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Chapter 13. Cool Tech: Smartphones

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Little Powerful Devices: Did you know that the most popular app in the world is Facebook? It has over 4 BILLION downloads!

Smartphones not only allow people to connect over long distances, but you can also play fun games, access the internet, and even buy things with your phone! What makes these small, hand size devices work? Smartphones are small devices that send and receive radio signals, modern-day two-way radios!

Let’s discuss the most critical parts of a smartphone. There are hundreds of small pieces that make a working smartphone. For our purposes, we will talk about five important parts: the screen, memory, battery, antenna, and camera!

What is the first part of a smartphone that you see? It’s that big rectangular, black screen! Once you hit the small home button, the black screen is replaced with a colorful, bright screen. These screens are called displays. Displays come in two types, “LCD” and “LED”. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. When an electric current is passed, the crystals align so that can light can pass through. The electric currents can either block light or allow it through. By blocking light or letting it through, the electric currents create all the colors and details on an LCD screen.

LED stands for Light-Emitting-Diodes. LED converts electrical current into light, and the best part is that LED is energy efficient because it only lights up the parts of the screen with colors. These displays are harder to make but use less energy from the battery.

Pros and Cons: Although, LEDs are more energy efficient and their life span can last thousands of hours. However, LCDs have their own pros. LCDs produce very high brightness, and the images are extremely sharp, and are thinner and more compact, which is more convenient because they take up less space. 

Here are descriptions of 4 other parts of a cell phone:

Memory: No smartphone can function without the memory. This stores all the data in your device so it can work fast and accurately. We will discuss about a specific type of memory called RAM, which is used in phones and computers, later on in the computer section. Basically, RAM speeds up the functions of cell phone devices, so you can download your video game or access the internet very quickly!

Battery: Provides energy used to transmit radio signals, create visual displays, and run other components. It can store energy in its special chemicals. Then, when your phone needs electrical current, the battery provides the electricity. You can recharge the battery by plugging it into the electric grid.

Antenna: Smartphones send and receive information. They can send your voice and your high score to a cell tower. And, they can send your phone your friend’s voice and new YouTube™ videos. The antenna receives radio waves from the cell tower. Then, your phone translates that information and displays it. Your voice and pictures can be translated into memory packets and then sent to the cell phone tower by the antenna.  

Camera: A camera cannot function without a lens and a sensor. The lens focuses the light on the sensor. The sensor converts the light into an electrical signal. This signal is then saved in the phone’s memory. When you record a video, the sensor captures many pictures each second. When the pictures are played back quickly, it looks like things are moving. The earliest movies used this same idea! (But they aren’t clearly as cool as your favorite slime video.)

Shocking Fact: About three-quarters of U.S. adults (77%) say they own a smartphone. However, smartphones are more commonly owned by young adults with 92% of 18- to 29-year-olds say they own a smartphone.

Shocking Fact: About three-quarters of U.S. adults (77%) say they own a smartphone. However, smartphones are more commonly owned by young adults with 92% of 18- to 29-year-olds say they own a smartphone.

Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/28/10-facts-about-smartphones/