How to assemble a smartphone from components. Building your own smartphone

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Everyone has long been accustomed to the fact that Russia does not have its own production of smartphones - they simply don’t make them here. However, there are many brands on the market that call themselves Russian, selling smartphones not assembled here. The resource found out how relationships are built between domestic companies and Asian factories.

Android is a mobile OS that is very tolerant of the gadgets on which it is installed. Any company can order a newly assembled smartphone from China, install its own version of the platform on it, stick an emblem with its logo and release it on showroom shelves cellular communications. How this development model influenced the smartphone market in Russia, why domestic companies persuade the Chinese to improve the product, and why Yota Devices had difficulty finding a manufacturer for the famous YotaPhone.

Copy paste

The Black brick scheme has already been working effectively in Russia more than three years. In 2012, the domestic company Explay ordered a noname copy from China Samsung Galaxy S2, branded it for itself, set the price tag 2 times less (10,000 rubles versus 20) and came to success. Dual SIM, bright screen ( Super AMOLED Plus) and similar design made this device a hit. During that year, Explay's revenue grew by 80%, and by the end of 2013 - by another 40%. So many companies that call themselves Russian: brand Chinese gadgets with their logo, Russify the interface and put them on the shelves.

However, there are also some nuances here. Often, devices brought from Asia are positioned not as replicas of hit models, but as unique solutions. Three slots for SIM cards, four slots for SIM cards (teXet has the first in Russia), huge batteries (up to 5000 mAh), TV tuners, projectors and other quite useful features are not in demand among A-brands, but appear in smartphones coming out of the assembly line of Chinese factories. A person who follows Asian hits can easily find “twins” of Russian models and discover a markup in price (usually 1.5–2 times), but this is not surprising: you have to pay money for the transportation of smartphones and firmware in Russian.

Silicon Valley experience

teXet company ( electronic systems"Alkotel") opened in St. Petersburg 11 years ago. Initially, affordable DECT phones, players and navigators were produced under this brand, but then smartphones and tablets began to be released. "Apple ushered in the era tablet computers, offering the market devices of the highest price segment. We are trying to take our share in this trend by releasing inexpensive products,” said CEO"Alkotel" Alexander Korolkov. By the fall of 2014, the share of iPads in Russia had decreased by a third: this space was occupied by budget gadgets, including many domestic ones.

"We - Russian company, our headquarters is located in St. Petersburg. We do not want to dump and import “gray” devices in order to increase market share: our business idea is no different from the one used in Silicon Valley. Product development is carried out here, production is in Southeast Asia. It’s easier and cheaper,” continues Korolkov. By “product development” we should understand, first of all, software, but despite this, teXet is already a recognizable brand in Russia, so its smartphones will in any case be more popular than their Chinese counterparts.

The Highscreen brand had a harder time in this regard: in the first year (2011), Vobis Computer sold only 20–30 thousand imported gadgets. In order to increase share and profit, it was decided to make smartphones exclusive: now Chinese factories produce products for Highscreen that differ from the standard ones. For example, inexpensive devices with lids that are bright and different in feel (glossy for girls, matte for men). So Android gadgets under the Highscreen brand also became in demand.

Now the company’s share is 2.8% of the Russian market, and only Fly and Explay are higher among the B-brands (according to Vobis Computer). “At the same time, Fly has the same share of money as we do, because their smartphones are cheaper, and Explay almost does not modify smartphones,” Highscreen representatives assure.

“Everyone should have a smartphone”

However, negotiations with Chinese suppliers are a labor-intensive process that sometimes lasts for months. The young brand DNS (devices are sold in the chain of stores of the same name) brought ThL W11 Monkey King smartphones to Russia, but with important changes. For example, the “back”, “home” and “options” keys by order of DNS are printed more clearly, support for fast charging has been added, and instead of the usual protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with a thickness of 0.7 millimeters is used. The last point is the most interesting: the thickened glass is aimed at reducing defects, which are still found in Asian smartphones. To reduce the number of returns, it is more effective to negotiate and slightly increase the cost of each copy than to issue returns and conduct endless examinations for those whose “original” glass cracked on the first day.

