How does a cell phone work?

 There are two reasons why we have cell phones now. The first is because we have satellites for finding the exact location of anyone or anything on earth. These are called GPS Satellites and were invented so jet planes wouldn't crash into each other so much. The magnetic north pole was moving too fast for old fashioned navigation so they invented GPS Satellites for worldwide navigation of passenger jets and fighter jets and all other kinds of jets.

Once this was invented they needed digital signals for talking on the phone because the other kind of signals couldn't be boosted enough around the world to take to people worldwide. But, digital voice signals can be boosted successfully even though sometimes it doesn't sound like a human being you are talking to around the world on a cell phone.

Once these two technologies were developed they could combine them and create cell phones and smartphones. 

So, basically when you make a call your phone or the microwave tower somewhere on earth finds the location of the cell phone you are calling. then it tells all the other microwave towers where you are then it tells all the other microwave towers where the person you are calling is. Then the two of you are connected. So, you and the person you want to talk to are first found within 3 feet of where you actually are on earth by the GPS Satellites. Then next when you speak your voices are converted into digital electrical signals which can be boosted many times to make it all around the world to each other instantly. 

This is how all this actually works explained in a way most people can understand.