National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

National Cybercrime Training Centre (NCTC)

Course Reference Guide

Track: Responders Track

Level: Basic
Chapter 2: Introduction to Mobile
Devices
 Introduction to Mobile Devices

Table of Contents
1. Basics of Mobile Phones and Mobile Communications............................................... 4
1.1. Core Components of a Mobile Phone .................................................................... 4
1.2. Cellular Concept..................................................................................................... 5
1.3. Handoff Procedure ................................................................................................ 6
1.4. Mobile Communication Systems ........................................................................... 8
2. Components of a Mobile Phone .................................................................................. 11
2.1. Some important terms that are used in mobile phones...................................... 14
3. Mobile Operating Systems and Software ....................................................................17
3.1. Difference between a Computer Operating System and a Mobile Operating
System .............................................................................................................................17
3.2. Different Types of Mobile Operating Systems .....................................................17
3.3. Mobile Applications ............................................................................................. 20
4. Introduction to Smart Devices ................................................................................... 22
5. Reference: .............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

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1. Basics of Mobile Phones and Mobile Communications

Cell phones, also known as mobiles or wireless phones, are hand-held phones with
built-in antennas that allows users to make and receive calls. Unlike home phones,
cell phones can be carried from place to place. This makes them a good choice for
people who want to be in touch with other people even when they are away from the
house. While the earliest generation of cell phones could only make and receive calls,
today’s cell phones do a lot more, accommodating web browsers, games, cameras,
video players and navigational systems.

Also, while cell phones used to be mainly known as “cell phones” or cellular phones,
today’s cell phones are more commonly called “smartphones” because of all the extra
voice and data services that they offer.
1.1. Core Components of a Mobile Phone

The core components of a mobile phone can be divided into two. These are as
follows:

1. Mobile phone Hardware: Mobile phone hardware comprises of the

physical components of a mobile phone such as the display, keypad, battery,
the integrated circuit, camera, speakers, microphone, antenna and all other
parts required for the mobile phone.

2. Mobile phone software: Mobile phone software comprises of the

operating system and the mobile applications that help the user make a call,
send a message or do any other activity using the mobile phone.

Few important terms associated with a mobile phone are

• Cellular Concept

• Mobile Phone System

• Handoff Procedure

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• Mobile Communication Systems- GSM, CDMA

1.2. Cellular Concept

We can make a call from one part of the country to other part of the country.
Practically, every city is divided into small areas. Each area is called as a ‘cell’. Thus,
a cell is defined as a basic geographical unit of a cellular communication system.
As the city is geographically divided into small cells, it is mandatory that all cells
must be symmetrical in shape. Based on this we have four geometrical shapes, such
as circle, square, equilateral triangle and hexagon. If we select the shape of a cell
as a circle, then the area between two circles will not get covered by the base station
and any attempt for communication from that area will fail. Thus, we eliminate the
circular shape. Hexagon has highest area as compared to any other shape. Thus,
we divide the geographical area into hexagonal cells. A group of cells is called a
cluster. The cluster size is not fixed. It depends on the requirements of the area.

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The basic structure of the Mobile System is as follows:

• MS refers to the Mobile Station

• BSC refers to Base Station Controller

• BTS refers to Base Transceiver Station

• MSC corresponds to Mobile Switching Centre

MS is nothing but the mobile phone of a user. Every cell has its own Base
Transceiver Station at its center. Whenever a call is setup, the first signal is sent to
the BTS of the cell. From this BTS, it goes to the Central BSC which controls the
working of all the Base Stations. From BSC, it then goes to MSC, the Mobile
Switching Centre which is the master controller of the entire system. These MSCs
are different for different areas. From MSC of area 1 to MSC of area 2 where it
follows the reverse sequence as MSC to BSC, from BSC to BTS and BTS to MS.

Whenever the user tries to call someone, a separate channel is assigned to the user
by the MSC. If all the channels are already occupied, then this user has to wait for
a channel to become free. In such a case, the user gets a notification such as ‘Call
cannot be completed’, or ‘Network Error’, or ‘All lines on this route are busy’ etc.
1.3. Handoff Procedure

The process in which mobile phones are able to retain this capacity to
communicate outside their own areas is called a handoff procedure.

Consider a situation where we are travelling from place A to place B by a car.

Sometimes, it happens that for a short period of 2-3 seconds, the signal strength
on mobile becomes very low and again it increases and reaches its normal level.
Have you ever thought why this happens? The answer to this question is the
handoff procedure.