Sometimes access to Russian market implies a path from a supplier to an independent brand. This was the case with SenseIt: earlier this company brought “miniphones” for Megafon, and now it produces indestructible smartphones and phones with its logo. You won’t find any absolutely identical to the Chinese ones: SenseIt carefully approaches design issues.

“It is necessary that any Russian consumer can afford a smartphone,” says Eduard Vashchenko, head of Explay. According to him, the most important thing for a new brand is to occupy a niche free from competitors. In 2010, Explay was the first to make a navigator with both GPS and Glonass, then (also among the first) it opened three-SIM phones for Russians, and in March 2014 it was a pioneer among those who installed the set by default on their own smartphones Yandex.Kit applications. True, after 8 months they abandoned it due to claims from Google, and in May 2015, the “Kit” project was completely frozen.

“Nobody believed in us”

The most resonant and most Russian smartphone on the market is YotaPhone 2. Development of the first gadget with two screens began back in 2011: Yota company Devices selected four important characteristics (slim body, two displays, fast internet, long-term operation without recharging), created a prototype and began searching for a manufacturer. “At first, no one wanted to talk to us at all - no one believed in us, because we were a small company with some incomprehensible device,” recalls Yota Devices CEO Vladislav Martynov.

The order was accepted only in Suzhou: the head of this plant, Yao Xiao Tong, placed his bet on Yotafon, as he once did on BlackBerry. The first generation of YotaPhone was largely experimental, the second was mature and refined, but overpriced: in a crisis, people are not ready to pay 35-40 thousand rubles for a gadget that does not have an A-brand logo. By the end of May this year, Yota Devices had sold a total of 144 thousand smartphones out of 150 thousand that belonged to the first batch.

“The global market is equal for all players, so small companies like Yota Devices find themselves on a par with others. A-brands have priority support from chipset/component vendors, already built sales channels, and clear marketing,” says Evgeniy Kozlov, who previously developed smartphones for Fly. But Yota Devices does not give up. The plans include the third generation of YotaPhone and its own tablet with additional screen on electronic ink.

Five main Russian smartphones

YotaPhone 2

Price - 36 thousand rubles

The second YotaPhone first appeared at the Barcelona MWC 2015 exhibition. There it was remembered for its attractive body and announced characteristics: they were much more interesting than those of the first version. The gadget got two touch screens(5-inch - Full-HD, 4.7-inch - qHD on electronic ink), Snapdragon chipset 800.2 GB random access memory and an 8-megapixel camera.

Now the device regularly receives operating system updates: for example, one of them improved the camera’s performance. The main convenience when using YotaPhone 2 is the auxiliary screen, from which your eyes do not get tired when reading. Additional benefit- autonomy: for those who often use an economical black-and-white display, the smartphone lives without a power outlet much longer.

TeXet iX-maxi

Price - 9-10 thousand rubles

Frank copy iPhone 6, which can be mistaken for the original if you look at the smartphone from the other end of the subway car. Externally, everything is similar (only there is no apple on the back panel), but the characteristics are lame: screen - qHD, processor - Chinese MediaTek, battery - for 5 hours of talk time, operating system- Android.

But there is as much RAM as in an iPhone - 1 GB. However, a gigabyte has not been enough for Google’s OS for a long time.

SenseIt R390+

Price - 13 thousand rubles

This smartphone can be confused with a walkie-talkie, but the rugged design is necessary for full IP68 protection. The waterproof device weighs more than 200 grams, runs on Android 4.2, shoots HD video and is indifferent to any falls.

For those who go on long journeys, there is a second SIM card slot and a 2400 mAh battery: this capacity can easily be extended for two days.

Explay Tornado

Price - 4.5 thousand rubles

Bright (five body colors) anti-crisis smartphone with support for three (!) SIM cards, a 4.5-inch IPS screen (ppi - 218), a quad-core MediaTek chip and 512 MB of RAM. A 1550 mAh battery guarantees one day of operation, and a slot for a memory card (there is a 4 GB one) turns the budget device into a media center.

The main advantage of this device is the price: the Tornado costs less than $100, which is great.

