What Materials Are Used to Make Cell Phones?

The next time you grab your cell phone, take a second to marvel at its incredible construction. While it may look like any
other high-tech gadget, a cell phone is made up of an array of materials, with glass, plastic and metal as the most common
components.

Glass
It's easy to see that glass is a major component of a cell phone, especially of the screen. But this isn't any old glass. This
glass is made from aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide with an ultra-thin layer of indium tin oxide added so you can
touch the screen without damaging it.

Metals
A cell phone is made from a variety of metals, with the most common being aluminum alloys, lightweight materials
commonly found in the phone case. Lithium cobalt oxide and carbon graphite are used to make the batteries. Elements
like gold; copper and silver are used in the wiring of the phone. Platinum and tungsten are used in the circuitry.

Plastic
The third most common material found is plastic. Plastic is often used in the case in place of metal. The use of plastic in a
cell phone makes it more resistant to damage when you drop or scratch it. Plastic is also used since it can stand up to all
but the most extreme temperature fluctuations. The material is very flexible, and it does not cause reception problems when
you're trying to find a cell signal.
Phone components
In every mobile phone there are many different parts, each one performing a specific function, and essential for the phone to work
properly. For example, parts of a phone include:

 A circuit board containing the brains of the phone

 An antenna
 A liquid crystal display (LCD)
 A microphone
 A speaker
 A battery

Characteristics of each component
 For each part of the phone very specific and different properties will be needed, depending on the function that the part
will perform. If we consider the keypad and the case, they both need to be solid – to protect the internal parts of the phone
– and not fragile – otherwise the phone will get broken very easily. At the same time however, the material has to be light,
because we do not want to carry something very heavy.
  All the internal parts of the phone (i.e. battery, antenna, microphone, speaker…) have to be small; on the other hand, they
still have also to be very efficient. A battery, for instance, has to provide enough power, so the phone can work as long as
possible. This is especially important with “smart phones” with high-definition screens, which consume a lot of power.
 Different material for each part
 Every component listed above is made of a material; therefore the chosen material will require appropriate characteristics
for that part to work properly.
 The case and keypad of the phone, for example, are usually made of metal, plastic or a combination of the two. As we
need light but strong materials, two properties that are often conflicting, it is important to choose the right metal or plastic,
or combination of the two.
 For the batteries, the most common materials are lithium ion or nickel-metal hydride batteries. They both have high
energy density, thus we can have a small battery supplying a reasonable amount of power.
 Antennas, modems and filters are usually made of ceramics. Coltan, an ore based on niobium and tantalum elements, is
used as a source to make many ceramics used in phones.

Source:https://www.techwalla.com/articles/what-materials-are-used-to-make-cell-phones