Smartphone
A small object brings computing, communication and navigation together.
Your phone relies on chips, wireless networks and services beyond the device itself. Explore one of the systems hidden behind the screen.
Take the familiar apart.
A functional decomposition, not an assembly drawing. Placement, construction and materials vary by model. Inspect a layer to reveal its job.
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Cover & touch layer
The cover protects the front; a touch sensor detects your input.
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Display
An electronic display turns signals into the images you see.
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Processor
Integrated circuits execute instructions. Silicon is a key semiconductor material.
Explore Silicon → -
Memory & storage
Working memory and persistent storage hold different kinds of data.
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Battery
Typical lithium-ion batteries store chemical energy for the device.
Explore Energy → -
Camera
Lenses and image sensors turn light into image data.
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Antennas
Antennas couple radio signals between the phone and nearby networks.
Explore Wi-Fi → -
Circuit board
Conductive paths connect components into working circuits.
Explore Electricity →
Sources for this exploration
Follow a function back to a material.
Selected material connections, not a bill of materials for every phone.
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Processor → silicon
High-purity silicon can be processed into semiconductor devices.
Explore Silicon → -
Battery → lithium
Lithium compounds are used in common rechargeable battery chemistries.
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Conductors → copper
Copper conducts electricity in electronic connections.
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Cover → glass
Silica is a starting material for many glass formulations.
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Body → mixed materials
Housings may use aluminium, glass, plastics or other materials.
Sources for this exploration
Where could this take you next?
How does a material become a computer?
Silicon is used to make semiconductor devices.
Global trade ↗How do materials and components come together?
Manufacturing connects specialised suppliers.
Internet ↗Where does your phone send its data?
Local links connect it to wider networks.
GPS ↗How does your phone work out where it is?
GPS provides satellite timing signals for positioning.
Sources & further reading +
Short explanations, grounded in published sources. Follow the originals for depth and context.
- Intel — From sand to silicon: The making of a microchip ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Cisco — What is Wi-Fi? ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- GPS.gov — Global Positioning System ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Sources checked: 10 September 2026. Visuals are illustrations, not documentary evidence.
Our approach to sources and corrections