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When someone travels in cell A, he receives the signal from Base Station A i.e.,
antenna A has a strong hold on the mobile signal. But as he moves away from
antenna A, the signal strength gradually decreases. At the boundary of cell, A, the
hold of antenna A on the device is minimum. At the same time, when the device is
about to enter cell B, Base Station B starts to take hold on the device. Thus, at the
border of cell A and cell B, both the antennas have equal amount of hold on the
device. As the user crosses the border and enters cell B, strength of Base Station a
very rapid decreases and strength of Base Station B rapidly increases. In short,
device receives signal network from Base Station B. But during this procedure, the
call is still ON. Hence, Base Station a hand overs this call to Base Station B without
any effect on the call. This procedure is known as the handoff procedure. This
process happens so rapidly that the user never notices it.

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1.4. Mobile Communication Systems

There are two types of mobile communication systems that are used:

1. Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM): The Global

System for Mobile Communications or GSM is a cellular system used
worldwide. GSM uses a Time Division Multiple Access or TDMA air
interface. TDMA refers to a digital link technology whereby multiple phones
share a single carrier, radio frequency channel by taking turns – using the
channel exclusively for an allocated time slice, then releasing it and waiting
briefly while other phones use it. A packet switching enhancement to GSM
called General Packet Radio Service or GPRS was standardized to improve
the transmission of data. The next generation of GSM, commonly referred
to as the third generation or 3G, is known as Universal Mobile
Telecommunications System (UMTS) and involves enhancing GSM
networks with a Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) air interface. 4G LTE is also
available to GSM mobile devices providing higher data transmission rates
to its customers.

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2. Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA): CDMA refers to a technology

which employs spread spectrum communications for the radio link.4
Rather than sharing a channel as many other network air interfaces do,
CDMA spreads the digitized data over the entire bandwidth available,
distinguishing multiple calls through a unique sequence code assigned.

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2. Components of a Mobile Phone

Hardware Components of a GSM Mobile Phone can be mainly classified into the
following:

1. Antenna: It is the metallic object which converts electro-magnetic signal to

electric signal and vice versa. Usually, only one antenna is used for both
transmission and reception. Hence, it needs to be used at different times for
these two purposes. Therefore, Tx Rx Switch is used to connect both Tx
(Transmission) path and Rx (Reception) path with antenna at different times.

2. RF Transceiver: Every mobile phone has a radio frequency or RF transceiver

which consists of RF frequency up converter and RF frequency down
converter. For GSM system, up converter converts modulated baseband signal
to RF frequency (890-915 MHz), whereas RF down converter converts RF
signal (935 to 960 MHz) to baseband signal. The basic purpose of this
component is to change the frequency i.e., increase or modulate the frequency
and decrease or demodulate the frequency of the signal as required.

3. Connectivity: Mobile phones have other connectivity features such as

Bluetooth for short range communication, wireless LAN for Wi-Fi
communication and global positioning system or GPS for location assistance.
These features vary depending on the mobile phone.

4. Mobile Baseband and Digital Signal Processing or DSP: This part

converts voice or data to be carried over GSM air interface to baseband signal.
This is the core part which changes modem to modem for various air interface
standards.

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5. Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) and Digital to Analog Converter

(DAC): Analog to Digital Converter or ADC and Digital to Analog Converter
or DAC is used to convert analog speech signal to digital signal and vice versa
in the mobile phone. At Transmission path, ADC converts the analog speech
into digital signal which is transmitted for communication. At Reception path,
DAC converts the digital signal into analog speech which can be heard by the
person at the other end.

6. Central Processing Unit (CPU): The central processing unit or CPU is the
heart of the mobile phone and supports the GSM protocols for
communications and manages the operating system of the mobile phone and
other applications that run on top of it.

7. Random Access Memory (RAM): The Random Access Memory or RAM

provides the primary memory to the mobile phone for temporary storage. The
RAM of a mobile phone functions like a computer RAM and helps in faster
access to mobile applications and data.

8. Read Only Memory (ROM) and Storage: Read only memory or ROM is
the internal storage of a mobile phone that holds the operating system files and
other data. Unlike RAM, data stored in the ROM is not deleted when the
mobile phone is powered off. The ROM in a mobile phone is not a pure ROM
as data can be erased and written multiple times.

9. Microphone: Microphone or mic converts air pressure variations (result of

our speech) to electrical signal to couple on the PCB for further processing.
Usually in mobile phone mic of type’s condenser, dynamic, carbon or ribbon is
used.

10. Speaker: The speaker converts electrical signal to audible signal (pressure
vibrations) for human being to hear. This is often coupled with audio amplifier
to get required amplification of audio signal. It also tied with volume control
circuit to change (increase or decrease) the amplitude of the audio signal.

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11. CODEC: The codec is used to convert speech from the user to the voice signal
and vice-versa.

