In the past planes had phones which you could use so what is the difference between them and your mobile? Surely it cannot be that hard to produce some technology which can differentiate between a phone signal and some other kind of signal. Also, lets face it if you're going to crash during take off and landing, you're hardly not going to notice it because you're writing a text or making a call! How come you can use Wifi on the A380 but not other planes?

keep it like that who wants to be part of sombody's telephone call. Its bad enough on trains.

Wasted my time they now have put my post on here.

Managed to get the report on for you to read.

‘Attendants reported that there were 4 PAX operated electronic devices (1 handphone and 3 iPods).’
The crew used the public address system to advise the passengers to shut off electronic devices ‘for their safety and the safety of the flight,’ after which the aircraft proceeded ‘without any further incident’.
Dave Carson of Boeing, who has served on a U.S. advisory group that looked into the problem, said phones and electronic gadgets could cause major problems for pilots.
‘It could be you that you were to the right of the runway when in fact, you were to the left of the runway, or just completely wipe out the signal so that you didn't get any indication of where you are coming in,’ he said.
Asked if a phone’s signal really can do that damage, he said: ‘It is when it goes in the right place at the right time.’
Engineers have previously warned that the growing obsession with mobile phones and other gadgets could create a 'perfect storm' of interference with aircraft instruments to cause a crash.
Phone interference was cited as a possible factor in a 2003 crash in New Zealand in which eight people died after the plane flew into the ground short of the runway.
The pilot had been calling home.
In 2007, the navigational equipment of a Boeing 737 in the U.S. failed after take off, only to reactivate after a passenger was told to turn off a sat-nav.

A confidential study by the the International Air Transport Association, a trade group representing more 230 passenger and cargo airlines worldwide, found that over six years there were 75 separate incidents which caused concern.
A previous probe by the UK Civil Aviation Authority found just 35 safety alerts blamed on phones over the same time scale.
The IATA experts called for passengers to stop ignoring warnings about electronic devices because they could cause the plane to crash.
Confidential tests by Boeing have revealed that the worst offender for electronic interference was the iPad, followed by the iPhone and the Blackberry.
In tests just one of each device left on sent out hidden signals which were well above what Boeing considered safe to fly on.
ABC News reported that of the 75 incidents, 26 affected the flight controls including the autopilot and landing gear whilst seventeen affected navigation systems.
Some 15 caused problems for communications systems and 13 produced electronic warnings, including some for the engine.
The study also included pilot testimony such as one chilling account which read: ‘At about 4500 ft, the autopilot disengaged by itself and the associated warnings/indications came on.
‘Flight attendants were immediately advised to look out for PAX (passengers) operating electronic devices

Posted a comment that according to this stupid huffpost must be controversial as they have not allowed it. It gave a link to report about electronic equipment on planes and contradicted the line they want to report on here

So he's an aviation expert, then? I'll bet he doesn't believe that humans are causing global warming, either. We've all heard mobile signals interfere with our radios, TVs, hi-fis and almost anything else that has a loudspeaker or headphones. Communications between a/c and ground are VHF amplitude modulation, less interference resistant than your FM radio, Listen to that next time you're about to receive a call (or just after you've switched your 'phone on) and not much different in frequency. Because the 'phone is in a metal tube (the a/c), it will almost certainly operate at full power to communicate with any base station it can find, because the tube is an effective RF screen. The a/c avionics bay may be right under your seat (it's usually located in the hold). Do you really want the pilot to misinterpret a ground instruction because of interference? Not to mention the other systems.
Equipment used by pilots should have been tested with the a/c - all the a/c systems are tested with each other to ensure compatibility. They're also tested and calibrated regularly. When was your 'phone last calibrated?
And when they do allow them on a/c (only a matter of time), I'll stop flying, and not because I don't want to crash. Same reason I choose the quiet carriage on trains.

well of course that's only news to anyone who didn't want to know. I expect in the beginning they just wanted to ban your phones so that you would have to pay to make a call.

Ive flown emirates a few times & they have in the A380s built in wifi, so no problem useing yours phone there, flown virgin & was allowed to use my iphone to listen to music, then I made the biggest mistake & flew easyjet, even with my phone on Airplane Mode I was told by a very rude member of the crew, that if I did not turn my phone off she would get the captain & have me arrested on landing, I tried to tell her it was on plan mode, but as this was easyjet it was like talking to a brick wall.

I agree with the no mobile devices during take off and landing because you need to be alert in case of emergencies. No phone calls during the flight 'cos they're annoying but everything else should be okay.
I was once told to turn off a mobile DVD player because it had a laser in it. Yet the cabin crew duty free trolley had a bar code reader which also has a laser in it.

When in the UK, it's aeroplane..'airplane' is the lazy American abomination.