What Are the Parts Inside a Cell Phone?

By James Vinzer, eHow Contributor

updated: September 16, 2009

Cell phones are complex electronic devices. Often, the more powerful they are, the more
complex the cell phones' construction. Many of today's smartphones, such as the iPhone, consist
of numerous parts inside of them. But for the most part, cell phones consist of a few basic
electrical materials that are built into the shell of the cell phone itself.

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The circuitboard
1. The circuit board of the cell phone is essentially the brain of the operation. The circuit
board allows all other parts of the cell phone to communicate with one another, and keeps
the cell phone working. Without it, the cell phone would just be a collection of parts that
wouldn't do anything. The circuitry is required to run the phone.

Antenna
2. Another important part of the cell phone is the antenna. The antenna is what allows the
cell phone to connect to the cellular network. There are two types of antennae available
for cell phone usage: external and internal. External cell phone antennae stick out of the
 phone, while an internal antenna is built into the phone itself. Internal antennae are more
common among new cell phones, due to the cumbersome size that external antennae
bring with them.

Microphone and Speaker

3. The speaker and microphone allow a cell phone user to speak to and hear people on the
other end of the line. Most phones also include a second speaker and microphone to allow
the user to use a cell phone as a speakerphone.

Battery
4. Without the battery, there would be nothing with which to power the cell phone. The
majority of cell phones today come with a battery that can be recharged while still inside
the cell phone, often with an AC or car charger. The life of the battery itself depends on
numerous issues, such as talk time and battery size.

Optional Components
5. Aside from the above basic components, manufacturers also add features and components
to their phones, particularly for the higher end smartphones such as the iPhone and Palm
Pre. Two of the most popular of these are GPS capabilities and wireless Internet.
Manufacturers can create separate antennas for these capabilities, or attempt to combine
them into one single antenna.