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A portable telephone, typically a smartphone, used for communication and internet access
新しい携帯を買った
I bought a new mobile phone
In modern Japanese, '携帯' almost always refers to a mobile phone, not other portable devices
'携帯' is often shortened to 'ケータイ' (keitai) in casual speech
While '携帯' almost always means 'mobile phone' today, in rare cases it can refer to other portable items, but this is uncommon
From 携帯電話 (keitaidenwa, 'portable telephone'), with the first two characters becoming the common abbreviation
'携帯' is the most common way to refer to mobile phones in casual Japanese. In formal contexts, '携帯電話' is sometimes used. The term originated as an abbreviation of '携帯電話' (portable telephone) in the 1990s as mobile phones became widespread in Japan.