The “culture industry” theory written by Theodor Adorno states that popular culture comes from a small group of powerful corporations specifically designed to provide standardized products to their audiences, with few changes made to new products (O'Brien and Szeman 120). Adorno further argues that the “culture industry” provides consumers with a sense of pseudo-individualization, where consuming something made for the “masses” is believed to provide them with a feeling of uniqueness or individuality (12). This essay will show that, although Adorno wrote his article more than thirty-six years ago, his claims are still valid with modern examples. Mobile phones, especially “smartphones,” have become commodities that exhibit the standardization and pseudo-individualization expressed in Adorno's writings. Cell phones express his belief that products offer uniformity and equality in the form of innovation and improvement (O'Brien and Szeman 120). Cell phones are mass-produced by large companies for the public every year, with limited cosmetic changes to their design, and newly "optimized" functionality. These changes are made in order to induce the consumer to spend money on the company's products, while at the same time satisfying him with the belief of a new and unique product. Cell phones are examples of how “commoditized” society has become, as Nielsen estimates that “1 in 2 Americans will have a smartphone by Christmas 2011” (Entner). Mobile phones have become an integral part of modern society, and businesses and people rely on them. Entire companies have been formed to repair or sell phone accessories made by other companies. Most cell phones perform the same tasks regardless of the manufacturer, the only thing that separates...... half of the paper...... are made for consumer goods is to “disguise a skeleton that it has changed as little as the profit motive itself since it took over culture” (Adorno 14). Adorno's writings are still as relevant today as when he wrote them. The issues he discusses will exist as long as capitalism exists as they are closely intertwined with the beliefs of a capitalist society. The standardization and lack of individuality of mobile phones reinforces Adorno's belief that the culture industry operates only for profit and that companies pay little attention to the individual people who make up their industry (13). Big companies continue to sell similar products every year with little to no improvements over the previous year's model. They offer little individualization to consumers and provide them with only superficial ways of expressing identity.