Cell phone how does it work

An antenna converts an electric signal to the radio wave transmitter and vice versa receiver. Some cell phones use one antenna as the transmitter and receiver while others, such as the iPhone 5, have multiple transmitting or receiving antennas. An antenna is a metallic element such as copper engineered to be a specific size and shape for transmitting and receiving specific frequencies of radio waves. While older generation cell phones have external or extractable antennas, modern cell phones contain more compact antennas inside the device thanks to advanced antenna technologies.

Many modern smart phones also contain more than one type of antenna. As mentioned earlier, a cell phone is a two-way wireless communication device and needs both the inbound signal reception and the outbound signal transmission to work. The connectivity between a cell phone and its cellular network depends on both signals and is affected by many factors, such as the distance between the phone and the nearest cell tower, the number of impediments between them and the wireless technology e.

GSM vs. In order to conserve battery life, a cell phone will vary the strength of its transmitted signal and use only the minimum necessary to communicate with the nearest cell tower. When your cell phone has poor connectivity, it transmits a stronger signal in order to connect to the tower, and as a result your battery drains faster. What are you wondering? Wonder Words roam data wave radio range tower digital coverage channel physical cellular smartphone transmitted recipient intermediate mobility frequency digitizing Take the Wonder Word Challenge.

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Word Match Congratulations! Share results. Play Again Quit. Next Question. See your results. Share Results. Retake The Quiz. When making a call on a mobile, the first thing the phone does is search for the nearest signal form the base station antenna of its operator and establish a radio link with it.

To receive a call, the principle is the same, except that it is the base station antenna that needs to establish the connection. And in this case, to route the call, the operator needs to know the network cell of the recipient. This is no problem when you move a few metres inside the cell to which one is currently connected. But if one moves away from the antenna, the signal weakens and communication may be interrupted.

To avoid this, the mobile continuously measures the quality of nearby signals. And during a call, below a certain threshold, it is able to automatically switch the connection to another closer or less-congested antenna of the operator. Different technologies used by mobiles Nowadays, mobile phones primarily use three technologies based on antenna cell networks.