Highscreen ICE 2

Price - 13 thousand rubles

Vobis Computer has tried to make a noticeable smartphone, and the ICE 2 really fits this role - it stands out on shelves with a shiny, glossy body and a window on the rear panel. The 4.7-inch screen with HD resolution falls into the “retina” category (ppi - above 300), the 13-megapixel camera takes more or less decent pictures, and the 8-core MediaTek processor(frequency - 1.7 GHz) and 2 GB of RAM eliminate slowdowns.

The additional display on the rear panel is similar in functionality to external screen folding phones: the time and service information (charge, calls, tracks in the player) are displayed there.

Modern smartphones: what are they made of?

Currently, there are three main materials for smartphones: metal, glass and plastic. They are usually used as a base for the body. But we haven’t forgotten about rare ceramics, as well as different variants for finishing - leather, wood, rubber.

Metal

Statistics and user surveys assure that all-metal smartphones are the most popular among users, although metal is far from a cheap option, its processing is expensive and the smartphone itself, therefore, cannot be too budget-friendly. True, now metal cases have begun to be used not only in flagships, but also in mid-budget models.

Huawei Nova 2 Plus in a solid anodized aluminum body

Most often, anodized or polished aluminum alloy is used for a metal case - it is lighter and cheaper than others, plus it is not subject to corrosion; less commonly - steel, titanium alloy and magnesium. Don't forget about the premium limited models, which are made of gold or silver.

We hear more and more often about aircraft aluminum - we are talking about aluminum alloys with magnesium and other additives to increase strength, corrosion resistance and reduce weight. But, ultimately, this can be called a marketing ploy, because, in any case, aluminum is not used exclusively for smartphones - in its pure form it is too plastic and soft.

Caviar iPhone X Titano Gold Diamonds: titanium, yellow gold and diamonds

The advantages of a metal case are obvious: it looks more expensive than a plastic one, it is durable, it is difficult to break, and if it falls, the metal takes the blow - there is a greater chance that the “filling” will remain intact. Although the metal case can be scratched and bent, fingerprints are usually very noticeable on it.

Metal also has good thermal conductivity, so it prevents the smartphone hardware from overheating. True, if the device is properly “overclocked,” then the user may even get burned on the metal case.

Nokia 8 in an all-metal body made of aircraft-grade aluminum with plastic inserts for antennas ()

There is a significant “but”: the metal case interferes with radio waves and wireless communication, so manufacturers sometimes place antennas in the most unexpected places, which can simply be inconvenient for the user. These problems became obvious even in iPhone times 4, then its fate was repeated by the Samsung Galaxy A in an all-metal case. Nowadays, special windows made of plastic or glass are increasingly being made next to the antenna.

Plastic

Mainly made from plastic budget smartphones- This is the most inexpensive material, easy to process and quite durable. At the same time, the plastic case holds up well when dropped, despite its apparent fragility. But for the “insides” of a smartphone, the consequences of such a device falling can be disastrous: the impact energy is transferred inside and much more expensive components of the device can be damaged. For this reason, smartphones are often made of plastic, but are encased in a metal frame, and sometimes it even goes inside the case.

Meizu M6 made of polycarbonate (metal styling)

As a rule, ABS plastic or polycarbonate is used as the material for plastic cases of smartphones. The first is ordinary lightweight plastic, the second has additives that make it more reliable. There is glass fiber reinforced plastic that was developed for the military industry.

Designers often play with different back panel coatings: Soft Touch, plastic, textured like leather, metal, wood, etc. Sometimes at first glance it is even difficult to distinguish a plastic case from one actually covered with leather or metal.

BQ-5201Space with a plastic back panel and metal inserts at the top and bottom ()

Plastic also allows us to produce smartphones with the most incredible colors and designs. In fact, the plastic apparatus can be of any shape. But there is a plus and a minus - the material has low thermal conductivity, i.e. does not remove heat well from the “filling” of the smartphone, so the device may overheat. If the hardware is powerful, then manufacturers prefer more thermally conductive materials.

Glass

The glass case looks impressive, it’s even a pity to hide it under a case, but the glass, alas, gets dirty quickly. The first glass cases in mass production appeared on the iPhone 4 and Nexus 4, and the release of the Galaxy S6 made them more popular.