12. Battery: It is the only major source of power to make/to keep mobile phone
functional. There are various types of batteries made of Nickel Cadmium
(NiCad), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), based on lithium, Li-ion and so on.

13. Camera: Depending on the type of mobile phone, a cameras will be part of the
hardware used for taking photos or recording videos.

14. Keypad: Mobile phones have keypads that help the user in entering input
such as numbers, alphabets and performing actions such as receiving or
disconnecting a call. Modern mobile phones used touchscreen displays for user
input instead of keypads.

15. Display: There are various display devices used in mobile phines such as LCD
(Liquid Crystal Display), TFT (Thin Film Transistor), OLED (Organic Light
Emitting Diode), TFD (Thin Film Diode), touch screen of capacitive and
resistive type etc. Mobile phones can also have touchscreen displays that help
the user interface with the mobile phone.

16. Sensors: Many mobile phones come in-built with various sensors such as
gyroscope for compass functions, accelerometer for speed and other similar
sensors.

17. SIM Slot: The SIM slot in a mobile phone is used to insert the SIM card in a
mobile phone.

18. Power Supply and USB: Power supply interface helps connect the mobile
phone to a power source for charging the battery. USB port is used for
connecting the mobile phone to a computer or laptop. Now-a-days, US Type-
C interface is used in most mobile phones that acts as both power supply
interface and USB interface. Apple iPhones have the Lightning port that does
the same function.

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19. Memory Card Slot: The memory card slot is used to insert an external
memory card in the mobile phone.

20. Volume buttons: Volume buttons are used to increase or decrease the
mobile phone speaker volume.

21. Power button: Power button is used to turn the mobile phone on or off.
2.1. Some important terms that are used in mobile phones
Some of the key terms that are used for mobile devices are described below:

1. International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI): The international

mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) is a string of decimal digits up to a
maximum 15 digits that uniquely identifies every mobile device or
subscriber of internationally.
2. Subscriber Identity Module (SIM): A subscriber identity module or
SIM, widely known as a SIM card, is printed circuit board inserted into a
GSM-based mobile phone. It includes subscriber details, security
information and a memory for a personal directory of numbers.
3. Integrated Circuit Card Identifier (ICCID): Each SIM is
internationally identified by its integrated circuit card identifier or ICCID,
also known as a Permanent Account Number or PAN. ICCID is the identifier
of the actual SIM card itself consisting of a seven-digit issuer identification
number of IIN, a variable length individual account identification number
and a single check digit calculated from the other digits using the Luhn
algorithm. An ICCID number has a maximum length of 19 digits.
4. International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI):
International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a number to
identify devices designed to support mobile technologies defined by the 3rd
Generation Partnership Project or 3GPP. It is a 15-digit number consisting
of 8-digits Type Allocation Code or TAC that identifies the brand owner,
make and model; a six digit serial number uniquely identifying each
equipment within each TAC and a single check digit or CD.

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5. Electronic Serial Number (ESN): Electronic Serial Number or ESN is

a 32-bit identifier recorded on a secure chip in a mobile device by the
manufacturer. The first 8-14 bits identify the manufacturer and the
remaining bits represent the assigned serial number.

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3. Mobile Operating Systems and Software

A mobile operating system or mobile OS is an operating system that helps to run other
application software on mobile devices.

A mobile OS typically starts up when a device powers on, presenting a screen with
icons or tiles that present information and provide application access. Mobile
operating systems also manage cellular and wireless network connectivity, as well as
phone access.
3.1. Difference between a Computer Operating System and a Mobile Operating
System

The differences between a computer operating and a mobile operating system are as
follows:

• Computer Operating System: A Computer operating system is built to

handle the various hardware and applications of a computer. The computer
operating system is designed to utilize the CPU capabilities of a computer or
laptop and handle the applications that run on top of it.

• Mobile Operating System: A Mobile operating systems are purpose-built

to operate on a variety of devices like mobile phones, tablets and other smart
devices, these operating systems are light-weight derivatives of computer
operating systems that utilize the CPU capabilities of a mobile device to run
the applications and hardware.
3.2. Different Types of Mobile Operating Systems

There are various types of mobile operating systems based on the mobile device
manufacturer. Some of the common types of mobile operating systems are

1. Android OS: The Android operating system is a mobile OS based on the

Linux Kernel and open-source software. The android operating system was
developed by Google. The first Android device was launched in 2008.

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2. iPhone OS / iOS: The iOS was developed by the Apple Inc. for the use on
its devices. The iOS operating system is purpose-built for Apple’s range of
smartphones and tablets and is not available for any other devices.

3. Windows Mobile OS: The window mobile OS is a mobile operating

system that was developed by Microsoft. It was designed for the pocket PCs
and smart mobiles. It is currently discontinued.

