Smartphone
device · 1994 · Digital age
A mobile phone with the functions of a computer. This is a typical modern smartphone as a class, not a specific model.
What it is made of
- Display — has part. The screen is the main means of input and output.
- System on a chip (SoC) — has part. The processor, graphics and modem are combined in one system on a chip.
- Flash memory — has part. Apps, photos and data are stored in flash memory.
- Lithium-ion battery — has part. Power comes from a lithium-ion (lithium-polymer) battery.
- Microphone — has part. Microphones for calls and noise cancellation.
- Loudspeaker — has part. An earpiece speaker and a multimedia speaker.
- Smartphone camera — has part. One or more cameras.
- Radio module and antenna — has part. Connection to the cellular network, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and satellite navigation.
- Vibration motor — has part. A tiny motor produces the vibration alert.
- Gyroscope — has part. A MEMS gyroscope detects the rotation of the phone.
- Accelerometer — has part. The accelerometer rotates the screen.
- GPS (satellite navigation) — has part. A satellite navigation receiver.
- Printed circuit board — has part. The main board.
- Hall sensor — has part. A magnetometer compass.
- RAM — has part. RAM.
- LED — has part. The camera flash.
- Ceramic capacitor — has part. Hundreds of ceramic capacitors on the board.
- Digital signal processor — has part. Processing sound and images.
- Fingerprint scanner — has part. A fingerprint scanner.
Principles and materials it uses
- Internet — uses. Most of a smartphone’s functions need Internet access.
- Android — uses. The most widespread mobile OS.
- NFC — uses. Contactless payment.
- MP3 — uses. The smartphone absorbed the functions of the digital player.
- Voice assistant — uses. A voice assistant.
- Wireless charging — uses. Wireless charging.
- USB-C — uses. The charging port.
- Face recognition — uses. Face unlock.
- Instant messenger — uses. Messengers.
- iOS — uses. iPhone.
- Chemically strengthened glass — is made of. The screen is strengthened glass.
- Aluminium — is made of. The frame is aluminium.
- Rare-earth metals — is made of. The magnets of the speakers and vibration motor are rare-earth.
- Plastic — is made of. The case and many small parts of a smartphone are plastic.
- Glass — is made of. A smartphone's touchscreen is covered with tough glass.
- Semiconductor — is made of. The processor, memory and camera of a smartphone are made of a semiconductor — silicon.
Where it is used
- Social network — is used in. Access is mainly from smartphones.
- Mobile app — is used in. For a smartphone.
History: what it evolved from and what it influenced
- Computer — evolved from. A smartphone is a pocket computer: it has a processor, memory and an operating system.
- Tablet computer — evolved into. A large “smartphone” without the phone.
- Car navigator — evolved from. Navigators were displaced by smartphones.
- Alarm clock — evolved from. The alarm clock moved into the phone.
What it is a kind of
- Mobile phone — is a kind of. A smartphone is a mobile phone with the functions of a computer.