Samsung Galaxy S9+ in a glass case (Gorilla Glass 5) with a metal frame

Most modern flagships use a glass case: in addition to the attractive appearance, it also allows you to equip your smartphone with wireless charging (glass conducts the signal well). Now glass gives designers the opportunity to devote their souls to visual effects: It can change color depending on how the light falls, reflect it in the form of rays, etc.

Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in a glass case - there is a metal frame made of aircraft-grade aluminum

Manufacturers typically use tempered aluminosilicate glass from Corning, encasing it in a metal frame for added strength. Although it is promised that Gorilla Glass will not be scratched, various crash tests show that you should not expect much resistance to scratches. In addition, the glass still remains quite fragile and with a strong impact it will simply break, forming a mesh. Well, at least it won’t shatter into fragments, risking injury to the user. By the way, about falls: smartphones made of glass are quite slippery, so many people still come to the need for a case.

HTC U Ultra Deluxe Sapphire

Rarely found is high-strength sapphire glass, which is used in the HTC U Ultra Deluxe Sapphire. Today, this is the most durable glass in smartphones, which has been proven by tests - it is very scratch-resistant, has good shielding and is completely transparent.

Ceramics

Ceramic smartphones are still exotic. They can be seen extremely rarely on the shelves; they are not stocked, although they look very attractive. The fact is that the material is quite fragile and the manufacturer has to work hard to make a smartphone from it. Processing ceramics is quite complicated, the process produces too much waste, so such a case costs the manufacturer a pretty penny.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Ceramic Version - more impressive in white

But ultimately, after processing, ceramics become stronger than glass. It is more difficult to leave scratches on this material, not to mention the fact that it does not break well. However, ceramics are simply obscenely slippery, so it would be extremely imprudent to “walk” such a smartphone without a case. By the way, the ceramic case can only be black or white, but the latter looks very impressive.

OnePlus X Ceramic Edition

The thermal conductivity of ceramics is low, which allows you to easily “put it under the hood” powerful filling. While ceramic smartphones are produced mainly Chinese manufacturers and they do this in the form of limited editions: Xiaomi Mi 6 Ceramic Edition, Mi Mix 2, OnePlus X Ceramic Edition, etc.

Finishing materials

There are smartphones with wood panels or leather trim, but smartphones are not made entirely from these materials, and this is justified - the problem is their strength and thermal conductivity. Typically, such models use either plastic or metal as a supporting structure. Such devices look beautiful, stylish and their body is very pleasant to the touch. However, they are usually produced in limited editions.

Lenovo Vibe X2

As an example, we can recall one of the unusual smartphones that we have already talked about - Monohm Runcible, a round device, one of the parts of which is made entirely of wood. If we turn to more mass-produced models, the back panel of the Moto X was made, among other things, of leather and bamboo, and the lower part of the “puff” that made up the body of the Lenovo Vibe X2 was also bamboo - it looked, frankly, great.

LG G4 with back cover made of plastic, covered with leather in different colors

They use rubber body linings, usually in combination with impact-resistant plastic and metal. Rubber is non-slippery and has the ability to absorb shock loads. But smartphones with rubberized bodies are bulky and thick, and “elegance” is no longer their thing.

Protected North Face M9 Pro LTE PTT smartphone with rubberized inserts on the body

In the future, manufacturers promise to use materials such as decanter and wear-resistant but ductile liquid metal, which is an amorphous alloy of zirconium, copper, nickel, etc. latest apple She has already registered several patents, but the matter has not progressed further yet.

Some people have a pathological dislike of change. They somehow learned to use electronics. And we're talking here about computer mouse, and not some phone or tablet. While you and I are learning to combine 3D printing and electronics and enjoying the freedom and unlimited possibilities, these people are getting angry! Why assemble the phone yourself? It's so difficult! Fortunately, times are changing, and today’s younger generation will first of all try to assemble some kind of device on their own, and only then - if it suddenly doesn’t work out - they will run to the store for it. How can you grow in the eyes of others if you say that you made this robot or computer with your own hands!

Yes, it takes a lot of time and effort to make a smartphone, but the reward is worth it. Just imagine what scope for creativity, what opportunities for individualization. Tyler Spadgenske is a prime example of a young designer who enjoys designing and assembling things. For example, he recently released Tyfone.

