

''(Negi receives cell phone call from Asuna that Konoka has been kidnapped.)''\\

-->'''Negi:''' I can't hear Asuna-san's voice with [[{{Telepathy}} this]]?
-->'''Chamo:''' Yeah, that's how it is.
-->'''Negi:''' Wouldn't a mobile phone be better then?
-->''*Receives cell phone call from Asuna that Konoka has been kidnapped* ''
-->'''Chamo:''' ''*exasperated* '' What kind of mage uses a cell phone?
-->-- MahouSenseiNegima

* ''Naruto'' is ostensibly set in a pseudo-present day world, just with ninjas. And magic/jutsu. Really, they just use modern technology whenever it would get in the way for them not to. The five village Kages meet in person even though there is a tendency for Kages to be assassinated. When their Feudal Lords have to ratify the formation of the Shinobi Alliance, however, they have a quick video conference.

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** Also, the use of said extremely difficult spell is justified because it is the only method that can't be intercepted.

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** [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] by the backwardness of wizard society, a rather large portion of which doesn't seem ''aware'' of the technological advances the {{Muggles}} have made over the past few centuries. They have adapted some Muggle technology, but only after putting their own twists on it. The general Wizarding population is apparently so unaware of Muggle technology that their premier newspaper, the Daily Prophet, feels obliged to explain to its readers what ''firearms'' are, in the expectation that a significant number of wizards have never even ''heard'' of them!

Basically, when somebody in a show (set in the 'present day' or even TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture) uses a [[RuleOfCool pointlessly cool]] method of communication, which is frequently [[CoolButImpractical lot less practical]] than the ordinary, everyday type. Arguably, telepathic communication ''would'' be better, depending on exactly how many [[PstandardPsychicPstance strange hand gestures]] you have to make, and whether it can inflict {{Psychic Nosebleed}}s, but all the others...

Related to WeHaveTheKeys. If you're looking for something a little more convenient, try CommLinks.

* This was [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v04/c031/8.html said]] of the Pactio cards in ''MahouSenseiNegima''. Their main problem is that the card can only send, and you have to hold it to your forehead. Not to mention that a single pactio card can contact only that partner and nobody else, and the telepathy is easily blocked anyway.
** Actually that's false. The card can be used to communicate telepathichally not only to just the Magister, but also with any other person who also has a Pactio with the same Magister. Not to mention all their other abilities.

* ''PowerRangers'' surprisingly justifies the fact that morphers have communication equipment as often as it plays the trope straight. The early seasons were in the 90's, when not everybody had cell phones yet. And in the later seasons, the morphers often ''are'' cell phones (or at least can be used as such).

*** In several incarnations of Batman (most famously in the Adam West TV series) Commissioner Gordon has a red phone with a direct line to Batman as well as a Bat-Signal.

[[OnePiece http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dendenmushi.jpg]]
[[caption-width:374:No snails were harmed in the making of this product]]

* The Den Den Mushi (pictured above) from ''OnePiece'', are telesnails. Yeah, thats right. Tele''snails''.
** That also serve as fax machines. Baby ones act as a sort of cell phone that is limited to the island they are on at the time.
** Later in the series there are also versions that function as video-cameras.

* ''Warehouse 13'' is made of this trope, but more specifically does this with some steampunk-ish video phones. But there's only two of them, and they are huge. Yet they persist in using them, despite the fact that they have no real advantages over, say, the smart phones they are running around with. (It is possible that they are more secure that regular phones. Since no one else has them, it's an example of security through obscurity.)
** It is later confirmed that they are unhackable, can only lose signal due to massive electrical interference, and there's at least 4 of them (Artie's, Pete/Myka's, Claudia's, Mrs. Fredrick's). They also have blueprints for them, and can presumably make more.

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<<|AppliedPhlebotinum|>>
<<|TruthInTelevision|>>

* In TheFoundation, the second foundation communicate telepathically. It can't be detected, let alone intercepted, but it's also likely to result in miscommunication. The Foundation itself, however, seem to communicate primarily by ''telegrams'', which are distributed by ''pneumatic tube''.

-->'''Negi:''' Can't I hear Asuna-san's voice with this?

* It is later confirmed that they are unhackable, can only lose signal due to massive electrical interference, and there's at least 4 of them (Artie's, Pete/Myka's, Claudia's, Mrs. Fredrick's). They also have blueprints for them, and can presumably make more.

-->''* Receives cell phone call from Asuna that Konoka has been kidnapped* ''
-->'''Chamo:''' ''* exasperated* '' What kind of mage uses a cell phone?

* This was [[http://www.onemanga.com/Mahou_Sensei_Negima!/31/09/ said]] of the Pactio cards in ''MahouSenseiNegima''. Their main problem is that the card can only send, and you have to hold it to your forehead. Not to mention that a single pactio card can contact only that partner and nobody else, and the telepathy is easily blocked anyway.

** Later in the series there are also versions that function as video-cameras

** [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] by the backwardsness of wizard society, a rather large portion of which doesn't seem ''aware'' of the technological advances the {{Muggles}} have made over the past few centuries. They have adapted some Muggle technology, but only after putting their own twists on it. The general Wizarding population is apparently so unaware of Muggle technology that their premiere newspaper, the Daily Prophet, feels obliged to explain to its readers what ''firearms'' are, in the expectation that a significant number of wizards have never even ''heard'' of them!

** Of course, the Tick parodied Comicbook/{{Batman}}'s BatSignal, which is one of the earlier versions of the trope. At least back then there weren't any cell phones, but regular phones --as well as the ''Bat-Phone'' -- did exist.

* The [[{{Bamtan}} Bat-Signal]]. Of course, Gordon has easier ways of getting in touch with Batman too.

* The wizards of ''{{Harry Potter}}'' when they really need to contact each other, take an extremely difficult spell most wizards can't cast, and then complicate it by making it talk. Also mail taken by owl, which as such moves at a bird's flying speed. Oh, and their "stick your head in the fireplace and hope someone is within earshot" method. Yes, they claim that magic interferes with electronics, but these are still terrible methods for people who can do things by magic.

* Of course, the Tick parodied Comicbook/{{Batman}}'s BatSignal, which is one of the earlier versions of the trope. At least back then there weren't any cell phones, but regular phones --as well as the ''Bat-Phone'' -- did exist.
** The Bat-Phone only existed in the 60s TV series; in less ludicrous versions, the idea of a dedicated phone line between the police station and Batman's ''secret headquarters'' was seen as a bad idea. The Batphone made its first comics appearance in 2003, as an encrypted cellphone.

* All this time and nobody's mentioned the Bat-Signal yet? Of course, Gordon has easier ways of getting in touch with Batman too.

* Averted in TheMovie of ''Film/IronMan'', where Stark has apparently programmed his armor to act as a cell phone.