pick up the phone/the receiver

the phone.

The "receiver" is the name for the part of an old fashioned wired phone that you pick up and put down, so you can use that word if you are talking about that kind of phone, but if you mean any kind of phone, including mobiles, use the word "phone".

I never pick up the whole phone, but that's what I say I do. Kind of odd, now that you mention it, but I'm too old to change.

I don't even pick anything up.

I flip or slide it open.

But you must pick the phone up to flip or slide it open.

Maybe she wears a doohickey in her ear all the time.

I have a doohickey but I don't use it. I hate those things.