Powered by a Raspberry Pi minicomputer that acts as a processor (and camera), the Tyfone looks very much like a wallet with a 3.5-inch screen. Thanks to the Adafruit FONA module, you can send SMS and make calls with Tyfone. Even if it is not yet a super smartphone, it is moving towards this title by leaps and bounds, fortunately, there is room for improvement. Some features still need work, but you can already share photos via dropbox (yes, you can actually share photos!) and connect to wifi using a USB adapter.
All operations are carried out by the Raspberry Pi and the TYOS program, which Tyler wrote in python.

“The Raspberry Pi controls everything, everything flows to it,” says Tyler. – TFT sends signals to Raspberry Pi via SPI and FONA sends signals via UART. The phone runs on a 1200mAh battery connected to FONA. FONA has a charging circuit that is sufficient for the Tyfone.”

Below is a list of parts and materials you will need to assemble the Tyfone:

Minicomputer Raspberry Pi A+ 256 MB
Adafruit FONA uFL Version module
3.5" PiTFT screen
Camera for Raspberry Pi 5 MP
Powerboost 500 Basic converter
GSM antenna
Metal speaker 1 W 8 ohm
USB wifi adapter
Electric microphone
Li-ion battery 1200 mAh
4-40 x 3/8 inch screws
Screws M2.5 x 5 mm
Screws M2.5 x 20 mm
Screws M2 x 5mm
Slide switch
Wires

While you are waiting for the ordered parts, you can start making the body of your future phone. You can download the case drawing files from Thingiverse and print it yourself, or have it printed from a company that offers similar services.

Now is the time to start making connections, soldering circuit boards, and assembling.
Once power is supplied to the system, you can connect the UART to the Raspberry Pi, speakers and microphone.
A regular SIM card is inserted into the phone, so Adafruit FONA can connect to your favorite operator (just remember that Tyfone works on a 2G network).
The Raspberry Pi needs to keep track of everything that happens in the system. This is achieved through firmware latest version PiTFT OS on microSD card for Raspberry Pi. Once the SD card is ready, insert it into the Pi and turn it on.

“The phone has no buttons. You'll have to configure your wifi to use ssh to communicate, says Tyler. – On the desktop, find information about wifi configuration. Turn off the Raspberry Pi and plug in the wifi adapter. If you can't connect via ssh, then try using a USB hub."

Detailed instructions and commands for programming FONA and installing the camera can be found at this link. Install TYOS and you can proceed to assembly.

Use hot glue to secure the microphone and speaker. Now you can start assembling the main components, from the Raspberry Pi and camera to the SIM card. Special attention pay attention to the wires. Tighten the screws on the top and bottom of the case. Remember, you don't have to call this phone Typhone. You assembled it yourself, you probably added something of your own, so call it as you wish.

Android is a highly customizable operating system, but if you're tired of its appearance, installing a custom launcher may not be enough; there are other, more radical tools for changing its interface. We will tell you about them today.

Custom launcher

The easiest way to change the external Android view- install a new launcher to replace the standard one. On Google Play Store You can find time-tested classics like Nova or Apex, but also more experimental launchers (for example, with sorting applications based on the color of their icons). Which one you choose is a matter of your taste.

This application allows you to create unique live wallpapers that no one else has. The basis is any image, which you can change as you like, add a gradient, any text and even a widget. Usually live wallpapers show a looping video or animation, but not KLWP. Wallpapers created in this application are much more useful - they can show news, weather, schedule, buttons to control the player and much more. Many plugins with additional customization have been released for the application.

With this application you can create unique widgets. Widgets can be anything: with a clock, weather forecast, battery and memory sensors, maps, buttons to control the player, etc. In the Play Store you can find several dozen ready-made widgets with additional settings appearance.

Minimalist Wallpaper

Minimalist Wallpaper is a simple application with access to more than a thousand wallpapers made in a minimalist style. Wallpapers are sorted by category. Any image can be enlarged, cropped, edited directly in this application, in general - tailored specifically to the desktop of a particular smartphone.

Dynamic Notifications lets you customize the appearance of notifications on the blocking page, as well as filter out apps you don't want to receive notifications from. It uses the smartphone's sensors and saves energy by preventing the screen from lighting up if the smartphone is in a bag, pocket or with the back cover up. The coolest thing is that this application adds the Always On function to any smartphone (the screen lights up when it receives a notification, you don’t need to press the power button).

