Antenna Design for Modern Mobile Phones: A Review

Due to limited antenna space, high communication requirements, and strict regulatory constraints, the design of antennas for modern mobile phones has become an exceedingly challenging task. In recent years, numerous studies have been conducted in this area, leading to significant advancements. This review paper comprehensively summarizes recent progress made in antenna design for modern mobile phones. Firstly, the challenges faced in antenna design for modern mobile phones are described, including bandwidth enhancement, integration and decoupling techniques, mm-wave array antennas, satellite communication antennas, as well as interactions between mobile antennas and the human body. Secondly, the basic antenna types (such as inverted-F, slot, loop, and planar inverted-F antennas) commonly used in modern metal-bezel mobile phones along with their key characteristics are briefly summarized. Thirdly, the commonly exployed methods used in practical applications for designing wideband antennas within compact sizes and achieving decoupling among multiple antennas with wide bandwidths are collected. Fourthly, recent advances in the design of compact, wideband, and wide-angle scanning mm-wave arrays for modern mobile phones are summarized. Fifthly, recent progress made in satellite communication antenna designs for modern mobile phones, including broadside and end-fire radiation patterns, is presented. Sixthly, recent studies on the interaction between mobile antennas and the human body are briefly concluded. Finally, the future challenge of antenna design for mobile phones is briefly discussed. It is our hope that this comprehensive review will provide readers with a systematic understanding of antenna design principles applicable to modern mobile phones.