At the beginning of the manufacturing process of smartphones is the decision made by a company to develop a new model. The company already has older models of smartphones and previous research on the development process so they have a base to start with. The next step for them is to adjust and change the older models in order to acknowledge the feedback from users and experts in the field. While they update the old models, they also need to bring in new technological trends and innovations. Any defective parts of the old model are fixed and the new technology will add to the value of the new model.
New smartphone models are engineered by designing the exterior shell and aesthetics first. Once a design is agreed upon, the mock-ups are given to the research and development team. The research team begins by creating a prototype which does not work but serves as an exterior design template in order to make the rest of the specifications and interior design match up.
Many different materials are tested for the shell of the smartphone and for the other interior elements to find the optimal material for production. The outer coating of smartphones is generally created using hardened plastic (either acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polycarbonate). This specific type of plastic is able to withstand a wide range of temperature situations and is optimized to be resistant to impacts from drops and scratches.
The display screens are made with liquid crystal display technology (LCD) which utilizes thin sheets of glass with liquid crystals compressed in between the sheets. Another new option that smartphone manufacturers now have access to is organic light-emitting diode technology (OLED). OLED uses an emissive electroluminescent layer as a film made out of organic compounds which emit beams of light when it senses an electric current. Smartphone batteries are typically made of lithium-ion, Ni-MH, or Ni-Cd. These batteries generally are made of elements like copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel, lithium, and cadmium.
Outside opinions are taken into account and design ideas are implemented into the model. After the physical model for the phone is finalized, the process for the design of the interior of the phone begins.
After the exterior design has been submitted, the electronics engineering team takes the lead on the manufacturing process and a decision is made on the type of processor, memory, and other specifications for the phone. A screen and battery are then matched to the model that will fit and be well equipped to service the phone. Next are the front and rear camera that are installed. Then, all the components of smartphone are combined and assembled then it is checked to test the performance. After this, if the design team thinks that the model is ready for review, it is sent back to the company board to be approved.
The next step in the process is for the software team to load the smartphone with its software: the operating system. The operating system that the phone will use is usually already decided before the manufacturing process begins, but the software must be optimized for the specific phone model. This step in the process is essential because the connection between the hardware and software must be seamless for the phone to work effectively. Experts run multiple tests to make sure that the phone operates and to make sure this process has been executed correctly and all expectations are met. Some of these tests include drop test, bend test, and water test. The final package, hardware and software combined, is then prepared for mass production.
Sometimes, information about a new phone model is leaked before the company desires to release it. This leaked information can have positive effects along with negative effects. Positive effects could include the “hype” or popularity of the product rising before the release date. But negative effects could include users and critics finding flaws and deficiencies in the phone, causing it to flop before the product has even hit the market.
Mass production follows and the development company must make the decision of how they want to produce large quantities of the product. They can choose to manufacture the phones themselves if they have the facilities and capital to undertake this endeavor, or they can elect to outsource the production of the phones to original equipment manufacturers (OEM). The OEMs are instructed on how to make them and are presented with the quality standards that they must meet. RIM, HTC, and Motorolla are some of the major companies that manufacture devices for some of the top companies like Apple, Nintendo, and Amazon. Lots of these manufacturing plants are located in East Asia, the biggest being in Shenzhen, China.
Once the phone model passes all the tests, it is then sent out to be packaged. Accessories including chargers, headphones, SIM tool, and the user manual are then included in the final product package and units become ready to be shipped. The last step in this manufacturing process is then shipment. The finalized packages are then shipped to distributors, stockists, and retailers throughout the world for distribution. The retailers that the final phone packages are sent to then place the products in their stores and the smartphones are ready to be bought by consumers.
IMPACT
On June 29, 2007, the world forever changed. The iPhone’s launch on that day transformed the smartphone market forever and revolutionized the way that people live, work, and play. Phones no longer were devices to only receive calls and texts on, it became the “one-stop-shop” for anything from business to social connectivity. Popular Mechanics published a list of “101 Gadgets That Changed the World” in 2012, and the smartphone unsurprisingly was at the top of the list. The smartphone took the top spot over other innovational technological products such as the TV (No. 3), the personal computer (No. 5), the telephone (No. 7), and the light bulb (No. 10).
Another interesting effect of the rise of smartphones is their influence on human memory. According to a study published in the August 2011 issue of “Science,” scientists came to the conclusion that constant access to information via search engines — Google, in particular, which services more than a billion searches per day — is changing how our brains access and store knowledge. In their conclusion they stated that it is their belief that internet-connected devices, specifically smartphones, have integrated themselves into our lives so much that they have become a “source of external memory.”
However, the side effects of smartphones are not all positive as one might expect. Because smartphones service so many of our needs on a daily basis, it is hard to imagine life without them anymore. However, since we are on our phones for so long every day, they not only provide convenience but also create scores of anxiety that were never achievable before smartphones. Because of their usefulness, smartphones commandeer our attention and have an immense influence on the way we think and how we conduct ourselves. Many scientists have begun to question the cognitive effects of smartphones on our perception of life and disconnect from reality.
The results that scientists have found are both intriguing and troubling. Our phones have effects on our thoughts on multiple levels that are perceivable and also imperceivable because of the depths of unconscious thought that they infiltrate. But these unconscious effects continue to influence us even when we aren’t actively using our phones. The brain has grown dependent on this technology, creating an intellectual gap that was never seen before the time of mobile devices. The research suggests that as our dependence on smartphones increases, our genuine, organic intellect weakens.
For over a decade, a cognitive psychologist and marketing professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Adrian Ward, has been conducting studies on the way that smartphones and the internet influence our subconscious thoughts and everyday decision making. The results of his own work, as well as studying that of others, has shown him that there is an abundance of evidence pointing towards smartphones negatively affecting productivity and sociability. Hearing one ring or vibration produces a multitude of distractions, making it harder to concentrate on everyday tasks and important jobs.
Overall, the effect of smartphones on the ever-changing world has been consistently impactful. Although the many avenues of research, information, and connectivity have greatly improved the world and made it a more interconnected entity, the negative side effects of this innovation must be taken into account.
Works Cited
Works Cited
Carr, Nicholas. “How Smartphones Hijack Our Minds.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 6 Oct. 2017, www.wsj.com/articles/how-smartphones-hijack-our-minds-1507307811.
Phillips, Casey. “How Smartphones Revolutionized Society in Less than a Decade.” Government Technology State & Local Articles – E.Republic, 20 Nov. 2014, www.govtech.com/products/How-Smartphones-Revolutionized-Society-in-Less-than-a-Decade.html.
Prizm Institue. “How Are Smartphones Made? The Entire Manufacturing Process Explained.” Prizm Institute Blog, www.prizminstitute.com/blog/how-are-smartphones-made/.
Purewal, Sarah Jacobsson. “9 Ways Smartphones Are Making Our Lives Better.” Greenbot, Greenbot, 10 Apr. 2015, www.greenbot.com/article/2908013/9-ways-smartphones-are-making-our-lives-better.html.
Techvistas. “Let Us Understand the Entire Manufacturing Process of Smartphones.” Medium, Medium, 10 Dec. 2017, medium.com/@Techvistas/let-us-understand-the-entire-manufacturing-process-of-smartphones-65cd114abb94.