How Plastics Shaped Phones From Bakelite to Smartphones

Plastics helped transform phones from bulky early telephones into lighter, more durable, and higher-performing mobile devices.

In March 1876, Alexander Graham Bell successfully received U.S. patent 174,465 for the telephone. Early phones bore little resemblance to the sleek devices we know now. An early assembled telephone contained mouthpieces of varying sizes, bulky drum-like diaphragms, and wires connecting a liquid transmitter to vibrating needles to transmit sound. With the help of plastics, phone technology evolved from simple sound-transmitting devices into handheld computers capable of connecting the world.

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Evolution of Phone Materials

This year marks the one-hundred-and-fifty-year anniversary of the revolutionary patent. Since the telephone’s invention, its inner and outer components were primarily made of wood, iron, brass, and mica. Today’s phones contain vastly different components assembled from engineered thermoplastics, liquid crystals, and polymeric adhesives. This transformed phones into everyday essentials and, ultimately, pocket-sized computers.

As electronics evolved, polymeric materials supporting phone technology did too. In turn, this major transition helped shift wood and metal components to miniaturized processors, sensors, and antennas. With smaller device footprints and increasingly portable connectivity, phones now require new materials to keep pace with the technological shift.

Home and Pay Phones

The largest shift in phone materials came during the late 1920s and early 30s with the use of Bakelite. As a result, Bakelite, made of phenol and formaldehyde, replaced traditional outer metal casings, transforming phones into lighter and more aesthetic constructions. This reduced production time, making phones more accessible and affordable for home use. Meanwhile, as home phones became common, pay phones in telephone booths grew popular for use outside the home. For decades, they remained a familiar part of public life until the early 2000s. Communal communication was easily introduced with the combination of Bakelite, polymethacrylate, and polyethylene. Pay phones use a variety of plastics to shield customers from the environment, create push buttons, and phones covers. Additionally, softer materials like polyvinyl chloride and thermoplastic elastomers provide flexibility and durability as cable covers and junction protectors.

Mobile Phones

As pay phones phased out by the introduction and takeover of mobile phones, a different need from plastic arose. First, mobile phones were introduced, providing the ability to call without the need for wired connectivity. Soon after, smartphones and their simpler opposites, feature phones, became popular. Together, they now make most of today’s mobile phones.

With the need for fewer functions, featurephones demand less plastics than smartphones. As smartphones contain more sophisticated components like camera and touch screens, they require more specialized plastic content. Now, smartphones contain a variety of plastics. Commodity plastics like acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and high impact polystyrene are often used for case durability while engineering thermoplastics like polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonates, and polyamides are used for structural components like frames and even specialty screens. Ultimately, improvements in electronics, advanced coatings, and films created commercial success across smart phone manufacturing.

Future Phone Technology

With the widespread use of smart and videophones, society has once again driven demand for advanced material performance. As a result, industrial research has accelerated. Plastics used in advanced coatings and films have played a key role, enabling major commercial success in smartphone manufacturing. For example, LG Group, the South Korean conglomerate, has directed significant investment toward ultra‑durable and flexible films, self‑healing screens, and super‑hydrophobic coatings. One commercial success is G Flex, LG Chem’s self-healing coating for back cover protection. To continue supporting the demand for material performance, LG sister companies like Chem, Display, Electronics have frequently collaborated to pioneer these technologies.

Additionally, several major phone technology manufacturers are developing foldable screens and specialty chemicals. Other companies, such as Samsung Electronics, BOE Technology Group, and Motorola, have also partnered with materials science firms including NEI Corporation, Covestro, and Autonomic Materials. Through these partnerships, they are commercializing micro‑encapsulated coatings, foldable thin‑film polymers, and additional advanced materials. Together, collaborations like these continue to enhance commercial research and highlight next‑generation.