Floatify Lockscreen

Floatify Lockscreen adds one of the main innovations of Nougat to smartphones on older versions of Android - the ability to respond to messages in instant messengers through the notification shade or from the lock page. If a message doesn't require a response or you don't have anything to say, you can mark it as read so it won't bother you anymore.

Xposed Framework - a set of various tweaks to change the appearance and Android functionality. It installs only on rooted devices and is not currently compatible with Android Nougat. In the repository of this framework you can find hundreds of tweaks, utilities, applications and activators of hidden system settings.

As children, we loved to invent and invent, over the years we dream less and less, but some still believe that ideal smartphones exist. So where can you find it? IN Apple Store, where new iPhones are or on Aliexpress, where you can grab it inexpensively new Xiaomi? But no, perfect smartphone you can come up with it yourself, if you assume that the parts different devices can be assembled into a single creation!

Front part – Xiaomi Mi Mix

A chic frameless smartphone with ultra-thin frames looks like an alien from the future. The author regrets that the phone cannot be officially purchased in America, but we know where to order such a spectacular smartphone.

Back of iPhone 7

The sparkling shiny surface in the “Jet Black” style is good: it looks beautiful and is pleasant to hold in your hands. Well, you can survive the scratches, after all, we are buying for ourselves, and not for resale in a couple of years.

Display from Sony Xperia XZ Premium

Full HD is good, but a 4K display is better, so your dream phone should have the maximum screen high resolution. This means we pull it out of Sony.

The best camera on the Samsung Galaxy S8

The Galaxy S8 may have an old-fashioned single-lens system rather than the usual two-lens system, but Samsung still takes great photos.

Fingerprint scanner from OnePlus 5

It is most convenient when the scanner is located at the front; it should work quickly and without errors. So, we take it from OnePlus 5, where it works noticeably faster than even in the top-end Galaxy S8.

Water protection from Samsung or LG

Expensive korean smartphones They are not afraid of water, so if you need protection from moisture, we look towards the older models - G6 or S8. They can withstand immersion to a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. For the iPhone 7, the stated characteristics are slightly worse - it can withstand half an hour, but at a depth of up to 1 meter, but also sufficient for underwater photography.

The most modern version Android with Google launcher Pixel

Naturally, your dream smartphone should work under Android control, so the shell needs to be simple, convenient and without unnecessary junk. Well, this can be found at Google Pixel, where everything is done wisely and it’s a pleasure to use.

Apple App Store

But with applications, everything is much more interesting at Apple, the store is better designed at Google, but the quality of the software is inferior iOS is better. It is more thoughtful, new products appear more often, and in general, application developers pay more attention to iOS than Android.

RAM from OnePlus 5

The $540 smartphone offers an impressive 8 GB of RAM. Don’t even ask why, let it be, it’s always nice to have a lot of memory in stock. Applications will run quickly and smoothly, you can always return to earlier running program and continue working from the very point where you left it, the software works in the background without affecting performance. In short, only advantages.

iPhone processor

Even if the iPhone 7 is not the best powerful smartphone On the market. So what if it outperforms even the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 in tests, so Apple processor A10 is a desirable component.

Wireless charging like Samsung and LG

Charge your phone using a wire? Phew, last century, it’s much more convenient to do this using wireless charging. Put your phone on the stand and watch how it fills with energy. Yes, albeit a little slower, but no wires around the office or apartment. If, of course, you figure out how to carefully hide the cable from the wireless charging itself.

Fast charging from OnePlus 5

It's good when the phone is not only powerful, but also with powerful fast charging included. The phone charges quickly, but at the same time does not overheat, the body remains cool, which is convenient and pleasant.

Huge battery from Lenovo P2

In general, in the original article there was ASUS ZenFone 3 Max, but on my own behalf I’ll add that I would prefer the 5100 mAh battery from the Lenovo P2. With it, the phone works for 3-4 days, or even a week, depending on how you use it. Down with thin phones, better let them work for a long time!

Price tag is the same as OnePlus 5

OnePlus 5 for $470 - great offer in terms of price and quality ratio on the market. What else can I add?