4. .BlackBerry OS: The BlackBerry operating system is a mobile operating

system developed by Research In Motion (RIM). This operating system was
designed specifically for BlackBerry handheld devices. This operating
system is beneficial for the corporate users because it provides
synchronization with Microsoft Exchange, Novell GroupWise email, Lotus
Domino, and other business software when used with the BlackBerry
Enterprise Server.

5. Symbian OS: Symbian operating system is a mobile operating system

developed in 1998 that provides a high-level of integration with
communication. The Symbian operating system is based on the java
language. It combines middleware of wireless communications and
personal information management (PIM) functionality. Nokia was the first
company to release Symbian OS on its mobile at that time.

6. Bada OS: Bada is a mobile operating system that was launched in 2010 by
Samsung Electronics. Samsung Wave was the first mobile to use the Bada
operating system.

7. Harmony OS: The harmony operating system is the latest mobile

operating system that was developed by Huawei for the use of its devices. It
is designed primarily for devices based on Internet of Things or IoT.

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8. Palm OS: The Palm operating system is a mobile operating system that
was developed by Palm Ltd in 1996 for use on personal digital assistants
(PDAs). Palm OS is also known as the Garnet OS and is currently
discontinued.

9. WebOS: The WebOS is a mobile operating system that was developed by

Palm. It is based on the Linux Kernel. HP uses this operating system in its
mobile and touchpads. It is currently used by LG for its smart TVs and is
presently called as LG webOS.

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3.3. Mobile Applications

Mobile applications or mobile apps in short, are a range of software programs

designed to run on a mobile phone or any similar device. Mobile apps are
categorized into various types depending on the functions. These apps can include
system apps, productivity apps, games, e-Commerce apps, finance apps and many
more.

At present mobile apps are downloaded from two major stores. These are:

1. Google's Play Store – All mobile devices using Android OS use the
Google Play store for downloading and installing mobile apps.

2. Apple’s App Store – Apple devices running the iOS use the App store for
downloading and installing apps

Apart from the above two, there are various other app stores specific to a
manufacturer. However, they are limited to the mobile devices of the manufacturer
itself.

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4. Introduction to Smart Devices

Smart devices are everyday objects that have been made intelligent using advanced
computing and are can be connected to a network.

Smart devices have the following key features:

• Users can easily interact with smart devices

• Smart devices can perform tasks independently without the user’s input

• Smart devices can gather information from the environment using sensors

• Smart devices are usually portable in nature

Some commonly Used Smart Devices are as follows:

1. Smartphones: Smartphones are mobile devices that have functions like a

computer. Apart from voice calling and messaging functions, smartphones
have many other capabilities such as accessing the internet, camera, video-
calling, office productivity tools and games using small applications called
mobile apps. The interaction between a user and the smartphone is typically
done through a touchscreen enabled display.

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2. Tablets: Tablets are flat, rectangular computing devices that function like a
smartphone. Like smartphones, tablets also have features of voice and video
calling, messaging, internet access, camera, productivity tools and games using
apps. The user interface of a tablet is accessed using a touchscreen display.

3. Phablets: Phablets are computing devices that are like smartphones and
tablets. The display size of phablets lie between a smartphone and a tablet. All
other functions and capabilities are the same as a smartphone or a tablet.

4. eReaders: eBook readers or e-Readers in short are a type of electronic device

that are used for reading electronic books. Amazon Kindle is a popular example
of an e-Reader

5. Smart watches/activity Trackers: Smart watches and fitness bands are

types of electronic devices that fall under the category of wearable technology.
Smart watches are electronic wristwatches that can perform many functions of
a smartphone or tablet. Activity trackers are wearable electronic devices that
tracks a user’s physical activity and health such as calories burnt, heart rate,
steps taken and other similar functions

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6. Virtual reality headset: A virtual reality or VR headset is a wearable device

that covers the field of vision. The headset projects computer generated images
across the field of vision to give a simulated reality experience

7. Smart home devices: These are intelligent devices that can monitor and
control certain functions of a house such as lighting, cooling, appliances,
entertainment systems and access control. All these functions can be
controlled by a central controller system. Amazon’s Echo series of devices are
a form of smart home devices that are voice-controlled

8. Global positioning system or GPS: It is a technology that allows

navigation using satellite signals to fix the location of a radio receiver on or
above the earth’s surface. GPS systems are commonly used as independent
devices or as part of smartphones, tablets, cars and other similar smart devices.

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9. Augmented reality or AR: It is the use of computer technology to

superimpose digital information and images over the physical world. The
digital information is viewed through a smart device such as a smartphone.

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