Many of your smartphone's coolest feats are accomplished with a wide range of sensors—but what are they and what do they all actually do? Reading time 6 minutes Your smartphone is a remarkable feat of ...

Accelerometers turn motion into measurable signals. From tilt and vibration to g-forces, they underpin countless designs. In this “Fun with Fundamentals” entry, we demystify their operation and take a ...

Abstract—(MEMS) Microelectromechanical systemsin consumer electronics are growing faster each year, with increasing demands from the mobile market, which is dominating the growth for this emerging ...

How do piezoelectric accelerometers — vibration sensors — work? The force caused by vibration or a change in motion (acceleration) causes the sensor's mass to “squeeze” contained piezoelectric ...

Detects when an object is near to the phone. Most commonly used to sense when a phone is held up to the users ear to turn off the display. This saves both battery life and prevents accidental screen ...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. When you use a compass app on your smartphone, it somehow knows which direction the phone is ...