The Stuff of Smartphones

 

A phone designed so you don't have to think

and have forgotten how...

vs. 

Dumb ass phone

A phone for those that need to think

and still know how....

• By Susan K. Lewis

NOVA
Androids, Blackberries, iPhones, and other mobile devices are a testament to revolutionary advances in materials science and engineering. These souped-up cell phones are undoubtedly smaller and smarter than the clunky rotary phones of 40 or 50 years ago. But what sort of toll are they taking on the environment? Explore an anatomy of a smartphone, revealing the key technologies and materials that enable it, and get a glimpse of where these materials come from as well as where they might end up when the device is discarded.   

click... Launch Interactive     

See the materials and technologies that go into a smartphone as well as their environmental impact.