The battery is the lifeblood of a mobile phone and is one of the major consumer concerns with modern smartphones. The more you use the device and its components, the more battery is consumed. The following are different types of batteries used in mobile phones:
- Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries are the most popular batteries used in cell phones, as they are light and portable. They are well known for their high energy density and low maintenance. However, they are expensive to manufacture compared to other battery types.
- Lithium Polymer (Li-Poly) batteries have all of the attributes of a Lithium Ion battery but with ultra slim geometry and simplified packaging. They are the latest technology and found only in few mobile devices.
- Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries are old technology batteries and suffer from memory effect. As a result, the overall capacity and life span of the battery are reduced. In addition to this, nickel cadmium batteries are made from toxic materials that are not environmentally friendly.
- Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries are the same as nickel cadmium batteries, but can contain higher energy and can run for between 30 and 40 percent longer. They still suffer from memory effect but comparatively less than the Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) Batteries. They are widely used in mobile phones and are affordable.
The battery type can be known by looking at the details present on its body.
Often, the SD card is located behind the battery. During forensic analysis, accessing a SD card may require removing the battery, which would power off the device. This can have certain implications that will be discussed in details in later chapters.
Apart from the components described previously, here are some of the other components that are well known:
- Global Positioning System (GPS)
- Wi-Fi
- Near Field Communication (NFC)
- Bluetooth
- Camera
- Keypad
- USB
- Accelerometer and Gyroscope
- Speaker
- Microphone