Understanding the Components of a Smartphone, Part 1

At FixIT Mobile, our top specialty for our clients has always been in the realm of phone repair. While we also offer numerous additional services like computer repair, tablet repair and even smart watch repairs, our most common clients and services are repairing smartphones of several varieties. This means our staff must have a thorough understanding of the components involved in any of the smartphones we help service – and in many cases, we’re happy to impart some of this expertise on our clients to help them understand certain fixes we’re making or why their phone isn’t working as desired. In this multi-part blog series, we’ll go over the entire anatomy of a smartphone, starting with software components in part one and moving to various hardware components it pays to be aware of.

Apple iOS

There are two operating systems that dominate the world of smartphone software systems, and the Apple iOS is the first. Apple was the first major company to enter this space with the iPhone, and has remained a leader ever since with a variety of related products, all of which use various versions of the iOS software. Apple does not license its operating system out to any other hardware providers – it can only be used on Apple devices, which are always in the elite tier of products. And while Apple may have been surpassed by Android as the most-used operating system across all smartphone users, it’s still the top tog in terms of money spent on apps.

Android

While Android operating systems were a bit behind iOS in terms of their initial rollout to the public over a decade ago, they have taken over the top spot in terms of popularity today. Android’s software program is supported by Google plus several other major developers, and has been the single greatest force here for close to a decade. It doesn’t do quite the volume of iOS in terms of apps, however.

Windows Systems

While many use Windows operating systems for their desktops and laptops, the company has been unable to make the same impact on the phone operating system realm. That said, there is still a Windows operating system present, though it has fewer apps than either of the options above and usually is a secondary choice at best.

Others

There are a few other systems to be aware of when it comes to smartphone software:

• Firefox OS: An open-source OS launched in 2012, this is not a major option in most cases.

• Blackberry: One of the early dominant companies in handheld devices, Blackberry still has an operating system that has millions of subscribers, but has also moved to Android handsets and is not likely to be a major force moving forward.

• Sailfish OS: A programmable UI that has not achieved any significant market foothold at this point.

For more on various smartphone components and operating systems, or to learn about any of our phone repair, tablet repair or other services, speak to the staff at FixIT Mobile today.